perpetually wowed by one another

fire hydrants, my lust for Phil Jackson, and Gee's Bend quiltmakers

Dec 06, 2024

Phil Jackson in his post-NBA player pre-NBA coach acid trip days. <3 <3 <3

Greetings, earthlings.

Here are three things I loved this week:

1. These fire hydrants

The new-to-me-intersection where I perform my crossing guard duties every morning is less social than my old intersection, so I’ve been increasingly observant of the non-human personalities surrounding me–recycling bins, tree grates, fire hydrants… objects that are easy to overlook but make up the peeling, dirty wallpaper of my semi-urban life.

I take pictures of these things sometimes. I tell myself I’ll do something with them someday. I’m not sure what.

I forget how this came across my desk, but I love this directory of fire hydrants.

I look at it every month or so. Each hydrant has a derivative color palette and the directory can be sorted by height, appearance East to West or North to South, date added, etc.

The internet can be gorgeous.

2. This photo of Phil Jackson

I started rewatching The Last Dance on Netflix and realized that my type is Phil Jackson, specifically this version of Phil Jackson:

For the uninitiated, Phil Jackson coached the Michael Jordan-era Chicago Bulls through the 90s when they won the NBA championship three times in a row, twice.

There’s so much to love about this documentary that has nothing to do with sports, and one of those things is watching Phil Jackson–a true zen master–manage the enormous egos and disparate energies of these all-star players such that they became a cohesive, collaborative, powerful team. Specifically, Jackson’s relationship with Dennis Rodman puts me in my feels. If you know, you know.

But also, he’s just, like… smart and hot and tall and has a gravely, deep voice… and when you combine that with being ruthlessly committed to something bigger than yourself and pursuing it with gentleness, steadiness, patience… take me now, Phil Jackson!!!

3. This catalog of Gee’s Bend Quilts

I’m working on an illustration where the primary element is a quilt. I love quilts!

For the first draft I referenced a couple of books about quilting that featured traditional Americana quilts–think, red, white, and blue… bonnets and hoop dresses… the illustration is supposed to invite people to an event about working together to build a more vibrant, equitable, just future… so the design being born out of the deeply problematic colonial past that got us to the current moment was not the vibe.

I was unhappy with the first draft shared with my client, but I wasn’t sure how to course-correct. Luckily my freelance clients are beautiful genius collaborators, and this one shared amazing contemporary and politically radical quilt inspiration to inspire my second draft, including this library of Gee’s Bend Quilts.

The history of Gee’s Bend is wild, and the quilts are unreal.

I suggest taking some good, long time with these.

If you want to follow my personal program: get a little stoned with someone you love who appreciates beautiful things that humans make; look at the quilts together; learn about one another by talking about which ones are your favorites and why; be wowed by the way humans are perpetually wowed by one another whether they’re separated by three inches or three generations.

This one made by Rebecca Myles Jones (c. 1950) is a favorite because of the colors: