"I always had trouble distinguishing between what happened and what merely might have happened, but I remain unconvinced that the distinction, for my purposes, matters." -Joan Didion
"Fronting any subject with the knowing wink of postmodern metadiscussion is an easy way to avoid any real connection. Writer's don't have to worry about failing to get the work across, and readers don't have to worry about being moved by an experience that touches them somewhere other than the brain. It's an intellectual condom."
Right now I am watching the local weather report for the town I grew up in because WGN has a national channel. Right now I am remembering all that snow that I'm not in.
I switched from BBC America with the British Law and Order, which has Jamie Bamber, whom I every time I see, I call out "Cylon!" even though he wasn't a cylon on that show, but I do it for everyone on that show because it seems like the right thing to do, to help out in anyway I can, and really, when I see those who actually were cylons, I call it out much louder; it's more of a greeting for everyone else.
It should worry me that I greet the TV people. But it doesn't.
Now for some Adult Swim on my hip and happening Friday night.
"Who creates value? How? What is the role of the arts manager (perhaps more than you might think?) in creating value and in deciding what we want to remember and what we want to forget?"
In all areas of the arts, I think the most responsive organizations are changing the subtle indictments charged in the video. Just because we want alternatives to the behemoths, does not mean the behemoths shouldn't exist. (Though, when they show they value these alternatives, it does bestow added value to them, for better or worse.) Still, whatever one is curating (museums, a concert, a literary festival), the thing is only going to be as good as the goals and chosen aesthetic of the person behind it. (And the artists whose schedules you can wrangle to coincide with one's own. But that's another story.)
On one hand, with the democratizing influence of the Internet, of course more people can reach more people, on every subject. On the other hand, arts funding often sucks. This is not news. Organizations with funding have more options than a person with neither a sheltering organization nor funding.
When Kim (in the video) talks about education teaching one what to think and what to value, of course there is some truth to that. But before one can change the system, one should be well-versed in it. (Duh.)
I am encouraged by the variety of art and artists who are showing up in DC these days. Some of it is weird and great. Some of it is weird and crap. These are my judgments. Support what you love.
Of course we create value when we stick a microphone in front of someone, or put them under a spotlight. That's why the more people get involved in creating that value, the better. I will likely never be able to open a wing of museum or donate a million dollars, but I can - from my own specific, culturally-situated perspective - choose which voices I want others to hear.
"That's why tornadoes rarely rip through the middle of cities, but just kind of bounce around them."
I have no idea what the "why" is. So this is less of a lesson than an opportunity to make up science.
I imagined the city like a mountain, and the tornado bouncing off of it as some immovable bit of topography, like the Appalachians, and the tornado spun off in another direction.
Maybe the tornadoes bounce around the cities because all our collective energy, concentrated in this concrete pocket, is more than any tornado wants to deal with.
(Thanks, Stephanie, for sending this along. And thanks for being such a pal to pups.)
Mention the Pedigree Adoption Drive in a blog post (by 9/19), and Pedigree will donate a bag of food to shelter dogs. Just for this they'll give 20 lbs of food to a shelter. (Wish I'd known sooner.)
Also, become a fan of Pedigree on Facebook, and they'll donate a bowl of food (and you'll hear about new cool things they're doing to help dogs).
There is this thing currently going around tumblr about why dating a writer is good. I think it’s nice that this thing is going around, because I like writers, and lots of us could use more dates. As a writer who has dated people, though — including other writers — I would like to offer some correctives to this list.
The items in bold are the alleged reasons to date a writer. I have replaced the original commentary with my bleak corrective, in lightface.
Writers will romance you with words. We probably won’t. We write for ourselves or for money and by the time we’re done we’re sick of it. If we have to write you something there’s a good chance it’ll take us two days and we’ll be really snippy and grumpy about the process.
Writers will write about you. You don’t want this. Trust me.
Writers will take you to interesting events. No. We will not. We are busy writing. Leave us alone about these “interesting events.” I know one person who dates a terrific writer. He goes out alone. She is busy writing.
Writers will remind you that money doesn’t matter so much. Yes. We will do this by borrowing money from you. Constantly.
Writers will acknowledge you and dedicate things to you. A better way to ensure this would be to become an agent. That way you’d actually make money off of talking people through their neuroses.
Writers will offer you an interesting perspective on things. Yes. Constantly. While you’re trying to watch TV or take a shower. You will have to listen to observations all day long, in addition to being asked to read the observations we wrote about when you were at work and unavailable for bothering. It will be almost as annoying as dating a stand-up comedian, except if you don’t find these observations scintillating we will think you’re dumb, instead of uptight.
Writers are smart. The moment you realize this is not true, your relationship with a writer will develop a significant problem.
Writers are really passionate. About writing. Not necessarily about you. Are you writing?
Writers can think through their feelings. So don’t start an argument unless you’re ready for a very, very lengthy explication of our position, our feelings about your position, and what scenes from our recent fiction the whole thing is reminding us of.
Writers enjoy their solitude. So get lost, will you?
Writers are creative. This is why we have such good reasons why you should lend us $300 and/or leave us alone, we’re writing.
Writers wear their hearts on their sleeves. Serious advice: if you meet a writer who’s actually demonstrative, be careful.
Writers will teach you cool new words. This is possibly true! We may also expect you to remember them, correct your grammar, and look pained after reading mundane notes you’ve left for us.
Writers may be able to adjust their schedules for you. Writers may be able to adjust their schedules for writing. Are you writing? Get in line, then.
Writers can find 1000 ways to tell you why they like you. By the 108th you’ll be pretty sure we’re just making them up for fun.
Writers communicate in a bunch of different ways. But mostly writing. Hope you don’t like talking on the phone — that shit is rough.
Writers can work from anywhere. So you might want to pass on that tandem bike rental when you’re on vacation.
Writers are surrounded by interesting people. Every last one of whom is imaginary.
Writers are easy to buy gifts for. This is true. Keep it in mind when your birthday rolls around, okay?
Writers are sexy. No argument. Some people think this about heroin addicts, too.
Alternate solution: it will be pretty much like dating anyone else who likes to do a particular thing, you know?
I am won over with offers of:
(1) plane tickets, theatre tickets, concert tickets for anything folky;
(2) late start times, obsolete alarm clocks, afternoon brunch;
(3) charming personal anecdotes, a good bullshit story, choosing one’s own adventure;
(4) pickles, multiple forms of the potato, every form of chocolate;
(5) and dogs. All of them.
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