Showing posts with label 90's revival. Show all posts
Showing posts with label 90's revival. Show all posts
Sunday, September 23, 2012
Monday, January 23, 2012
The BUST DIY Guide To Life--Laurie Henzel & Debbie Stoller
I have to start this review with a factual statement: I AM OLD. Know why? Because in 1993, at Mac's Backs Paperbacks in Cleveland Heights, OH, I picked up issue #1 of BUST. Yes, I am so old that I remember when BUST was this riot grrl, feminist-minded, sex positive alternative ladies' mag. It's morphed over the years into a more craft-minded publication, and this compilation of pieces from the magazine reflects that.
The subtitle is "Making Your Way Through Every Day," which implies a more advice-oriented slant to this book. What it is is a project book--mostly the great home decor, beauty, sewing and food projects that BUST has published in the past 10 years. There's some advice in regards to 401k plans, camping, picking out a bike, how to do a homebirth, and taking care of a dying loved one. But those sections are too brief and a cursory treatment of difficult issues. The strength is really in the fun stuff, the how to do a beehive hairdo and compost and make string lights.
This is a great gift book for someone just out of college. But as AN OLD, it just doesn't meet my needs.
PS to Debbie Stoller--Hey, you know what you should publish next? A compilation of the 20 years of the "One Handed Read" stories BUST has published.
PSS--Hey, you know what would be really interesting? A literary analysis of the themes and a content analysis of those 20 years of erotic short stories.
The subtitle is "Making Your Way Through Every Day," which implies a more advice-oriented slant to this book. What it is is a project book--mostly the great home decor, beauty, sewing and food projects that BUST has published in the past 10 years. There's some advice in regards to 401k plans, camping, picking out a bike, how to do a homebirth, and taking care of a dying loved one. But those sections are too brief and a cursory treatment of difficult issues. The strength is really in the fun stuff, the how to do a beehive hairdo and compost and make string lights.
This is a great gift book for someone just out of college. But as AN OLD, it just doesn't meet my needs.
PS to Debbie Stoller--Hey, you know what you should publish next? A compilation of the 20 years of the "One Handed Read" stories BUST has published.
PSS--Hey, you know what would be really interesting? A literary analysis of the themes and a content analysis of those 20 years of erotic short stories.
Sunday, July 12, 2009
Jenny Lewis @ The Marquee
I went out last night to see Jenny Lewis and The Heartless Bastards over at the Marquee last night.
It was a very energetic show, much more rock than I had been expecting. I hadn't heard Acid Tongue or much Rilo Kiley, so a lot of the songs were new to me, but it was all well done and enjoyable. Jenny Lewis likes her crowd pumped, and she's good at getting that energy out of people.
The 90's revival is in full swing--seen on the youth of America were numerous vests (matter of fact, as I was walking in the teenish girl beside me said, "Oh she's wearing a vest too, why are we all wearing vests?" when she saw her friend and I laughed and told her she was giving me a flashback to college), plaid shirts, big round 80's eyeglasses that do no one any favors, and babydoll dresses worn over leggings or cut offs. The ubiquity of phones and texting was a bit of a "huh?" moment--everyone was being seen and chatting with friends, but they would also pull out the phone at odd moments. About 10% of the crowd was over 25 it seemed, which made me feel so old. I was grateful the show started at 7:30 too, and I was home by 11. Old sleepless hag.
It's a big space with a floor that slopes towards the stage. They set up chairs at the back, and about halfway through I realized my new blisters The teenage girl in front of me was joined by her mom, and nudged her mom over a bit so I could see the stage. Seriously. I told them I was fine. I was so touched though. And another thing, the Marquee has a bike rack. How freaking awesome is that? It's only 3 miles from my house too. I might even go down to Tempe if I had a bike. Okay, I haven't been on a bike in 20 years. And the othopaedic surgeon warned me not to injure my right arm in the elbow area as it will be very hard to fix. But still, what is life?
This week:
Tuesday, The Phoenix Reading Society.
Wednesday, I have been invited to water aerobics with Le Chat, but Anners and I were going out to Joe's on Friday but might have to reschedule to this night.
Also, on the 22nd the Starlight Mints will be over at The Rhythm Room--anyone interested?
It was a very energetic show, much more rock than I had been expecting. I hadn't heard Acid Tongue or much Rilo Kiley, so a lot of the songs were new to me, but it was all well done and enjoyable. Jenny Lewis likes her crowd pumped, and she's good at getting that energy out of people.
The 90's revival is in full swing--seen on the youth of America were numerous vests (matter of fact, as I was walking in the teenish girl beside me said, "Oh she's wearing a vest too, why are we all wearing vests?" when she saw her friend and I laughed and told her she was giving me a flashback to college), plaid shirts, big round 80's eyeglasses that do no one any favors, and babydoll dresses worn over leggings or cut offs. The ubiquity of phones and texting was a bit of a "huh?" moment--everyone was being seen and chatting with friends, but they would also pull out the phone at odd moments. About 10% of the crowd was over 25 it seemed, which made me feel so old. I was grateful the show started at 7:30 too, and I was home by 11. Old sleepless hag.
It's a big space with a floor that slopes towards the stage. They set up chairs at the back, and about halfway through I realized my new blisters The teenage girl in front of me was joined by her mom, and nudged her mom over a bit so I could see the stage. Seriously. I told them I was fine. I was so touched though. And another thing, the Marquee has a bike rack. How freaking awesome is that? It's only 3 miles from my house too. I might even go down to Tempe if I had a bike. Okay, I haven't been on a bike in 20 years. And the othopaedic surgeon warned me not to injure my right arm in the elbow area as it will be very hard to fix. But still, what is life?
This week:
Tuesday, The Phoenix Reading Society.
Wednesday, I have been invited to water aerobics with Le Chat, but Anners and I were going out to Joe's on Friday but might have to reschedule to this night.
Also, on the 22nd the Starlight Mints will be over at The Rhythm Room--anyone interested?
Saturday, May 17, 2008
Kerry Reads The Paper!
Oh come on--you didn't think I could let this article pass without comment?
Truthfully, I'm of mixed thoughts. I hope it works out for the Harris family, although they seem to be class A freaks in a bit of a manic cycle who clearly haven't thought the whole organic homesteading in Vermont thing through. Voluntary simplicity is great and a whole lot easier when you have access to services or a stream of castoff goods or a cash stash. Otherwise, it's just being poor and there's a lot of poverty in rural New England. Planning, people.
And no, no you don't have necessarily have internet access in the woods.
I have had a long term fascination with people who do this sort of thing, since I really can't. It dates to reading Louise Dickinson Rich's We Took To The Woods as a child in a Reader's Digest Condensed Books collection.
I have sympathy for their plight in attempting to give away their belongings (although giving it away to charity instead of holding a huge garage sale is dumb, no matter how you try to dress up "I can't assign a value to things!"). I've given away or sold 80% of what I own and it really took me 18 months because of indecision and emotional attachments. I had a bit of a hoarding problem too. It's very freeing in the end to not have much. What I've learned is that nothing has value once it's out of the store. If you're not picky, creative and willing to make do, you can get so much for free. There is so much in this country to scrounge.
Truthfully, I'm of mixed thoughts. I hope it works out for the Harris family, although they seem to be class A freaks in a bit of a manic cycle who clearly haven't thought the whole organic homesteading in Vermont thing through. Voluntary simplicity is great and a whole lot easier when you have access to services or a stream of castoff goods or a cash stash. Otherwise, it's just being poor and there's a lot of poverty in rural New England. Planning, people.
And no, no you don't have necessarily have internet access in the woods.
I have had a long term fascination with people who do this sort of thing, since I really can't. It dates to reading Louise Dickinson Rich's We Took To The Woods as a child in a Reader's Digest Condensed Books collection.
I have sympathy for their plight in attempting to give away their belongings (although giving it away to charity instead of holding a huge garage sale is dumb, no matter how you try to dress up "I can't assign a value to things!"). I've given away or sold 80% of what I own and it really took me 18 months because of indecision and emotional attachments. I had a bit of a hoarding problem too. It's very freeing in the end to not have much. What I've learned is that nothing has value once it's out of the store. If you're not picky, creative and willing to make do, you can get so much for free. There is so much in this country to scrounge.
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