The Machine in the Snowbank; or How Do Desert People Dance in the Snow?

Zoolights, Phoenix -- photo by T.R. Hummer

His soul swooned slowly as he heard the snow falling faintly through the universe and faintly falling, like the descent of their last end, upon all the living and the dead.

—James Joyce

the kingdom where nobody dies

Josephine Settoon, my grandmother, @1905

Childhood is the kingdom where nobody dies. Nobody that matters, that is.

—Edna St. Vincent Millay

Tempe New Years Eve Block Party, 2009: Imprisoned

photo by T.R. Hummer

In the end, the imprisoned musicians are left gazing at the attractions of the outside world, contemplating all they’ve done wrong that has led them to this place.

Tempe New Years Eve Block Party, 2009: There’s Only One

photo by T.R. Hummer

Here’s Chuck’s butt. There’s only one (people seem alarmed).

Tempe New Years Eve Block Party, 2009: Chuck Hall Band

photo by T.R. Hummer

Fortunately for me, the act preceding us, The Chuck Hall Band, cranked up their second set just then. Excellent! Very distracting.

Tempe New Years Eve Block Party, 2009: Night Parade

photo by T.R. Hummer

As the cyclone fence intensified its hold on me, everything outside became more and more astonishing.

Tempe New Years Eve Block Party, 2009: Fan Dancer and the Ghost of a Cyclone Fence

photo by T.R. Hummer

Held prisoner inside the backstage cyclone fence, I was distracted by a fan dancer.

Tempe New Years Eve Block Party, 2009: The Distractible Horde

photo by T.R. Hummer

By the time I arrived at the bandstand, people of an amazing variety of levels of distractibility had gathered out front.

Tempe New Years Eve Block Party, 2009: Documentation

photo by T.R. Hummer

There was copious documentation of the variable distractibility of children. A study is forthcoming.

Tempe New Years Block Party, 2009: Food

photo by T.R. Hummer

Kids were mostly not distracted by anything once the food appeared.