"Night News" - an occasional missive from the darkness

"Night News" - a desultory polemic from the darkness
Vol.6 No.2
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"Day by day I hear the voices rising;
Started with a whisper like it did before.
Day by day we count the dead and dying;
Ship the bodies home while the networks all keep score.

"One by one I see the old ghosts rising;
Stumblin' 'cross Big Muddy
Where the light gets dim.
Day after day another Momma's crying;
She's lost her precious child
To a war that has no end.

"Did you hear 'em talkin' 'bout it on the radio.
Did you stop to read the writing at The Wall.
Did that voice inside you say I've seen this all before.
It's like Deja Vu all over again."

- "Deja vu, All Over Again" by John Fogerty
Copyright 2004 Cody River Music / ASCAP
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"Well, you might not want to draw conclusions
I'll leave that to yourself.
Maybe you're still walking, maybe you're still talking
Maybe you've still got your health.

"But every time I hear the news
That old feeling comes back on;
We're waist deep in the Big Muddy
And the damn fools kept yelling to push on.

"Waist deep! Neck deep! We'll be drowning before too long
We're neck deep in the Big Muddy
And the damn fools keep yelling to push on."

- "Waist Deep in the Big Muddy" as covered by Dick Gaughan, Richard Shindell, et al.
Words/Music by Pete Seeger, Copyright TRO, 1967 Melody Trails, Inc.
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Friends of The Nocturnes,

Tim Baskerville here, in a brief return to editorial duties (note the change in NightNews byline above) here at The Nocturnes, and a chance to go "off-message" ('tis the season, no?) for our Pre-election edition of the newsletter!

First of all, with the business at hand, some important links to note (Go there, do what must be done, and then come back!):
Annenberg Political Fact Check - http://www.factcheck.org/ (that's .org, not .com!)
Duelfer Report; "October Non-Surprise" - http://www.cnn.com/2004/WORLD/meast/10/06/iraq.wmd.report/index.html
MoveOn.org - www.moveonvoterfund.org
Vote for Change - http://www.brucespringsteen.net/news/ (it IS The Nocturnes, after all!)
Rolling Stone interview with Mr. Springsteen - http://www.rollingstone.com/news/story/_/id/6477832?rnd=1095945961590&has-player=true&version=6.0.10.505
California Voter registration - http://www.ss.ca.gov/elections/elections_vr.htm
National Mail Voter Registration Form - http://www.fec.gov/votregis/vr.htm
Global Exchange - www.globalexchange.org
Fair Election - www.fairelection.us

As always, you can read this edition of NightNews here, or online at http://www.thenocturnes.com/nitenews.htm where a more readable, printable version resides. So, let's just throw our night caps in the ring, shall we?

EXHIBITS NOTED
The return of "Studio Nocturne," hosted by The Nocturnes as part of San Francisco Open Studios, takes place at Fort Mason, October 16-17, 2004. As you know, last year's event was a great success - many print sales, and an estimated one thousand art lovers got to see/meet some Nocturnes "in action!" This year's event also takes place in the Bay Room and Marina Room of Landmark Building 'A' - the same great location as last year!

Participants this year (some new; many returning from last year) include:
Tim Baskerville
Todd Friedlander
Susanne Friedrich
Hadley Grousbeck
Randy Gunning
Mark Interrante
Richard Kettles
Adam Moore
Jason Mullins
Greta Schnetzler
Manu Schnetzler
Karen Schreiber
Lena Tsakmaki
Roxanne Worthington

Plus, scheduled viewings in the Bay Room of Alum Andy Frazer's work-in-progress (a "Noctumentary" film) about - you guessed it - Night Photography! Visit http://www.thenocturnes.com/exhibits/studionocturne04/index.html for this year's announcement (with directions and more info about the artists).

Note that in conjunction with Open Studios, we are presenting a number of "satellite exhibitions' of Night Photography ("Noctoberfest"), showcasing the work that is part of "Studio Nocturne" in various local neighborhoods for the month of October. We are currently showing work at: Ruby's in Emeryville (4081 Hollis Street, 510/594-1221 for hours/dates), Thinkers Café, Potrero Hill in San Francisco (1631 20th Street, 415/285-8294 for hours/dates), HairHelp Salon, Potrero Hill in SF ( 1756 18th Street, 621-4011), and Luka's in Oakland (2221 Broadway in Oakland, near the Paramount Theater, visit www.lukasoakland.com for hours). Support your local Nocturnes - and Cafe!

Other Open Studios this month by Alumni and Friends of The Nocturnes include:
Nathan LaBudde (weekend #2 - October 9-10)
Mark Warren (weekend #2 - October 9-10)
Jeremie Laroux (weekend #1 - October 2-3)
Visit http://www.sfopenstudios.com for more information about these artists.

The Long Beach Museum of Art presents "Port Visions Long Beach: Photographs by Tom Paiva" (www.tompaiva.com) through October 10, 2004. Port Visions features thirteen large-scale, brilliantly colored and poetically evocative photographs of Los Angeles-based artist Tom Paiva. Paiva's images document the unexpected beauty in the urban and industrial landscape of the Port of Long Beach. No "October Surprise" there, for ardent fans of the transformative aspects of Night Photography!

Finally, our latest online exhibit of Night Photography - "The Nocturnes 2004" - is now in place at http://www.thenocturnes.com/exhibits/2004.html. Judged by noted Photographer / Gallery owner, and longtime friend of The Nocturnes, Brian Kelly (www.thephotographyroom.com), this biennial exhibit is a nod to the history of The Nocturnes and serves as survey of the latest and the brightest (or darkest?) night photography from California, the East Coast, Midwest, and the WWW.

WORKSHOP NEWS
Tom, Susan and I lead another workshop in Death Valley National Park this fall - October 25, 26, and 27, 2004,with the aid of the Full "Hunter's" Moon. If you haven't considered it yet, it is a great photographic tour! This must be our fifth or sixth trip down to Death Valley with a group, and it's always great fun, with great images! We have just a few slots available for this trip - see http://www.thenocturnes.com/workshops/deathvalley.html and http://www.thenocturnes.com/forms/reg_dv.html for all the information you need to register, before October 19. BTW, you can view previous work by participants in this workshop at http://www.thenocturnes.com/workshops/deathvalley2002/index.htm - also, a recent review of the Workshop by the LA times is at http://www.thenocturnes.com/workshops/img/latimes.pdf

Also, at this time we would like to mention our newest Workshop offering for this fall - Joshua Tree National Park in Southern California (down near Palm Springs), November 26, 27, and 28, 2004. This should be a great trip - we had to "jump thru a few hoops" to get a permit - but we think you'll find the surreal features of this unique landscape under a Full Moon captivating. We will photograph such picturesque and iconographic sites as Cap Rock, Split Rock, Hidden Valley & the Live Oak areas. Details are available at http://www.thenocturnes.com/joshuatree.html - but hurry, you need to register by the end of October!

CALL FOR ENTRIES
Submissions are now being accepted for the "Embarcadero Nocturne" exhibit taking place at venues along the Embarcadero (from Pier 35, southward to China Basin and the Ball Park). Location-scouting for the show continues - any suggestions, contacts can be emailed directly to us at the address below. To date, we have a number of dedicated Nocturnists with work to show, who have expressed interest. More news about this show at http://www.thenocturnes.com/forms/entryform_embarcadero.html

We are also pleased to announce that submissions to our latest online exhibition of Night Photography, "From Tucson to . . . " are now being accepted. Juried by noted Arizona photographer, William Lesch, this exhibit explores nocturnal imagery of the American Southwest, evoking vast open spaces, spectacular light, and a sense of the open road. The Prospectus is now in place at http://www.thenocturnes.com/forms/entryform.html and the deadline for entries is October 31, 2004, The exhibit runs from November 15-December 31st. .

BOOKS AND ARTICLES NOTED
Check out the current issue (Sept-Oct) of ViewCamera magazine for an article by our own Tom Paiva and East Coast Nocturnes affiliate Christian Waeber. Entitled "Camera Obscura (Dark Chamber)," it features Christian's work of Boston's "Big Dig by Night," and some of Tom's recent maritime work (also featured in the Long Beach Museum of Art show mentioned above).

IN RELATED NEWS
UC Berkeley Extension has signed a 10-year lease on 33,000 feet of brand-new space at 95 Third Street, between Market and Mission (right across from SFMOMA), where they will continue to offer programs in Art Studio, Design, and Photography. Look for another course in Night Photography to be offered there soon! Email the school at designarts@unx.berkeley.edu for more course info and a catalog.

Like the return of an old friend to the Bay Area, recent weeks have seen the re-opening of RayKo Photo Center, in a new location at 428 Third Street at Harrison, in San Francisco. Greatly expanded in size (12,000 square feet) they are now offering b/w printing, color printing, group and private darkrooms, with plans for b/w and color mural printing and a digital department to follow. In addition, RayKo will become the darkroom for some of the UC Berkeley Extension courses (see above) - providing a valuable resource for the local fine art photographic community. All this, and two blocks from SFMOMA! Stop by and say hello!

BREAKING NEWS
In the Jan Wenner interview mentioned above with Bruce Springsteen regarding the Vote for Change concerts and his motivation for staging them, the following quote struck us all here at The Nocturnes: "I always felt that the musician's job, as I experienced it growing up, was to provide an alternative source of information, a spiritual and social rallying place, somewhere you went to have a communal experience."

ALUMNI NEWS
Our Third Annual "Photo Camp" on Angel Island (in the middle of San Francisco Bay) took place this September 26th. Open to Alumni only, it again proved to be one of the high points of the "high season" of Night Photography here in the Bay Area. This unique overnight photographic tour of the "jewel" of San Francisco Bay is offered only once a year - why not sign up for one of our Workshops (thereby securing your alumnus status) and have a shot at what you're missing on this special "overnighter" next year? Visit http://www.thenocturnes.com/angel2002/index.html to view work from a previous Camp.

Web sites of Alumni and Honorary Alumni ("Accidental Nocturnes") mentioned in this edition of Night News:
Andy Frazer - www.gorillasites.com/nightphotos
Nathan LaBudde - www.mutoscopes.com
Mark Warren - www.peculiarplanet.com
Jeremie Roux - www.jeremieroux.com
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This concludes this edition of "Night News." As always, this and past issues of "Night News" are accessible at http://www.thenocturnes.com/nitenews.htm. Look for a special two-part year-end edition of Night News later this year.

So, you've found yourself knee-deep in the Big Muddy? Just remember: ". . . let's be careful out there."

Tim Baskerville
basket@thenocturnes.com
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"It's been ages since you visited any of us . . . "
The Nocturnes family of Web sites:
http://www.thenocturnes.com
http://www.timbaskerville.com
http://www.meersfamily.org

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