No Wordplay today ...

It snowed all day yesterday here in Asheville, giving us a White Christmas even Bing Crosby would have been very happy with, and it's snowing again as I write. While the city cleared some of the main roads last night, they must have been working, given the holiday, with limited crews. The roads in my neighborhood are passable only to four wheel drive vehicles, and I haven't had one of those for four or five years, so I won't be trekking to the station this evening.

I'd planned another show featuring recordings of Charles Olson (given that tomorrow is his hundred and first birthday) and Robert Creeley, Olson's friend and editor, discussing Olson and Black Mountain College, but it'll keep.

Meanwhile, have a great evening otherwise. The Laureate's snowed in with me, and we've got firewood, food, wine, and lots of books, so we'll have a good time, too.

Adios to the Captain

News today that Captain Beefheart, also known in his later years by his given name, Don Van Vliet, has passed away from multiple sclerosis. His Safe As Milk and Trout Mask Replica especially spent many hours on my turntable a few decades back, and his work was always worth some good listens.

Here's the Captain:



And here's the Captain in a mellow mood:



(great video by terr0rkitten. Fast! Bulbous!)

(Hat tip to echidne, writing over at Atrios' place.)

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Update 22 December, 2010: One of the "greatest poets" of "a culture that has now all but vanished"? Jon Savage has a good post on The Captain over at The Guardian UK.