Update of an Artist in November

I suppose this post will also cover some of October to fill in all those gaps between cookie baking, Kathy Griffin, and Miley Cyrus.  I know your lives feel empty without knowing the scoop.

This photo here was taken on my pre-birthday road trip to Gebhard Woods State Park and the Illinois & Michigan Canal Trail in and around Morris, IL.  I had a window of good October weather and time off work.  ‘Twas a lovely quiet day of hiking and talking to myself and the voices in my head.  Lots of writerly conversation.   While only an hour away or so, it fulfilled my wanderlust in the tradition of past October trips to Vermont, Oregon, and Europe.  Took many photos, most but not all of which have been uploaded into my Flickr.  This was one of my favorite finds! All the naturey stuff was cool, but this find made my day.  As I say in the photo’s Flickr description, it’s not 100% accurate and fair to say that All Mormons Hate Us, but they sure as heck have been making a name for themselves lately. I’m feeling the pain of Maine (& etc.)  I definitely felt a kinship with the trail walker who came before me.  So, yay to whoever you are….

My birthday on the 25th was a good one.  Mellow, but wonderful.  Brunch, then later dinner and drinks with Ernie and friends.  Some time to myself in between.  I made a trip to the Art Institute. It had been a while, a few years.  I always love their photography gallery.  They’re currently showing a collection of Victorian photo collage works.  SO cool.  I also hadn’t been to the new Modern Art Wing.  Breath taking.  I dig all that stuff.  Had a moment with Picasso–it was his birthday too! I also enjoyed the student/journalist/etc. interviewing the gallery worker in the section with the clown abuse film, light installations, and other very contemporary work (sorry for the general terms here).  I wanted to hang out and listen more, but that would’ve been creepy. Like the clown.

NewTown Writers goings on are winding down for the year.  Our October NewPlay Readings event was a success.  I know the authors, actors, and audiences had a good experience.  I put my producer brain in overdrive, which was good for me, though I’ll tweak some things for next year.  I attended the final workshops of the year (and met a couple new writerly friends), my 2009 Artistic Director report has been written and sent out, and we have a Board meeting this weekend to talk 2010–the group’s 30th Anniversary.  Oh, and you can become a fan on Facebook, too.

I’ve attended a couple writerly events in the City in the past couple weeks.  As always, the amazingly fun 2nd Story had an event on the 8th at their home base, Webster’s Wine Bar.  My Solo Homo pals, Byron and Sara, read and directed respectively.  Last night, Essay Fiesta, a brand new series held its inaugural event at the Book Cellar.  Essay Fiesta features personal essays and comedy.  It’s a free event, but with the opportunity to buy raffle tickets to benefit the Howard Brown Health Center.  They had an awesome turn out last night.  You should go to the next one in December.  It’s right around the Holidays, but if you’re around and inclined and want to hang out in the way cute Lincoln Square neighborhood, do it.  I’m looking to hopefully be involved in future editions.  And of course, 2nd Story’s December deadline approaches….

I’ve recently gotten in the habit of tracking my writerly activities on my private/Friends Only blog.  I call these entries “Writerlogged.” I jot down every day-ish what I’m doing, working on, attending, etc.  They’re keeping me in check.  And they’re things that don’t necessarily need to be posted in a public forum like this–jottings of works in progress, process, hopes and dreams I don’t want to jinx by announcing them to the world.  Etc.  When I feel like my life is being taken over by laundry and my restaurant job, I can be like Hey, this is what I did and this is what I need to focus on and stuff.    The posts also apply to reading and watching which feed the writerly stuff.  It’s good.

So I have been working on various things.  I’ve been giving some love to a handful of short stories that are in various stages of life.  Also working on a CNF/Essay/Solo piece.  I like going back and forth with this.  Sometimes I really don’t want to deal with myself and my own life.  So I write about others.  Beyond this, there are always photo, media, etc. projects that want love too….

Organized my reading list.  I wish I could read all the books and all the lit mags and all the blogs, but you know, I can’t.  Listed are things we have in house, things I need to acquire, things to finish.  In the middle of the Best American Short Stories 2008.  Realize the new one just came out.  Oh well.  Also, my Walt Whitman collection.  The latest issue of MAKE Magazine.  All in due time.  Recently finished Band of Brothers, the Ambrose book, that I borrowed from my brother.  Having my base of knowledge from the film was helpful, and I was able to fill in any gaps and experience the source material. Waiting in the wings is my copy of With the Old Breed, E.B. Sledge’s memoir which was used in HBO’s The Pacific, which can’t come soon enough.  Recently finished Richard Peck’s Past Perfect, Present Tense Young Adult story collection.  Cool to have a perspective from that genre.  I also received Kathy Griffin’s Official Book Club Selection for my birthday.  Started that because Kathy’s awesome.  I need to acquire and start the new John Irving soon, too.  I won’t bore you with the rest of the list, but know I’m reading stuff.

And writing too.  I’m not a speed writer, though this time of year many are.  While I’m not participating in NaNoWriMo this time around, I am with all my NaNo friends and others in spirit as I work to accomplish something writerly every day. Whether it’s updating my writerly site, or swooping the editing comb through a story, attending an event, or just walking through UnAbridged Bookstore to be surrounded by tried and true printed real books.  Etc.

With that, I’ll end this, but hope to post other bits soonly.  Happy Creating, Everyone.

Cheers.

I should have included a “No Miley” clause.

One of the drawbacks, I’ve recently discovered, of being married to a Theatre for Young Audiences professional is that on any given, say Saturday morning before the coffee kicks in, one can be subjected to/blasted with Miley Cyrus.  Not an enjoyable experience!   Though slightly less painful than dealing with the Jonas Brothers (here’s where I chime in with my “I’d rather eat glass.”)  “It’s for the children!” my beloved will remind me.  Yes…  I guess he does have to keep up with what the kids are listening to these days.  But I don’t have to like it.

I’m including the video because Kathy Griffin told us to look it up. So suffer with me. ;-P  Levi Johnston (who was KG’s date at the Teen Choice Awards) was all like “Um, isn’t she only like 16?”   This reminds me (sort of) of when my mother complained about Kids Incorporated making the kids look too grown up.

Still, I’d rather suffer hours of Miley than be without my TYA guy.

Hangin’ with KG!

A couple months ago, I surprised Ernie with Kathy Griffin tickets.  Last night was the night!  A lovely time together and break from creating all our art. We had pretty cool balcony seats.  This was my best, most focused shot.  Not bad!

She opened the show with “Fuck the Olympics!”  She went there for a brief glorious moment–and then moved on to all the other topics she had to cover.  Like Oprah, Whitney, Miley (who totally deserved the KG treatment!), Barbara W, MJ, Paula, Britney, Levi Johnston (her new “boyfriend”) and of course, the Gosselin’s!  Her fave Gosselin kid is OUR favorite Gosselin kid.  I knew we were in sync.

When it ended, were like Oh!  Then looked at the time, and it was almost 10:00.  We’d been hanging out for a couple hours like old friends just shootin’ the shit where time slips away and you end up staying up all night talking the time away.  There could’ve been hours more!

We watch her specials and show on Bravo, and that’s amazing, but she’s still this image coming out of our TV’s.  All these other people she talks about come to us in various media outlets–TV, online, our music delivery media of choice, and they all seem a little unreal after a while.  But having Kathy with us in the same room was a reminder that we’re all people in this world and we’re talking about what some of them are doing.  I just felt this deeper connection to all the craziness.

So, thank you Kathy Griffin!

NewTown Writers ~ NewPlay Readings

This is my latest project with NewTown Writers.  For two nights only, we’re presenting a program of ten new short glbt play readings.  This time around, I’m not wearing my writer-performer hat–unless you count reading stage directions as performance.   I’m steering the ship with my co-producer Joe.

Visit the NTW website for more info and to link to our Facebook Fan page.

Feeling the Heritage with Joe Frogger

On Labor Day, Ernie and I bussed it downtown to see Julie & Julia (and had to walk an extra few blocks due to Oprah’s blocking of Michigan Ave.)  The film, as you probably know, is in part based on Julie Powell’s book, which in turn is based on her blog (and by the way, she has a new one.  Cool.)  Ernie bought the book on CD, which served us well for travels to Detroit this summer. The CD, with Julie herself reading & living in the moment, was a wonderful way of experiencing the book.   And I’ll say here that some of the naysayers on Amazon are just mean.  The film of course is also in part based on the life/biography of Julia Child, who I mostly knew from glimpses on PBS and SNL reruns with Dan Ackroyd , etc.  Didn’t Phil Hartman do her too, or am I making that up?  We both loved the book and the movie, and now we have a steady supply of Rose’s Lime Juice for gimlet cravings (Julie should look into getting a cut of the increased Rose’s revenue, yo.)  After the movie, we had lunch outside at Bistro 110, who all through August definitely worked the Julia Child tie-in.  We were unapologetically dorky about it with our server.  We craved sauces loaded with butter and were not disappointed.

The experience of Julie Powell’s story has naturally lead to discussions of what kind of project can I do? I’m sure I’m not the only writer who has been inspired to commence on a project of a parallel nature, and dreamed of their blog/book/life being made into a film with Ethan Hawke starring as himself.  Right?  While a few ideas ranging from the tongue-in-cheek to the legit have bounced around in our brains, I’ll keep those to myself for now.

In the mean time, I can write an occasional post here detailing a cooking/baking experience that maybe someone out there in WordPress/Facebook/InterWeb Lands may care about.  So Hello.

While my mother did not own a copy of Julia Child’s cookbook, she did have her share, a few of which I’ve acquired since her passing in 2002.  Recently, in a final purge of things in the former family home basement before my brother sold it, I picked up Betty Crocker’s Cooky Book. Originally published in 1963, my copy is the sixteenth printing from 1974, my birth year (while quickly googling the book, I saw it was re-printed/re-published in 2002.)  It’s a beautiful specimen in all its vintage glory. (Did I just call something from the year of my birth vintage??)  The drawings and photography are quite simply–awesome.  The book wasn’t exactly and everyday staple for my mom, but it was handy to have.  As it will be handy for me to have.

Flipping through it, I was amused by the section on “Heritage Cookies.” Maybe “amused” isn’t the right word.  More like fascinated.  The intro blurb conjures images of pioneers harvesting maple and making their own sour cream while also addressing the, um,  modern 1960’s palate.  Made me want to take a trip to Greenfield Village. The first Heritage entry is a recipe for Joe Froggers, rich with Autumnal spices and molasses.  Every year, I set out to get into the kitchen with a couple personal traditions on or around the first day of Fall (High Holy Day!)  I thought some of these Froggers would make a fun addition to the mix.  So I set off….

I admit to not knowing the term Joe Frogger whether in or out of relation to what is a basic molasses ginger snap type cookie.  Call me Cooky Challenged.  So, there’s a person and a story behind the recipe–I like that.  The recipe shares a little info about the cookie’s origins, but I wanted more.  Somewhere between making and baking the dough, I looked up the name and found THIS ARTICLE from Marblehead Magazine. Cool.

Let me pause to say that I was slightly miffed to discover several recipes online include rum, while Betty Crocker’s does not. This makes me wonder if there was some sort of Prohibition type thing going on in the BC world of books.  Rum is not listed anywhere in the index. I smell a conspiracy theory.  Next time I make these, there will be rum.  Oh yes, there will be rum.

I read through the recipe Tuesday morning and realized a couple things: I had to refrigerate the dough.  Okay, no problem, will adjust my plans.  And also, I would need a rolling pin.  Did we even have one?  While talking to Ernie shortly after making this discovery, I was like, Hey is there a rolling pin anywhere in this house?  He thought maybe, but also thought it could’ve disappeared in our recent move and donations to his mother’s summer garage sale.  I know I owned/had access to one a one point–but it could’ve belonged to my old roommate, Sarah.  I looked.  Didn’t find one.  So to my list it was added.

Did a little seasonal shopping for this and other things.  I needed shortening.  Our last, half used and yellowing can of Crisco was pitched in the move. I hit up our local chain supermarket, picked up a few things, but was thwarted by the kitchen aisle: No rolling pin!  Whole Foods was next–it’s a beautiful and dangerous thing to have one in walking distance and so much more rejuvenating than the supermarket.  In the baking aisle, I had a flashback to helping a friend of mine reach for the molasses at the back of the top shelf a few weeks ago.  Whoa.

Following the recipe was a pretty basic experience accompanied by my Folk music mix on my iTunes.  Adding the water to the sugar-shortening-molasses mixture made for some inedible looking soup, though.  The recipe also called for me to “Measure flour by dipping method….”  I was referred to page 5 where I learned that this basically means to just dip the measuring cup into the flour and level off with a knife.  Okay.  But this implies  to me: A larger than life bag of flour; actually keeping the flour in a canister all old school; maybe scaling down to measuring one cup at a time.  With valuable cupboard and counter space at stake, we have a normal sized bag of flour and no canisters.  I used the “Pour the flour right into the measuring cup method”  which totally works for me.  Once everything was mixed together, it all made sense.  I wrapped it, and let it hang out in the refrigerator for the rest of the day and overnight so it could do all its scientific stuff.

I did make a special trip to get a new rolling pin that evening–a focused bus ride down to Bed, Bath & Beyond.  An accomplishment among many.  Rolling out the dough yesterday afternoon definitely took me back to the work days of Christmas cut-out cookies with my mother and her mother.  It’s amazing what rolling out cookie dough can do–and I wasn’t even planning on it.  All that inherent knowledge got me though it for sure as I rolled and cut out with my 3 inch circle cutter (from a set purchased at Whole Foods, bless them.)

Later in the afternoon, while stopping at the supermarket for dinner stuff, the kitchen aisle was full of rolling pins.  I swear they were not there the day before!  Oh well, the one I got is bigger, badder, and can do more damage.

I of course had to try one from the first batch, and it was delightful.  And tasted like our heritage.  In that I mean, from my taste buds, I felt a little stirring of patriotism–in the good sense of the word.  The real patriotism and not the haters twisting the word around and making me feel ashamed.  At the same time, I still had images of watching the highly offensive yet fascinating slavery-era film, Mandingo, bouncing around my head from my Tuesday film night with friends.  The story of Joe Frogger and his wife and the cookies is a story that seems to overcome the gross racial issues from our Revolutionary and Antebellum pasts.  Right…?

Yep, all that in a cookie in my 21st century kitchen in Chicago.

According to BC, “the cookies are as plump and dark as the little frogs that lived in the pond near Joe’s cottage.”   But I gotta say, they fit  more with lily pad comparisons I’ve read.  Good and soft, but not exactly plump.  Except for that last one, where I balled up the last of the dough and just flattened it with my hands. Its lumpy density and not as circular shape gave it the rightful name of Frogger.

They’ve had their time to cool and hang out on our counter.  But now it’s time to get them into the cookie jar. We may not have flour canisters, but we do have a corner reserved for the groovy ’70’s dark green mushroom cookie jar of my youth, and that seems to be a perfect place for them.  Luckily, I won’t have to climb up on a chair to get to them.

1856

Each of us is inevitable,

Each of us limitless–each of us with his or her right upon the earth,

Each of us allowed the eternal purport of the earth,

Each of us here as divinely as any is here.

~ Uncle Walt

Update of an Artist in August

It’s almost the middle of August, and summer is definitely trucking along.  We had a delightfully cool July but are definitely feeling some dog days this month.  A hot summer makes the relief of Autumn even more special.  For those who know me, Autumn is high holy season around here.  It’s my first back in the city.  I’ll definitely miss Indiana for it’s Autumness, but will seek out the city’s delights–but that’s a nerdy post for later.

To follow up on my Band of Brothers Revisited post, shortly after I posted it, a fellow WordPresser lead me to Alan Sepinwall’s blog, What’s Alan Watching?  He’s the TV critic for the New Jersey Star-Ledger.  This summer, he did an amazing series on Band of Brothers. I recently finished going through his posts and many of the comments.  Had I know about it (we were watching it at the same time!), I would’ve definitely joined in the conversation.  Alas, he wrote his last post about the same time I wrote my own BoB post.  I still want to comment on his final entry.  The whole thing is an wonderful in depth conversation for BoB nerds everywhere!

I’ve spent part of the last month haunting neighborhood used book stores (plus my indie bookstore down the street) looking for Malarkey’s and other related books. I think I want to read at least Malarkey’s before I borrow my brother’s copy of the BoB book, which I still haven’t read.  I want to despite the gnawing voices of the Ambrose haters on Amazon (which does have everything I want…).  I should stop reading things like that.  Just upsets me.   I’m also interested in reading E.B. Sledge’s With the Old Breed, which is one of the sources for the upcoming The Pacific film.  How exciting that Sidney Philips will be a character in the new project!

I’ll save my WWII reading for the Fall, as I’m trying to focus on other reading this summer. My “To Read” list is growing with older and newer books (like, I still need to get to Sarah Vowell’s latest!), recent acquisitions, and books on Ernie’s shelf.  I’ve taken a couple times to sit outside–even go to the lake–and read my Walt Whitman collection. Perfect for summer on a blanket on the grass with the lake’s breeze.  Definitely won’t finish it this summer, but it’s good to have at my side when I’m inspired.  I also have the Best American Short Stories 2008 collection at my side when a dose of short fiction is in order.  I finally finished the 3rd (with six more to go!) Sookie Stackhouse book, Club Dead, and totally loving the new season of True Blood!  My current non-fiction reading is Michael Davis’ Street Gang: The Complete History of Sesame Street. What a joy!  And it had me in tears in the first paragraph of the prologue for real.  I’m three chapters in, which is a fascinating account of the history of children’s television in general.  The Captain Kangaroo stuff is cool.  I’m trying to make more time to read actual books.  Less sitting in front of this computer and more reading, yo!  But the computer is good too.

On the writerly front, I’ve been focusing on two short stories this past month or so.  I’ve also been working to organize all my works in progress.  I’ll always be adding ideas, but I’m trying to focus on further developing my most developed work so I can start taking it to the next level.  One story is inspired by my neighborhood in South Bend.  I really love this piece (which I started in November for my short story edition of NaNoWriMo) and am getting more and more into it.  It’s also been good to harness my Indiana experience creatively–something I want to continue.  Another story is more fantastical and quirky and inspired by an Indiana friend of mine.  That’s all I’ll say for now.   These stories are written in 1st and 3rd person respectively, and if I’m going to flip flop between strories, I like that variety.  On the CNF front, I made it through the first draft of a story about Truman’s bar in Indiana.  I’ve also rebounded from Playing Guns rejection and am preparing it for another submission–to a place that’s perhaps a better fit.

I’ve also typed out my grandfather’s journal like I said I wanted to.  Very cool.  With that, I’ve registered another WordPress site which will be more family oriented.  Not sure how public it will be, but it will definitely be a cool place for family and friends hopefully.

With all this Indiana talk, I did take the time to reflect on my time there.  Here’s an excerpt from my Friends Only blog:

It was this random, amazing, frustrating, weird, beautiful, creative, inspiring, annoying experience in our lives. While we can definitely tell our “Indiana stories” boiled down to some laughable cocktail party tales, I get a little Stockard Channing at the end of Six Degrees of Separation where she seeks to make sure her experience truly becomes a meaningful part of her life. I know I will continue to do this myself in my work–whether in short stories, solo pieces, journal entries, or what have you. Just like I try to do with everything else. I can’t deny the new perspective our time there offered.

All the wonderful people I met along the way–those I’m still in touch with and those I’m not–will not be forgotten.

Finally, in NewTown Writers news, after a successful Solo Homo 7, the Fall 2009 event is in the works.  We wanted to do some sort of short plays event, and it looks to be gearing toward a Reading event with some brand new works.  I’m currently working with a number of members on developing their pieces–and looking to include a few more.  I’m wearing my producer & director hats on this one so I can focus my writerly energies on other things.  We’re looking to go up mid-October.  Will post more later!  I’ve also started attending the bi-weekly literary meetings.  I’d never done that before, mostly because of my old work schedule and not living in the city for a few years.  It’s been fun–I’ve been able to workshop one of my current stories as well as hear some of the work in progress for the fall.  And now that meetings are looking to be at the Center on Halsted, that’s a bonus since I can walk there.  Awesome!

Upcoming fun things are in the works. Looking forward to them and to getting more work done.  Will tell  you all about it….

Onward—->

Band of Brothers Revisited

This afternoon, I finished watching the special features in the Band of Brothers DVD set.  Thus completing my 2nd full viewing of the film. I’d been keeping an eye out for a discounted copy since last time I watched it, I borrowed my brother’s set.  While back in South Bend for a day trip to teach class, we ventured over to the Best Buy, and there, on the shelf in the HBO section were new copies at 50% off for a limited time.  So for only about $30, each episode plus extras was mine.  Score!  AND with cheaper Indiana sales tax to boot.  Once upon a time, Ernie had expressed interest in watching it with me–mostly I think because of Ron Livingston and his Sex & The City connection.  When I brought it up with this purchase, he’d forgotten about his initial interest.  So I was on my own.  While Ernie was down in Kansas City this past month working down at the Coterie Theatre, I had plenty of time.  Watching it solo means I can rewind parts and get as obsessive as I want.

I’ve written about the film and its connection to my writing & family projects–and general WWII interest before.  So I guess this is a follow up to previous posts: Workshopping “Guns” and  The War. I’m not completely sure if this follow up will have a conclusive point, but we’ll see.

I’ll report that I’ve recently revisited my piece, Playing Guns. This past May had me working two deadlines.  I had my Solo Homo piece to work as well as my 2nd Story submission.  I wrestled with starting from scratch for this submission, but given the state of Life and Art I had to make some executive creative decisions.  I ultimately didn’t get a slot for the next round, but I feel good about my work on the piece.  I received some solid feedback and totally agreed with the things to work on as far as fitting the piece into the 2nd Story aesthetic.  I’ve also chatted with my new 2nd story pals and don’t feel discouraged at all. I love what the group does and hope to be more a part of it down the road.  This latest revision process found me restructuring and slicing and dicing (for both time and focus) and really had me looking at things with a magnifying glass.  I feel part of my problem, though, was that I was in a way trying to cram a non-2nd Story into a 2nd Story mold.  Some of it fit–and some of it didn’t.  Next time I can work on the piece with new found focus, but without any restraints (and I’ll have a better idea of what I’m doing for my next submission!)  Getting the piece readier and readier for Battles with Boys. It’s coming….

Back to the film.  I mention it indirectly in the piece.  War films and images play an important role in the story.  My interest and into obsession are a part of the story.  It’s so damn good.  I know it has its detractors and people who get their panties in a bunch over various things (various inaccuracies & poetic licenses, the anti-Stephen Ambrose camp, etc.), but I don’t get into that, and don’t let it bother me.  I appreciate and celebrate it for what it is (and before I forget, I can’t wait for the follow up, next year’s The Pacific!)  I love the story.  I love learning the stories behind the stories.  I love learning about the real guys behind the “characters.”  I love learning more about the actors (especially the lesser known ones.)  It’s EASY (pun intended) to become just a little obsessed. My “BoB” bookmarks are filled with things like THIS and THIS and THIS.  Though I do have my limits.  There are those who know which weapons came out when and who had what and noticed how they changed in the film and all that (even I, a huge Cure fan can’t rattle off remix titles like they were my own children as some fans can.)  But each to their passion, I say.  I haven’t read ALL the books.  The new one looks interesting.  I am interested in reading Tech Sgt. Don Malarkey’s (adorably played by Scott Grimes in the film), though.  I’m happy to have this film in my collection and will revisit it when inspired to–and continue to let it (and its gorgeous score) inspire me in Life and Art.

This all keeps me thinking about family and history and our own stories.  I caught Diane Rhem’s show this morning (not on Chicago Public Radio, but on Michiana Public Radio–yay internet!).  She featured Vincent Cannato, author of American Passage about the history of Ellis Island.  The subject of immigration to Canada also came up–which is what my Grandpa V’s parents did back in the day (making me part Canadian, ya know!)  I have his handwritten story about his growing up there and his move to Detroit.  One of my projects for the near future (I thought maybe today, but we’ll see…) is to start transcribing it into a Word file.  If for nothing else but to preserve and share it.  But there’s also some tidbits of inspiration in there for other projects.  It’s good stuff.

All this is connected. Other people’s old photographs and stories; MY old photographs and stories. Maybe getting a feel from their lives can add to an understanding of my own history.  I still have access to some things, but unfortunately not to everything.

Right now, I feel like I’m at the borderline of public musings and private journaling and things that will become other things.  So I’ll end here and wish you all much love.

Solo Homo 7 Success!

Thanks to everyone who helped make Solo Homo 7 a success! A huge thank you to everyone who came out to see us.  We received some lovely compliments.  A big thank you to the cast: Lisa, Timothy, Joe, Deb, Mike, Byron, Sara, and Cookie.  David, our tech guy.  Thanks to Strawdog Theatre Company, 2nd Story, and all our fellow NewTown Writers.

I had a good time in the producer’s chair.  Thanks to Joe for all his help!  Robert too.  *Whew*

Onward to our Fall show and Solo Homo 8 next year!

Cheers!

I Used to Tell People that My Parents Named Me after Michael Jackson…

…and my brother, Stephen after Stevie Nicks.

Okay.  So, I feel like I should take some time to at least get a few thoughts out beyond Facebook status updates. Something that is a little longer lasting.

I heard the news Thursday on NPR. I turned it on in the middle of the story and thought the piece was about his rehearsing for the tour.  Then I heard about the coma.  And shortly thereafter that he was dead.  My Facebook home page was already flooding.  I’ve added my words.  And this WordPress post will feed into my Facebook so it’s all one big pot, really.

And of course I was like What the Fuck?

It begins: Fall 1982.  Arthur Johnson, a schoolmate from Mrs. Cox’s 3^rd Grade classroom brings  his Thriller album (on vinyl of course) to my 3^rd Grade classroom, Mrs. Brady’s room.  I don’t remember the occasion—was it a party, special day, or just a bit of show and tell?  Mrs. Brady put on the record and Arthur starts dancing.  I don’t know if he moon walked per se, as according the sources, the above video from May 1983 was the moon walk’s debut. Either way, I, a white boy in an ever increasingly racially mixed school, am enthralled, and want more.  I must own this.  This was the moment I transitioned from storybook records whose chimes told me to turn the page.  Beyond Sesame Street records and the Wizard of Oz and Sound of Music soundtracks.  This was it.

I went home that day and asked my parents if we had any Michael Jackson records.  One of them—not sure if was Mom or Dad—handed me our copy of Off the Wall, and I said, “This isn’t Michael Jackson!” I’d taken in the cover of Arthur’s Thriller album, and this was NOT the same guy!  In my world, anyway.

For my 8^th birthday, I received my very own copy of Thriller.  Along with the my copy of the Better Homes and Gardens New Junior Cookbook, which I still use today, and in fact just finished a couple batches of Snickerdoodles for the weekend’s Pride festivities.

From here, I unleash a bit of a brainstorm of MJ moments….

Family gatherings will undoubtedly include a Michael Jackson number or two, lip synced and danced by myself. My version of “You Wanna Be Startin’ Something” involved gym shorts and sweatbands and exercise-esque choreography that put Olivia Newton John to shame. No track from the Thriller album was safe.  My production of the song “Thriller” was carefully planned, involved turning off all the lights, my little brothers, and a dagger-esque letter opener that is still at arm’s reach from my computer.

I invited some of my friends over one day because we were going to make our OWN “Thriller” video with my dad’s film home movie camera.  If only I’d had a digital recorder then!  Chris, AJ (then maybe still Andy), and Michelle came over and my grand vision of multi locations—the corner at the end of the block, my garage, etc.  was slightly rehearsed, never filmed, but Mom still made lunch.

One of our former babysitters and neighborhood friends, Katie, would teach me the choreography to “PYT” she learned in her dance class.  Katie died suddenly this past May.

I watched the Making of Thriller video many many times with Michelle and her mom, Pattie. That’s when I saw the above “Billie Jean” clip. The penultimate viewing was a party where she invited several of our classmates and we made our own pizzas (because Pattie was a lunch mother at school and she had the hookup to the place that provided our pizza lunches).  Talk about Awesome.  We marveled at the special effects and made fun of the Jackson 5’s “Can you Feel It?” video.  We kept shouting “No!”  At least Michelle and I would every time we watched.

Before Detroit had cable—and therefore MTV, my main source to see his videos was Channel 4’s (our NBC station) music video show that came on a 4:00 after school.  Many of my 80’s video memories come from that show.  Madonna, Cindy Lauper, Lionel Ritchie, “Ghostbusters,” etc.

My bedroom was covered in Michael Jackson posters, whether my little brother liked it or not!  My jacket was covered in MJ buttons, many of which were purchased at this little shop in the middle of Livonia Mall.  I learned about sales tax when my 99 cent button cost me $1.03. I think this store had the coveted “Human Nature” tapestry.  Some buttons I bought at the pro shop of Riverside Roller Rink.  They had an MJ night once and I entered their lookalike contest.  I did the “Human Nature” cover—I wore white pants, white shirt, and yellow sweater vest.  I wore my homemade glove—one of my mother’s old evening gloves glue-sticked and glittered.  I made my own socks, too.  I was jealous of any friend who had the official gear—gloves, socks, jackets.  I was deprived of these things as a child.  Heh.  So I made due.  I believe this was the night I acquired my MJ sunglasses—my fold up knock-off Ferraris with his signature etched into the glass.

I did all the moves as best I could.

I scowled, and probably laughed at people who called him Michael Jackass and Michael Jerkson (Michelle’s father and grandfather respectively).

I told my Aunt Nellie I loved Michael Jackson and she told me that boys couldn’t love other boys.  That moment made it into my play, The Melted Lampshade. But this was before I knew anything about anything and way before MJ’s scandals.  I loved this music, his dancing, his soul, his everything, even if I didn’t understand it all.  He was my first obsession.  Before Madonna, Heart, Bon Jovi, The Monkees, Sarah McLachlan, Dar Williams, The Cure.

We were maybe going to see the Jacksons on the Victory tour for my 10^th birthday, but that fell through.  I had a big ol’ party at Chuck E. Cheese’s instead.  Which was awesome and many Transformers were acquired.  But the concert woulda been sweet.

My brother, Mark, posted on Facebook about how my mother met him once, when she worked at Detroit Children’s Hospital, and MJ was in town working some business deal that eventually fell through.  Mom was a tutor and was with the kids when he came to visit.  She asked me to help give some insight into him. By this time, he had fallen into scandal and parody and songs I didn’t really know.  She told me how, she held onto one little boy, and Michael went up to him and said, Hello.  The boy was quiet and Mom said, “He’s shy.”  Michael smiled, slipped down his sunglasses, revealing his eyes, and said something like, “I can tell,” or “I know,” but not in a sarcastic way or anything.  J  Mark posted on his FB “R.I.P. Mom, Michael Jackson, and Farah Fawcett.”  And I was like “What do YOU know about Farah?” and he said, “Nothing!”

I know there are MJ-themed photos of me in various photo albums at my dad’s.  I’ll have to find get my hands on them.

I never picked up Bad or any subsequent albums, but followed along on the radio and MTV and all that, up to a point until some of the clips MTV has been showing these past few days I barely or don’t remember at all.  I moved on, but still have what I have and can look beyond all the crazy (and the Amy Pohler sketches on SNL) to all the goodness. Oh, and I saw the “We are the World” video for the first time in a million years.  What a trip!  And what was Dan Ackeroyd doing there by the way?

I was at Roscoe’s the other night and they closed the dance floor with a remix of “Thriller.” That was pretty darn cool.

My FB quiz “What Hit MJ song are You?” resulted in this:

You are “Stranger In Moscow” – Michael Jackson’s song about feeling lonely in a different city, in a different culture and within yourself. You are a poetic soul. You are very sensitive. You prefer a book to a film. If you choose a film, it’s a film which will make you think. Small things can bring lots of joy and lots of pain into your life. Sometimes you like walking alone in the rain. You like the feeling on the raindrops on your face. You wish the rain could take away all your bad thoughts. You are a good person. Try to enjoy little good things more than the bad things.

Didn’t know it, but the description pretty much fits.  Caught the video on MTV (btw, it takes Michael Jackson DYING for MTV to play music videos again it would seem!)  I’ll end with it (click on the screen to watch it on Youtube as embedding’s been squished):

Thank you, Michael.  For real.