Drawn, the cartooning blog, just posted a link to the Sneeze, which might be my new favorite blog. 
This is very important for the enjoyment of this overly fantastic story, interview and illustration evolution. You must read the story in order. There are three parts:
How a precocious group of high school poets learned to provide verse on demand.
And so, in the most natural way, people drifted over to the poetry stand to get their free poems. The kids delegated the assignments among themselves based on a batting order we drew up on the ride over, but they made exceptions if a particular request played to one of their strengths. A girl in jeans and a bandana wanted a love poem for Dick Cheney. “Dick Cheney? I got this,” said Zebbi...
From our bench Rich and I watched the greeters intercept people and enjoyed hearing reports of how far the scouts had ventured to send back customers. We tried to predict who would approach the poetry stand on their own and who wouldn’t. A stout guy in a Yankees cap veered toward the tables, then stopped. “C’mon, c’mon,” we rooted. He passed by, then looped back again. It was first-rate people-watching, and it made me wonder about the place of poetry in the lives of ordinary Americans. I thought of the public faces of people; and I thought of the pure emotion that wells up from reading poetry. Who “looks” like they’d be into poetry? Nobody — with the possible exception of those walking around barefoot in wings or a bed sheet. Who loves poetry? Given the right context, everyone who loves music.
“Let's play a game,” Luke said.
“Okay, what?” Gwendolyn asked.
“What do you hate the most here?”
She thought for a minute, bit her lip while her glance roamed the room. She settled on a pack of boys sitting on the cafeteria tables, all wearing trucker hats and worn-out sneakers that squeaked on the laminate benches.
“Laid-back people,” she said.
“God, yes!” Luke agreed.
“I mean, can't they have at least one psychological issue? I hate it when they're so cool with anything. Nothing bothers them. They're comfortable anywhere. And of course they're funny, and charming. Give me someone with anorexia, fear of heights, or bad skin. Then I'll talk to you.”
Luke smiled. “Is that why you talk with me?”
“Yep,” Gwendolyn said. “You got issues. You've got substance.”
“Speaking of funny and charming,” Luke said. “My turn.”
“Go for it.”
“Irony,” he said. Gwendolyn slapped his laugh. “Get out!”
“This place is dripping with irony. Everything is juxtaposed so that it's funny because of its context,” Luke said. He pointed over to the girls smoking in front of the NO SMOKING sign. “See? They're standing there on purpose. Just so those laid-back guys notice and laugh.”
“Nothing is sacred to them,” Gwendolyn added.
“Everything is ironic to them.”
“Yeah,” she said, and bit into her lip again. She looked at Luke, then looked away. He looked away too, watching the girls form ribbons of smoke to match the ringlets in their hair.
I saw the movie Notes on a Scandal tonight and was very impressed. It was based on a novel, and I love movies that keep that "book" feeling, if that makes any sense. I thought the characters were fascinating, and reminded me of some stories I have written - or have aspired to write. I was particularly drawn to a scene where Cate Blanchett dresses up as her former rock star self. It seems that at that point she has the clarity to understand the motives of another character.
I love radiolab and I love that WNYC offers it as a podcast. Each time I hear one I think about it for days. The last one I listened to is Beyond Time. A portion of the show talked about a painter who makes images of horses, empty plains and a young girl. The episode talked about his memories of that place.
There was a point in his career when he let go and stopped trying to make beautiful art. At this point, his art became wildly successful and people started to pay him for his paintings. He painted the horse, the plain and the girl for years before he consciously remembered them.
I can't get this out of my mind.
Don't mean to be pushy, but whatever like happened to Hipster High? I'm still on the edge of my lime green IKEA seat (that I got dumpster diving. ha.)
Something juicy happened in my class today that would totally fit into the story.
On day four of the road trip Alpha hit a bunny as she was driving along the highway in Utah. Day four was a hot day in the desert. That night there was a windstorm and she spent another day in very hot Utah desert. Day six was spent in mostly cold Colorado and there have been two nights of freezing temperatures since then.
This morning Alpha walked out to her car and there was a big truck parked next to it with two big, burley men standing outside of the truck. They asked her, "Is this your car?" She answered yes, thinking that maybe she was blocking them. Then one of them asked, "Do you have kids?" She answered no, still wondering what they wanted. Then he asked, "Is that your bunny? Because if you have kids, they're not going to want to see that."
She walked around to look at what he had pointed out and indeed, the road kill bunny had pushed the grill back on impact and stayed nested in the grill for the last four days.
The man went to get a plastic bag and she asked him, "are you going to help me take it out of there?" He answered yes and she let him. As he was at work on Adventure Bunny she asked him if it stunk. He simply answered, "It's a good thing it's been cold the last few days."
They were able to dispose of Adventure Bunny and pop the grill back into place. So you see, Alpha hasn't been alone all this time. Adventure Bunny has been keeping her company.
She is going on a hike this morning then she'll drive closer to Denver so she can pick me up tomorrow morning and I can replace Adventure Bunny as her travel companion.
I stumbled across this and other images like it on the BBC News website. They are pinhole pictures and seem to be made from homemade devices like tin cans and paper boxes. I don't get it 100%. Look at the paper floating, though - the film gets exposed over time and creates some eerie effects.
If anyone knows anything about this, please tell me. I'm quite curious.
P.S. I just learned about Worldwide Pinhole Photography Day - there are some amazing images here.
P.P.S. And I just found instructions on how to make one from an oatmeal box! THIS IS THRILLING. I think I will rig one of these and use it on my roadtrip. If you didn't already sign up to receive mail art from me next month (see last week's Roadtrip post), send me an email 'cuz I'm getting mad ideas for ya'll.
In his irritable late night trance Redmond the Giant wandered through his friend Laurie's kitchen where he was crashing for a few days. Searching for a cold hot dog or some cheesey poofs to snack on he accidentally squashed Laurie's home made piedra de moler stand, sending lumber, stone and shards of glass in all directions. Luckily for Redmond, his tough foot callouses protected him from the debris.
