BREAK THROUGHS

I have completed a few more pages on my Love and Loss book, phewwww.
I received an upset e mail about my "FOR THE LADIES" art show call-out (see: previous post) stating that calling women ladies is condescending. I wrote back stating that I'd been misconstrued, that I am asking for anyone of any gender that identifies as a lady to respond. Hopefully that cleared that up, but I really have to admit, sometimes I wonder if this is a stupid idea and am doing some 'straight(ish) white(ish) male(ish)' fumbling and stumbling. I wonder if there are any men at LadyFest? I'm such a second guesser. And, yes, if it does rub you wrong the way, feel free to express that: I want to keep it an open platform. Althoooooo..... I thought I had a wide variety of responses until I realised I have nothing from non-female ladies! Anyone who is or knows of anyone that identifies as a lady and is non-female or was born non-female? Please please please contact me! Somewhat serious responsees only please.
On to topic at hand. I made a personal break-through this weekend. Hmm, have I taken my post-relationship blog post from a few days ago down yet? I think I will now. It's tooooo revealing, maybe tooo vulnerable...there! It's down! Anyways, back to my breakthroughs, even if I had done everything 'just so' and did not have my character defects, the relationship would have still ended the same way, no matter what. So I have to stop beating myself up and feeling serious remorse over the part I played. I still have personal work to do, of course, I'm not doing it for a finished relationship. And this personal work is never ending! Wish me luck, it gets scary.
I read two things this week which got me thinking. I've started reading The Corrections by Jonathan Franzen, a great piece of fiction so far. In it, one main character is writing an awful misogynistic screenplay that's basically angry and vindictive towards women that he feels messed up his life (ie. a college sex scandal). The book is quite uproarious- tho verrrry dark- in its' truths. I also read a newspaper interview with someone who wrote an angry non-fiction book called "I hate Your Band" or "I Won't See Your Band" or something. The writer had given up on dating arty/musician guys who (pigeonhole alert)wear vintage frames (ouch, wish I had perfect vision), ride bikes (ouch), play in bands that she doesn't want to sit through (mmmmaybe ha ha), etcetera etcetera...The whole interview read as a verrrrry bitter thing that may have been better served with professional therapy.
(Gawd, I wish I could afford therapy)
Those two examples made me realise that for my book (which is on Love and Loss)and for all of my art, I best steer clear of the personal vindictive as it is an unhealthy way to reach people. Certainly anger and bitterness are stages that will need to be explored in a book on Love and Loss, but it has to be worn well and with class intact. I had been guilty in the past of being personally angry in my art and I can certainly say from experience, that it never looks good.
Luckily, I don't feel that angry. Grumpy, yes.
I also found an amazing book on grieving at a church rummage sale. It has great layout and ideas. Should I post some pages? Let me know.

FOR THE LADIES

Hello. If you identify as a lady (no matter what your gender or if you gender) then I may just need your kind assistance and suggestions: "What would you, as a lady, like to see depicted in my art (or, more simply, art in general)?" I am open to responses but really do need to hear from non-female born ladies as well as I have not had any responses from them yet.

I have an art show in August at IndexG which I am entitling "For The Ladies." These will be approximately a dozen works on paper using pen and ink and water colours. I've been pretty deeply affected by the early 70s glam revival of art deco and will most likely be using that palette, ie. soft pinks and yellows and such (someone was asking me how soft pinks, et al, identify with ladies...er, that's just colours I like right now, nothing to do with topic at hand, just like how it'll be pen and ink, just a b/g of what I am doing).

Though, visually my imagery will be dwelling more in the realms of ambiguity, I still have to ask, "What would you, as a lady, like to see depicted in my art (or art in general)?"

The subjects that I am portraying-ie.the work itself- is what will be most important and that's why I've asked for advice and dialogue, but I am not actively pursuing confrontation. Admittedly, once one gets into gender issues, it gets thorny. Is gender dying? I am straightish whiteish maleish, there's no getting around that but I am asking for responses from anyone who identifies as a lady, I do this without any form of posturing of machismo. I have a personal dissatisfaction with some elements of masculine culture. See, I do not readily identify with certain masculine tropes- are we binary? Can one dwell in the grey areas between feminine and masculine tropes?
I have had some ask me why the name "For The Ladies"? I simply can't call it "For The Women" for several reasons. I really believe that elements of masculine and feminine dwell in all of us, I want to be inclusive. If I called it "For the Women" I also believe it would be more suspect. If I saw a guy give a show that title I would really call his motives into question, I'd be wondering, "What's his angle?" And also, the show has a playful tone, my work is playful.
If you are shy or somewhat private, feel free to drop me a line instead with your suggestions.
Oh, and if you have an articulate opinion on this concept or think the concept needs further clarification, feel free to contact.
Feel free to forward and anyone who identifies as a lady.

ROCTOBER REVIEWS

Numerous comic reviews that I've written are now up at the legendary Roctober Magazine's blog:
http://roctoberreviews.blogspot.com/2010_04_01_archive.html

They will be printed in the next issue of the magazine as well. For those not in the know, Roctober is a scrappy and fun music enthusiast mag from out of Chicago, a city that is very steeped in music and Roctober goes all over the musical map with a love of eccentricity! Lately they have expanded their focus to include more comics! Yay! Which means that I have been writing plenty of comics reviews for their last few issues. I really want you to click the above link as some of these comics really deserve to be known, there's some wild ones!

STILL MORE NELLIE NO-DATE

Remember what I said last post about Spring? I lied. No. Hold that. I didn't lie. The weather did. Grrrrrrey (to be read with rolled r's). I know because I have been with the people on the streetcar. I can read their moods. I don't want to be with them. I want to be free.
In terms of pure sociological need, I found another episode of Nellie No Date by Ogden Whitney and Shane O'Shea. This one appeared in Herbie issue number 8, as well I've thrown in the never reprinted letters column. Enjoy your Friday nite!