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Interwoven  

On Tuesday, I brought a gift to my weekly cello lesson. My teacher Bob Ng unwrapped his copy of Black Lives, White Lives, and exclaimed: “Beautiful! And it fits right in with your Memorial Mural and Blog – content-wise and esthetically.”  I had noted this just vaguely, not giving it much attention, but Bob as always has a superb eye (and ear). His black and white art photography of the mural is what started this blog.

 

(Selfies of Book with Mural by Nicky Gervacio)

And when I told Nicky this story, she said: “Yeah, that’s how you and [your husband] Bob were invisibly but strongly intertwined in your work, each in different fields.” True, Bob and I lived very independent lives, and yet what bound us together for the 25 years we had, was profound and deep like an underground river, steady and powerful. And once in a while this river would surface, become visible – as now. 

Black on White, and a little bit of Red...

It makes a difference when you hold an object in your hands. Now my stories about the book’s first and second life, about Bob, how he and I deeply respected and supported each other’s work, make more sense, and come alive with texture. Bob loved all my film projects, but especially Finding the Gold Within. In 2012 and 2014, he met the six protagonists and the Alchemy elders, on several of their visits to the San Francisco Bay Area, Berkeley, Mill Valley Film Festival etc. He never objected to our late-night parties in the living room, he just retired to bed – being already 84 years old at the time, his health not so good anymore. Once the guys came late into his bedroom presenting him with thank you gifts, surrounding the bed. What a sweet unforgettable memory. 

It is such a joy to gift friends Black Lives, White Lives. I like wrapping the books. It is the beginning of the Lunar Year of the Water Tiger, welcoming multiple celebrations. 

 

Comments

  1. Libby GreeneOctober 20, 2023 at 8:18 PM

    My wife and I enjoyed an afternoon tea today with Karina as we overlooked her garden. We talked laughed, shared memories, and engaged in a a refreshing conversation that wandered through topics including race, neighbors, grief, work, and advocacy. At the end of our time, Karina surprised us with a gift copy of Black Lives, White Lives. During our talk, Karina shared about how she fought for the book’s re-publish to feature a cover design that reflected her husband’s work, specifically his effort to confront racism and amplify black voices. We are so excited to dive into these stories he spent years curating!

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