#cathy camper

[helioscopepdx]

Join letterers Rus Wooton (The Walking Dead, Invincible, Monstress) and Deron Bennett (Sleepless, Excellence, writer of Quixote); writer Cathy Camper (Lowriders in Space, Ten Ways to Hear Snow); and writer/editor Anina Bennett (Boilerplate, Heartbreakers) as they talk about the under-appreciated craft of lettering comics and the art of visual storytelling.

[r4ccoonb0nez]

NEW AU MAYBE??:

Its a summer camp au that includes the se hinton characters!!

The camp counselors: mrs.curtis and mr. Curtis, darry is also one,mrs. Matthews, maybe some of the older siblings (mason) and then paul

(The campers are in high school are aged down to early high school grade to like middle school age basically idk though)

Younger campers: ponyboy,curly,tex,mark,bryon,jamie,johnny (collins),twobit sister (sadie),rusty-james,m&m and patty,angela,scout

Older campers: soda,steve,johnnycakes,dally,twobit,cherry,sylvia,evie,sandy,cathy (carlson) and kathy (one of two bits many blondes),tim

Thats all i can think of ill maybe update everything a bit cause im not for sure what to do with the au idea fully

:3 (its almost summer break for me im super excited!!)

[govpubsfinds]

DESERT AWARENESS

"The history of the desert is a colorful parade of American people. If you want your own glimpse of the parade, remember to look at the messages left by the former inhabitants, and to seek out the folks who have been there a long, long time. Take a minute to look through their eyes at the desert and its history." (7)

Desert Awareness is a short illustrated guide to the California desert by Cathy Klinesteker and the Bureau of Land Management, "written for desert users by desert users" (1). Klinesteker explores the diverse history of people, plants, and animals who live in and interact with the desert. Full color photographs of stunning California vistas by Terry Hickson and Carl Rice, along with adorable illustrations by Virginia Schoeffler bring the desert to life for readers. Desert Awareness embraces the reality of human interaction with the land and the part that we play in the desert ecosystem, from Indigenous communities to hikers, campers, scientists, archeologists, and land management.

The approachable nature and broad scope of this short book means anyone interested in exploring or learning about the California desert will find accessible and responsible ecological information. As a Department of Interior, Bureau of Land Management publication, the guide also includes lists of local BLM offices, a robust references list, and Awareness Activities. Meant for individual or group reflection, Klinesteker explains that these activities are "a reminder that I am connected to the world and to survive, I must take care of it" (46).

note: some of the terminology and phrasing relating to Indigenous peoples is out of date and may be considered inaccurate or offensive.

Citation: Klinesteker, C., United States. Bureau of Land Management., Schoeffler, V., Hickson, T., Rice, C., & United States. Bureau of Land Management. (1977). Desert awareness. Dept. of the Interior, Bureau of Land Management.

Full text available via HathiTrust.

[pvccblog]

WAIT........THURSDAY ALREADY?

Yea, I know. I can't believe it either. But I also can believe it. It seems like we've just started out here, but at the same time, it seems like so long ago that we arrived. Please pray for great conversations and open doors for tomorrow. We head home Saturday!

Sports Camp grew by over 20 campers today. I think there were 76!! So glad we have a large team this year! Domynik taught the lesson today and did great, the kids were quite into it! It's hard to believe this is Dom's first time here, he's been on so many Mission Ventures with our youth and with his grandpa.

The dance team has also been outstanding this year. Actually........they've been "out dancing". Get it? Dad joke!! Isaac, Marcus, Ellie, Kiana - way to go! The kids are totally into it!

After lunch, we got a tour of the Dream Center's transitional home. You may be familiar with their "Adopt A Room" program. People, families, or groups can adopt a blank room in The Dream Center or in their transitional house and get the opportunity to decorate the room with furnishings, paint, and other decor. The rooms are usually done in a theme of some sort and some of them are quite creative. This was a great idea for the ministry to do this because when you acquire a home with dozens upon dozens of room, it would take a lot of time and money to do them all.

Back in December, Kiana and Ellie came out here with Nicole and I and adopted a room in their transitional house. They did such a great job that the people here made the two rooms next to their room adjoining and they actually asked Kiana and Ellie to come back and do those rooms too because they loved the style so much! During a few days of our free time here, the girls went there and finished the rooms. They did an absolutely beautiful job and it was so cool to see the finished product!

For dinner, Mr. Bill made his famous spaghetti and meatballs, it was groovy as usual.

I ate a lot for dinner, but was still able to participate in Plungerball at BARF Night. We also played Blob. There were several other side games going on too, we had a HUGE crowd. They were playing volleyball, spikeball, tails, and just throwing balls and frisbees around. In the midst of it all, I saw several team members getting into discussions with people they've connected with. One of our teens was just walking the loop around the park with a local teen, and there were several clusters of individuals chatting. One that stuck out in particular was Cathy. She was obviously engaged in a conversation with one woman and seemed to be with another woman sitting next to her as well. Cathy had offered to share her testimony this week and I thought it seemed like a good opportunity.

Wow! She came up and shared something that was so fitting, not just for the conversation that she was having but her story definitely relates to something that so many people have gone through here. And not only that, Cathy was able to share the miraculous hope that can only be found in Jesus. She did so good, thanks so much for sharing Cathy! Her testimony led to even deeper conversations afterwards with the ladies she had already been talking to.

After BARF, we went over to the Arctic Circle, which I think is basically Utah's version of Dairy Queen (but better). We hung out on their deck with a splendid view and enjoyed each other's company till they closed at 10. We then came home for family time and Skylar led us in some worship songs.

You might be thinking - who is Skylar?? Skylar is a part of a group of three that came out on their own this year. They've been a part of mission teams here in the past. Skylar and Emily are from Michigan, Delainy is from Pennsylvania. Delainy was here last year while we were here, the other two were not here during our trip but have been before. They've become such a part of our family that they're planning on joining us next year!

This is a great opportunity for another plug for next year. YOU NEED TO COME WITH US! Even people we barely know or have never met before this week are making plans for next year. It is such a great opportunity! You will be blessed as you bless others!

Final day tomorrow, talk to y'all then!!!

[bookishandproud]

Lowriders in Space

by Cathy Camper, Illustrated by Raúl the Third

Book Cover Picture

Genre or category

Graphic Novel

Target Age Group

Pre-K to 6th

Summary

Three friends who love lowrider cars enter a contest to see who has the best car in order to possibly win the money to open their own mechanic shop.

Justification

I chose this graphic novel as it is a Texas Bluebonnet Award nominee, but I was also inspired by the Hispanic Heritage Month display we have up at my library. There were a lot of books on there and this one stood out to me because it seemed so different than the other popular graphic novels for kids that are available based on the art style and the way in which it captures the specific part of the culture the author is focusing on.

Evaluation

For this review, I will be evaluating illustrations, style and language, and character.

The illustrations for this book really stand out. The illustrator has a unique style that is not seen in a lot of juvenile graphic novels that is reminiscent of a sketchbook with the heavily stylized art. The colors of the illustrations are muted and limited to reds, blacks, blues and the negative space, which helps the reader not be overwhelmed by the stylization. This book could definitely be intimidating for some young readers who are used to the more simple illustrations in other graphic novels, as some of the panels have a lot of detail that overwhelms the story and action taking place.

Another thing that stands out about this book is the use of Spanish words throughout the story. Each page included a translation of the Spanish and there was a glossary included in the back to help unfamiliar readers. The use of the Spanish language really immerses the reader into the book and story and into the culture of Mexican Americans and their love of lowrider cars. The dialogue also flows in a way that feels natural as it mixes English and Spanish together. Each character has their own voice in the writing as well, as different characters use different catch phrases and words to indicate their own style of talking that helps readers relate to the characters.

The characters in this book are an extremely important aspect for this book. While the book is a depiction of something specific to Mexican American culture, the author and illustrator successfully navigate away from stereotypes in order to make the characters relatable to all readers while still maintaining that sense of culture and voice. Although the story is about cars and a group of friends who are mechanics, it was interesting that a woman was used as one of the cast of main characters and her voice is just as strong as the others. She is given equal ground in her competency and in my opinion was the most interesting character of them all because of that aspect. Throughout the story, the strong bond between the characters almost becomes a character in itself as they work together to try and win the competition. The illustrations also provide a cool and unique way of looking at the characters and develops their voice as they all have their own style and look about them.

Rating: ★★★

References

Camper, C. (2014). Lowriders in space (Raul the Third, Illus.). Chronicle Books.

[1973listener-blog]

FLORIDA SPECTACULAR w/ Cathy Salustri: Tin Can Tourists, Lance Campers, and Florida State Parks https://audioboom.com/posts/8559991-florida-spectacular-w-cathy-salustri-tin-can-tourists-lance-campers-and-florida-state-parks

[kimberchisholm]

The Heysen trail - Parachilna to Adelaide July August September 2023.

23. Hallet to Mt Bryant East Old School

The weather was very bad overnight, and while we all slept warm and dry, we woke to a cold (2 degrees C), wet and very windy morning. There were low clouds all around and Mt Bryant was shrouded in clouds and rain. Stefan and Cathy felt the climb over Mt Bryant would not be safe (one of their friends was injured climbing the mountain in similar conditions) and encouraged me to take an offered lift to the other side of the mountain. I accepted, and the bitter cold and rain on the mountain's foothills when I arrived made me think it was a good decision.

As a result I arrived at the Old School early, and settled in for the rest of the day. There was almost no firewood, so much of the afternoon was scavenging whatever wood I could find around the school, on the road and and in surrounding fields. The buildings were also full of rubbish (they are accessible by car and apparently often used by car campers and 4WD people), so I spent a lot of time cleaning up and burning any combustible rubbish.

It remained cold and stormy all day, and was probably the worst weather I had seen on the trail. I got the fire going early, and once I had enough wood did not venture out for the remainder of the day.

[lesserknownwaifus]

[koyamapress]

Lambda Literary’s Cathy Camper interviews Eric Kostiuk Williams, author of the “uncanny, hallucinogenic, and coloured-saturated examination of urban gentrification” Condo Heartbreak Disco. Check it out here!

[comics-for-choice]

Comics for Choice contributors: Jennifer Camper & Cathy Camper!

Jennifer Camper 's books include “Rude Girls and Dangerous Women” and “subGURLZ”, and she edited two “Juicy Mother” comics anthologies. Her work appears in numerous publications, and has been exhibited internationally. She is the founding director of the biennial Queers & Comics Conference, and sister of Cathy Camper.

Cathy Camper is the author of several books, including the Lowriders in Space series, Bugs Before Time, and Ten Ways to Hear Snow. She also writes zines, including Sugar Needle, and is a founding member of the Portland Women of Color zine collective. A graduate of VONA/Voices writing workshops for people of color, Cathy works as a librarian in Portland, Oregon, and sister of Jennifer Camper.

Pre-order Comics for Choice to read great comics and help protect abortion rights!

[upthewitchypunx]

Pretty sure two boys don't want something I read 40 years ago. lol. However, this is an excellent idea! A friend of mine is an award winning children's author here and I should definitely check to see if they have her books because they are great!

I'm staying with a friend in Chicago in October. They ask if they could introduce me to the their children as The Witch of the West. I said sure!

Now I have to think of delightfully bewildering but neat gifts for 6 and 8 year old boys. Any suggestions? Maybe something specifically Oregon related?

[natromanxoff]

Roger Taylor live at the Wulfrun Hall in Wolverhampton, UK - March 30, 1999

Fan Stories

“I'll never forget the night I saw Brian and Roger at Wolverhampton Wulfrun Hall, my home city (well, actually, it was a town then, we didn't become a city until the end of 1999!). It will stay with me forever, although I live in hope they will return one day with some new material! We had no warning in advance about Brian coming, not even as a guest just to watch. The band arrived quite late on at the venue (well, I'm not sure if it was late but it was getting on for 5pm I think), they didn't mention it but we heard them soundchecking 'Rock And Roll' and according to legend one of the roadies told someone that BHM was coming when they asked if there was a special guest. We thought it was going to be Robert Plant as he lives nearby, about ten miles out of the city. It certainly wasn't going to be one of Slade, lol! We weren't let into the venue until really late and when we got in we could see tinkering with some AC30's by someone that looked suspiciously like Pete (BHM's roadie). He had a really naff rain mack on and was desperately trying to hide the Red Special underneath it. Well, it looked remarkably like the nick of the RS! Nobody knew for sure that Brian was going to be there, most people seemed oblivious to Pete being there even. My mate said maybe someone was going to play an RS copy but I told him he was being silly. The set list was different to usual and I was waiting for Brian every time they played a Queen song. When he eventually emerged (dodgy shirt!) for 'Under Pressure' the place went mad. In between 'Under Pressure' and 'Rock and Roll' he did say something which was lost in the moment but listening to the recording of the night sounds like 'Lot of fun, init?'. The roar was immense. When Roger announced they were going to do something from the past I was hoping it was going to be an early Queen track, I suppose I should have guessed it was 'Rock and Roll' having heard the sound check. The final moment of the evening brought us 'Radio Ga Ga' and I have to say it was one of the better moments of my life seeing two of my heroes up on stage and being part of the mass of people doing the hand movements. I missed the real Queen, but this was the next best thing for me. Treana's guitarist (Alden Evans?) looked totally swept away being on stage with Brian. Mind you, wouldn't you be? Apparently Brian arrived in a VW Camper van and was mobbed when they left afterwards, leaving Roger to walk to his mode of transport almost unnoticed! It was just after this that Roger announced they were going to do some new stuff (still waiting...) but events around that time seem to have led to the musical and the current status of tour rumour. I walk by the Wulfrun quite often and I can never get that night out of my mind. I was buzzing for weeks, months afterwards, even now it sends a shiver down the spine. Wonderful!” - Dave

“Arrived with Cathy Highfire (many many thanx to Cathy for driving and even suggesting going to Wolverhampton) around 11.30 and joined up with the small queue (Hi Sandie, Kevin & Lisa). Quite a subdued wait, until the gorgeous Treana was spotted getting off the bright orange Tour Bus. A mass exodus followed to greet Treana, who as always was extremely charming. Managed to get the Surrender 7" signed by her and also a 9"x6" photo that I took during her fantastic performance at the Leadmill. Had a very brief chat with her, which resulted in her telling me that she was enjoying the tour, although it was very tiring. She then mentioned that we were in for a treat in tonight's performance (teasing us with the line 'That's if HE turns up'). Who could this special guest be?????? Waiting for RT to turn up at the soundcheck, we discussed the special guest. Could it be local boy Noddy Holder (Surely not!) or a repeat performance from Uncle Bob Geldof?????. Our suspicions were roused when the band started to intensely rehearse Led Zep's 'Rock and Roll', and we all jumped to the conclusion it could be local lad Robert Plant. We just had to wait and see. RT once again managed to slip into the soundcheck (at around 6.15pm) with only a couple of clipboarders getting autographs. Then no sooner had we heard the soundcheck, it was time to be let in. AAAAArrrrrrrrgggggggghhhhhhhhhhh. Very annoyed to be extensively searched before going in and finding that the doors to the hall were actually locked and we had to congregate in the bar next door. After all those hours of queuing, a disorganised array of fans was waiting impatiently to get in. Finally we were let in and rushed to the front. Phew managed to get there OK. We then had to endure a 90 minute wait before Treana came on to do her routine set. Absolutely storming as usual. If you've not seen this lovely lass weave her magic spell with that fantastically powerful voice, then you must!!!!!!!!!!. Long may she continue. With an empty stage, and lights back up, tension was mounting with the crowd for the arrival of RT, which we all knew to be imminent. The suspicions of the special guest were roused even more, when there was some tinkering with a vox amp and a very familiar guitar being tuned (with the technician trying not to show the guitar to us). The tension became greater when the lights dimmed and an aural opening of someone entering a room and turning on the electric fire, at which the cue of strobe lights and the fire on the stage backdrop lighting up. The drums of We Will Rock You belted out with Prior and RT behind his Sleishman drum kit thrashing out that familiar beat. Moving down to centre stage, RT (wearing that same jacket and Armani shirt) took to the raw and vibrant vocals (this time word perfect); a somewhat more energetic performance than that of BM in '98. Still a storming show opener. Then it was straight down to recent times with Pressure On, Haircuts and Believe in Yourself, with the crowd getting behind the lyrics of Haircuts and pointing at RT during 'You're so f**king cool', with which RT pointed to us all on the front row, smiling away. Roger particularly enjoyed the green pair of skimpy knickers thrown at him by Lisa of Newcastle during I Want To Break Free ("This ones for John Deacon" - RT), which he duly picked up and threw at Jason Falloon ("rhymes with Balloon" - RT), laughing. Treana joined RT for London Town and Surrender and then they were off. RT managed to shed those shades for the 1st encore, which consisted of I'm In Love With My Car and Strange Frontier, which Cathy and probably most of the females, screamed uncontrollably.

For the 2nd encore, RT announced that he "found someone wandering outside" and duly announced... "Mr Brian May!!!!!", who entered (wearing another very loud shirt) the stage to a receptively large applause. A quick friendly gesture with RT and then straight down to business, with Under Pressure (Treana once again with immense vocals). Then it was onto Rock And Roll (in place of Happiness), with BM taking his 'normal role' of lead guitarist and letting RT have all the limelight. Finally the superb set ended with Radio Ga Ga, finishing another great performance (fuelled by the appearance of BM). Good to witness RT + BM back on stage together again. The sound was awesome, although a little distorted sometimes at its' loudest. My ears are still ringing the day after!!!!!!!!!!!!” - Dr. Andy Green

(x)

[hclib]

The Elvis Shrine

One of Minneapolis Central Library’s quirkiest “collections”–The Elvis Shrine–is now on public display for The. First. Time. Ever. The shrine has a long history. I, along with former MPL Librarian Cathy Camper and former MPL page Bill Townsend, started the shrine as a lark sometime in the late 80’s. It started small with just a postcard of Elvis and some ceramic nuns playing the saxophone [and was located in the old Central Library’s sub-basement, a staff-only stacks area]. Slowly we added more items and soon others discovered it and began bringing donations. Eventually it grew to many shelves worth of material. library board members and even the library director brought things to add and would often bring visitors down to see the shrine. In 1992 it was even featured in a City Pages article! When the library moved to a temporary location in 2002 to make way for the new building I took many of the shrine items and stored them in my basement. This fall I discovered the box and thought it might be fun to display some of the items as part of an Elvis display in January to celebrate his birthday which was January 8.

This post was written by HCL Librarian Jonathan Copeland. View the shrine in the Minneapolis Central Library atrium through the month of January. The artifacts on display show the range of whimsy brought in honor of The King. Jonathan doesn’t have an official count of all the artifacts, saying nostalgically “there were just too many little weird things.” But, this display, he promises, includes “most of the coolest!” Some items may have gone missing or deteriorated over time. Perishable items, like bubblegum, were carried off long ago. The original macaroni-encrusted crosses have lost all of their starchy luster.

Join HCL’s Vinyl Revival for a (virtual) Elvis Presley birthday celebration! Listen to songs spun from his 1969 country soul classic From Elvis in Memphis, explore the wild world of Elvis impersonators, cover songs, Elvis-themed music, and Minneapolis Central Library’s historic “Elvis Shrine,” and share your thoughts on the cultural legacy of this music icon. Thursday, January 21, 2021, 7-8 p.m. Register online to receive the link to the virtual program.

[authortango]

“One day, the sun rose in the west and set in the east.” - Prompt #39

This is my first Reedsy Short Story! I’m going to try posting these here semi-regularly until I run out of short stories to post and I have to write new ones. I hope you enjoy them! I would love to hear what others think of my writing in this format!

Genre: Fantasy, Romance, Paranormal

Word Count: 2,993 words

6:00 am, Lookout Mountain, Golden, Colorado.

One dark, dewy Colorado morning, a group of campers emerged early from their tents for their anticipated sunrise hike, organized by their group leader, Cathy. Cathy inhaled the  cool morning air with tingling satisfaction. To her, there was nothing better than this. The wet morning air was way better than the first cup of coffee. 

As her yawning crew of eight got itself all together, she smiled cheerily and quietly said to them all, 

“Good morning! I hope you all slept well last night. We’re going to hike to this cliff right here,” She pointed, everyone's eyes following to a cliff on the east face of the mountain. “And then we are going to watch the sunrise before we get to breakfast. Everyone ready?”

The group nodded collectively, some more enthusiastically than others, and soon they were on their way. They became more alert as they climbed the side of Lookout Mountain, wide-eyed as they experienced the gentle sounds of nature’s morning song. As they arrived with Cathy on her chosen cliff, she checked her watch and was satisfied to find that they had made it on time, and that the sun would rise in the next five minutes. Turning to her group, she whispered,

“Get comfortable! Sunrise starts in five minutes!” As everyone huddled together to keep warm until the sun arrived, Cathy found a nice spot a little aways from them and eagerly set her eyes on the horizon. She felt these moments to be meditative, and while her companions might prefer to sit together, she felt there was something special about feeling the chilly air turn warm in the rosy glow of Earth’s star. 

Five minutes passed. The area around them seemed to grow lighter, but the sun was not yet visible. Cathy looked up in the sky, a little confused. Could it be too cloudy to spot a sunrise? No, she had checked the weather in the area, and there definitely weren’t any clouds above them. Maybe the sunrise was later than the forecast had anticipated.

Fifteen minutes passed. Cathy felt the air around her start to get warm, and she was grateful for it. But she was a little unsatisfied. She still couldn’t see the sun on the horizon in front of her. Then, she heard a gasp from one of the women behind her.

“Look!” Turning around, she was shocked to see the sun right behind them, continuing to rise into the sky. She took out her phone and rechecked the compass. The cliff they were on was facing east, which meant, somehow, the sun was rising from the west.

9:00 am, Palo Alto, California

Enrique, two states away from Cathy and her hiking crew, did not wake up early enough to see the sunrise. In fact, he barely woke up early enough to be on time for his job. He spent the fifteen minutes he had in his morning trying to find clean clothes in his messy apartment, brushing his teeth, and stuffing a plain untoasted bagel into his mouth before longboarding his way to work. 

At work, his busy morning got busier, as everyone stopped by the barrio coffee shop on their daily commute to work, and it was tough to catch a break when orders needed to be filled. When the workflow finally trickled into a lull, he spent some time chatting with his coworker, Isla. 

Enrique really liked Isla. Mornings with her were more bearable than others, which was why he tried his best to schedule his shifts with her. She was pretty, her bow-and-arrow lips stretching from ear to ear as she excitedly told him about the newest thing she’d learned that day, her large, kitschy earrings flashing like her beautiful brown eyes. Today her earrings were turquoise painted with orange dots. Enrique loved the wrestler mask earrings she would wear during WWE season, or some of the pretty hand-beaded ones she bought at craft stalls. For special occasions, she would wear a pair of cherry earrings, and when Enrique thought about asking her out he would think about those earrings and blush. They were truly his favorite pair, and he often wondered if one day she would wear them for him.

Today, Isla’s face flushed with excitement as she told Enrique her news. 

“Did you hear? The sun rose in the west today! They’ve never seen anything like it!”

“What? No way. The sun’s been doing it’s thing in the east for millennia! It can’t just change it’s habits like that.” Enrique laughed.

“You would think, but NASA even confirmed it on the news! They had satellite footage and everything. They predict it’s only for today, but who knows? The way the world works may change because of this! And it’s only the first day! Isn’t that so special?” Isla exclaimed, beaming at him. Enrique beamed back at her, shrugging. 

“Y’know I guess it is very special. Does that mean it’s setting in the east today instead of rising in it?” He asked. Isla nodded.

“That’s what the weathermen are saying. Hey, a bunch of us are getting together after work to go to the Foothills and watch the sunset. You could join us! It’s gonna be a great big party to celebrate the world possibly changing and all that. You wanna come?” Enrique’s heart beat faster. Pretty Isla was asking him if he wanted to watch the sunset. With her! If the world was changing and Isla was the one asking him out, then today must be really special.

“Absolutely! I get off my shift at five, but I’ll be there! When does the sun set?”

“I think they predicted it to set around 7:30, so we’re gonna be at the park around 7. Don’t be too late!” Isla said before returning to the kitchen.

“I won’t!” Enrique called after her, hoping she didn’t see his ears burning with delight.

3:30 pm, a small adobe house in Palo Alto, California

Being one of the pastry cooks for the coffee shop meant that since Isla got to work early, she also got off of work early. Today, she was off early enough to fret about her party with Enrique that night. In her small childhood bedroom, Isla rummaged through her closet, barely glancing at the outfits as she muttered worriedly to herself.

“What was I thinking? What if he doesn’t like my friends? We don’t really know each other outside of work. What if we get there, and it’s all awkward, and we have nothing to talk about?” 

Her mom, walking past with a laundry basket and, noticing her daughter frantically throwing clothes, stopped, and said,

“Mija, you need me to do some laundry? I’ve got the basket right here.” Isla groaned in frustration.

“No, no laundry. I just can’t figure out what to wear.” 

“To what?”

“I’m going out with a group of friends to watch the sunset. Remember, it sets en el este today? And I invited Enrique, and I can’t figure out what to wear!” 

“Oh chica, you have some nice dresses you could wear! Or you could rummage through my closet if you wanted something más caliente.” her mother said, giving her a little wink.

“Ayy mamí noooooo!”  Isla wailed, flopping on her bed and burying her face in her pillow with embarrassment. Hearing her cry, Isla’s father appeared in the doorway, surveying the mess of outfits.

“What’s all this?”

“Isla’s invited su enamorado to her fiesta tonight, and she can’t figure out what to wear.” 

“Aaaaah. Is this about that Enrique? Kind of a pretty boy, isn’t he?” He asked.

“Very pretty.” Isla’s mom nodded. Isla made another sound of disgust and frustration at her mother. Her father returned his attention to her and smiled.

  “Mijita, su enamorado is going to love whatever you wear. Wear what you feel comfortable in, and don’t do anything that makes you feel uncomfortable.” 

“Also red is a good color for meeting boys. It’s very lucky, and distracting. Especially on the night of your special sunset!” Isla’s mom added. Isla groaned again, and both parents finally left her alone. 

When the coast was clear, Isla lifted her head and stared vacantly at the mess around her room. Maybe her mom was right about the color red, but she didn’t want to wear too much. Then, she spied her yellow dress tossed next to a pair of red flats, and knew immediately what she wanted to do.

She only hoped her date would be as interesting as her look.

5:30 pm, Bodega Square in Palo Alto, California. 

Enrique had just exited a flower shop in a shopping center that Palo Alto called ‘Bodega Square’, with a bouquet of sunflowers, and was now strolling down the street. As he walked past the shops and corner-stalls, he window-shopped for something else Isla might like. Something that showed her that he cared about her, and would like to take their friendship further. 

As he was about to leave, he happened upon a very small shop, run by an ancient looking man. The shop stand was no higher than Enrique’s knee, and he couldn’t help but notice the flash of the gold jewelry, all made with the same enchanting orange stone. Immediately, Enrique knew he had to get something for Isla. 

“Excuse me,” he asked the man, squatting so as not to talk down to him. “What kind of stone is this?”

“Ah! This is called a sunstone! It is a very lucky gem, especially on days like these!” The man cried with enthusiasm, waving his arms to draw attention to the jewelry. His accent was unfamiliar to Enrique, but it all made for a very engaging conversation.

“Is there a piece you would recommend? I’m thinking about getting something for a girl I’m seeing tonight.” Enrique asked

“Ooooooh for a girl! Well you could do a necklace, but honestly, every girl gets a necklace, and eventually it becomes just another trinket. Here is something truly special.” The man said, turning around in his small shop for the item. He then showed Enrique a ring, fashioned to look like a small sun, with a beautifully cut sunstone set in the middle.

“This one is a very special piece, and especially in this, the day of our beautiful sun’s awakening!” Enrique looked thoughtfully at the ring. It was charming to be sure.

“Are you sure this will show her how I feel?” He asked.

“Absolutely! As clear as the sun speaks!” Enrique wasn’t one hundred percent sure, but as the man was so enthusiastic, and it was pretty, so he bought the ring. Once purchased, he strung it on the surfers necklace he wore to match his shark-print Hawaiian shirt. Bidding the man goodbye, he hopped aboard his longboard to make up for lost time, rolling through the busy streets of Palo Alto with ease.

The sun’s orange glow bathed the city in light as he rode along, and suddenly, he started to hear a whispering. The voice was far off, but it sounded like someone was trying to speak with him. He stopped his board for a moment, and listened, but there was not a sound around him. At least, not of talking. There were sounds of traffic, both cars and people walking, but not a voice like the one he had heard. Slowly, he began to board again, wondering if he had imagined it. 

When he emerged from the busy street and turned towards the Foothills park, he heard the voice again, this time a little louder. The sun was in its full glory, the golden hour settling on the town before sunset. Enrique could hear a woman speaking, just enough that he could make out her words, but not enough to make sense of them. Instinctively, he reached for the shark tooth necklace to help him think.

As soon as he touched the ring, he heard the woman’s voice loud and clear. It was as if he had put on noise cancelling headphones, and all he could hear was her. 

“Microorganisms are fascinating. It’s funny to see all the things they do when their routine changes. I mean, it wasn’t so drastic a routine, was it?” 

Immediately Enrique let go of the necklace, shocked and confused. The voice stopped, and he looked down at the ring resting on his chest momentarily, putting the pieces together as the sun glinted off of its likeness.

The man had said, ‘As clear as the sun speaks’. 

Quickly, Enrique fiddled with the clasp on his necklace, slipped the ring off of the string and onto his little finger. The voice came back again, in the same comforting, warm tones of what Enrique assumed had to be the sun. He stood there for a moment, listening to what she had to say.

“Are they ever warm enough? I can never tell. It takes so much energy to send them warmth. It’s why half the year I can only warm one side at a time. Thankfully they figured out fire.

“It seems we have a new listener. It’s so enchanting to know someone else can hear me for a change. Hello microorganism! Can you hear me? How was your day? I’m glad you found a stone to tune in with. Don’t you have somewhere to be?” Enrique, startled, felt as though she was speaking to him directly. And he did have somewhere to be. Cautiously, he started to longboard again, listening to the sun’s idle chatter as he did.

“It’s amazing, these microorganisms cover a planet so small and yet their lives end up being so huge. They’re not huge to everyone, but it’s hard not to become invested when you’ve been looming about ninety-three million miles away from them for so many millennia. I wonder if they feel the same, and that's why they get so excited over a routine change. I should stop startling them so, but it’s so funny to see how they react. I wonder how fast the earth would spin once one of those satellite people got their hands on a sunstone gem.” 

This is crazy! Enrique thought. I wonder if she can see me. How can she observe anything when we’re so small?

“Observance is nothing. It’s not hard when every other life form in space is either non-complex, non-existent, or inhabited by your brothers and sisters. When I observe microorganisms…how do I explain it? When microorganisms use that dish to look at something even smaller than them, the clear one? The one that sometimes sets things on fire? I use something like that, although much bigger. It’s nice to follow your followers. I’d been following the Mayans for centuries because it was so flattering that they noticed me. It’s a shame they died out.”

Enrique, fascinated but overstimulated, blocked the sun’s jabbering out of his mind. It was close to setting, and he had just reached the Foothills. He scanned them briefly, eager to find Isla and her group. He spotted a large group to his left, and, assuming it was them, headed in their direction. He was correct, and when he saw Isla almost stopped in his tracks. The sun crooned ,

“Ooooh, she is very lovely. I can see part of why this one likes her. I hope she likes the ring.” 

Isla caught Enrique’s gaze and smiled bashfully. She wore a yellow sundress that flared out around her knees, and was patterned with little white flowers. She wore a golden headband with little metal rays like the sun, and her red flats matched the cherry earrings that made Enrique blush. If the sun wasn’t setting above them, Enrique would have sworn it felt like high noon without a cloud in the sky. She was stunning to him. She approached him excitedly and exclaimed,

“I’m so glad you made it! And look at those lovely flowers! You really shouldn’t have. Come on, come join the party! I’ll introduce you to my friends.” Enrique remembered himself and smiled enthusiastically back at her. 

“That would be excellent! But first, I got you something else. Hold on.” Enrique pried the ring off his little finger and delicately handed it to her. But Isla did not take it. She blushed so hard, that for a moment he thought he had embarrassed her and that she did not like it.

“Oh Enrique, you didn’t have to get me anything.” She breathed, enchanted by the glint of sunbeams bouncing off the ring.

“Do you like it? I’m sorry if it’s too much. I thought because it was a special day, it might be fitting. You don’t have to take it if you don’t want it.” Enrique explained.

“No no, I love it! I- I just wasn’t expecting a gift, and I don’t have one for you.” Isla stammered. This was so awkward, just like she had feared! She was stumbling for words, flustered, but she did like the ring. Luckily, she didn’t have to think of anything to say..

“Isla, you want to know something special about the ring?”

“What’s that?” She asked. Enrique took a breath, trying to clear his head so the right words would come to him. At that moment, he thought of the old man, and smiled.

“It’s perfect for you, because you both shine as clear as the sun speaks.” Isla smiled, a feeling of relief settling in her chest. There was no awkwardness between them, just easiness. She allowed him to hold her hand, blushing at how gentle his touch was as he slid the sunstone ring on her finger. Then, her eyes widened with wonder as she heard the sun speak. Enrique beamed at her, relieved that they both shared this secret, this new bond between them. And as the sun set over them, Isla heard her say,

“Ah! Lovely. Perhaps I’ll do this again sometime. Goodnight Earth. Enjoy tomorrow.”

[nevinslibrary]

Comic Book Saturday

Cam’s dad gives him a cardboard box for his birthday. But, it turns out not to just be any normal sort of cardboard box. It has magic powers, and animates itself. He and his Dad then turn it into a man, who comes to life. And, even more magic cardboard is made.

But, then Marcus, Cam’s next door neighbor gets up to no good and steals some of the cardboard, and makes some monsters out of it instead, and those monsters get out of his control.

I had liked Ghostopolis, and so I thought I’d give this one a try. And it was such a fun read. With just a side of action too. And the characters were all so interesting and unique too.

You may like this book If you Liked: The Cardboard Kingdom by Chad Sell, or Lowriders in Space by Cathy Camper

Cardboard by Doug TenNapel

[queermediastudies]

Putting the “Camp” Back in “Conversion Camp”

How But I’m a Cheerleader (2000) Makes a Comedy Out Of Conversion Therapy (And Whether or Not it Should)

Jamie Babbit’s cult classic, But I’m a Cheerleader (2000) paints a satirical portrait of what most queer youth fear most, conversion therapy. The titular cheerleader, Megan (Natasha Lyonne) is your typical all-American good girl. She goes to church, she never drinks, and she is even dating the high school football star. She is the kind of daughter that white, middle-class Americans dream of having, with one glaring exception. Megan is a lesbian. With the help of the self proclaimed “ex-gay” counselor Mike (RuPaul), her family and friends stage an intervention before shoving her off to True Directions, a conversion camp run by Mary Brown (Cathy Moriarty). Once there, she realizes that she is in fact a lesbian, one who is in love with her fellow camper, Graham (Clea Duvall). 

The film is hilariously over the top, hence it’s description as a camp classic. Babbit uses exaggerated gender roles to illustrate the intersection between gender performativity and sexuality. Unfortunately this decision to poke fun at heteronormative stereotypes come at a cost. Even the gay characters are uncomfortable stereotypes, and the film ignores any questions of intersectionality. Moreover, Babbit does not always handle the horrors of conversion therapy with the kind of tact and grace such a subject demands. Essentially, while the film attempts to show the ridiculousness of gay conversion, its use of stereotypes and one-dimensional characters lashes back to harm the very people Babbit is speaking on behalf of. 

One of the most easily recognizable problems with But I’m a Cheerleader is its overwhelming whiteness. There are all of four characters of color, and only one of those characters is a woman. Jan (Katrina Philips), the one woman of color, is treated terribly in the film. She shows up with a unibrow, dark mustache, shaved head, and baggy clothes. When she introduces herself, she smiles and says, “I’m Jan, and I’m a softball player, and I’m a homosexual” (00:14:36). Essentially, Jan is a lot of outdated stereotypes about lesbians put into one character. The twist, though, is that Jan is actually straight.

This is a good example of how Babbit attempts to tell an important message, but she fails to see the harm she causes while doing it. Jan’s character is essentially Megan’s foil. She is everything a “dyke” is supposed to be, except that she is not attracted to girls. Megan, on the other hand is a lesbian that completely defies all of the stereotypes that Jan encompasses. Both women are meant to discourage our tendency to make assumptions based on appearance. While that is a wonderful message, the problem is that Jan is the only woman of color. There is a definite lack of positive representation for masculine women of color, so there is nothing inherently wrong with having a black, butch character. However, black women are often portrayed as more masculine than white women in both fiction and non-fiction. One need only look at the conversations the media has had about Serena Williams or the New Jersey Four to see how black women are ascribed a level of masculinity that white women are not. In the film, this is exacerbated by the consistent assertion that Jan is ugly, which is never challenged by any of the characters. The motive behind Jan’s character was excellent, but it is clear that the consequences were not thought out. Babbit could have avoided the problematic elements of her character by adding in more women of color, giving the masculine stereotypes to a white character, or by having a conversation about how her blackness and dark facial hair affected how she was treated. Instead, the meaning of Jan’s character is one-dimensional, and she comes off as the butt of the joke rather than the harbinger of an important message. 

Jan is not the only character wrought with gay stereotypes. Andre (Douglas Spain) is the most stereotypically gay man in the film. Whether by coincidence or not, he is also a person of color. Regardless, his character is so stereotypical it is almost offensive. The boys are taught to play football, chop wood, and fix cars in the hopes that heteronormative activities will straighten them out, so to speak. Andre fails miserably at all of these tasks, which, again, is fine in concept. What is offensive is the way he flails about and shrieks in a way that is so unnatural it plays out like a bigot’s idea of what a gay man is really like.

There are other issues of intersectionality and representation that are not quite so garishly offensive. For example, Joel (Joel Michaely) is Jewish, and very devoutly so considering he is never seen with his yarmulke. The True Directions programs, however, is very Christian-oriented. This tension between the two religions is never addressed, and that is truly a shame. Moreover, race is not mentioned once. As previously mentioned, there are horrendously few characters of color. Even worse, however, is the fact that not one of them has a storyline that acknowledges the difficulties of being a gay person of color. The film is a comedy, so no one should expect an especially fruitful in depth analysis, but there is not even one or two off handed jokes about it. The fact of the matter is that the characters of color are not fully realized people. They are surface level representations that rattle off jokes. It should be acknowledged that pretty much all of the characters have this shallow level of development (such is the price one pays when creating a satire that makes such liberal use of stereotypes), but that is no excuse for not acknowledging how race plays a factor in homophobia and gender norms. Much of the movie is centered around learning how to “act straight”, but performances of gender and sexuality shift when different identities come into play. Harris and Holman Jones explain how intersectional performances play into feeling like a minority, “In “feeling queer,” racialized subjects intersect with religious, gendered and sexualized minoritarian subjects to “do” minoritarianism differently” (Harris and Holman Jones, 2017, p.574). In a film that is all about acting out the roles society demands, ignoring how people of color are expected to perform their minoriatarianism does an injustice to the topic at hand.

There is also a good bit of homonormativity, a concept that describes the push for queer people to fulfill heteronormative roles even in gay relationships. The three same sex couples we see in the film follow the general idea that one person in the relationship should be more feminine and the other more masculine, though some couples embody this concept more than others. Dolph (Dante Basco) and Clayton (Kip Pardue) are the couple that fit this mold the least, but one there are remnants of it in their relationship. Dolph is on the varsity football team, and Clayton is generally more demure and submissive. Unlike Dolph and Clayton, Graham and Megan fulfill their homonormative roles with a good amount of clarity. Graham is by no means butch, but she is more masculine than she is feminine, at least by society’s standards. She has short hair, she never wears skirts, and she has a tendency toward profanity and vulgarity. Megan, on the other hand, is, well, a cheerleader. She only wears skirts, she wears her hair long, and she spends most of the moving gasping at any mention of sex. Finally, there is the old gay couple, Lloyd (Wesley Mann) and Larry (Richard Moll) who are “ex-ex-gays” as the film calls them. Once again we see the more feminine half of the couple, Lloyd, performing typically feminine activities like setting up dinner and getting in touch with his emotions. Larry, on the other hand, is a curt, large, bearded man who is quick to anger. The two could easily fit in to any heterosexual sitcom. 

While domesticity is the goal for many queer couples, the film ventures into what Duggan (2002) calls, “equality politics,” (p. 44). Essentially, it is the trap that members of the gay community where they ask the powers that be for marriage and military equality. After that, they feel that there is nothing left to do, so they promise to depoliticize gay culture. Duggan describes them best when she writes, “These organizations, activists, and writers, promote ‘color-blind’ anti-affirmative action racial politics, conservative-libertarian ‘equality feminism,’ and gay ‘normality,’” (Duggan, 2002, p. 44). In it’s failure to acknowledge race and the enforcement of heterosexual roles onto gay characters, the film certainly demonstrates these equality politics and a message in favor of homonormativity.

Perhaps the most difficult to address issue with the film is the premise itself. It begs the question: should conversion therapy be used for comedy? Moreover, questions of how to do that respectfully arise, and, frankly, there were several instances where Babbit failed to do so. Babbit’s own history is important in understanding why she created a comedy about conversion therapy. She herself is a lesbian, and her mother worked at New Directions, a rehabilitation center for teens and young adults. Obviously, the name of the conversion camp, true directions, is a play on New Directions, and Babbit further explains the connection between her mother's career and But I’m a Cheerleader in an interview with Wheeler Winston Dixon. “So I'd always wanted to do a comedy about growing up in rehab, and the absurdity of that atmosphere. But I didn't want to make fun of twelve-step programs for alcoholism and drugs, because they really help people, but when you turn it into Homosexuals Anonymous, then I felt that was a situation I could have fun with” (Dixon, 2015, p. 2). Babbit likely felt that conversion therapy would be a harmless target because making fun of the programs and their leaders is not damaging to anyone. However, as we have seen with Jan and Andre, the queer community was not spared from the ridicule. Moreover, while belittling the programs themselves, Babbit made light of some truly traumatizing experiences. For instance, the teens are given electric wands, which they must use to shock themselves when they have “unnatural” thoughts. Pain-based aversion therapy is a very real, traumatizing experience that too many people have had to face. But I’m a Cheerleader makes a mockery of it by using it for a number of sex jokes and showing that it does not hurt that bad. Graham playfully shocks Megan with it, eliciting a yelp, but not much else. Another girl in the program, Sinead (Katherine Towne), proclaims that she likes pain. She is then shown in multiple scenes using the electricity as a masturbatory tool. There may be arguments in favor of this detail, perhaps that Babbit was trying to show how pain can be reclaimed and used for pleasure, but I personally find it tasteless. It is especially questionable since Babbit herself has never gone through that trauma. When creating gallows humor, one must examine if they are on the gallows or a member of the crowd. A person on the gallows who laughs is using humor to cope. A person in the crowd who laughs at the man getting hanged is simply cruel. It seems that Babbit believes that she, having experienced lesbianism, has just as much of a right to stories of conversion therapy as someone who actually experienced it. She does not. This is not to say that the premise of this film is off limits. Babbit simply should have been more careful in how she portrayed the horrors of conversion therapy.

But I’m a Cheerleader has the difficult job of being a breakout text. Cavalcante explains that a breakout text accomplishes three things, “ Breakout texts also generate three definitive breaks: (a) a break into the cultural main-stream, (b) a break with historical representational paradigms, and (c) a breaking into the every day lives of the audiences they purport to represent,” (Cavalcante, 2017, p. 2). It may have not been hugely successful, but it was popular enough to make its way into straight communities. Moreover, it breaks plenty of ideas of historic representation. Finally, it made its way into gay communities, and it has continued to live comfortably within them. This is why we need to be so hard on the film. As with anything that may be the foundation for someone’s knowledge about a topic (i.e. homosexuality, conversion therapy, gender non conforming heterosexuals, etc.) there is a responsibility to provide quality representations. Babbit sometimes fails to do so, and if that those failures are not examined critically, then harmful information will be mindlessly spread around.

As a pansexual woman, I am always looking for content that portrays strong, sapphic characters. I am also always on the fence about using tragedies to create humor. I am stuck between knowing that some people use humor to cope with trauma and wondering if people should be laughing at atrocities. That is what drew me to But I’m a Cheerleader. I enjoyed the film, in spite of its flaws, but I do have to say I was a bit hurt and disappointed. I am Latinx, and I have been teased about my dark facial hair in the past. Hearing Jan get torn into for her unibrow and mustache while the pretty, white women around her did nothing was really upsetting. Moreover, as someone who is undecided about particularly dark humor, I really do feel that Babbit was tactless in her making of this film. Still, there were elements that I truly loved. As mentioned in the title and the introduction, this film is beautifully camp. The 1950′s aesthetic that the straight people emulate obscures the setting of the film, and the garish colors tell a story all on their own. The gay men are forced to wear bright blue, and the lesbians are forced to wear pink. Everyone, and I do mean everyone, outside of the program wears brown, obscuring their own identities and showing just how they all fit in together. The set design is also used in a really stunning way. Every once in a while something, typically something that represents sex or genitalia, is placed in the background to remind viewers that the sexuality of the participants will never be erased.

When it comes down to it, But I’m a Cheerleader has heart, and it has a great message. It is immensely funny, and the characters are shallow but lovable. The film’s best attribute is that it shows that anyone can be gay or straight, regardless of our assumptions based on how well they perform gender norms. The criticism shown above should not discourage anyone from watching the film. Rather, it should encourage people to watch it while being able to recognize and accept the ways in which it can be hurtful. It can have harmful stereotypes, unhelpful ideologies, and tactless jokes, but it also has love, bite, and an abundance of humor.

References:

Cavalcante, A. (2017). Breaking Into Transgender Life: Transgender Audiences' Experiences With “First of Its Kind” Visibility in Popular Media. Communication, Culture & Critique, 10(3), 538-555. doi:10.1111/cccr.12165

Dixon, W. W. (2015). An Interview With Jamie Babbit. Post Script, 34(2).

Duggan, L. (2003). Equality, Inc. In The Twilight of Equality? Neoliberism, Cultural Politics and the Attack on Democracy (pp. 43-66). Boston: Beacon Press.

Harris, A., & Holman Jones, S. (2017). Feeling Fear, Feeling Queer: The Peril and Potential of Queer Terror. Qualitative Inquiry, 23(7), 561-568. doi:10.1177/1077800417718304