Because You Can’t, You Won’t, And You Don’t Stop

Because You Can’t, You Won’t, And You Don’t Stop
Remembering Adam Yauch, by Roz Hunter & Kate Wadkins of For the Birds
[ photo via ]

on the tough guy style I’m not too keen
to try to change the world I will plot and scheme 

We at For the Birds were devastated to hear about the loss of Adam Yauch this week after a several year battle with cancer. MCA was a cultural and political force– he was not only a brilliant artist, but was inspirational to many of us during our formative years as budding activists. His commitment to social justice was unwavering. MCA was an anti-racist, a pacifist, a feminist and didn’t shy away from critiquing and subverting power, whether it be Islamaphobia and United States foreign policy or raising awareness and money for Tibetan independence.

Read the full story here.

FCK YEAH FOWLER

Buy Local wall text, all images courtesy of the author

I originally wrote this piece for Hyperallergic but it didn't work out time-wise. I loved this show so much I wanted to share it.

While the vast majority of the New York art world gathered for Armory Arts Week, I decided to do something quite the opposite: explore the art world in my own backyard. North Brooklyn had a formidable showing during Armory week, as Williamsburg hosted “Brooklyn Night” (affiliated with the Armory events), Bushwick hosted its renowned “Beat Nite” and Greenpoint bloggers The Greenpointers held a Greenpoint gallery tour.

Detail of a Susan Fang piece

Well-aware that my very own Greenpoint neighborhood is home to tons of artists’ studios and notable galleries, I was curious to see who would appear on the tour. As I began following the map, I realized about half of the locations were bars and cafes, making it kind of difficult to see a lot of the work (dim lighting and all). Deciding to power through, I ended up at the Franklin Street home of the Fowler Arts Collective.

"A MOST ADMIRABLE SLUT"

Photo by Linda Rosier, 1992

After Rush Limbaugh's maddening comments about Sandra Fluke, I was pleased to write a piece for the NY Daily News at their Pageviews blog on the history of the word "slut."

More than 500 years before Rush Limbaugh called Georgetown law student Sandra Fluke a “slut,” Geoffrey Chaucer used a form of the word to describe an “untidy man” in "The Canterbury Tales." “Why is thy lord so sluttish, I thee pray, And is of power better clothes to bey,” he wrote in the 14th century poem.

But in the ensuing centuries, the would come to take on different meanings – and much more provocative ones, as Limbaugh’s crude use of the word reminds.

According to what linguist Lisa Sutherland told the BBC, the noun “slut” was first used in 1402 by Thomas Hoccleve, in much the same way Chaucer used the related adjective. In his “The Letter of Cupid,” Hoccleve refers to “the foulest slutte in al a town.”

Read the full article here. I didn't mention Kathleen Hanna (pictured above) or riot grrrls, though you know I had them in mind all the while.

OCCUPYING & OBSERVING

Foley Square, November 17, 2011

Yesterday I marched in lower Manhattan (starting at Zuccotti Park) for World AIDS Day, with my friend Roz. After the march stopped and the civil disobedience group was arrested, we made our way back to Zuccotti to see if anything else was going on. To our surprise, Third Eye Blind's Stephan Jenkins and Jackson Browne were scheduled to play a free show. We stayed until our toes nearly froze off. I was tweeting the events and the New York Observer posted one of my photos:

On a related note, I recently wrote a piece for Hyperallergic about OCCUPIED: Occupy Wall Street Art Show at Bluesetockings. The piece was also about my personal experience with the movement and my respect for the fact that it disrupts business as usual. Originally called "Occupying Business as Usual," the title didn't make it through the editing process.

The general vibe I’ve been hearing from a lot of people is “I don’t totally agree with the OWS protesters but … ” and then some message of, well, agreement. I have been feeling the same way, but deeply passionate about the space OWS has opened up for dialogue: political, social, economic and artistic.

As cultural critic Jay Smooth said, “It’s just specific enough to catch that basic sentiment that so many people share, and it’s just vague enough to let many people come to it with many different shades of that sentiment.” The OCCUPIED art show is a little like that. 

From political posters of all sorts to handmade signs (like those seen at Zuccotti and in the streets) to more traditional art pieces, OCCUPIED was clearly the result of an open call for submissions, which is, obviously, appropriate.

You can read the full article here.

I also want to mention to my fellow writers -- especially zine authors and editors -- you can add your names to the Occupy Writers list. While I am a contributing writer at Hyperallergic, I was curious to see if my editing International Girl Gang Underground would be appropriate for this list, and I got an emphatic yes as a response. Occupy Writers is encouraging anyone on the list to write original material about the movement.

Digital vs. Analog

a major bummer:

Polaroid Technology Fades Out

Here's the thing -- I plan on jumping on some major Costco or BJ's action and buying loads of film before they stop making it. What may be a better idea, though, is if we (the proverbial "we" being other folks who want in on the last dibs of polaroid film) work together so that we can buy a bunch in bulk, wholesale prices. Contact me on here or via e-mail and we can get something going in the next few months.

You can also get proactive: Ten Ways to Love Polaroid Before the Film Runs Out (thanks, Maggs)