No Chaser

Access

Today I took over the librarianship of the local queer resource center's library.  The man who started it is going to a really amazing job in transgender and intersex advocacy in DC.  He's done a lot to get this library in shape, and I am thrilled to be taking over for him.  I hope to do justice to his vision while offering my unique perspective and expertise.

Librarians are all about access, primarily to information but also to resources, and as I kept insisting to the Sandlot Poet (who so kindly listens to me rant and laughs at my jokes), today, with these keys, I feel like I am finally gaining some access of my own.

posted by: NoChaser at June 28, 2007 18:12 | link | comments (2) |

So, I finally got my tattoo worked on.  I decided ultimately not to cover it up but to go with cleaning up the text and then adding a botanical element to distract from and somehow complement the problems that couldn't be fixed with the lettering.  The woman did the work freehand and did an amazing job.  I am very happy with the results.

posted by: NoChaser at June 27, 2007 13:13 | link | comments (1) |

Leslie and the Ly's

I ran across crazyass Leslie Hall a few years ago on the AtomFilms site and thought she was hilarious. 



More recently, I saw her involved (with TronGuy and a Peter Pan character) in a net neutrality campaign called We Are the Web.

And this weekend, I ran across her again with her band Leslie and the Ly's, headlining at one of the Pride events.  Oh my god, their set was wild, packed with absurd costumes, video backdrops, and a multitude of hideously flashy props. 

My favorite moment was when she invited a huge drag queen and a butchie up from the audience to hold a couple of two-by-fours on their shoulders (padded by custom-made gold lamé cushions) with a spinning hook in the middle from which she suspended herself via carabiner and climbing belt and executed a number of synchronized-swimming-inspired dance moves all while singing one of her fab and glittery numbers.

Who knew she was so famous?

posted by: NoChaser at June 25, 2007 12:27 | link | comments |

Shopping, ugh.

My brother is getting married.  This means I have had to purchase some wedding outfits.  I spent the last two days trying on 36 different dresses until mere moments ago I found the one that would work.  I have a backup dress that I bought in Chicago, but it really wasn't quite right (tight jersey) so I was hoping to find something more suitable. 

I encountered three problems: color, cut, and size.  I'm small and hard to fit, so at least three-quarters of the things I tried on just didn't fit.  A saleswoman in one store, sensing my frustration at one of eight dresses (in the size most likely to fit me of all sizes) not fitting, said, "But, most women wish they were your size."  This was like dress number 22, store number 10, and hour 6, so I was in no mood.  I replied a bit too tartly, "Well, if they had been my size trying clothes on all day, I can assure you they would not want to be this size."

The color issue was kind of befuddling.  I mean, it's Spring/Summer, and almost everything is black, red, or white, or some combination of those three -- all verboten for wedding guests.  I figured I could get away with something black and white, but nothing fit. 

Then there's the difficulty of cut with popular styles right now being either infantilizing or hippie-fying.  There were some cute empire-waisted things, but even those fell into one of the former categories.  Do I want to look like Lolita?  Maybe on a date, not at my brother's wedding.  Do I ever want to look like a hippie?  Fuck no.  I found a good halter dress in a perfect fit but a color that washed me out so badly no makeup artist could make up for it. 

My relief at finding this dress, then, was palpable.  It is fifties-ish in cut without a very full skirt, in lightweight cotton with a cute floral pattern of various colors over white.  It will go perfectly with the green espadrilles I already bought for the occasion, and I can wear it as an everyday dress.  Phew.

posted by: NoChaser at June 22, 2007 16:55 | link | comments (2) |

Happy Pride Week

I'm sending warm and prideful wishes for those in less fortunate locales.

posted by: NoChaser at June 21, 2007 14:44 | link | comments |

Another awesome thing

I wrote about this on earworm, but I have to put them here for people who don't read Earworm.  Check it out.  I heart Puppet Bike!

posted by: NoChaser at June 20, 2007 19:24 | link | comments |

Iraq Veterans against the War

Walking out of the hostel this morning, Miss V and I were confronted by a platoon of people in camouflage doing maneuvers on the corner of State and Congress.  We were at first freaked out, and then a young man came up to us, handed us a flyer, and told us that they were veterans of the Iraq war doing performance art to protest the war.  I told that I supported them 100% and was very proud of their efforts.  I wanted to hug him.  What struck me most forcibly was how very young they all were and what real courage the work they're doing takes.

If you want to support them,  please check out their website: Iraq Veterans against the War.

posted by: NoChaser at June 18, 2007 09:32 | link | comments |

The Pleasures of the Printing Press

I have been taking a printing class the last couple of weeks.  This is something I have wanted to do since I was an undergraduate, but the few times I investigated it, the cost was prohibitive.  Boy, was I excited when I discovered they were offering a letterpress printing course this summer, and that it would count toward my degree. 

As you know, the poetry pretty much pours out of me these days.  I've composed two new pieces since I've been here.  I chose three pieces total to set and print, and I put together a nifty little mini-chapbook of sorts, with three leaves and one folio enclosure.  It is primarily printed in black but has a rainbow roll of gradations of blue on the cover.  I used a range of paper types and colors and a variety of typesetting techniques.  I even have a concrete poem in the group.  I did an edition of 25.  (Actually I did 30, but there was some trouble with the covers, so only 25 are solid.)  A few people here have received copies, the library is accessioning one, I'll give a few more copies to friends and family when I get home, and then I may try to get the local poetry shop to distribute them. 

I have been loving this class. You get really dirty, your fingers and eyes hurt from setting type, and the smell of the ink can be a bit much at times.  But, it a very pleasurable physical experience.  You're making your ideas material and public in a totally different way than you have before.  One day I was in there for six hours, and time just flew (this is partly because my friend Mephistopheles was in class and we joked around a lot).  Frankly, if I could have spent my whole two weeks on letterpress printing alone, I would have been in heaven.  Now that I've got my hands inky, I can't stop.  It's completely empowering, expressive, and enthralling.

I really enjoyed doing this project, and you know, I'm quite proud of it.

posted by: NoChaser at June 15, 2007 16:12 | link | comments (3) |

The Most Difficult Thing

The thing that causes me the most pain in my life is to see someone, especially someone I care about, in pain and be unable to help them.

posted by: NoChaser at June 10, 2007 19:13 | link | comments |

Laundry, Corn, Fish, Corn

I've not been in a laundromat for years, but here I am, and guess what, they have wifi!  At least this one does.  Fortunately, this means I have been able to catch up on email, reserve a train ticket to the City by the Lake, schedule an appointment, do some fact-checking, and write a blog entry.  Unfortunately, this also means that I am not working on my very exciting paper that I actually need to write today.  But, what the hell.  Updating the blog is more fun.

And here's the latest.  The Corn is not getting me down.  In part, this is thanks to Nellicious, who has done a good job reconditioning my response to Corn-related stimuli.  In part, this is because I'm feeling so strong and happy and centered and calm that all of the shit that wore on me before just washes lightly right over now.

Here's a fun example. 

The culture here is oriented toward an almost virulent school spirit with the majority of the population wearing school colors or logos the majority of the time, with numerous establishments painted in those same colors or featuring logos or school-related names, and a rather masculinist and aggressive enforcement of said spirit.  Sitting in the lobby of the student union the other day, I noticed that the fishtank housed fish in the school colors.  Previously, this would have utterly disgusted me.  Now, it's simply amusing in it's over-the-top absurdity.

Even the food situation, which just depressed the hell out of me before is easier to deal with since I'm trying to gain weight, and I know I'm only here two weeks.  Here are some things I have been eating:  macaroni and cheese; pizza with cheese tortellini on top; french fries; fried mushrooms; cheese, cheese, cheese.  Too bad I'm not a carnivore.  I could be eating all kinds of interesting meat items.  Now, I just have to get more butter in my diet.  Hmmm, how can I do that?  Oh yeah, on corn!

posted by: NoChaser at June 10, 2007 10:25 | link | comments (1) |