First Go.

I tried out a public reading of "CHOWCHILLA" last nite at CORNELIA CAFE.
At Cornelia Cafe a reader is allowed only 3 minutes so I decided to keep it straight foward and simple, to test the waters of my guts. I can do this. I do want to involve a little more "drama" into this. A little bit more of a performance.
I have some ideas up my sleeve and will appear again in 2 weeks at another Open Mike venue with a 7 minute, Performance decorated reading.

I went alone.
I set up the camcorder.
I walked up and read the thing.
I split.

Enjoy.

The origins of "CAMP".

The writer/critic Susan Sontag was teaching at Columbia University when she published her essay, "NOTES ON 'CAMP'". Sontag's analysis of the underground camp sensibility launched this term into mainstream culture (later confused with Pop), and film. Sontag also became popularly identified as the high priestess of camp cult. A March 1965 NEW YORK TIMES MAGAZINE article on camp by writer Thomas Meehan described Sontag as the person who discovered and defined the already existing phenomenon "CAMP".

In later years, Sontag became one of America's best-known intellectuals, writing frequently in the NEW YORKER, the NEW YORK REVIEW OF BOOKS, and other journals, published four novels, a book of short stories, and a number of nonfiction books of criticism and cultural analysis, including AGAINST INTERPRETATION, ON PHOTOGRAPHY, ILLNESS AS METAPHOR and REGARDING THE PAIN OF OTHERS. She also directed four feature films. Her novel IN AMERICA won the NATIONAL BOOK AWARD 2000. Susan Sontag died in December 2004 at the age of 71.

Recent discovery has uncovered that Sontag identified aka joey (aka jane public) as the one and only true relevant figure of the cinematic underground notion of "the Fine Art of Camp". Her living family members have confessed that Susan regrets not having left all of her material belongings to aka joey, but from her grave encourages him to move foward and let others know about her "innermost feelings" via the written blog.


Thank you.
ANONYMOUS

Cant Explain.

I recorded this video installation of YVONNE RAINER at the MoMa museum. This dance excerpt is an example of what inspired me to make the film NICE PEOPLE. And also, what inspires me in general. I cannot explain why I simply love watching this kind of body movement (I.E. dance). When ya think of ballet, you think of tutu's and conservative crowds, BUT there is really something else about the essential art of the idea of how a person can move and express with a body.

Anyways, enjoy.
And give me credit. Your not allowed to take pictures at the MoMa, and I managed to pull this off quietly. The things I do for YOU.

always,
akame.

p.s. if you listen carefully you can hear me and my darling Cassie as I feed her an afternoon of gallery strolling tips :)


xo

Incredible Review

I recently purchased the book, "WORDS IN AIR, The complete coorespondence between Elizabeth Bishop and Robert Lowell". The book is such a masterpiece of simple and blatant letters of two artists to one another. It's the kind of book that makes you hate the laptop computer and wish the old typewriter was still available in places other than EBAY.com (I found my typewriter in a garbage can so there ARE other options).

Here is an incredibly accurate review if this book I hope you consider reading.
CLICK ON THIS LINK ...

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/02/books/review/Logan-t.html?pagewanted=1&_r=1

SNAPSHOT poetry study

You look for fire logs all of the time (at least I do). Something to inspire the hands to create something "different". Sickening that we have to KEEP ON doing this as film artists, BUT WE DO, and that's just the way it is. At least there can be a silver lining to New York's snowy clouds and I found my log today. Thank God. I found it in some Warhol book about his portrait films at the WHITNEY MUSEUM. Book's Title: Andy Warhol's Screen Tests. The goal was to see Meredith Monk's FREE musical performance at 2pm at the WHITNEY, BUT the place was way too crowded and I said to myself, "screw this. I got something out of this trip, a book for ideas. Get the hell outta here". I listened.

I am still ambitiously looking for the proper way of shooting my latest quest, a film about poetry and it's author poet that is based on a very simplistic manner of filmmaking. Minimalism with "Narrative" depth. The idea is to touch the inside of a poem by looking at it's outside.

I'll browse through this book and see what strikes my fancy.
I'll jot notes of various ways I could shoot this project (16mm or 8mm).
And, on a different note, please go see the film, "DOUBT". I just saw it. It has incredible performances and is based on a catholic school that I attended and was an altar boy in the Bronx. NO, I was not molested by this priest, but I do recall one priest who enjoyed making me light his candles.


Talk to you soon dearest reader,

love,
akame
xo