Some friends were talking about things they’d owned that looked like breasts. One person had a lighter shaped like a female torso that when you flicked it, LEDs lit up the nipples. Someone else had a heat-sensitive mug the clothes would come off the side of. We’d just used a bottle opener shaped like a female torso to open our bottles.
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RING AROUND AROSIE by EVA HESSE
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In addition to boobs, I have news:
1. MINIMAL BOOKS has translated “Interruptions,” which is in the current issue of Denver Quarterly, into Polish and published it on their site. They’re planning to publish a translation Stories of the Things That Had No Power of Their Own” in the next issue.
In the horror movie about bodily possession by supernatural force, the daughter is the thing possessed (Watcher In the Woods was the first for me, then Poltergeist, Fire Starter, The Exorcist). These would be my favorite movies between 1986-1989 or so. Then I preferred horror movies in which the supernatural inhered in some everyday arrangement: a favorite pet, a clown, a doll, a caretaker, birds. Of course there is crossover (the TV as conduit in Poltergeist). Twin Peaks is the only psycho-killer/madman I got into. I never got into zombies.
I’m reading this Saturday (Nov. 21) at Pilot Books with Daniel Bailey, the author of THE DRUNK SONNETS. The reading starts at 7pm. I’ll be reading a small altar of black lace. After, let’s eat tacos.
[interviewer]: Typically, artists were encouraged to make a consistent body of work or to make a conscious progression from one idea to the next. What’s striking in your work is the apparent freedom you have given yourself to move from one idea to another without worrying about how the paintings will be received. How did you arrive at the sense that this was okay?
Gerhard Richter: I always hated those artists who were so consistent and had this sort of unified development; I thought it was terrible. I never worked at painting as if it were a job; it was always out of interest or for fun, a desire to try something. Other artists might paint pictures for a show. They say, “I still need large paintings.” When I was struggling financially, when I had trouble with Heiner Friedrich, I couldn’t be with the gallery any longer, and I had to leave. At that time, I became a teacher. I would do different jobs. I didn’t want to have to make paintings I would be paid for, nor did I want to have to be nice to a dealer–although I am very nice. [Laughter] But if you force me to do something, I can’t do it.
The bees are getting ready for winter. We’ve taken two jars of their honey–one last spring and one in summer. Each is a different color and tastes different than the other.
The size of the entrance to the hive is smaller for winter. This means the bees have less space to defend against hornets or other things that might slide in for their honey. You can see the wood bar blocking some of their slot.
Adam blogs more about the bees, so if you want more about the bees, read his blog.
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I read something recently that made me angry. It doesn’t seem important now, but I’ll show you my response.
I’m still not brave enough to move away from the wall.
