The writing collective I am a member of, called 1441, will be reading at The Bodega‘s first-Sunday storytelling series in Bushwick on October 2, 2011. There will also be other readers, too. I’m reading something old, and something new. Other people will, too. Unlike my usual stuff, I’m reading poetry. Come!
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My newest essay, Bullet Points, was inspired by my experiences with street art and graffiti, and a dream I had which blurred and crossed many lines and made chasing the dream into real life possible. When I first moved to New York in 2010, I went to a lecture by Carolee Schneemann and she discussed a piece of art she’d made decades earlier. She asked the audience what we thought it meant. She considered each of our responses valid. Someone eventually asked her, “So, what does it mean?” And she replied, “When I figure it out, I’ll let you know.” The artist’s trust in creating something before she knew what she was creating, was an epiphany to me as a writer, and I’ve kept those words in mind ever since. This essay reflects my trust in the writing process, trust that there was something to be said, before I personally had my own ideas about street art figured out. I hope you enjoy it.
I’ll be reading this at WORD Bookstore along with the other members of my writing group, 1441, next Thursday, June 30, at 7 PM. It’s a reading as well as the release party for our first publication, which includes “Bullet Points.”
Thank you for your support.
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The Fireside Follies reading at Brooklyn Fire Proof was a success: I decided to read the NYT essay, which was great, because I’d originally written it to be read aloud. People laughed where they were supposed to laugh. Bushwick Daily covered the event, and posted photos, here.
–Collaborations continue.
No matter what I write, visually my thoughts come out of the printer looking the same: black text on white pages. Seeing new pages is always comforting, to print something is to complete one more step in the writing process–first draft, finished work, whatever. But with the move across the country, everything I was looking at was new, so I wanted to look at things in a new way, too. So while I continue to write essays that tell deeply personal stories, I’m also having a lot of fun doing other things creatively, too. In the next month or so I’m playing with making a zine, starting a new blog, and possibly even a piece of art. WIth words, of course.
–The Memoir.
Melissa Febos was one of the readers at the Fireside Follies reading; she read an excerpt from her memoir, Whip Smart. It’s an amazing book, her writing has really helped me think about the story I want to tell, even though my story is very different. So, I’m still structuring the book, and it’s a slow process. An essay featuring some of the material is close to being ready. I’ve got some free time coming up around the holidays, and I have a lot of catching up to do.
–The Beast
Katarina, who created the blog Bushwick Daily just this year, asked me to be part of her photo essay series, and Quel Beast offered to style it. She was thinking minimal, low-key, sort of serious–maybe even black and white. He was thinking–outrageous, colorful, over-the top. It’s funny that their visions were so different, and ultimately she got shots of both. I don’t think it would have worked as well, if it had been only one or the other. Life is serious, and ridiculous. At least, my life is. Here’s the story.
–As always, please email me feedback or ask me to read your work or work with you. When I have time, I love working with and for other people.
Comments closed–I am reading on October 23rd at Brooklyn Fire Proof for the Fireside Follies. Event details here. I’ve had a crazy amazing, great year, and it means a lot to me that my first-ever NY reading is in Bushwick. The reading series is brand-new, too, so I’m excited to be part of their inaugural event.
–The first two stories from my collaboration with street artist Quel Beast are out. I started out thinking I would write one essay and one profile, and so far instead I’ve been working on a nonfiction experiment: I created two stories–one a remix of the other. And the essay is still in my head waiting to be written down.
–This is a busy month, the other members of my writing group are actively shopping their finished projects. I’m really happy for their accomplishments and I’m learning a lot about what it takes to find the right people to work with. I’m reading, writing and editing a lot for and with friends, and I have 2 or 3 more essays on very different topics close to being ready. I’m writing all the time, or else I’m talking about words and art with other people.
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