Love in a Time of Political Cholera

So it’s Restaurant Week in DC, a program that started after 9/11 when the restaurants around here were basically empty for weeks. It’s a great chance to check out places you’ve been thinking of trying without dropping too much cash. The restaurants that participate offer a three-course fixed-price lunch special for, this year, $20.06 (get it?) and three-course fixed-price dinners for $30.06.

Had a nice dinner earlier in the week at i Ricci, where we eat a lot anyway since it’s close to my office. Also had a great dinner last night at a new place called Willow, near where I live in Arlington. Willow is run by a former chef at Kinkead’s and the owner of the Firehook Bakeries, and has a fantastic Jugendstil interior, that any Arts & Crafts devotee would enjoy.

It’s not frivolous to talk about music and food in times like ours. It’s not frivolous to seduce our lovers, as Nikki Giovanni knew:

Seduction

one day
you gonna walk in this house
and i'm gonna have a long African
gown
you'll sit down and say "The Black..."
and i'm gonna take one arm out
then you-not noticing me at all- will say "What about this brother..."
and i'm going to be slipping it over my head
and you'll rap on about "The revolution..."
while i rest your hand against my stomach
you'll go on-as you always do- saying
"I just can't dig..."
while i'm moving your hand up and down
and i'll be taking your dashiki off
then you'll say "What we really need..."
and taking your shorts off
the you'll notice
your state of undress
and knowing you you'll just say
"Nikki/
isn't this counterrevolutionary..."

In fact, music, food, great sex, things that bring us joy are more important than ever in this time of political cholera. This is going to be, as Peter Daou recently noted, a long, difficult slog. And, as Emma Goldman may or may not have remarked, if I can’t dance, I don’t want to be part of your revolution. I’m still thinking about thriving -- thriving while we overthrow the Bush junta, thriving in a post-Roe world, thriving while the planet all around us continues to sicken, thriving just to spite those who’d love to see us wither. Wallis Simpson was, I believe, onto something when she remarked that living well can be the best revenge.

What will you do this weekend to thrive?