#ivory tower tracy

[otakusparkle]

Identity V New Costume Series Release

Identity V Ivory Tower Series New Lineups

"Put on your indigo uniform and hat as the new semester at Demory Academy begins. This year, the Ivory Tower series story event will be held in-game! And for the first time in the series, the Hunter costume will also be available!

Follow in the footsteps and lift the veil of the Ivory Tower's mystery♪"

[broh3m3]

Grandpa in Tracy's Ivory Tower Showroom- ;v;

[caropiyo]

[thebirdandhersong]

"I'm going to build you an ivory tower with my own two hands" and THAT is why George Kittridge would be a terrible husband to Tracy Lord. buddy do you not realise that this is the last thing she wants???

[introvertguide]

The Philadelphia Story (1940); AFI #44

The next film that we watched from the AFI list was a fun little romantic comedy from the Golden Age of Hollywood, The Philadelphia Story (1940). This was Katharine Hepburn’s return to popularity and perhaps her highest rated amongst fans. It has a 100% Fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes and an 8/10 rating on IMDB. The films was nominated for 6 Academy Awards and won for Best Actor and Best Writing. It was adapted from a play by Philip Barry, which also starred Katharine Hepburn. There is a lot to unpack on this one, but I would like to briefly go over the plot first:

Spoiler Warning!!! Just a little one. I am not going to reveal the ending because it is a very short movie for an AFI film and a really easy watch. It is a lot of fun and I want people to check it out for themselves.

The film starts strangely enough with Dexter Haven (Carey Grant) knocking Tracy Lords (Katharine Hepburn) right on her backside in what turns out to be the breaking up of their marriage. Many dramatic close-ups of newspapers show that two years pass and Tracy is now about to marry another man named George Kittredge (John Howard). This difference between the two men is leaps and bounds as Dexter is a high class yacht builder and part of the socialite circle of Tracy while George is a newly rich “man of the people.” 

A trashy magazine publisher named Sidney Kidd is eager to cover the wedding, and assigns reporter Macaulay "Mike" Connor (James Stewart) and photographer Liz Imbrie (Ruth Hussey) to get the inside scoop with the help of Dexter Haven, who has been working for the magazine in South America. Dexter threatens Tracy with an innuendo-laden article about her father Seth's affair with a dancer if she does not let the reporters stay for the wedding. Tracy deeply resents her father's infidelity, so, to protect her family's reputation, she agrees to let Mike and Liz stay.

Much to the annoyance of Tracy, Dexter is welcomed back with open arms by Tracy's mother Margaret and teenage sister Dinah. In addition, she gradually discovers that the reporter has many admirable qualities, and she even takes the trouble to find Mike’s book of short stories in the public library. As the wedding nears, she finds herself torn between George, Dexter, and Mike. 

The night before the wedding, Tracy gets drunk for only the second time in her life and takes an innocent midnight swim with Mike, like she used to do with Dexter. George shows up and sees Mike carrying an intoxicated Tracy into the house afterward, and he thinks the worst. The next day, he tells her that he was shocked and feels entitled to an explanation before going ahead with the wedding. The wedding does happen and she marries one of the three men...but to which one I will not say. Only minor spoilers, remember?

This entire film seems to be an apology from Katharine Hepburn to her audience. She had been called box office poison and the movie going audiences would not go to films simply because she was in them. She had set herself in an ivory tower and everyone considered her far too aloof. In the film, she starts out being knocked down to the ground. As the film progresses, she is described constantly as being somebody who holds herself and everyone she associates with to an impossible standard and it drives people away and makes them want to punch her. In the end, she lightens up and shows herself to be vulnerable and says that she doesn’t want to be worshipped, she wants to be loved. She placed herself on a pedestal too high, and lost touch with those people who truly love her. It worked like a charm because audiences fully excepted her back as a lead actress from that point on.

I can’t think of a lot of films with more star power than this one. According to the American Film Institute, this movie has the #2 and #3 greatest American actors (Carey Grant and James Stewart, respectively) and the #1 greatest American actress (Katharine Hepburn). It also had one of the most popular American film directors of the time in George Cukor. This movie was formulated by Hepburn as a “can’t miss” success and she was right.

This film was surprising for the time because it involved divorce, binge drinking, fraternizing with other men when engaged, and physical abuse of a woman. These were the type of topics that audiences were used to on Broadway, but it had to have been very unexpected in the prime of the Hayes Code era. That had to have added to the intrigue of the film. I also think that a lot of people really wanted to see Katharine Hepburn get punched at the time. Apparently her presence drove away the audiences in 1938, but seeing her get knocked over brought them all right back in 1940. 

This film most assuredly deserves to be on the AFI list as it is a good movie and fun to watch, it has received critical recognition, it has three of the greatest legends of Hollywood, and it has a great behind the scenes story involving Howard Hughes. You don’t get much more AFI than that. Would I recommend it? Yes, but do your homework first. The film is much more interesting knowing the context surrounding Katharine Hepburn on this one. Check it out and enjoy a spicy little story from the Golden Era of Hollywood.

[go2harsha-blog]

Celebrating Woodstock - Part 1

With the 50th anniversary of the Woodstock festival round the corner, Harsha Prabhu looks back to visiting the US  for the 40th anniversary

A Fairy Tale of New York

Parrots for Peace, Ecofest, Central Park, NYC, Oct 2009. Pic: Hans Lovejoy

Blog 1 on the Rainbow Dreaming US tour, covering NYC and Ecofest.  Rainbow Dreaming is a photodocumentary on the alternative culture of the rainbow region of NSW, Australia. The curators were invited to set up the exhibit for the Woodstock 40th. See more at http://www.rainbowdreaming.org

Which Woodstock?

“Don’t even bother about coming to Woodstock for the festival in August,” said Nathan Koening, our host at the Woodstock Museum. “It’s mostly expensive hype. Come in October, when the weather is better and there will be more Woodstock-related events to celebrate the Woodstock legacy. And you can set up the Rainbow Dreaming exhibit.”

Woodstock Museum, Saugerties, NY, October 2009. Pic: Emi Iizuka

The Woodstock Museum were partners in setting up the historic Nimbin-Woodstock Connection in the mid-nineties, a rainbow bridge linking the alternative communities of Nimbin in north eastern New South Wales, Australia, with the whole hippie tradition of Woodstock. We had sealed the relationship by sending the Woodstock Museum an earlier exhibit from Nimbin, called Some Children of the Dream.

It’s now some fifteen years down the track. Walking down the main strip in Byron Bay I spy Hans Lovejoy sitting in a cafe, sipping on a latte. Hans, musician and journalist for the Byron Shire Echo, was in-between assignments.

“Fancy a trip to Woodstock?” I asked him.

“Which Woodstock?” he asked, undoubtedly knowing there were many: Woodstock, the town; the original Woodstock festival in 1969, which was held some 100 kms away; and the many, commemorative events down the years, held wherever the required permits could be obtained and the producers and sponsors lined up with the dollars.

“Not the festival,” I replied, “It’s a celebration of the Woodstock legacy.”

“Why not,” he said.

Lords of the Material Universe

The first signs were auspicious.

At Brisbane airport, waiting to catch the flight out to LA, we bumped into Elizabeth Thorpe and Debbie Lee. Elizabeth and her partner Ray, proprietors of Happy High Herbs, were the principal sponsors of Rainbow Dreaming and Lee, artist and designer, is an old connection from Nimbin. Elizabeth and Lee were headed for USA to open Happy High’s first US store, in Arizona. And Hans and myself were headed for New York, bringing with us the stories and pictures of life in the rainbow region.

From the plane, the New York nightscape glowed and flickered like some gigantic circuit board. “The lords of the material universe have nice real estate here”, said Hans. Towers of ivory, streets of gold. Would the lords be kind to us? Would they let me in, with my Indian passport?

At immigration, there was a blip: Had my passport ever been stolen? Why was it registered as Australian? The question in my head went something like: So this is what it feels to be at the mercy of dodgy databanks and the mood of the assessment officer. But it turned out ok. After a few questions, Officer Pena waived me through.

Did I have anything to declare, the customs man asked? Don’t touch my bag if you please, I have a haversack full of rainbow dreams, I mused to myself.

At the airport, the smiling face of Benny Zable, waiving a rainbow flag, greeted us. Benny, Nimbin’s ambassador to Woodstock, was the kingpin in the rainbow bridge to Woodstock and beyond. Benny had arranged for us to stay in Brooklyn, at the studio of Traci Mann, a New York tap dancer.

Disoriented by jet lag, Hans had left his laptop on the airport bus. That first night, with the El roaring past our window, we fell into a troubled sleep, woken by the clatter of the El and the cries of children at the daycare centre below.

Through a Glass

Our first pilgrimage in New York was to the Yippie Museum in Greenwich Village. The Village was the bohemian hangout par excellence in the sixties. It still has a funky, if gentrified, look. Jazz bars and restaurants dot the streets.

The Yippie Museum resembles the Nimbin Museum, with a stage for performances. One night, we caught some fine performance poetry. It’s the headquarters of New York’s hemp legalization campaign. They knew about Nimbin. They were also involved with a global linkup of cities for 2010.

1st Oct saw the launch of Mark Roselle’s book “Tree Spiker”. Mark Roselle is the founder of Rainforest Action Network. He’s also the man who infiltrated a Nevada test site. The day was also Benny’s birthday, Benny, an agent provocateur with his rainbow flags. The Yippie Museum was a happening place, true to its name of promoting green(sic) issues through direct action.

It took us a while to work out what ‘uptown’ and ‘downtown’ meant in the subway, but we had worked it out by the time we left New York!

Hans slipped out one night for a dose of jazz; the girls went on a harbour cruise; Benny was beavering away at the Ecofest office. My jet lag meant that I saw the city as if through a glass darkly. One image remains: a black, immaculately dressed saxplayer, doing “In a Sentimantl Mood” in the subway at 50th St.

Ecofest

Ecofest, Central Park, NYC, Oct 2009. Pic: Harsha Prabhu

The Ecofest office, off Broadway, was a hive of activity, presided over by Nanci Callahan, queen bee and director/producer of New York’s signature ecological fair, now in it’s 21st year.

We walked to Central Park to check out the site for this year’s Ecofest, passing Strawberry Fields and ‘Imagine’, the mosaic tribute to John Lennon. On park benches huddled New York’s homeless, shrouded in grey, under the shadows of the tall towers ringing the park. The Dakota apartments where Lennon had been shot were across the street. “Yoko Ono pays for the maintenance of this section of the park and the homeless are permitted to sleep here,” Benny explained. I thought of our homeless in Byron, chased from bus shelters, their beach humpies a mark for rangers. In this instance, New York seemed to have a heart.

Sunday 4th Oct was a fine day. The Ecofest site began to fill up with vedors and exhibitors, including the latest hybrid cars from Toyota and Ford.

Rainbow Dreaming at Ecofest, Central Park, NYC, Oct 2009. Pic: Harsha Prabhu

We had been assigned the outer wall of the conference tent to set up the Rainbow Dreaming exhibit. Space restrictions meant only half the exhibit could be accommodated. We punched holes into the exhibition panels and strung them out on twine like washing on a line. It worked! Sayaka Nakao, Rina Terasaki and Saya Minami, our Japanese friends from Byron Bay, who had flown in the previous day via Tokyo to help with the exhibition tour, assisted us in this improvisatory task. Ever enthusiastic, our petite helpers were worth their weight in gold. Hans and I would have struggled to manage the show on our own.

Over 25,000 visitors streamed through Ecofest that day and, as we were positioned at the entrance, many of these stopped by to check the exhibit. Among these was Nirmala, Gina Lakosta’s daughter, who was in New York to perform a burlesque show, under the stage name La Viola Vixen. Another was a couple from Goonengerry, amazed to stumble upon a slice of life from the rainbow region in the heart of New York.

Tap dancers, including the amazing Mabel Lee, Traci Manns’s former teacher, all of 80; soul singers; stiletto heeled models strutting eco fashions; Rick Ulfik from We the World, the global peace network; Parrots for Peace from the Amazon rainforest; ending with a sing along with the legendary Pete Seeger, 90 years old and still singing his peace and environmental anthems.

Jam session, Central Park, NYC, Oct 2009. Pic: Harsha Prabhu

The sun shone down on Benny Zable’s rainbow flags; children fed ducks in the pond; whole families happily picnicked under the trees; frisbees flew in the air. Catching the last of the sunset, the tall towers seemed to shower us with riches and green fields became fields of gold.

The evening ended with drumming. Three drum circles – Cuban, Haitian and African – rang out in the Park. The moon was full and so were our hearts.

Postscript: Hans’ laptop, lost on our first night, was returned to him by the New York City Transport Authority on our last morning in New York, in a fairy tale ending to our stay in the Big Apple!

Van Gets Ripped, or The Long Sleep of Unreason

Blog 2 on the Rainbow Dreaming US tour, taking in New York’s 13th Harvest Festival & Freedom Rally, Hancock, NY; and Woodstock Museum, Saugerties, NY.

Ma & Pa Woodstock, NY Harvest Fest & Freedom Rally, Camp Minglewood, Hancock, October 2009. Pic: Harsha Prabhu

New York Harvest Fest & Freedom Rally

Marijuana legalisation activists and their supporters on the East coast were to meet at Camp Minglewood in the Catskills, a couple of hours north of New York, for the Harvest Festival & Freedom Rally, on 9 Oct.

Rainbow Dreaming crew at New York Harvest Fest & Freedom Rally, October 2009

It was an opportunity too good to be missed. Our hosts from the Woodstock Museum, Shelli Lipton and Nathan Koenig, had booked us a spot at the Festival. They had also booked us into a bunkhouse, with 10 bunk beds. By now we had mushroomed to a party of 10.

It wasn’t pot, but potties that preoccupied us the three days we were there. The toilets were blocked. Much time and energy was spent agonizing over the situation and negotiating the portaloos well before the happy horde that had descended on the Camp trashed them every morning.

Harvest Fest, the child of Hemp activist and performance poet Rob Robinson, was now in its thirteenth year. The legal situation with pot in the US is complex and confusing. Some states (California) allow the medical use of marijuana. Others will bust you for possessing rolling papers. The talk at the Camp was all about the bust of a long-time hemp activist, who had been caught with a whole lot of pot that he was bringing to the festival. Regardless, the pot was plentiful.

Camp Minglewood, Hancock, October 2009. Pic: Harsha Prabhu

From pot to politics. I met Kurt Shotko, a member of the Greens party. Kurt was of the opinion that the Republicans and Democrats were cut from the same cloth, manufactured by big business. “Look at what Obama’s doing in Afghanistan. He’s sending more Americans to die there. We need an alternative to the main players. We’ve got to wake up to the reality that the American dream has been a nightmare for a lot of Americans and for the rest of the world, especially in Iraq and Afghanistan. We have been asleep for too long. We need a revival of common sense. Only a massive program of self education is going to do it.”

Then he quoted from the Populist Program, published in 1892: “They propose to sacrifice our homes, lives and children on the altar of mammon; to destroy the multitude in order to secure corruption funds for the millionaires.”

1892! The sleep of unreason had been a long one.

But Kurt was hopeful of the next generation. That’s why he set up camp at festivals across the US. And that’s partly why we were there too.

Benny Zable in front of archival pic from Rainbow Dreaming, NY Harvest Fest & Freedom Rally, Camp Minglewood, Hancock, October 2009. Pic: Harsha Prabhu

The Rainbow Dreaming exhibit was attached to a wall in the main music hall. Thus many, mostly young, punters got to see the exhibit. This was where The Wailers played on Saturday. I caught the Wailers when they played in Byron and I’m happy to report that they are still wailing away.

But what struck me most about the music at Harvest Fest was the pervasive influence of the Grateful Dead, the legendary sixties psychedelic band from San Francisco. From Cabinet, an established US indi band that played the main stage, to camp fire songs at 4 am, the Dead were everywhere, on so many t shirts and stickers, in so many riffs and improvisatory moments, as a psychedelic glint in so many eyes.

George Clinton & Funkedelic, NY Harvest Fest & Freedom Rally, Camp Minglewood, Hancock, October 2009. Pic: Harsha Prabhu

I spoke with Jane, an artist from New York, who had a stall selling Dead memorabilia. She had grown up in San Francisco and was still a Deadhead. Her eyes misted when she spoke of Jerry Garcia: “You could see so much love pouring out of him. It was a love affair that lasted and lasted and it’s still going strong even when he’s gone.”

Minglewood Moment: across from the festival site, two lovers sit on the steps of a boat ramp. The dying sun paints purple tints on the tops of the maple and elm; waterfowl break the surface of the lake. A band is playing the Dead’s “China Cat Sunflower.”

Woodstock: The Town that Time Forgot

In Rip Van Winkle, Washington Irving’s story, a man who wanders off into the Catskill Mountains, meets some rather strange companions who serve up a suspiciously heady brew, and falls asleep under a tree. When he wakes up, he finds that some 20 years have gone by and his world has changed.

Woodstoock, October 2009. Pic: Harsha Prabhu

The town of Catskill is 30 minutes away from Woodstock. Some 40 years have gone by after the infamous Woodstock festival of 1969. And the world has changed since those heady days. But walking around Woodstock, the town that gave a name to the festival, (which happened in the neighbouring town of Bethel, some 100 kms away), you could be forgiven for believing that it’s still in the thrall of those halcyon days of hippiedom.

Woodstoock, October 2009. Pic: Emi iizuka

Our first port of call was the Woodstock Town Board meeting that night. Benny Zable, Nimbin’s ambassador to Woodstock, presented letters from Nimbin and the crew made a presentation on the Rainbow Dreaming exhibit and its relevance to the whole Woodstock legacy.

The meet was dominated by a spirited discussion over rezoning issues, something very familiar to us on the north coast. Would Woodstock go the way of other small towns and be besieged by rampant development, or would it stay true to its alternative legacy?

That night we also visited the Bearsville Cultural Centre (set up by Albert Grossman, one-time manager of Bob Dylan, Janis Joplin and The Band) and Alchemia Café to catch some live music, including a spirited set by Adam, a young musician we had met at the Byron market drum circle!

Guided around by Benny, on our very first day in Woodstock, we met some representatives of Woodstock’s hippie past: Jogger John, the local village savant, who used to jog everywhere, but, due to his advanced age is now is on a bike; Day A, the village barber, who runs a soup kitchen for the Rainbow Family in town; Grandpa and Grandma Woodstock, an elderly couple, dressed the part, almost town mascots. Woodstock itself is full of funky cafes and art galleries. Turn a corner and spy a Zen garden, complete with waterfall and pergola.

Peace Pole, Woodstock, October 2009. Pic: Emi Iizuka

In the centre of Woodstock town is the village green and the peace pole, with peace messages in several languages. We bumped into Fr John, a priest and peace activist. When he heard that two of our crew, Sayaka Nakao and Rina Terasaki, were from Tokyo, he beamed at them and said: “ Let’s set up a peace link between Woodstock and Tokyo. All it takes is five people. Five is the magic number. Can you find five friends in Tokyo who may be interested?”

Hippie Church, Woodstock, October 2009. Pic: Harsha Prabhu

Fr John also runs the Hippie Church, on the hill overlooking Woodstock. This was the very church where Bob Dylan was rumoured to have married the love of his life, Sarah, his sad eyed lady of the lowlands. The church wears the patina of age, its icons fading in the dim, dank light streaming through stained glass windows.

Path to Buddhist monastery, Woodstock, October 2009. Pic: Harsha Prabhu

In stark contrast is the Buddhist monastery next door. Set up in 1975, the monastery is linked to the 10th century Tibetan Kagyu lineage. Its halls are huge and lushly decorated with tankas, its massive Buddha is gold-painted, its prayer lamps cast a beatific glow on meditating monks and visitors; its gift shop bulges with merchandise, all a tribute to Buddhism’s growing influence in the new world.

Prophesy

The next morning, my very first snowflakes, fine and feathery.

It was too cold to venture out. Emi Iizuka and Simeon Michaels, both from Byron, had joined us in Woodstock. We were toasty warm at the Woodstock Museum, hosted by Shelli and Nathan.

Under the tutelage of Shelli, the sacred Indian corn was brought out and inspected. Purple, yellow, orange, red and black, this was authentic Hopi corn. The girls played with the corn silk, good for medicinal tea and dress ups, fake moustaches and beards. They were transformed into imaginary characters, magical beings, the warrior princesses of Genghis Khan, dressed as men to pass unnoticed amidst the ripening corn. Shelli makes beautiful corn necklaces, a craft she learnt from Rainbow Weaver, a Mohawk Clan Mother.

Padmasambhava, Buddhist monastery, Woodstock, October 2009. Pic: Emi Iizuka

Nathan spoke about the connection between the Hopi and the Tibetans. “Padmasambhava, the founder of Tibetan Buddhism, said: When the iron bird flies and the horses run on wheels the Tibetans will be scattered over the face of the earth and the dharma will come to the land of the red man.”

Nathan went on: “The Hopi’s felt that this might have something to do with the dharma coming to the US. They have prophesies too. After the swastika and the sun, there would be another force, symbolized by the colour red. This force will wear a red cloak or red cap. Spiritual wisdom will come from the East. This spirituality must spread. If that does not take root, others with the red symbol will invade from the West and crawl over the land in one day. The Hopis think this could be the ‘red’ Chinese.”


“When the Tibetan Karmapa visited Hopiland in 1974, he said: We must have know each other before; your features, ceremonies and way of life are similar to our own. When we bought Hopis to the monastery in Woodstock in 1979, the two cultures again recognized each other, and the Hopis said that the Tibetans may very well be the long lost brother who left them at the beginning of time and went to the other side of the earth to balance the earth spiritually.” Said Shelli: “When the shit hits the fan, we won’t survive unless we cooperate with each other. That’s also what the Hopi prophecies speak of. The Hopis are known as the ‘peaceful ones’.”

While we spoke of prophecies, outside, in the gathering gloom, Tiago Guimaraes, a Brazilian artist, was busy carving out a statue of a man with a guitar, the quintessential hippie hitchhiker, his hand raised, his fingers flashing the peace sign.

Elliot Landy’s book on Woodstock

The Rainbow Dreaming opening at the Woodstock Museum on Sat 17 Oct was a modest yet sweet affair: local musos were in attendance and we joined the members of the Woodstock drum circle in a bongothon.

Rainbow Dreaming crew with Elliot Landy, Woodstock Museum, October 2009. Pic: Hans Lovejoy

The highlight of the evening was meeting Elliot Landy, the famous Woodstock photographer. Elliot was all praise for the exhibit, gave away signed copies of his book to all the crew and offered to help us find a publisher for a book on the exhibition. (Sadly, I was to leave my copy on the street in San Francisco while moving house.)

The Last Hippie, Woodstock Museum, October 2009. Pic: Harsha Prabhu

The last act of the day was raising the sculpture of the hippie hitchhiker and placing him on his pedestal: a symbol of Woodstock’s hippie past and a pointer to its uncertain future as a cultural pilgrimage centre.

Woodstock Earth, after the drum circle, October, 2009. Pic: Simeon Michaels

On our last evening in Woodstock, we participated in the Woodstock Earth drum circle. Some 30 drummers were gathered in the backyard at Day A’s house. In summer, the drummers gather at the village green and spill out onto the road. As the sound of the drums rose over the autumn dusk, we were again reminded of how lucky we were with our vibrant culture of communal drumming and dancing in the rainbow region.

Last days in New York: the Bangladeshi cigarette sellers; the African rickshaw pullers in Central Park; the old men and women carting large bundles of recyclable cans and bottles; the man in Times Square offering to sell me a 15 carat gold ring or Obama condoms.

While the crew went shopping and sightseeing I wandered back to Central Park. More than the statue of Liberty, than Ground Zero, than the suicide gulches and canyons of Wall Street, I was drawn to the spot with the Imagine mosaic and tribute to John Lennon. Park benches line the walkway, each with its dedication. I sat there, amidst the touros and derros, as the shadows lengthened.

Then I saw these lines from Dylan Thomas, carved on a park bench: “Though lovers be lost love shall not; And death shall have no dominion.”

Celebrating Woodstock - Part 2 on San Francisco’s Westfest and the Beats to follow. Please check my blog...

by Harsha Prabhu

Rainbow Dreaming crew at Magic Mountain, Woodstock, October 2009

NOTE: An edited version of A Fairy Tale of New York was published in the Byron Shire Echo, October 2009. While the words and sentiments in the blogs are my own, this project has been a community cultural initiative, helped along by many hands, hearts and minds. Many thanks are due.

First up, Benny Zable, Shelli Lipton & Nathan Koening for setting up the Nimbin Woodstock Connection and the sister village link between the two communities. I would like to acknowledge the help and guidance offered by the Rainbow Dreaming crew – Benny Zable, Hans Lovejoy, Saya Minami, Sayaka Nakao, Rina Terasaki, Emi Iizuka & Simeon Michaels – on this amazing journey to the US. Thanks to our hosts in the US, including Traci Mann & Nanci Callahan in NYC; Rob Robinson at Harvestfest; Shelli Lipton & Nathan Koenig at Woodstock Museum; and Douglas Kolberg & Boots Hughston at Westfest. Thanks to our principal sponsor Happy High Herbs and our media sponsors Byron Shire Echo & Bay FM. Thanks to all those who donated to the community chest to make this project possible, including all the artist and performers from the rainbow region who helped raise funds for the US tour. And a big thank you to all the freaky people of the rainbow region, who are the inspiration for this project. And the writers and photographers who so generously donated their work. This project was auspiced by Byron Community & Cultural Centre, assisted by Lismore Regional Gallery and supported by Byron Neighbourhood Resource Centre and Mullumbimby & District Neighbourhood Centre. Rainbow Dreaming was curated & produced by Harsha Prabhu & Graeme Batterbury for the Rainbow Collective. More on Rainbow Dreaming, including how to get a copy of the book, at: www.rainbowdreaming.org

[writemarcus]

Carbonells Seek Noms For New Vinnette Carroll Award; Zoetic Names Finstrom Winners

Posted on May 9, 2022 by Bill Hirschman

The Carbonells is soliciting nominations for the Vinnette Carroll Award that will be given out for the first time at the 45th annual ceremony in November.

This award honors an individual, theater or organization for significant achievement in advancing the cause of diversity, equality, and inclusion in South Florida theater.

It was part of the reorganization that the Carbonell board instituted during the pandemic following complaints that the program and the awards themselves did not adequately reflect the diversity of the community. Among other actions taken in response was to add diverse members to its board.

“While there have been a number of BIPOC Carbonell Special Award winners in the past, this new recurring award demonstrates the Board’s ongoing commitment to encouraging and honoring individuals and institutions that are specifically championing the growth of diversity in South Florida’s theater community,” wrote board president Jeff Kiltie.

The honor is named after the legendary playwright, actress, and theater director who was the first African-American woman to direct on Broadway and the first to receive a Tony Award nomination for directing, before moving to South Florida in the 1980s where she founded the Vinnette Carroll Repertory Company,

The nominations will be evaluated by the new Vinnette Carroll Award Committee which will recommend a honoree for the board’s approval.

That committee includes four current board members (Herman G. Montero, director of production at the Broward Center for the Performing Arts; William Nix, former vice president of marketing and governmental affairs for the Cultural Council for Palm Beach County who hosts the annual African-American Film Festival at the Kravis Center for the Performing Arts; Geoffrey Short, president of the board of directors of the Pembroke Pines Theater of the Performing Arts; and Broadway, movie, TV and cabaret star Avery Sommers, who is both a Carbonell Award winner and a seven-time nominee), plus longtime Carbonell judge Christine Dolen, who was theater critic for the Miami Herald 1979-2015 and continues to cover culture for ArtburstMiami.com.

Before June 1, email nominations to Geoffrey Short at geoffshort66@gmail.com. Please include the nominee’s name and why you believe he/she/they are worthy of consideration for this award.

Zoetic Stage has announced the four winners of its second annual Finstrom Festival of New Work whose plays will be presented in readings this month in Miami.

The works are: One Stone: The Story of Mileva Marić and Albert Einstein by Kathleen Cahill; Effect If Not Intent by David Rosenberg, Sibling Rivalries Or, Spooks in the Ivory Tower by Marcus Scott and The Public Execution of the American President by Nick Valdes.

The winning plays will each be given a workshop with directors, dramaturges and actors, where the playwrights will be able to further develop and ready their plays for full productions. The workshops will culminate in a three-day festival of readings from May 19-21 co-presented with and hosted at the Adrienne Arsht Center in Miami, live and in person in the Peacock Foundation Studio.

The readings are free and open to the public. Tickets will be available on Eventbrite on Wednesday, May 4th beginning at noon. More details about the festival including casting and showtimes are forthcoming.

The festival is named after beloved South Florida playwright and arts patron Tony Finstrom, who was a long-time Carbonell Award judge and founder of the Silver Palm Awards. The author of numerous plays, Finstrom was the recipient of various honors including the Charlie Cinnamon Award and the South Florida Theatre League’s Remy Pioneer Award. Finstrom passed away in December 2018.

Additionally, six other plays were chosen as runners-up: Tigress of San Domingue by France-Luce Benson, The Many Wondrous Realities of Jasmine Starr-Kid by Stephen Brown, Deafening by Tracy Chutorian Semler, The Experience by Jahna Ferron-Smith, Black Girl Joy by Phanesia Pharel, and Pangea by Scott C. Sickles.

The 2nd Annual Finstrom Festival Adjudication Panel included Kathleen Capdesuñer, Kent Chambers-Wilson, Vanessa Garcia, Stuart Meltzer, Nate Promkul, Amrita Ramanan, Gabriell Salgado and Karen Stephens.

“There were so many stories that we read that need to be told – I wish we could tell them all,”  said festival coordinator Gabriell Salgado. “Zoetic Stage’s goal is for the Finstrom Festival to grow and evolve until we are producing fully-staged new work in a repertory format,” says Zoetic Stage Artistic Director Meltzer.

About the winning playwrights

Kathleen Cahill writes plays about science and politics.  Her work has been produced around the country.  She is the recipient of three Edgerton Foundation Awards, the Jane Chambers Playwrighting Award, two Connecticut Commission on the Arts Playwrighting Awards, a Massachusetts Artists Foundation Award, a Rockefeller Grant, a National Endowment for the Arts New American Works Grant, a National New Play Network Commission, and a Drama League Award. She was a Dramatists Guild Fund Travelling Master.  Her play Charm (NNPN Showcase) was nominated for a Pulitzer Prize; her play The Persian Quarter was nominated for a Steinberg Award. She is also an opera librettist and a lyricist. Her libretto The Better Man was commissioned and produced by Utah Opera. Her new musical LATE will be seen in June at the Boston Center for the Arts. She writes what Alan Cumming says on PBS’s Mystery.

David Rosenberg is a playwright, screenwriter, and actor born and raised in Miami. His plays include Effect If Not Intent, What Else Is True?, Undecidable Propositions, and the one-man musical extravaganza Absolutely! His work has been developed at Egg & Spoon Theater Collective and 29Salon, and have been semi-finalists for the O’Neill, the Theatre 503 International Playwriting Award, the Jewish Plays Project, and The Orchard Project, among others. His play I Would Never Lie to You was commissioned by The Juilliard School, where it was meant to premiere on March 19, 2020. He holds an MFA from Juilliard, a BFA from NYU, and a high school diploma from Palmetto Senior High.

Marcus Scott is a playwright, musical theater writer and journalist. Selected works: Sibling Rivalries (finalist for the 2021 Seven Devils Playwrights Conference and the 2021 ATHE-KCACTF Judith Royer Excellence In Playwriting Award; semi-finalist for 2021 Blue Ink Playwriting Award and the 2021 New Dramatists Princess Grace Fellowship Award), Tumbleweed (finalist for the 2017 Bay Area Playwrights Festival and the 2017 Festival of New American Plays at Austin Playhouse; semi-finalist for 2022 Blue Ink Playwriting Award and the 2017 New Dramatists Princess Grace Fellowship Award), Cherry Bomb (recipient of the 2017 Drama League First Stage Artist-In-Residence) and Forever and a Day (Columbia College Chicago). He was commissioned by Heartbeat Opera to adapt Beethoven’s Fidelio (Librettist/Co-writer; The Met Museum; New York Times Critics’ Pick). Scott is a 2021 NYSAF Founders’ Award finalist, a 2021 Doric Wilson Independent Playwright Award semi-finalist, a 2019 finalist for the Bushwick Starr’s Starr Reading Series, a two-time National Black Theatre I AM SOUL Playwrights Residency finalist and a four-time top finalist for the R&D Group at The Civilians. His articles appeared in Architectural Digest, Time Out New York, American Theatre Magazine, Playbill, Elle, Out, Essence, The Brooklyn Rail, among others. BFA: State University College at Buffalo, MFA: NYU Tisch. MFA: NYU Tisch.

Nick Valdes is a South Florida Theatre Artist, graduate of New World School of The Arts, as well as an alum of the British American Drama Academy’s Midsummer in Oxford program. He played Antonio in New City Player’s Twelfth Night, and has done a few short films in the Miami area. His short play The Handicap was produced by New City Players for their LabFest production, and was the recipient of the Audience Favorite award. He wrote “…TPEoTAP is a play conceived while working as a stagehand for Gablestage after having many hearty discussions with Joseph Adler, and as such it would not be on paper without him. He was truly an inspiration.”

[burnttongueontea]

@ineffableomensgo Ah, this comment really means a lot to me, since I’ve been worrying lately about my career choices... I love literary analysis and really find it a valuable tool in my own life, but sometimes academia can seem a bit irrelevant and self-serving. Fandom is one of the things that makes me hope maybe I can use my skills for something other than ivory-tower-sitting.

@thegoodomensdumpster Just to pick up on something you said in your tags! It’s worth saying, I don’t feel this headcanon is about an Aziraphale who loves food any less than our familiar one, but an Aziraphale who’s been made to believe his love for food is a problem he needs to control. (Oh hello, protective urges - sorry, he’s not actually real so you can’t wrap him in a blanket. Hard, I know.) I don’t think that’s actually what you meant by the tag, but I wanted to share the thought it prompted!

@gleefully-macabre In response to your comment about the woman at the seance: yes, the arbitrary numerical policing of who counts as thin or fat is one part of what makes this line so eyebrow-raising for me. Also, it isn’t even Madam Tracy: it’s some other person who isn’t really important to the story, but still needs to have her size and diet dissected for some reason. 

@plethodon-cinereus Thank you, that means a lot!! It definitely exists as a complete story now, just needs beta’ing and revising, but tbh I’ve been having doubts about sharing it publicly. It’s a complicated and triggering subject. I’m sure that despite my research I won’t have handled everything perfectly, and even if I had it would not be popular with everyone. It’s been very helpful for me to write, but I’m realistic about what fandom can be like and I don’t know how well I’d deal with negative reactions atm...

These are the things I’ve been thinking lately about Aziraphale needing rest…

Lil extract from the book:

Aziraphale didn’t rise to it. “What are we going to do now?”

“Try and get some sleep.”

“You don’t need sleep. I don’t need sleep. Evil never sleeps, and Virtue is ever-vigilant.”

“Evil in general, maybe. This specific part of it has got into the habit of getting its head down occasionally.”

This is on the way back from Tadfield to London, right before Aziraphale finds Agnes Nutter’s book on the back seat. Here’s what happens after this conversation:

Aziraphale does not sleep, eat, or even move for about thirty-six hours

After this, he is scatter-brained, tense, physically shaky, and struggling to make rational decisions

It’s in this state of mind that he contacts Heaven instead of Crowley, and inadvertently steps into the portal (and, in the show, fights with Crowley at the bandstand)

So… my feeling here is that the above dialogue, far from proving that Aziraphale Doesn’t Need Sleep, is a great in-character example of Aziraphale applying an overly rigid definition to the word ‘need’, and forcing himself into unnecessary mental acrobatics over doing something Crowley does without guilt. 

He is technically able to go much longer without sleep than a human. He’s never going to die from sleep-deprivation. But the evidence suggests that not sleeping (or eating, or doing other human self-care things) causes him stress and anxiety, and impairs his judgement. That’s a different kind of need, but it’s a perfectly valid one. And yet Aziraphale can’t always extend himself freedom to respect it.

And I just…. hmmm. This whole thing about Aziraphale’s self-care routine. He’s not a person who cares mostly about his own luxuries, and betrays Crowley because he hasn’t yet let go of his loyalty to Heaven. He’s a person who feels quietly confused about having human needs, and makes a human error because he neglected them. (And then takes enormous risks to undo the mistake.)

[plusorminuscongress]

Tracy K. Smith Bids Farewell as U.S. Poet Laureate

Tracy K. Smith Bids Farewell as U.S. Poet Laureate By Neely Tucker Published April 16, 2019 at 10:00AM

Tracy Smith shares a laugh with Vogue Robinson, poet laureate of Clark County, Nevada (Las Vegas), during Smith’s farewell event as U.S. Poet Laureate. Photo by Shawn Miller.

Tracy K. Smith concluded her remarkable term as U.S. Poet Laureate with a speech and on-stage conversation at the Library of Congress Monday night, capping two years of travel, podcasts and community conversations across the nation.

Smith began her tenure with a packed reading at the Coolidge Auditorium in Sept. 2017, and she ended it on the same stage in much the same fashion, sharing the platform with five poets laureate from Hawaii to New York.

Speaking to an enthusiastic audience, she said she felt “indescribably lucky.” She had taken the post with the belief that poetry had always been good for the individual. Two years later: “More than ever, I believe it’s good for the collective, the community, even to something resembling the nation.”

The poet’s office in the Library’s Poetry and Literature Center, high in the Jefferson Building, features elegant furniture and dramatic, west-facing views of the U.S. Capitol Building and the National Mall, the Washington Monument in the distance. Smith, however, did not use the space as a retreat for ivory-towered contemplation.

Instead, she used the position for active outreach, working to expand poetry’s impact on multiple fronts. She, with a team from the Library, made seven trips across the country in an “American Conversations” tour, traveling from Alaska to Louisiana, holding readings in rural areas that are not on the typical literary circuit. She typically read from a poem, then asked the crowd, “What did you notice?” and let the conversation go where it willed.

While at home in New Jersey, she recorded more than 100 episodes of “The Slowdown,” her five-minute daily poetry podcast. She also edited a volume of poetry, wrote an opera libretto, penned essays for the New York Times and others, all while maintaining her position as the director and professor of creative writing at Princeton University.

It all combined, she said, to make her rethink what poetry might mean for an often bruised country.

“I was…very determined to push back against the pervasive narrative of America as a divided nation,” she told the crowd at the Coolidge. “The narrative that says people in the rural heartland have nothing in common, not even a shared language, with those living in urban centers.”

Jennifer Benka, president and executive director of Academy of American Poets, a non-profit agency dedicated to supporting the art form, moderated the on-stage conversation. She said that Smith’s grassroots approach had expanded the horizons of dozens of national and regional poetry organizations. “Because of you and the work that you’ve done,” Benka said, “we’ve begun a conversation about how we are serving rural communities in our poetry programming and that’s not something we’ve talked about before.”

Smith and Benka were joined on stage by Vogue Robinson, poet laurate of Clark County, Nev. (Las Vegas); Tina Chang, poet laureate of Brooklyn, N.Y.; Kealoah, poet laureate of Hawaii; Jeanetta Calhoun Mish, poet laureate of Oklahoma; and Adrian Matejka, poet laureate of Indiana.

Smith arrived in Washington just a few hours before the event, stepping off a train at Union Station and rushing into a whirlwind last day. She settled into her office in the Jefferson Building for the final time, beaming.

“When I’m in this room I feel really grateful to be a part of the history that it represents,” she said. “I think about Gwendolyn Brooks and Elizabeth Bishop and Rita Dove and Natasha Trethewey (all former poets laureate). I think about these people who are so important for me as a reader and as a poet.”

The office, and its civic duties, had compelled her to think about poetry not so much as an introspective art, she said, but more often in its role in the public square. That triggered a change in her own poetry, she said.

Poetry, she came to realize, “is something that could make us better at listening to, and being compassionate toward one another as citizens. I think that just being called upon to talk about the art form in those terms has made me think in ways I wouldn’t normally have done. I’m used to thinking about craft-based questions, as a professor, in terms of my own work. But I’ve been thinking more socially and, you know, conceptually. I think my sense of even how I approach different voices is larger as a result.”

Smith was born in Massachusetts in 1972, raised in California, and educated at Harvard, Columbia and Stanford. Her  third book of poetry, “Life on Mars,” won the 2012 Pulitzer Prize, and her memoir, “Ordinary Light,” was a 2015 finalist for the National Book Award.

She was the 22nd Poet Laureate of the U.S., and the first chosen by Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden. Her most spine-tingling moment at the Library? When, as background research for a video tribute for Walt Whitman’s 200th birthday celebration, she pored over his things in the Library’s holdings.

“There were his eyeglasses, his cane, a bust of his hands, and some notebooks of early versions of “Leaves of Grass,” she laughed, “and that was pretty transcendent.”

Read more on https://loc.gov

[otakusparkle]

Identity V New Costume Release

Mechanic (Tracy Reznik) Ivory Tower Series Costume Preview Video

[smoakmonster]

So Tracy Brand is my new fave. As a struggling female graduate student, never have I related to character on The Flash more so than this weary but resilient genius, this person who invested so much of her life into a project only to be dismissed because what she had to say didn’t fit the narrative of ivory tower science. For the most part, people’s intelligence on The Flash has been presented as a “natural ability,” rather than something that is cultivated through years of hard work and training, the latter being much more true to life. And finally Tracy Brand is the true academic--the adorable hard worker who’s been told she’s not good enough for so long, the struggler, the perpetual failure...at last getting her moment to demonstrate her worth. Because, as is so often the case in academia, what is considered hogwash ten years ago turns out to possibly be right after all :)

[brainyxbat]

Everything

Movie: Epic (Blue Sky Studios)

Couple: Finn x Venus (OC)

Premise: “What do you like about me?” “Everything.” Some random, sweet Finnus fluff.

Genre: Hurt/Comfort, Romance

Word Count: 1,384

This is just a random oneshot that I thought of, and had to write.

Finn Wilson walked into his hut with his fiancee, Venus Woods, right behind him after a date; the orange-bearded man was feeling more than a little peeved, while the raven/grass-haired young woman was on the verge of bursting into tears. He's not angry at her, of course; Finn loves Venus with all his heart, and vice versa, for as long as they've been dating. That's why he had asked her to marry him, and she had said yes. It's just that Tracy, a former Leafwoman discharged for bullying, had decided that Venus, a sweet angel of a soldier, wasn't worthy of being spared of her insults. She stabbed the kind girl in the heart with words such as “You're an ugly, stupid little mushroom who's going to die alone; your boyfriend's going to leave you for me”, and they hit hard.

Tracy had long, blonde hair with seemingly no tangles, smooth skin with a slight tan that made Venus look like a snowman, and light purple eyes like amethysts. Not to mention she was of average height, had a perfect figure, and looked good in everything she owned. Venus' skin was an ivory white as if she had never even seen any form of sunlight, black bat-like ears sat close to her scalp, her hair was a ghastly black, and faded into a contrasting green, a shaggy fringe laid over the left side of her forehead, while much longer bangs draped over the right side of her face, completely covering old rot scars that made her feel hideous (or more so, from her point of view), her eyes were like emeralds, lined with long, black eyelashes and green wing-like markings, and were always filled with love. Or, almost always. At the moment, they were filled with tears of emotional pain. One thing that she's quite insecure about is her height; her fellow soldiers tower over her, even the women, and she's concerned that Finn will become a hunchback from how he has to lean down to kiss her.

“I'm going to tell Ronin about Tracy's behavior as soon as possible,” Finn promised, “She's not getting away with any of those things she said, you can count on that, Venus.” He didn't receive any verbal relief from her. Not a single word. “Venus?” He turned to his fiancee, and his heart broke when he saw her hugging herself, her gaze locked to her feet, and heard sniffles. She was crying. “Oh, Venus.” He knelt down to her level, and wiped her tears from her left eye with his thumb, his hand cupping her cheek. “Don't listen to her; you're not ugly, or stupid, and I wouldn't leave you for anyone or anything.”

“But she's so much better than me,” She mumbled, as her fiance stroked her hair, “She's prettier, smarter... and taller. You can do better than me.”

“Venus,” Finn gently guided her to his, no their bed, where he sat down to look her in the eye, his gentle hands on her shoulders, “Tracy is not better than you. You're the most beautiful girl in Moonhaven, being a child at heart does not mean you're stupid, and your short height makes you adorable.” She shook her head in disagreement, looking down again, as more tears fell. “Yes it does. Venus, Tracy only cares about herself, while you always put others first. Like I said when I proposed to you, you're the best thing that's ever happened to me.” He tucked her chin, so she would look at him. “Don't let Tracy push you down; she's only putting herself lower by hurting others like this. And I can't do better than you, because that's not possible. There's no one better than you in existence. You're the one for me, and you always will be; I'll love you until the day I die.” He kissed her forehead over her soft bangs. “Okay, princess?” He waited for her answer, but she merely sniffled and wiped her eye. “Venus?”

She averted her gaze for a moment, then gave in. “Okay. I, I love you too.” She sat in his lap, and they shared a tight, comforting hug, “You really meant all those things?”

“Every word,” Finn rubbed her back, as she nestled her head under his chin, “You're the best girlfriend I've ever had, and I won't give you up for anything.” Venus leaned back, so he could see her face; her cheeks were still a little flushed, with some tear streaks. He wiped them away, then lowered his hand to her shoulder. “Now, can I see that beautiful smile?” She didn't move. “Venus? Can I see it please?” He brushed her cheek lovingly with the backs of his fingers, but she still looked solemn. “Well Venus, if you're not going to smile for me willingly, I guess I'll have to make you.” His heart jumped a bit when he saw the corners of her tiny lips twitch upward, before she clapped her hands over her mouth, being playful. “Oh, that's how it's going to be, huh?” Finn cracked his fingers behind her back with a devious smirk; he then grabbed her sides over her shirt, and started tickling her.

Venus immediately burst into giggles, muffled by her tiny hands, as she fell forward on his chest. She moved her hands from her to face to grip his arms, preventing herself from falling. She squealed when Finn's sneaky hands shifted up her shirt, and moved up and down her bare sides. Having known her since she was a little girl, he knew where she was the most sensitive. “St-stohohohop, stop ihehehehit!” She laughed.

Finn stopped his tickle attack, feeling satisfied, as she looked up at him with a giggling grin. “There it is,” He kissed her cheek.

They were soon on the bed together, feeling fully relaxed. He was sitting up, his back to the wall, as she laid on his strong, broad chest. He was brushing his fingers through her long, silky hair, and running his hand along her back, soothing her with his gentle, loving touch. As Venus felt Finn kiss the top of her head, his lips lingering for a moment, she started to think: What exactly was so appealing about her? She just couldn't think of herself as a girl good enough for Finn. From her perspective, he's the most handsome man in all of Moonhaven; surely he can do better than her. Now itching to ask, she sat up to face her fiance. “Um, Finn?”

“Yes, sweetheart?”

“... What do you like about me?”

He smiled adoringly at her, before responding. “Everything.” He kissed her lips for a second. “You're sweet, adorable, and you care more about others than yourself. You're such a hard worker when we're out in the field, battling boggans. You're fun to be around, and like I said earlier, your height makes you even cuter.” A shy blush formed on her cheeks. “And you're so beautiful. Your skin is like freshly-fallen snow,” He lightly tickled her arm, making her giggle quietly, “Your hair is so lovely, it looks pretty even after you're just waking up,” He brushed some strands over her shoulder, “Your eyes are like emeralds sparkling in the sun,” He cupped her cheek again, and rubbed just under her eye, feeling her eyelashes on his thumb, “You have a beautiful voice,” He tickled her neck and chin, making her shrug with a cute smile, “And lastly, I love your laugh,” He poked at her sides a few times; she hunched over laughing, and pushed his hands away.

Venus then rested back on his shoulder. “Thanks,” She almost whispered.

“No problem,” He kissed her forehead, “Now, what do you like about me?”

She giggled, then put his question in consideration. “Everything. You're very sweet, handsome, and you care about everyone here.”

“Especially you,” He petted her ombre tresses.

She then continued, her tiny hand in his own hair. “You're the best captain we've ever had in the Leafmen army, because you're serious about your position, and won't let anyone kiss up to you. You're fun, and... I love your adorable freckles.” She playfully squished his cheeks, which were indeed dotted with freckles; he chuckled at her silliness, and pushed her hands away as she giggled. “I... I love how your beard tickles my chin when we kiss.” She pecked his lips. “And... I love your laugh.” She dug her thin, wiggling fingers in his ribs and stomach over his shirt, and he started squirming.

“V-Venus!” He laughed, shrugging as she went for his neck, sides, and shoulders, even his chest. “Stop it! Hahahaha!”

She stopped her playful attack, and rested her forehead on his, with her hands on his cheeks. “I love everything about you.”

“Ditto.” They shared a kiss for a few seconds, his hands on her back, and in her hair. After they separated, he smiled when she yawned, and rubbed her eye in a child-like manner. “Looks like it's a certain princess' bedtime,” He chuckled.

“Yeah,” She giggled, “Let's go to bed.”

After they were in their pajamas, (Finn simple dark green pants; Venus green shorts and a black tank top that showed a bit of her tummy) the engaged couple were back in bed, and in each other's arms. Venus was on the verge of falling asleep, when she felt Finn's hand on her back, where it was bared; she couldn't help but flinch and yelp, gaining his attention. “What's wrong?” He tried not to smile, but it was difficult.

“Your hand's cold!” She giggled.

He chuckled, then cupped his hands over his mouth to heat the palms up with his breath, then held her again. “Better?” He smirked playfully.

“Yep,” She smirked back, “Thanks.” She kissed his cheek, close to his neck.

“No problem.” He let out a yawn. “Okay, let's get some sleep. I need to be up earlier, being captain of the Leafmen.”

“Mm hmm,” She nodded, “G'night, Finn.”

“G'night, princess,” He kissed her soft hair, as she drifted off into a peaceful slumber.

Finn firmed his embrace on her, rubbing her back soothingly. Words couldn't express how much he loved Venus. His past girlfriends had used him for their own benefit; whether it'd be for his good looks, or his high position in the army. The soldiers would try to be promoted by kissing up to him, but he refused; soldiers are only promoted when they're hard-working and determined. Basically, they played with his feelings for selfish reasons. Venus, on the other hand, loves him for who he is; she's working hard (with her own effort) to move up the ranks, and she doesn't treat his heart like a toy. She truly is the best girlfriend he's ever had, and he vowed to make her his only fiancee and wife. He wanted to be with her forever.

And be with her forever, he shall.

[yogijogipogi-blog]

The jaded soul

imprisoned in your grey ivory towers

gardens of fallen meteorite showers

recluse such as I, in the world of paradox                                 

trapped in the dark of pandora's box

barren lands of cold concrete walls

scent of the red rose in minds recall

here in the decaying atmosphere lies

yet another lost emotion in disguise

i ponder on distant shores curtailed

awaiting the winds of sail unveiled

beyond the horizons i seek denied

a lost love at the edge of the divide

no refuge from the menacing heat

cold waves lap the swollen conceit

time has bypassed our lives forsake

lost forever in the disappearing wake

just an illusion that enslaved us apart

in the blues in the depths of the heart

caged sunshine as the night latches on

another bites the dust ashes to ashes

this poem would never have a lifeform

for a fleeting moment i lived reformed

tracy chapman consoles the jaded soul

my love a typographical error foretold.

[aroundtheworldin18years]

A FESTIVAL OF FOOD AND COLOUR We are quite fortunate in that we live on an island which has some of the best local food produce that you will find anywhere in the world.  Once a year, the island town of Enniskillen is host to a Festival which celebrates the best local produce, and gives visitors a chance to sample the local artisan food and drink on offer, as well as showcasing the talents of our local chefs with cookery demonstrations.  The event takes place over two days and attracts visitors from all over the world.  In its third year, Festival Lough Erne was held in the grounds of the historical 600 year old Enniskillen Castle located on the beautiful waterways of the Lough Erne.  The site also houses the Fermanagh County Museum and the regimental museum of the Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers and the 5th Royal Inniskilling Dragoon Guards, all are worthy of a visit.

Waggling in the wind

Insert your own ball gag here

Twin Turrets

The sky is the limit

IS IT A BIRD, IS IT A PLANE…IT’S ANYTHING YOU WANT This is our second year attending Festival Lough Erne and thankfully the weather was perfect, last year the event was a complete washout.  There’s nothing worse than walking around at a festival on a cold wet day, unless it’s Glastonbury and mud wallowing is expected.  Entry to Festival Lough Erne was just a couple of quid each and the girls were free.  On the main stage set up in the courtyard, music was provided by children from Omagh Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann, who played an assortment of traditional Irish instruments.  Entertainment for the children came from superhero characters who ‘bust shapes’ on the dance floor and mingled with the children getting photos taken, there was also face painting and balloon modelling by our good friend and Guinness World Record Holder, Ryan Tracy, Duff Balloons.  For those of you not familiar with Ryan’s story, he is a balloon modeller from Omagh, County Tyrone and managed to get himself a slot on Britain’s Got Talent, he wowed judges when he successfully broke a GWR live on TV, the man is a gentleman and legend.  Since his appearance on TV, Ryan has become a local celebrity and is the happiest man we think we’ve ever met, always smiling.  If Ryan can’t make it with a balloon, then it’s not worth making…simples.

It was ‘er wot dunnit guv

One boy and his banjo

Awww, the wee pet(al)

3 GWR’s…that’s just greedy

Hello shorty

Does anyone have a tin opener

GRUB’S UP It was just after 13:00 when we arrived at Festival Lough Erne and for those of you who know us, food is always top of our list, and today was no exception.  It was great to see one of our favourite restaurants in attendance, Dollakis, a Greek restaurant located in Enniskillen, this is our first port of call and as usual, the food did not disappoint, the falafel is the best we have ever tasted anywhere.  After food, we make our way into the Food Hall to peruse (and purchase from) the many produce stalls.

Dollakis

Food worth waiting for

LITTLE MISS STICKY FINGERS Upon entering the Food Hall the smell of freshly cooked food instantly hits us, Matilda has already made her way to a stall selling cupcakes and she sticks her finger in the cream on the top of a cupcake, Daddy has to put his hand in the pocket before we even begin!  Lynne stops at a stall showcasing amazingly detailed paintings and illustrations by Fermanagh based artist Gráinne Knox.  Gráinne’s inspiration and business name, Inspired By Astrid, comes from her young daughter Astrid.  As well as painting famous landmarks, Gráinne is a children’s book illustrator and her work can be seen in John Gilmour’s Hector and the Magic Detector available on Amazon.  I am currently working on a children’s book, so maybe Gráinne could help me out…watch this space!

Mummy, can I have this one please

I’M NOT COLD, I’M JUST A LITTLE CHILLI We visit each stall in turn and the girls delight at the free samples that each stall has on offer.  Lily-Belle and Matilda are very adventurous when it comes to trying new foods, Mummy definitely isn’t, and both waste no time in sampling crackers and jams from The Erne larder Preserves stall, that is, until Matilda dips into something with a hint of chilli in…she wasn’t one bit amused, her demand for a drink could be heard echoing around the marquee.  The Erne Larder Preserves have an amazing array of preserves, chutneys and sauces, don’t mind if I do purchase a few, always great for a cheese board night when friends call.

How do you like your donuts…with #JAMMIN

Now that’s saucy

Tastes just like a rainbow

YOU MUST BE CRACKERS Eating crackers and preserves makes for thirsty work, plus Matilda’s mouth is on fire so we (mainly she) needs a drink, and quick.  Matilda sees a multi-coloured stall and thinks it is selling slush puppies, it isn’t.  The stall is in fact Papas Mineral Company who sell speciality artisan cordials in a whole variety of flavours, including lemonade that Matilda was extremely grateful for, her mouth was no longer on fire…bless.  Purely for giggles I ask Matilda if she would like to go back and try some more ‘chilli jam’, her answer ‘no, maybe not’.  Too cute!  Papas Mineral Company cordials come in a variety of flavours such as the extremely popular non-alcoholic ginger wine, to the light and summery elderflower cordial.  Don’t worry if these two flavours don’t appeal, there is a flavour suitable for every person, season and occasion.  Papas Mineral Company have a stall each Saturday morning at the famous food and garden market at St Georges Market in Belfast, go along and try them for yourself, you won’t be disappointed.

Lemonade as it should be, fresh

And the mouth fire is out

Taste a rainbow of flavour

SAY SAUSAGES In our house we try to eat healthy, but in all honesty, we (Daddy in particular) love a good fry up, and a fry up isn’t the same without sausages, and beans, a fry must have beans!  As a family we don’t like beef sausages, pork is always the choice, so Imagine our surprise when we come across Cavan based Barry Johns Butchers selling an assortment of flavoured sausages.  We stood for several minutes sampling the delicious sausages, and had we been allowed, we would have spent the whole afternoon at this one stall, the flavours were amazing.  I particularly loved the chocolate and honeycomb, yes you read that right, chocolate and honeycomb sausages, but for Lynne it was the curry sausages, the girls had no preference and happily sampled each flavour.  Bangers purchased, and I’m really looking forward to my next fry.  We were too busy eating that we neglected to take a photo…doh!  So here is a random picture, courtesy of Uncle Google, of a festival pig wearing wellies, absolutely nothing to do with the Festival Lough Erne!

This little piggy went to market…

LAY A LITTLE EGG FOR ME We finally drag ourselves away from the sausage stall and Matilda makes a bee-line for a stall selling all colours of candy floss.  Bucket of blue candy floss purchased we continue our food journey, where to next at the Festival Lough Erne?  As a coeliac sufferer, I struggle with food, it doesn’t help that I have a dairy and egg intolerance as well!  Lynne tells me to purchase eggs from award-winning Cavanagh Free Range Eggs, and I begin my usual spiel of ‘what for, I can’t eat them’ and I get the usual reply of ‘but we do’!  The gentleman on the stall obviously picks up on something and invites us over, I strike up a conversation and explain my intolerance and allergies and that’s why I wasn’t purchasing eggs on this occasion.  We did walk away with a free pen, you can never have enough pens you know.  I honestly meant to go back later on in the day to buy eggs for ‘er indoors but clean forgot.  Next time I see Cavanagh Free Range Eggs in the supermarket, I’ll make amends and buy some.

Let’s eat a rainbow

Say cheeese…I’d rather say eggs!

Bring out the bacon

I CAN SEE A RAINBOW One thing we note from the Festival Lough Erne is colour, so vibrant, so intense, it’s everywhere.  Colour in the drinks, the labelling, the food, the containers, the balloons…everywhere.  Lough Erne Cakes had the most amazing macaroon tower in a multitude of colours, and each colour a completely different flavour.  Lily-Belle chose blue-coconut, Daddy chose ivory-coffee ganache, Matilda also chose blue as she likes to copy her sister, and Mummy chose green-pistachio and they were delicious.  The sweet meringue-based confection just dissolved on the tongue, ever so moreish.  My only regret was not buying enough to take home, but we did opt for a selection of the extravagant looking cupcakes to take away with us, perfect with a cup of aromatic chocolate and fig flavoured coffee purchased from Sperrin Speciality Coffee.  The girls also took a couple home for Nana and Granda.

Y + UMMY = YUMMY

Go on, you know you want two, or three

Who are you calling cupcake

Yes please, one of each

The emotional wedding cake is in tiers

AND A WHOLE LOT MORE Enniskillen Castle also houses the Fermanagh County Museum and the regimental museum of the Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers and the 5th Royal Inniskilling Dragoon Guards, all are very worthy of a visit.  There are fantastic historical artefacts scattered throughout the grounds including medals, photographs, silverware, uniforms, canons and military vehicles.  We even found the old water gate, perfect for locking up two cheeky little rascals, namely Lily-Belle and Matilda.

If that’s a tank, where are the fish

Let us out…perleeeeze

Cannon…but bot Bobby

Workshops of war

ROW ROW ROW THE BOAT At round 16:30 we leave Festival Lough Erne and walk the short distance to the river bank to see about a cruise on the river, unfortunately we had just missed the last boat Erne Water Taxi and so we were in a bit of a pickle, Matilda was about to have a full on meltdown!  We spotted kayak’s being taken out by Erne Paddlers.  There was space available so we got kitted out and climbed aboard.  Matilda took up position at the front of the kayak, Mummy directly behind, then Daddy, Lily-Belle and the lady and gent from Erne Paddlers in charge of steering at the back.  This our first experience as a family in a kayak.  Our guided journey took us out on the Lough, around the fountain at the Erneside Shopping Centre, and then returned back to the jetty.  We were alongside a family from Strabane and we had plenty of laughs on the water.

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MUCH MORE THAN THE FOOD Festival Lough Erne is about more than just food, it’s a festival that brings people together, a celebration of all things cultural, but don’t get me wrong, food plays a huge part in the festival.  We live just outside Enniskillen and this was our first visit to Enniskillen Castle, and it really is a fantastic historical place, a ‘must visit place’ should you find yourself in the area.  As a family we had a great day at a well organised festival, we will be back in 2018 for sure.

LILY-BELLE (age 8) SAYS I had a great day. I really loved seeing Ryan as he always makes great balloon models, this time I got a unicorn hat, and Matilda got a Unicorn.  I really liked trying the jams and it was funny when Matilda ate the chilli jam.  We got a huge chocolate covered apple to take home.  The boat was lots of fun and I’d like to do it again but not wearing my good boots.

MATILDA (age 3) SAYS I like the boat and the yellow paddle.  The candyfloss was very nice.

The Festival Lough Erne is annual but event dates vary Date of visit:  24th September 2017 Entry Fee:  Adult –  £2.00 each, children under 12 free Tel:  +44 (0) 28 6632 5000  Send a message:  info@festivallougherne.com Car park:  public parking and pay and display nearby

information, currency and prices are correct at time of post

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All views, opinions and experiences are that of The Callaghan Possy and are correct at time of publication.  Photos taken by Andrew Callaghan for use and distribution by Around The world In 18 Years.

A FESTIVAL OF FOOD AND COLOUR A FESTIVAL OF FOOD AND COLOUR We are quite fortunate in that we live on an island which has some of the best local food produce that you will find anywhere in the world.  

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