First it was off to the Omaha Craft Mafia Spring Loaded Show.
Here’s Amy (Plaiderpillar) showing off her wares.
Stop 2 was the Autopilot Art “Departure” Runway Show. The kids portion was the cutest!
Isaiah and Annora (post show in her own clothes, but still with a great pose) on the runway…
I am starting on the outline/treatment for my script today. Step one.
On a completely unrelated note, I now know someone who has been bitten by a tiger. I interviewed Doug Armstrong, chief veterinarian at Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo for an article awhile back. He was smart, courteous and very helpful; overall a great guy. Then a few weeks ago (I’m a little delayed in sharing this), I saw his face in the paper next to the headline “Unconscious tiger bites zoo’s veterinarian.” According to the article, the 200 pound Malaysian tiger was under anesthesia and was in the process of undergoing a routine medical examination when it, “turned its head, grabbed Armstrong’s arm and chomped three times.” Yikes. Armstrong thinks it was just a natural reflex as he brushed against the animal’s whiskers. The anesthesia was different than the one they have used in the past, and it may have worn off quicker. Luckily, there was no permanent damage.
Directed by Barney Clay (current beau of K.O.)
Yesterday I received the much-delayed Issue 4 of The Thing. Rather than trying to explain The Thing in my own words, I’ll take the easy route and paste their words:
THE THING Quarterly is a periodical in the form of an object. Each year, four artists, writers, musicians or filmmakers are invited by the editors (Jonn Herschend and Will Rogan) to create an everyday object that somehow incorporates text. This object will be reproduced and hand wrapped at a wrapping party and then mailed to the homes of the subscribers with the help of the United States Postal Service.
This was a bittersweet package for me, as it was my last issue of The Thing. I really wanted to re-subscribe, but at the time $100 was a lot of money for me. It still is, and now it’s up to $140. But look at the creators of issues 7-10: Jonathan Lethem, Trevor Paglen, Ryan Gander and Starlee Kine! So tempting. And getting that box in the mail stamped THE THING and opening the box (always different sizes and shapes) to discover the mystery object inside is one of the most exciting feelings.
So I savored this last experience until me and The Thing meet again.
I finally saw it. I loved it. Perhaps more to come later on this film. Until then, here’s a related article by A.O. Scott in yesterday’s NY Times Magazine titled Neo-Neo Realism. The article focuses on a handful of American directors, including Kelly Reichardt, making films in the neo-realist tradition. I was really excited to see this article because I love many of these films. I was also reminded that I really want to see Treeless Mountain. Wendy and Lucy, and now this article, have gotten me thinking and inspired to start on the project that has been germinating in my brain for awhile now. I must start writing.
As you probably have noticed, I have moved my blog. I love this new format and design, but one thing I miss was my consistent updating of my blogger profile with movies I’ve seen, ones I want to see, music I’m listening to, and current faves and interests. I always like reading what other people are reading, listening to, and watching, and it’s a good way for me to keep tabs on what I’m into at a certain moment in time and also remember the movies I want to see or music I want to hear. So I think I will try to give updates on a pretty regular basis; perhaps weekly or bi-monthly. Should these updates have a name? Any ideas?
Reading: To the Lighthouse by Virginia Woolf, The New Yorker, Made to Stick: Why Some Ideas Survive and Others Die by Chip and Dan Heath
Listening to: Dark Was the Night compilation, Yeah Yeah Yeahs - It’s Blitz! (I know, but I will buy the album), Justin Townes Earle - Midnight at the Movies, Neko Case - Middle Cyclone, The Show is the Rainbow - Wet Fist
Recently Read: Revolutionary Road by Richard Yates, Reborn: Journals and Notebooks, 1947-1963 by Susan Sontag, edited by David Rieff
Recently watched: Synechdoche, NY, Snow Angels, Opening Night, Sunshine Cleaning, The Wackness
Recently bought: Pierrot le Fou Criterion DVD, You Can Count on Me DVD
Looking forward to: Wendy and Lucy, I’ve Loved You So Long, Grizzly Bear - Veckatimest, Marianne Faithfull covers album, March Madness
I have to credit Monitor Mix for bringing this video to my attention. I must now resist the urge to spend an hour of my day watching Patti Smith videos from the 1970s.
Also, Experience Music Project created a “Riot Grrrl Retrospective” and they can now be viewed online at YouTube. There are a total of 11 different parts. Embedding is disabled, so here’s a link to the first one:
I have an article on the lovely and talented musician Alessi Laurent-Marke in the current issue of Venus Zine available this week at news stands and book stores. It’s a great issue; the article is part of the “25 under 25″ series, highlighting women under the age of 25 who are doing productive/creative/interesting things.