Miscellay, GSU's Magazine of the Arts
Miscellany is Georgia Southern’s annually produced magazine of the arts. It's student-staffed and features works of student artists from various disciplines. Miscellany also sponsors the quarterly event, “Evening of the Arts.” These events are designed to expose students to various forms of art, especially performance pieces. However, Miscellany had very a different beginning from its present form.
When Miscellany began, the school was Georgia Teacher’s College, and the town was named “Collegeboro.” That was in 1957. Miscellany grew out of an experimental literary supplement of the George-Anne. This supplement was compiled of student contributions and was well-received by the student body. Thus, the original editors of the Miscellany, Jane Cameron Williams and Britt Fayssloux, together with the Miscellany advisor, Roy F. Powell, decided to offer a quarterly literary magazine. This first Miscellany featured works from contributors throughout the South, though its first aim was to provide an outlet for student artists. The magazine was student-produced and featured poetry, short stories and some art. It became the second student publication offered on campus, the first being the George-Anne. The name, Miscellany, means “a collection of various items, parts, or ingredients, especially one composed of diverse literary works.” The magazine was dubbed as such by Roy F. Powell.
More Miscellany's were produced, although not quarterly. In fact, the production of the Miscellany was somewhat erratic due to funding problems. In 1961, with both the change of the college’s name to Georgia Southern College and the town’s name to Statesboro, Miscellany aimed to be produced twice a year with the dual purposes of encouraging artists, whether student or otherwise, and of providing a publication for students and others interested in art. Yet the next year, it was published annually rather than twice a year, and in the following year,1963, Miscellany began accepting student contributions only. By 1979, the magazine featured not only poetry, fiction, and two-dimensional art, but three-dimensional art as well. The magazine itself was produced more professionally each year. In the 1985 edition, there was a German short story, thus adding foreign language submissions to its ever-expanding categories. Finally, most printable aspects of art were included in the submission categories of Miscellany. Musical scores, critical essays, theatrical vignettes, and even scene renderings have been, at some point, represented in Miscellany. Some aspects of Miscellany have remained the same through the years. It is still student-staffed and it still encourages student artists while providing an outlet for their work.
Yet the story of Miscellany does not end with just the magazine; there is also “Evening of the Arts.” In 1985, there was a poetry and prose reading sponsored by Miscellany. This event, entitled “Conversations Overheard,” foreshadowed “Evening of the Arts,” which began in 1987. Under faculty advisor Olivia C. Edenfield and editor Pam Conway, Miscellany began sponsoring “Evening of the Arts” as a quarterly event that enabled students to experience the performance side of art, such as music, poetry readings, and short drama pieces. Also, during these events, students could view visual art. As more “Evening of the Arts” were produced further aspects of art were incorporated into the programs -- discussion of visual art, foreign language pieces, oral interpretations, and even dance. These quarterly events not only give students a chance to attend poetry readings, art exhibits, and musical, dance, and theatrical performances all in one event, but it even gives students and student organizations a chance to perform as well.
During winter quarter, Miscellany also releases a newspaper supplement in the George-anne. This supplement began in 1990 with Ira Dove as editor and Olivia C. Edenfield as faculty advisor. The supplement selects works on a chosen topic from past issues of Miscellany. The first supplement was “A Look Back...the 1960’s.” The next one was “A Tribute to Roy F. Powell.” The following years had the topics of “Sex and Death,” “The Southern Experience,” and finally, this year’s “Alienation and Isolation.” The supplements serve as a reminder of the submissions deadline for the magazine, which is generally at the end of winter quarter. Moreover, it is a means of keeping connected with the 37 years of the Miscellany’s past.
The Miscellany of the present is the sum of its past. It is still student-staffed. An editor for the magazine is selected each spring. The position is open to anyone who has been attending college for two years with at least one year at Georgia Southern. Miscellany is funded by the Student Activities Budget committee of Georgia Southern University. The submission deadline is at the end of winter quarter. Submission categories include anything pertaining to poetry, essays, short stories, theater, music, and visual art that can be reproduced in a magazine. Submissions are judged anonymously. Traditionally, the jury has consisted of only faculty members. However, this year a student jury was added. The magazine debuts late spring quarter and is free to all students. Magazines can be picked up at the library, at the student center, in the English Department, in the Communication Arts lobby, and at Foy. Magazines are also available at the Miscellany office in Room 209 of the Williams Center, Landrum Box 8001. Miscellany’s office phone number is 681-0565.
Spooky Spots
From the tombs of Egypt to modern day horror flicks, images of the dead and how they pass their time haunt the minds of the living. The concept of ghosts is one theory about what happens to the spirit once the body is dead. The haunted house is popular image in our society, and Hollywood often uses this idea of the dead cohabiting with the living in movies. Larger cities like Savannah, Macon and Atlanta are simply crawling with ghosts; almost every old house has a ghost or two in the attic. However, Statesboro has a few of its own ghosts and favorite spooky spots.
At many places in town, no specific ghosts have been seen or any paranormal activity has occurred, yet these spots manage to unsettle people. The local cemeteries are eerie places, but just outside of Brooklet, on the old S&S Railroad bed, is another spooky spot. According to the rumor, if you go there around midnight, you'll see eerie lights that are the spirit of a man who was killed in a train wreck. Granted, there isn't any historical basis for the legend, and the lights just may be one of those peculiarities of air and light, but logic doesn't detract any from the invigorating feeling of a good scare.
The old Harville house is another location people have viewed with somewhat morbid fascination. In the early sixties, college students used to go out to the house because they believed it was haunted. It was somewhat run-down, appeared abandoned and certainly looked the part of the haunted house. Yet in actuality, according to Smith Banks, a local resident of Statesboro, the house wasn't abandoned. Two old maid sisters lived there. Thus, any lights seen in the house were, in reality, the result of very alive people using the miracle of electricity.
Off Highway 46, there is an old covered bridge that was reported to be haunted. It became subject to somewhat illegal visitors in search of a late night thrill, and as a result, the owner closed off the property.
However, not all spooky spots in town can be dismissed so easily. There are many houses in town where incidents have been reported for which there are no explanations. Most of the houses have new living tenants, thus the specific locations cannot be disclosed, but they are scattered throughout the town -- on and near South College, on Zetterower, on East Main, on Savannah Avenue and even near campus.
One resident of a near campus apartment complex saw two figures at the top of the stairs. On figure was described as being demon-shaped and the other as man-shaped. These shapes are generally seen late at night. At a house on Savannah Avenue, one student reported standing in the middle of a room when a door opened and closed by itself. He then felt a physical push against his body, and after a few moments, a door on the other side of the room opened and closed by itself.
One location on Zetterower that has had high supernatural activity also has some historical basis for such activity. The house was the site of a lynching some years back. Not only does the ghost of that man reportedly haunt the house, but the spirit of a boy who was born and died in the house is there as well. The activity of the house bordered on poltergeist activity. Certain objects were constantly being moved, and once an unhinged door that had been leaning against the wall fell forward for no apparent reason. At one point, the water in the dishwasher looked to be the color of blood.
Another historically based haunting is McCroan Auditorium. Again, there are two reported ghosts. One is supposedly a construction worker who was killed during the construction of the auditorium. He appears to be somewhat malevolent. The other is the spirit of a student, Ralph Thompson, also known as Freddie, who died in an accident on March 12, 1981 while hanging lights for the Miss GSC pageant. Obviously the circumstances surrounding his death are tragic and not to be taken lightly, but this idea of his continued connection with McCroan is not frivolous. He has been transformed into something of a benevolent, guardian spirit of the theater. As one Communication Arts faculty member pointed out, one shouldn't be cavalier towards this McCroan tradition. Ghosts in theaters are as much a part of theater as is the phrase "break a leg." In addition, this tradition seems to honor the student's memory rather than make sensational what is in fact tragic.
There are numerous stories about props disappearing or being moved mysteriously. Many sightings have taken place around the balcony area. One night during a performance of A Raisin in the Sun, the projector began making a loud, horrible noise; it hadn't done it before that night and it didn't do it after that night. Last year, Halloween weekend, just before the final performance of Titus Andronicus, the entire lighting system wouldn’t function. The crew managed to get the lights functional again, but there had been no previous problems with the lights during rehearsals or during performances of the show.
Of course, not all ghosts are location-specific; some are person-specific. One student recounts the night she picked up a ghost. One Halloween, she went into a friend's house and out of the corner of her eye she saw a tall, older man in coveralls. When she turned fully around to face him, she could no longer see him. From then on, he followed her around, becoming something like her guardian spirit. He has moved with her when she has changed residences. He doesn't usually manifest himself physically, though she has heard him chuckle. She calls him "George."
Whether actual spirits condemned to walk the earth or simply imaginations run wild, ghosts are a part of our lives. They are a part of our folklore as well as a part of our entertainment. Even if ghosts are eventually explained away by science, they cannot fail to spirit away much fascination.
Mysticism
"Mysticism -- the belief that direct knowledge of God, spiritual truth, or ultimate reality can be attained through subjective experience (as intuition or insight)" [Webster's Ninth New Collegiate Dictionary].
Mystics and mysticism have been around since the dawn of religion. Christians had the Gnostics, Islam has the Sufis, Native American religions had vision quests. For many, the whole point of Buddhism is this search for the ultimate reality.
There have been bouts of interest in mysticism throughout history. Various art movements and artists have used mysticism as inspiration -- Romanticism, the Symbolists, the poet Yeats. The hippies even tapped into Eastern religion for self-knowledge. However, interest in mysticism is much more widespread these days, forming what is commonly known as the New Age movement.
You've seen the New Age section in the book store with its books on dreams, Tarot and astrology; it's right next to the religion section and rather close to the philosophy section. The ubiquitous presence of incense and incense holders are further evidence of the movement. So, what's it about? Good question.
It's more than incense, candles and funky cards. At its root, the New Age movement is a means of finding a higher truth without typical empiric or scientific or even conventional religious methods. How members of the New Age movement attempt this process is diverse.
Within the movement is an interest in various religions. The mystical sides of the major Western religions are often explored. This would include the Kabbalah of the Jewish religion and Gnosticism of Christianity. Hinduism and Buddhism attract a lot of attention as well since their beliefs and practices have more spiritual elements, at least by our society's standards of rationality.
Yet, it's not just "major" religions that are attracting all the attention. Celtic, Egyptian, Germanic, South American and Native American cultures are just a few cultures that have been the focus of many New Age books, mainly on mythology and religious practices (documented or otherwise) of these ancient religions. Another religion that is at center stage is Wicca, the religion mostly associated with witches that is based largely on European Mother Goddess traditions. Obviously, the New Age movement did not create these religions but merely made information about them more accessible.
Divination is another aspect of New Age. Divination is the art of foretelling the fortune or hidden knowledge through omens and symbols. Obvious associations with this aspect would be with palmistry or with the Tarot deck. Yet there are many more means of divination. Runes, Medicine Cards, Scarabs, I Ching and pendulums are a few other means of divination.
The Tarot itself comes in many forms; the images on the cards of this 78 card deck can draw from several mythological and cultural sources, ranging from Celtic to Egyptian to the secret and mystical society, The Order of the Golden Dawn.
The cliché crystal ball is another form of divination, although the crystal ball is not obligatory. Bowls of water, stones, even fire can be used to see images of the future.
Astrology is based on configurations of the stars and planets. However, astrology, like the many other divinatory systems, can be used to discover underlying patterns of personality as well as to divine the future.
One more element of the New Age movement is magic. Magic can be defined as using one's will to cause events. Several of the aforementioned religions use some form of magic. Basic tools of magic vary. Herbs, candles, colors, stones and incense can all be used, collectively or separately, in forms of magic. There are many books that discuss how to use divinatory tools like the Tarot and runes in magic as well.
Astral planing is a very popular concept. The astral body is a non-physical aspect of our existence (probably something kin to the concept of the soul) which can be projected outside of the body. The astral body can visit various levels of reality and various parts of this reality.
Associated with this concept of the non-physical body is the concept of chakras. Chakra is the Sanskrit word meaning "wheel" and it is a point of energy located in the etheric body. There are seven chakras and they start at the genital area and progress up the body to the top of the head. They represent various elements of ourselves, from sexual desire on up to our spirituality.
Meditation is another major element in New Age practices. Sometimes meditations are in the traditional styles, such as yoga; other times they are visualization techniques or simply moments of quiet.
Dreams are, of course, a big thing in New Age. There are many dream dictionaries on the market. Dreams can be interpreted as the language of the unconscious, glimpses of the future or products astral travels, depending the dreamer's inclination of interpretation. Dreams can be used in divination and people with strong psychic abilities sometimes catch glimpses of possible future happenings.
Other points of New Age interests have included angels, vampires, gargoyles and dragons.
It is important to keep in mind that the New Age movement isn't exactly an organized movement. There is not some New Age council deciding what is in the agenda and what's out; New Age is more of a collective impulse of research and spirituality.
Why this sudden interest in mysticism in today's society? Well, it's not so sudden, since many of these beliefs have been around for a couple of millennium.
Religion did not begin with Christ or even Shiva ... it probably began when man first conceived of the idea of death. Therefore, this spiritual impulse has been with us for as long as death. Yet, mysticism does seem more prevalent, or at least the attempt at it seems more prevalent.
Personally, I think this trend towards more mystical religions and lifestyles is an inevitable result of industrialization. We are very alienated from our world and from nature specifically. Technology has helped us predict much about our environment and even control it somewhat. Still, when faced with natural catastrophes, diseases or even something as simple as a budding flower, we are reminded how mysterious life is.
We live in a time when things are easily explained by science, when everything seems to have an answer. But there are things science can't prove or explain, like the existence of the soul or, at the very least, the mystery of life. Yet, many people do believe in the soul and feel the mysteriousness of life.
Therefore, people search for something that reflects this non-physical aspect of their lives, something that connects them to this "otherness" of life. These people search for something non-materialistic in this ever increasingly materialistic world. The New Age movement is an effort to connect with something that is at once bigger than an individual and a part of the individual; it reflects a desire to find something eternal is this world, with all its societies, that is so painfully temporary.
Artsy Roadhouse
Are you a bit bored with the Five Points scene? Do you long for something a little less ... collegiate? Something a little arty? Well, you obviously haven't tried the Art Bar.
Owned by Clark Ellefson and Jeffrey A. Helsley, the Art Bar first opened three years ago. The Congaree Vista Visitors' guide points out that the Art Bar is "Columbia's only self-proclaimed urban roadhouse." But that's not even the beginning.
Let's start with the place itself. The Art Bar is located on 1211 Park Street and it's easy to spot. It's yellow and has lots of Christmas lights. There are Christmas lights in the front window spelling "Art Bar"; there are Christmas lights around a little tree in the front, draped around the top of the building and even around the statue on top of the building.
Inside the Art Bar is funky to say the least. Again, there's the Christmas light motif; lights weave along the ceiling -- and these aren't the small dainty lights, but the big, bold older outdoor sort. There are several booths in the front for your sitting pleasure, and two S-tables, quite comfortable for lounging after a long night. Adding to the visual texture of the bar are also two chandeliers shaped like jacks (these are made by the owner Clark who also owns Lewis and Clark
Further in is an island bar. The top of the island is surrounded by crumpled metal. Object lights dangle from the top of this metal creation. These lights sport everything from zebras to dresses to, my personal favorite, a piece of toast complete with a pat of butter.
All sorts of art deck the walls. There's one particular piece with a fish that the more you stare at it, the more you see. A night's entertainment in and of itself.
The back part of the Art Bar is the dance floor / band room. Images in day-glow paint fill the room. A projector in the front wall throws pictures, like cells and amoebas, onto the back wall, providing a unique dancing experience.
Connected to this back room is a sort of lounge. It furthers the Christmas light theme. There are many comfortable patio chairs and a couple of couches. This room also houses the "Back Bar," which is open on Friday and Saturday nights.
There's always some kind of music playing. What kind of music depends on the bartender working and the crowd, but there's something for everyone. For example, last Friday, I heard 10,000 Homo DJ's, Elastica, Naked Eyes and Afghan Whigs in one night.
There is something different going on at the Art Bar every night of the week. Thursdays are band nights. The types of bands featured vary, ranging from surf bands to a Black Sabbath cover bands to industrial-gothic bands, just to name a few genres.
Saturdays and Fridays are dance nights. The two nights have very distinct personalities, but both are full of energy and dance music.
Fridays also have Happy Hour, from 5 pm to 8 pm. It's a good time to check out the Art Bar's wide variety of liquid refreshments at a discount.
But that's not all the Art Bar has to offer. There's Two Worlds Collide, an open mike night, giving participants a chance to read poetry or short fiction, play acoustic music or just sound off. The Art Bar sponsors the Art Bar Players, which is an improv troupe. The bar is even offering a venue for "other-worldly" happenings with Psychic Sundays. For specifics about when these events are happening, call the Art Bar 254-4792.
One other important fact about the Art Bar is that it's free to get in. That's right -- NO COVER CHARGE!
However, the best thing about the Art Bar is that it's always changing. Every night is different. The place takes on a different personality with each of its crowds. People of many ages (though not under 21...sorry, freshmen), backgrounds and lifestyles can be found at the Art Bar.
So, what are you waiting for? Pick a night and see how eclectic the Art Bar really is.
12 Days of Dance
Sophistication and pizazz are the buzz words for FSU's dance department's 1996 edition of "Twelve Days of Dance." Comprised of choreographic works by students, both graduate and undergraduate, some faculty and some guests from the community, "It is in every sense of the word, a true choregraphic arena," says director of "Twelve Days" Richard Sias. "Twelve Days" will run from November 7th to 19th, with three separate, rotating programs. Evening shows start at 8pm, the November 16th morning show at 10:30 am, at the Montgromery Building in the Dance Theater.
Started in 1984, consisting of only 3 or 4 days, "Twelve Days of Dance" has burgeoned into a nearly two week affair. "This is probably the most popular, most well-attended concert series." Sias comments that the popularity is due in part to the size of the theater. Seating around 225 to 235, people must arrive early to get seats.
Sias explains further that "Twelve Days of Dance" is mainly student-focused. Choreographers and dancers alike begin preparing for the concert at the end of spring semester. Though many try to enter the concert, not all can take part. They must go through two screenings. Sias clarifies, "The screens are a sort of quality check to make sure that we are presenting the best."
But his enthusiasm and pride in "Twelve Days of Dance" was apparent. "The concert is extremely varied. It runs the entire gambit of dance, from ballet/pointe to contemporary to jazz. Music also runs the full gambit, from classical to what we hear on the radio. It is a very open range of musical tastes." Sias emphasizes, "Nothing is left unattended in this series."
Jeanne Franklin, a graduate student, choreographed two works, "Orion's Window" and "Penumbra." "Orion's Window" is a contemporary jazz piece with music by jazz artist Pat Metheny. Franklin describes this piece as "uplifting and happy" adding, "It's got an ethereal quality to it." The dancers will wear long pants and tunic tops in dark green chiffon. "Penubra" is set to Renaissance piece by composer Josquin Desprez. "It is a much more solemn piece and people will get their own interpretation from what they see," she explains. Though the choreography in both pieces was inspired by the music, "Penumbra" was also inspired by events in Franklin's life, mainly dualities of life. The costumes reflect this aspect -- unitards vertically split up the middle, half black and half gray -- "The two sides signify that everything always had two sides." The lighting also utilizes the idea of shadows and eclipse.
Undergraduate Dawn Lieber's piece is entitled "Sorbet." She describes it as a "light-hearted, modern dance that plays a little on ballet." "Palatte cleansing" was another of her descriptions. The music is Schubert's "Trout Quintet." Lieber states, "I really juxtaposed costumes and movement and music. I play a lot with what would be expected of this, between the music and what you really see." The two dancers, a male and a female, both wear tu-tu's, therein lying some of the humor of the piece. She also added, "The dance has a lot of idiosyncratic movements." Lieber is also a dancer in a piece choreographed by Jack Clark, which is about fashion and its slaves.
Erin St. John, another undergraduate, choreographed a work entitled "Billie." It is set to George and Ira Gerswhin's song "Let's Call the Whole Thing Off," sung, of course, by Billie Holiday. The post-modern dance is performed by five dancers. "I got a lot of the movement from her life history, Billie Holiday." The idea for the piece started from a choreography composition class. St. John choose Billie Holiday as a subject because she was interested in learning more about the singer. The five dancers wear simple, white V-neck shirts and white baggy pants. St. John explains her plain choice of costuming: "I didn't want to make a comment. I wanted the movement to be clean. I wanted it to be a blank canvas and I wanted the movement to be seen that way."
If the works of these three choreographers are any indication of the content, then "Twelve Days of Dance" will varied indeed. Of course, remember to get there early.
BOW WOW WOW!
Okay, Tallahassee, a chance of a lifetime: the opportunity to see Bow Wow Wow, a band that surfaced amid of that 80s punk, pop and new-wave flurry. A band that is indelibly linked to your youth. Yep, Bow Wow Wow, those be-mohawked kids who wanted Candy either on the beach or wrapped in a sweater. And they're going to be in Tallahassee on Tuesday Jan. 21 at the Cow Haus.
For those of you who missed the VH-1 Pop-up Video featuring the infamous "I Want Candy" video, I'll explain. No, I only have 500 words -- I'll sum up. Bow Wow Wow was originally Adam and the Ants (Dave Barbarossa, Matthew Ashman and Leigh Gorman being the ants and Adam Ant being, well, Adam). Enter Malcom McLaren, punk image-maker extraordinaire. Cue the Ants kicking out Adam. Ashman explained the situation perfectly, "He wasn't very good at dancing and I thought he was bit old. He was 25. So, we kicked him out." Enter Myant Myant Aye (a.k.a. Annabella Lwen), who could sing and dance, was 14 and was hot. Viola! Bow Wow Wow.
They produced four albums together with music that ranged from "simple, goofy nonsensical tunes to complex, crisp, pop masterpieces" (at least that's what the press pack tells me). Like most people in America, I know only the single "I Want Candy." However, that's plenty to hook me and most of my generation. I triple-dog dare you to find someone who doesn't know every word of that song.
But that's enough background. Cut to my phone interview with bass player Leigh Gorman on Monday (done during my lunch break). The obligatory questions: "How do you feel about "I Want Candy" being an 80s staple? Is the energy playing live different now? Do you still have mohawks? Have you ever seen Pop-up Video?" The answers: "I am pleased that people remember us after all these years." "Yeah, now we're wheeled up to the stage and given walking canes after the show." "The drummer has a red mohawk." And no, he's never seen Pop-up Videos but there's a British equivalent, The Chart Show. When I asked if they were planning to release a new album, Gorman joked, "It depends on who makes us the best offer."
After talking to Gorman for an hour, and after covering a plethora of topics (from the limitations of analog technology to the wonders of Latex clothing), one thing's apparent -- they've not lost their "incredible sense of humor and vigor." (See press pack.) "We give 120 percent," says Gorman. "I think we put on a really good show." So it would seem, since I hear the drummer sometimes wears a rubber skirt (he is a mere 22) and Gorman might be sporting his 7-inch platform boots.
It should be a great show from both the music and fashion angles. Musically speaking, there's something for everyone: punk for the ska folks; pop for the retro crowd; potential fetish gear for the goths; and a quality high-volume show for everyone else. Visually speaking, well, a little Lycra and Latex is good for the soul. And, guys, Annabelle is as hot as ever.
I like holidays. Always have. Give me reason to celebrate, and I'll take it. Give me a reason to send out a card, and that's twice as nice. Well, I am all a-titter 'cause Tallahassee has in its midst a budding holiday, Festivus, starting at 2 p.m. this Saturday, March 21st, in the Ponce de Leon Park.
Seinfeld fans will recognize this word. It was coined by Frank Castanza, and it was his alternative to Christmas, "a festival for the rest of us," if you will. Castanza's Festivus included an Airing of Grievances, where each person lists how others have disappointed them during the year, and Feats of Strength.
The Tallahassee version of Festivus will also include these Festivus staples, with the Airing of Grievances occuring at 3 p.m. and at 6:15 p.m. and an action-packed Feats of Strength between Jungo, the number-calling gorilla from the one and only Waterworks, and an as-yet-determined Tallahassee historical figure. Who know ... maybe it will be the infamous Prince Murat. Or maybe the Tallahassee Black Cat. Or even F@#ko the Clown!
Other Festivus "happenings" are a Frank Costanza Look-Alike Contest at 4 and Box Float Parade at 5. For those unaccustomed with the ritual of a "Box Float Parade." Basically, people decorate boxes in a float-like fashion, wear them and walk around the park in a parade-like fashion -- a pedestrian parade. I just hope everyone remembers to do the beauty queen wave (elbow, elbow, wrist, wrist).
The notorious radio personality, Lee Harvey, will host Festivus, lending his unique wit and irony to the proceedings. To guarantee there is something for everyone, the bands playing Saturday are quite diverse. They are Bacon Ray, Latin Attitude, Nel Aspinal, and One Acre High, and they will be playing at 2:15, 3:15, 4:15 and 5:15, respectively. Parades, local bands, and Jungo ... what more could one want out of Saturday?
And what, you may ask, spurred the creation of Festivus in Tallahassee? Listen close, children, and I will tell you. Every Saturday morning from 9 in morning until 2 in the afternoon, Ponce de Leon Park is home to the Farmer's Market where produce, crafts and live jazz are readily available. As popular as this event is, the sponsors of the Famer's Market realized that a LARGE portion of the Tallahassee population wouldn't recognize a Saturday morning if it belched in their face. Therefore, they decided to extend the fun for a day and PRESTO! Festivus is born. Besides, it's the first weekend of spring. Isn't that reason enough?
To make Festivus feel like a real, authentic holiday, Waterworks is hosting a Festivus Eve celebration on Friday so that we can start Festivus off right ... with a hangover. There will be a Festivus Fashion Show and a traditional Festivus Pinata (I hear tell it's shaped like Frank Costanza's head, so Frank Costanza look-alikes beware of pointy sticks on Festivus Eve). And if you manage not to be too hung-over from Friday, and you wake up before two, you can even catch the Farmer's Market.
Two more years until the year 2000 ... two more years until the end of the world ... two more years until we all go to hell in a handbasket, or so some would say. Indeed, these seem like dark days. Every third guy (excuse me ... person) on the bus is a serial killer, violence abounds in the streets, in schools and in homes (or so the press would lead us to believe) and bizarre diseases pop up daily on every street corner. One would think that in such bleak and crazy times as ours we would take solace in wholesome, uplifting things, in art that is pure and good. One might think that we would immerse ourselves things of the "light" to guide us through these black times.
Well, one would be wrong. We have TV shows about serial killers and government conspiracies, books with vampires and demons, and movies about alien invasions and teenagers with too much enthusiasm for horror flicks. No, much of the art for our sick times reflect the dementia that we live in ... and thank all your major deities for that one. There will be plenty of time in the New World Order to think dull and happy thoughts once they've figured how to obliterate our delicate senses and synapses. In the meantime, we have the horror genre to entertain and disgust us and to keep us exquisitely human and very alert.
It is true that horror is one of the biggest genres of many art forms -- books, magazines, movies, comic books. Even when art isn't blatantly horror-related, there are undertones of this death and gore obsession -- the big blockbuster Titanic has a very ghoulish element, with all those deaths visualized for your pleasure on the big screen.
Still, the genre -- straight-up, honest-to-goddess horror -- is extremely popular. Ever check out the horror section in the bookstore? Pretty hefty, bigger sometimes than even the poetry section, and poetry is an artform that has been around since Homer and Helen of Troy.
If we're talking horror books, there are some big names that are immediately going to come to mind: Stephen King (and his twisted-ass visions), Clive Barker (with his grueling and intellectually horrific landscapes) and, of course, the Goddess of Goth, Anne Rice. Maybe even a few of you will remember American Psycho by Bret Easton Ellis. These names are all well and good but there's one name that definitely needs to become a household name by the century's end Poppy Z. Brite.
Really, her name is Poppy Z. Brite (so she claims) and honestly, she is one of the most amazing writers I have ever read (being an erstwhile English grad student that should bear at least some import). If you've ever read Propagada magazine, her name might sound familiar; that's how I became introduced to her. She can have a deliciously gothic angle to her work, but she transcends being pigeonholed into any one type of horror. She can be as brutal as Ellis, as intellectually hellish as Barker, as dumbfoundingly earthbreaking as Poe himself, and (since we're rolling with the similes and metaphors) so lush and decadent as to make Lestat himself blush with unworthiness.
As far as writers go, she fairly chronologically young. Only 31. She's dabbled into a little bit of everything ...a gourmet candy-maker, a mouse caretaker (?!?), an artist's model and an exotic dancer (for those of you who've never wandered out of Tallahassee, that's the P.C. term for stripper); yet she's already written four novels, a passel of short stories (two collection's worth) and has headed up two anthologies. Her first novel, Lost Souls (denoted as a Southern Gothic vampire novel, but we'll get into that later), was published when she was only 23.
I was first introduced to her work by way of her first short story collection, Wormwood. From the first paragraph of the first story, I was hooked. Her writing's captivating; I couldn't have closed that book even if I had wanted to. There was not a single part of her craft that wasn't well-honed; the characters were well-defined though not overly explained, her plots were intriguing and even when they were just completely wacked, somehow, in her universe, the plot was still perfectly reasonable and the dialogues were great, not pretentious or stilted.
She also had a delicious sense of place in her stories (as many Southern writers do). The stories of Wormwood generally took place in New Orleans, North Carolina or Georgia (although there was one set in India). Of course, her settings lured me further into her web since I had either visited or lived near many of the places she wrote about.
I found her stories to be so much more than mere "horror" stories. They were filled with many emotions, the horror mainly stemming from the juxtaposition of intellectual realization and emotional awareness and sensitivy against the laws of a fickle and strange universe. She didn't have the one trick of a character retelling his/her life adventures. She had many angles, a dizzying amount of points of view and so many plots ... no story gave me plot de ja vu.
Most importantly, her stories stayed with me long after I had ceased to read the words, for days, weeks. There's this one story, "The Sixth Sentinal," that I still can't get out of my mind. It was the perfect combination of pathos, cynicism and outright terror and even now, it makes me shudder with delight and disgust.
Next, I read Lost Souls, her "Southern Gothic vampire novel." Baby, these are vampires as Anne Rice could never have imagined them. To begin with, they're a different breed of animal entirely, meaning a human can no more become a vampire than a cat can become a lion. However, humans and vampires can copulate, which tends to get the humans in trouble, as one can well imagine. Second of all, these vampires are rather trashy. They drink too much, take too many drugs, eat too many sweets. Third, well, it's not just about the vampires, dammit. There are plenty of other supernatural and preternatural creatures in the book.
Then, I read Drawing Blood. I didn't believe Poppy's writing could have gotten better. I was wrong. The book was amazing. It pained me to put it down (it also didn't hurt that I was in love with both the main characters). It dealt with a plethora of concepts: art and its source of inspiration; the terror of falling in love; and destiny versus the will to live. On paper these themes seem trite, flat. In Poppy's characters, these issues bleed, sweat and scream.
She has two more novels, Exquisite Corpse and The Crow: The Lazarus Heart. Exquisite Corpse is about about a HIV+, necrophiliac, cannibalistic serial killer who hooks up with another necrophiliac (possibly cannibablistic since the two are like ice cream and cake) serial killer and their zany adventures together. This promises to be more gruesome that Ellis and Dauhmier; I've already started it and it's pretty harsh. The Lazarus Heart is inspired by The Crow series. This time, its a S&M photgrapher who returns from the dead to prove a.) that he did not kill his lover and b.) find out who did. I think this should have been The Crow 2.
One word of ... advice, warning, whatever ... Poppy's writing is in no shape, form or manner conservative. She speaks graphically of the seedier activities of life, be it sex, murder or drugs. She writes of sexuality in its many facets, hetereo, homo and bi. She has a particular affinity for male homosexual relationships. The Lost Souls vampires have a penchance for bisexuality. In Drawing Blood, the two lead characters are not only lovers and but they are also male. Same goes for The Lazarus Heart and Exquisite Corpse (of course, you'll also have to deal with the fact that the main character in this one is not only into having sex with men but with dead men). Again speaking as a English graduate and as a art fag, none of these themes are gratitutous and all are artfully done. She is nothing but a consumate artist true to her form, worthy of thouands of adoring fans and at least a few dozen in Tallahassee.
Me ... I'm not much on habits. This whole eating/sleeping/bathing thing is about the extent of my daily habits. To do anything else daily, like smoke, would be too much of a pain in the ass; I'm just too lazy to be much of an addict. Nevertheless, I have found something that I wouldn't mind adding to my weekly list -- Waterworks' Rice Rock(It) Wednesday.
"Hmmm ... Rice Rock(It) Wednesday ... what the hell is that?" you might ask. It's Waterworks' nod of recognition to the influence of Japanese culture upon our own. "And how do they do that?" you might also ask. Well, for one, they have sushi available on Wednesdays, generally of the roll variety. For those of you who are not fluent in sushi, they generally come in two types ... rolls, which have rice, vegetables, meat (which doesn't necessarily have to be raw) and seaweed and then, the kind that simply has meat, rice and seaweed. (Note: The technical name for sushi rolls may not actually be sushi ... I don't know -- I just eat the stuff. Please don't barrage the Break with complaints of my ignorance. I freely admit that I'm not a sushi expert; I am but a sushi novice.)
Two, the lovely Waterworks ambiance is imbued with Japanese pop music from bands like Pizzicato Five and Cbamatoo. That is not to say, there weren't more bands than these two playing; however, I didn't request a play list and those are the two bands from last Wednesday's Waterworks excursion that I can readily identify and spell.
But mainly, Waterworks celebrates all that is Japanese with drink specials ... Rolling Rock is only $1.50 and sak� shots are only 75 cents. If that wasn't enough savings, saki "bombs" (a carafe like what one would get in a restaurant) are only $2.25.
I'm not much on beer, but sak�, I'm all over. It's my belief that sak� buzzes are clearer and more crisp than any other kind of buzz. Indeed I believe they are the most Zen of buzzes.
I tested my theory out last Wednesday, managing to actually get dressed and out of the house by 12. I treated myself to a carafe, which has about four to five shots, depending on how generous you are in the pouring, and then to a couple of more shots. I was sitting pretty, all crisply buzzed.
The music mixed well with my Zen and altered state, very pop and kind of zany. I did not partake of the sushi, however a fellow bar patron was kind enough to share some pita bread and hummus. Quite lovely.
Now, the main appeal of Waterworks has always been, to me at least, the atmosphere and the company (well, that and the fact, for most nights, there's no cover). It's a great place to drink and talk. It's also a great place to people watch since all kinds of people come in and out of there. After all, it is the home of Jungo, the number calling gorilla.
But Wednesday night, I also found another diversion, along with the groovy music and the people ... a miniature Zen garden, with sand, rocks and a special Waterworks rake (a.k.a. a plastic fork). Absolutely captivating, especially in my Zen state of mind, if you know what I mean. After a bit, the little garden I was working on became a group project, metamorphosing into all sorts of forms. Before proceeding to the next Zen phase, I would pause and name each piece something obtuse like "Man's Inhumanity to Man." As I said before, absolutely captivating -- I ended up staying till close. After a saki bomb or two, I think you'd understand. Then, you too could be one with Pizzacato Five and the Zen garden without spending a lot of yen.
True, as far as traumatic traffic is concerned, there are worse places than Tallahassee to live. Planet L.A. for one. At least, we don't risk a bullet in the head for passing someone on I-90. Even Atlanta is farther in the bowels of traffic hell than Tallahasse. I don't think I've ever been in that town when there weren't miles and miles of construction going on. Nevertheless, these facts do not make driving in Tallahassee anymore pleasant.
Part of the problem with Tallahassee is that its population is far larger than the city planners are willing to recognize. So many of the major streets are still two lanes. Take for instance Capital Circle. It encircles the city -- wouldn't that imply that it's an important enough road to deserve four lanes everywhere? Apparently not.
Another part is the fact that the planners have realized the city is growing and they pick the busiest, most inconvenient times to work on the roads. I'm beginning to think they do this to make sure that the taxpayers feel like they're getting their money's worth.
Then there's the fact that whoever planned a majority of Tallahassee's streets was not, shall we say, the brightest crayon in the box. There are as many idiotic intersections in this town as there idiots (and that's saying a lot).
The major contribution to Tallahassee's traffic are bad drivers. If they're not getting into wrecks, then they're blocking traffic, dodging in and out of lanes and just being basically greedy little beggars. Which is silly, because they are only racing to the next red light (that's one thing you can count on in Tallahassee red lights every two feet ... and two second turn signals, which don't help the traffic much either). And if the drivers aren't greedy and too fast, then they're slow and hesitant. In any case, these two types of drivers only mix to make one thing ... accidents.
Still, there are a few ways to get around or at least work with Tallahassee traffic. One is to know the prime times of traffic.
From around 7 a.m. until a bit after eight is a wretched time to drive, especially if you live in surburbia or downtown. The traffic can be so slow that you might swear you can see your fingernails grow.
Then, there's lunch, which is 12 p.m. until 1:30 p.m., although most of the afternoon sucks to drive in but that might also have something to do with the lovely Tallahassee heat and humidity.
Probably one of the worse times to be caught in a car on the streets of Tallahassee is from 4:30 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. Oddly enough, this time frame is pretty much bad seven days a week. It makes me wonder if people aren't secretly in a traffic cult and this colgulation of vehicles is a necessary daily ritual.
There are also events one should look out for, a main one being games. I think damnation really is being around the stadium when an FSU football game is over. Another is being within a five mile radius of the Civic Center at graduation. I realized this when I was attending some friends' Kentucky Derby Party on graduation day.
Aside from avoiding these peak times of traffic, there's really only one thing that makes Tallahassee traffic bearable -- cussing. So go around all those $#@!ing slow asses to get hit by the #$&@!*#@ speed demons and stay the hell out of my way.
Admittedly, I'm a mall shopper. I prefer the creature comforts of its controlled environment. But as I am an adventuresome sort, I thought I'd try something wacky and visit the Flea Market this past Memorial Day weekend.
I actually got up early on a Saturday, (quite a feat considering my late night before), got some cash from the bank, put on my best T-shirt and hat and at 10:30 a.m. headed down south Monroe Street,
As early as it was, there was still a number of folks milling about searching for deals. But there wasn't a crowd, which was what I hoped to do by getting up at such an ungodly hour on a Saturday. The folks were interesting, not just your normal yuppies. The heat was even relatively tolerable. A prime time to investigate the wares of the Tallahassee Flea Market.
I first wandered into a furniture shop (save for the concession stands, this was the only "shop" per se). I found something I wanted immediately, a faux Tiffany lamp. However, I've never haggled in my life and thought it best to weigh my decision. Thus, I left the air conditioning to behold the beauty of the stalls.
You wouldn't believe what they were selling there ... everything really. There was the obligatory produce: Vidala onions, watermelons, corn, mangos (lots of mangos), apples, tomatoes, oranges (a veritable buttload of oranges), peaches, and even homemade baked goods. There were plants for sale, kitchen appliances for sale, car seats for sale. There were tires, toys and clothes (heavy on the T-shirts). There were stalls selling rugs, furniture, phones (cellular and otherwise), jewelry, candy and gargoyles.
There were traditional flea market goods like fishing supplies and dollar store goods. Incense was everywhere; there were some really big honker cones of incense that looked a little dangerous in that mammoth size. Elvis memorabilia and Jesus tapestries decorated many of the stalls. A stall selling Avon was right near a stall advertising learning the Bible in a day.
If I had been redecorating my house, I would have been in luck. I could have bought wallpaper and carpet cheap, cheap, cheap. I could have purchased stereo equipment, books, a new purse or shoes.
I think the weirdest wares were the farm animals. Yes, you too can purchase farm animals at the flea market ... a bunny, a chicken, a pig, maybe even a cock to crow at 6 in the morning like an organic alarm clock. I think someone was also giving away free kittens. I saw them in the arms of every other person and heard the kittens mewing at all corners of the market (although I did not see such an exchange with my own eyes, so this could be hearsay).
While roving through the aisles, I made a couple of purchases (of course). My tastes being as they are, they weren't hub caps, stuff animals or a cute little bunny. I bought some really strong incense that smelled great and a kicking poison ring (very handy for those early summer assassination jobs) ... and that lovely lamp I spied at the beginning and even got it ten dollars cheaper than the ticketed price. I actually haggled; it was sort of an exhilarating, worldly feeling, like going into the mall when you're looking for a a specific outfit and finding it 75% off. I'll have to add the flea market to my list of interesting haunts in Tallahassee.
There are many facets to Tallahassee culture that, because of the hectic nature of day-to-day life, get overlooked, and sometimes it takes divine intervention or, at least dumb luck, to find. I was fortunate enough to stumble across one of these jewels of Tallahassee intelligentsia -- the International Quarterly. I picked this journal up while waiting for an appointment and was astounded to find that every poem I read was a quality poem. The International Quarterly had a wide range of art, from written form to the visual form. It is one of the highest quality journals I've seen and I was pleased to note that it was based right here in our humble city.
The journal was started back in 1993 by Van K. Brock, the Editor-in-Chief. The original idea for the journal came when Brock was teaching in Europe at the end of 1991. This was at the time when the Eastern Bloc was opening up and there was suddenly a wider access to this rich culture that had been sequestered away behind the Iron Curtain. The first International Quarterly focused on a Europe in transitions but the next three issues focused on other parts of the world as well, Asia, Australia and the Pacific, the Middle East and the Africas and the Americas, in that order. Other issues have had the themes of displacement, surrealism and the effects of World War II fifties years later.
The main intent of the journal is to show a mix of voices and genres. International Quarterly is intended to open both reader and writer up to a variety of art and to a sundry of backgrounds and hermitages that create the art.
Since International Quarterly focus is on spectrum of art as well as human culture, the journal has in the past sponsored events that could encompass the performing aspects of art. Their most recent event was last October and incorporated, among other things, Balinese Monk chants, Caribbean steel drums, La Cachucha and tangos, and Classical Chinese dance.
Like many quarterlies, the International Quarterly doesn't always produce four issues a year. The next issue should be out around Mid-July and its theme is "Unity and Disunity."
Despite a somewhat irregular production schedule, the journal is always accepting good submissions on any topic. All genres are considered -- fiction, nonfiction, poetry, art, short plays, translations, reviews, essay reviews. Their longest prose run 5,000 words with an average of 3,000. Written work should be typed and be accompanied with an SASE.
As far visual art goes, they accept all genres, preferring high quality slides for color and prints for black and white. Exhibit catalogs or bodies of work with resumes and reviews are appreciated. The journal likes to keep slides or prints to consider for future issues and keep in the archives.
In their guideline, International Quarterlystates the following: "We look for an understanding of the writer's own or another culture or locale with authentic sense of place and culture, regardless of the author. We avoid two-dimensional views of people or places. We want writing and art that knows and goes beyond what culture gives, works with the quality of language, character, image sensibility, subtlety, wit, irony, and structure that we want to reread. We covet work that escapes conventional thought and set fictional modes without straining or trying to shock."
Subscriptions are $30 for one year, $55 for two years and $75 for three years.
International Quarterly sponsors the International Quarterly Art Cover Award. Art of any genre, including electronic, is accepted. Again, slides or transparencies for color works, prints of 3x5 to 8x10 for black and white. First prize appears on the cover with runner-ups appearing inside. It's $15 per entry of up to five images. Entries with SASE will be returned.
International Quarterly also sponsors a yearly contest, "Crossing Boundaries Writing Awards." There are four $500 awards given annually in four genres, nonfiction, fiction, poetry and Crossing Boundaries. The Crossing Boundaries award is given to the work that innovatively cross boundaries, whether it be the boundaries of genre, gender, or culture. All submissions are considered for this final category. Prose limit is 5,000, poetry limit 5 poems. There's an entry fee of $10 (per story, essay, or five poems). Include a SASE for notification of results or further guidelines. The winners appear in the journal.
International Quarterly is interested in aiding the craft of artist as well by sponsoring workshops in writing. On June 27 and 28, the first in its series of Workshop at the Writer's Place. Poet Frances Driscoll will lead two intensive days of study, critique and discussion. On Saturday is a six-hour poetry workshop and on Sunday is the discussion of teaching poetry in the classroom. The workshop will be held had The Writer's Place at 1213 Lucy Street in Tallahassee. The fees vary; $65 for one day for an IQ subscriber and $70 for a non-subscriber; $110 for both days for subscriber and $120 for a non-subscriber. Registration deadline is June 24th. International Quarterly plans to offer many more workshops in the future in order to supplement Tallahassee's artistic community.
There are also editorial and reading opportunities available at International Quarterly. They welcome volunteers to help the selection of works for the issues as well as volunteers for the proofing of the issue.
It's amazing how many opportunities International Quarterly offers to the artistic community to Tallahassee -- workshops, artistic outlet and even a chance be a part of creating the magazine. It's also stunning that an organization that is somewhat grassroots-based creates such a quality magazine with such a wide-ranging audience.
For more information about the magazine, its contests and its workshops, contact International Quarterly, P.O. Box 10521, Tallahassee, FL 32302-0521 The telephone number is 224-0578 and the fax is 850-224-5127. The e-mail address is vbrock@mailer.fsu.edu. Also, check out their web site at www.mailer.fsu.edu/~vbrock.
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After innudating myself with E!, MTV, VH1, BET and M2 and reading more People magazines than I'd care admit to reading, here are my predictions for 1998.
MUSIC
I've been soaking for weeks in all the music channels to prepare for my predictions in music.
Alternative/Rock (since alternative music is now a cute handle music stores use, I've lumped it with rock) -- If this past year is any indication, the future of alternative and rock music isn't going to be pretty. Every song of this genre sounds the same ... grungy.
Since alternative/rock music is in a dire condition artistically speaking I decided I needed to pull out the big guns to find out how the situation could be remedied -- I consulted my handy, dandy Tarot deck. I lit a few candles and some incense and turned on some late Pearl Jam to complete the mood.
I drew the Judgement card which I took to mean that rock will continue to suck until Kurt Cobain rises from the dead and announces to all the little grudge-ites and alterna-teens that grunge is as dead as he is. He'll appear wearing his trademark green striped T-shirt, his hair especially ratty from the grave and smelling much worse than teen spirit. Words of wisdom will spill from his lips, something like "All ye that art grungey, learn how to play."
He'll probably then proceed to kick around a few bands like Third Eye Blind and Creed (in an effort to clean up the mess he made and just to have some fun) before returning to his eternal rest.
There are some brght spots in the future of rock. U2 still exists, ska is a lot of fun, 311 is hard to resist. However, this grudge layer needs to be shed.
Pop--After innudating myself with VH1 and MTV (and believe me, it wasn't easy watching the M channel ... I had to resist my fight or flee instinct), I can only think one thing about pop �-- does it really exist or is it just a figment of Mariah Carey and the Spice Girls' imaginations?
If pop does exists, it's in a very weakened and water-down state from its prime days of yore. You know, the eighties, those glorious, fables days where men wore make-up and women all had dirty blonde hair.
Now, who's an icon of pop? Janet has gone the techno route and her brother's the King of Never Never Land. I still pin my hopes on Duran Duran though I miss John Taylor.
Hip hop/Rap-- I invested many an hour in front of BET to research this topic. This was a much more pleasant experience than that MTV crap; the music was actually good, very creative. Many rap and hip hop artists are savalaging bits from the decaying bodies of pop and rock music and creating great music. Whether it's Puffy abundant 80's sample loops or Wyclef making the BeeGees hip again, this genre is taking old tunes to a new level. And we are only just now seeing the beginning. There are so many good new artists in this genre and so many familiar faces that have completely reinvented themselves that 1998 looks like a great year.
Techno/Industrial--These two forms of music have been creating some of the most innovative music in the industry. Not that America would notice any of this. Keep in mind that 1997 was suppose to be the year of "eletronika" which it is was �-- in Europe. Americans love cyberspace and cybersex but have too much of the Dinsosaur of Rock mentality to let go of the Rock God myth. How else can you explain the persistance of those agéd rockers, The Rolling Stones. Nevertheless, with the momentum build up from this past year, techno and industrial music should be explosive this year. With or without America's blessings.
Country--Again, I felt like I needed to consult a more omniscient authority for this question, so it was back to the Tarot cards. Oddly enough, I drew a picture with Dwight Yokam on it. I don't know how it got into my deck, but I think that about sums it up for the future of country. Oh yeah, and Shania Twain videos.
FASHION
It's obvious that the fashion world will sorely miss Versace's genius and drama-queen flair. While I think it will be some time before a suitable replacement is found, it is inevitable that someone will fill his creative shoes.
If the shows I've seen the last few weeks are any indication, I think we can expect some S&M flavor to the clothes of '98. One model strutted down the runaway during a Valentino show with a small cat-o-nine tails. Now, that would be entertainment -- two strawny models whipping and spanking each other into an anorexic frenzy on the catwalk. In fact, model spanking should be an Olympic sport, ranking right up there with sychronized basket weaving.
Also expect a medieval flair to many styles in 1998. At the end of every century, people grow misty-eyed about the Middle Ages. There will be long dresses aplenty to trip over and lots of high waists. Just keep your fingers crossed that some misogynistic designer doesn't bring the chasity beIt in vogue.
I think many desigers will continue to regurgitate 80s fashions. While I love the power suit, power shoulders, and power eye-liner and I miss all those pretty boys with make-up, I can do without the ripped sweat shirt and 20-foot high hair. And ultimately, that is what 80s fashion in the wrong hands can lead to -- iron-clad porcupine hair, a depleted ozone layer and way too much day-glo. Though civilization survived the eighties once, I doubt it has enough stamina to survive eighties madness again.
MOVIES
I thought I get a little kooky, zany even, and consult the ancient and mystical oracle of runes to see what the future of the movies held for us. I drew a rune that was shaped like an X. I assumed that this rune meant that The X-files movie would be a blockbuster.
I think, at first, there will be some hard times at the box office, probably because studios are relying on the same old movie formulas and stock characters. Eventually, there will be a drastic change in the way directors and actors approach the production of movies. This different angle will breath new life into the cinema. The approaching millenium will be the impetus for Hollywood's renewed vigor. Movies that are milleniumist in nature have already been popular (i.e. 12 Monkeys, Fifth Element, Star Trek movies, and all the alien related movies) and will end up being big draw at the movie theater. Screenwriters and directors will draw upon our anticipation and anxiety about the coming century.
Expect two definite trends in mysticsm and decadence (if it's a great film, both). These are traditional responses to the end of a century and they will only be magnified with 2000 looming ahead. I'm seeing many dark, brooding, nearly Crow-esque film in our future and a buttload of Armegeddon references.
Of course, there will be plenty of just plain fun movies especially more shoot 'em up film than your eardrums can handle and I'm positive Will Smith will be in at least one of them.
I also drew a rune to see if there would be another Star Trek movie coming out in 1998. I got a blank rune. Perhaps this rune meant to sybolize Patrick Stewart's bald head and therefore meant there would be a new movie. Or maybe not.
I still had one more question, one of great importance, what do we have to fear from movies in 1998. I gave the Tarot another whirl. I drew the Devil. I knew that this meant one of two things -� either Oliver Stone would attempt yet another "epic" and "shocking" movie extraganza, this time a dissertation on the Apocalypse (featuring a soapbox session of the evils of our modern, media-blitzed era) or the Spice Girls movie will be extremely popular and break all sorts of movie records. Either way, I was very afraid and decided that maybe I didn't really want to know the all the intimate details of the future. There is only so many much trauma that one can endure waiting for.
BOOKS
Do people still read books? I'm betting about million new books about Nostradomous will be published and an even more insane number will be bought. I saw on TV that Ron Hubbard has a new path of enlightenment to sell so that book should do well for all those desparate souls looking for a religion that easier to swallow than Chrisianity. Books on the Apocalypse and Armegeddon should be popular amongst the Right-wingers.
Generally speaking, all things mystical should be hot items. Anne Rice is bound to have lugubrious and over-adjectized statement about the end of the world coming out soon. Perhaps there will be a sequel to Satanic Verses. Here we are at the end of the century and the end of a millinum, and we haven't got a clue. I'm just hoping J.D. Salinger comes out of seclusion; I'm dying to know what Holden's like an adult.
TELEVISION
One word -- Hanson. Yep, rumor has it there will be a Hanson T.V. show. Perhaps Millennium is right ... the time is near. I also heard that NBC may be letting Pee Wee Herman have a talk show, an adult show no doubt.
Music videos should be a lot of fun in the coming year ... well, not on M(maybe we'll play music video in-between commercials and the Real World)TV, but there are three other music channels to use as eye candy. I like to use M2 as the 90's lava lamp.
WINTER OLYPMICS
Well, I've never been a big fan of watching sports but it seems to be fun for lots of folks.
My 1998 Wish ListThe demise of the Spice Girls. Marilyn Manson gets a clue and realizes he's not the AntiChrist, he's just ugly. Tupac and Biggie Smalls's deaths will be revealed as a plot to avoid taxes. Sister Hazel gets lost in on their South America tour and absorbed by a local tribe of Indians. The end of these annoying female singers who set back the feminist movement about 50 years by playing to all the bad female stereotypes. And along those lines, though I'm not a Madonna fan, I miss Madonna; she knew what naughty and bitchy were all about. Tori Spelling's daddy tells her, in no uncertain terms, that she cannot act and all that the plastic surgery didn't do her a damn bit of good. Alannis Morrisette buys a dictionary ... and uses it. Scientology will be revealled as a plot by the Masons to control Hollywood. The return of ROAR on Fox. Those Celtic tattoos were great! We find out Courtney really did kill Kurt. Of course, by then, she will have had so much plastic surgery, the police won't be able to recognize her to arrest her.
Massage Therapy. Mention the word "massage," and there will be two things that will pop into people's heads. One image is hedonistic and privileged. The other image is more sexual, more "intimate."
Well, these two images have nothing to do with massage therapy. They have more to do with media than anything else. It is true that a massage therapy session is sensual but then again, so is eating onion rings and I don't recall any hedonistic or sexual overtones in that activity.
Despite many misconceptions about the nature of massage therapy, it seems more and more people nationwide are looking into its benefits. This time I happened to be on the bandwagon.
How I Got Involved
Like many people of my generation, I have both a natural and learned distrust of the establishment. The government conspiracy theories put forth in The X-files don't seem that far-fetched ... perhaps that cancer causing agent in the original M&M's wasn't such an accident to begin with. My distrust of the establishment has led me to try a variety of alternative lifestyle choices ... rice milk instead of milk, a semi-vegetarian menu, natural medicines, and most recently, massage therapy.
I was in a fairly bad accident at the end of last summer. My car was totaled but I managed to walk away from the accident, alive but much worse for the wear. I tried a sundry of methods to alleviate my pain; none produced any real results.
I was at a loss. I was in a great amount of pain and didn't know what to do; it seemed my only choices were spending half my life in a doctor's office or taking a lot of muscle relaxers and having my brain turn to mush. After much badgering, a friend convinced me to try massage therapy. I called The Core Institute and talked with Stephanie Duty. That was in September. I've been going to massage therapy sessions, off and on, ever since. It has helped my injuries immensely, which is why I volunteered to do this article.
History of Massage Therapy
Healing through hands-on manipulation of the body is one of the oldest methods of healing. In an interview with Stephanie, she pointed out that a bone fragment dating 2300 BC records practices of pediatric massage and that in 1200 BC The Yellow Emperor's Classic of Internal Medicine mentions Tui Na massage. However, touch therapy is older than that because touch is instinctive. As Stephanie phrased it, "It is basic human knowledge that touch is good for healing. When your head hurts, you rub your temples. When a child coughs, the mother pats their back." Anyone who's had a psychology class will remember that the monkey with the cotton momma fared better than the monkey with the iron momma. We are social animals and we need physical contact; touch therapy is a natural, nearly timeless method of healing.
In preparing for this article, I hopped onto the web to find out more information about massage therapy. I found a site titled "Massage Therapy and Bodywork: Healing through Touch" which is all excerpted from The American Holistic Health Associations Complete Guide to Alternative Medicine by William Collinge (www.healthy.net/library/books/mind/bbody.htm). Dr. Collinge illustrates the universality of touch therapy -- "Physicians and healers of all forms and from all cultures have used hands-on manipulation throughout history as an integral part of health care practice."
According to this site, Germany's national health insurance covers massage therapy, and in China, there are entire wards devoted to massage therapy. Yet here in the United States, where we pride ourselves on our cutting- edge technology, massage therapy simply seems so terribly "alternative." Dr. Collinge's site explains that "the medicinal use of massage began to diminish in the early part of this century with the evolution of pharmaceutical, surgical and technological medicine." I guess an appropriate metaphor for this phenomenon would be that, in a quest for the better mouse trap, we forgot how efficient the cat could be.
Yet, I think there is another answer as well. Even though touch therapy has been around since before Christ and even though touch is basic and instinctive among social animals, nearly a reflex at times, our society has been so repressed that it finds the concept of massage therapy titillating, almost naughty. Of course, now, with so many people distrusting the normal methods of healing, more and more people are seeking out this once risqué therapy. It flies in the face of the Establishment -- it's hip.
However, don't be fooled by the appearances. As Stephanie sums up, "Touch therapies are not trendy in other countries; they've been around for a millennium. As we become a more open-minded society, recovering from our Puritan roots, we are able to acknowledge touch as a basic necessity."
Benefits of Massage Therapy
Okay, so now you know massage therapy is nothing new to human healing and it's making a resurgence here in the US. ...what about the benefits? I picked up a flyer from The Core Institute and here's a few benefits it listed:Relief of muscle tension and stiffness Improved circulation Increased metabolic efficiency Increased ease and efficiency of movement Deep relaxation and stress reduction Relief of tension-related headaches Faster healing time from injuries Increased flexibility Decreased acute and chronic pain Relaxed state of alertness Increased capacity for clear thinking Feeling of well-being
I can definitely attest to the relief of muscle tension, the increased flexibility and the reduction of pain, since these were the main reasons I started the sessions. However, I didn't expect that the improved blood circulation would not only heal my muscles quicker but would keep me more alert (consequently helping with creative endeavors) and would improve my complexion to boot. I also didn't expect that it would help bring me out of that nasty funk I was in after the wreck. When they say that massage therapy can have profound effect on your physical, mental, and emotional state, they ain't just whistling "Dixie."
Types of Massage Therapy
There are many types of massage therapy available. There's Traditional European Massage, the Swedish massage being the best-known form, and Contemporary Western Massage which includes Esalen, Swedish/Esalen, neuromuscular, deep tissue, sports and manual lymph drainage massages. There's what's known as Structural/Functional/Movement Integration and the most common approaches are as follows: Rolfing, Hellerwork, Rosen Method, Trager, Feldenkrais Method, the Alexander Technique and Ortho-Bionomy. These methods are pretty deep and very intense. Then, there's oriental methods like Shiatsu and Jin Shin Jyutsu as well as Non-Oriental energetic methods which include Therapeutic Touch, polarity therapy and Reiki (Note: all of these methods are described on Dr. Collinge's web site; he provides a brief description for each one). Obviously, there's a wide variety of choices for massage therapy and one Break article could not even scratch the surface; therefore, I'll stick to what I've experienced and to what my interview with Stephanie covered.
Stephanie practices Jin Shin (a meditative Japanese therapy), Nuad Bo Rarn (which is also known as Thailand Medical Massage) and Tui Na (an ancient Chinese therapy). In our interview, we mainly discussed Tui Na which, as explained on Stephanie's business card, "involves light to deep pressure, tapping and kneading on specific points for stress and chronic pain relief." She uses Tui Na in conjunction with passive joint manipulation and the applications of liniments or herbal compresses.
Stephanie went on to explain, "There are about 20 types of maneuvers, of which "tui" and "na" are only two in the system. They fall in variations of pushing, grasping, pressing, rubbing, brushing, chafing, percussing, wringing, pinching, rotating, shaking, twisting, stretching, vibrating, and tractioning." Sounds a little weird, doesn't it? That's because the image most of us have in our minds of massage is more along the lines of Traditional European massage and this, my friends, is Eastern massage.
Now, the thing about Tui Na is that it is a part of Traditional Chinese Medicine which means it operates using "an energetic paradigm of the body." In plain English, that means Chinese medicine views the body not only as a network of nerves, tissues, organs and muscles but also a network of energy known as "chi." Chi runs along the meridians which Stephanie defines as "mapable paths of energy flow in the body, not corresponding to anatomical structures." There are also points along these meridians which are used in Tui Na to help the proper flow of energy. All of this sounds odd to our Western ears and mind, but it's along the same lines, though not exactly, as chakras.
Chi comes in two forms, yen and yang. Most of us are familiar with the symbol of yen yang, the circle with equal parts black and white; it's in this symbol the yen and yang concept is most easily explained. Neither color is dominant; they are in a state of balance, light balancing dark, warmth balancing cool. Stephanie's poetic summation is "The seed of each is in the other. In the light of the warmth is the seed of darkness, and in the darkness is the seed of light." The goal of Chinese medicine to keep the energies in their natural balance. This balance varies from person to person; people who are very laid-back will naturally have less yang than those of a more fiery nature.
Chinese medicine operates on the principles of "Fu Sheng" which means "supporting the normal functions of the body." Stephanie points out that this concept of Fusheng means our Western idea of getting "fixed" is out the window. "The goal of Oriental medicine is to bring the body back into normal functioning, to bring it back into homeostasis." This is a very holistic approach to healing and the body. Again, an odd idea for us since we go to a foot doctor if our foot hurts and back doctor for our back (though don't get me wrong...I'm very thankful for my dentist).
Since energy is an issue for the Chinese medicine, not every massage is, as Stephanie jokingly termed, "a sweet little massage." People who are typically sluggish and need a little pep or athletes preparing for an event will get invigorating massages, as opposed to the relaxing massage for type-A personalites.
The Massage
The room where the massage session is held is very pleasant. There is a massage table, basically a cushioned table. It's covered with clean linen. There is a face cradle (a pillow with hole in it that attaches to the table) for the parts of the session that focus on the back. Stephanie swabs the cradle with alcohol before every session and that then puts a clean, fresh linen on the cradle. The light is soft, and there's always music, very relaxing, often world music or new age.
Contrary to popular belief, one does not have to completely disrobe for every massage therapy session. It really depends on the type of massage treatment. With Stephanie, only when a liniment or compress is applied is it necessary for clothing to be removed. Even then, I'm covered with a sheet the whole time with only the specific areas of focus exposed.
Generally, I wear stretch pants and a T-shirt. Since I'm coming from work, I have to change. Stephanie goes and washes her hands while I change. There are even hangers for my clothes.
Before the session, Stephanie asks me questions about my current level of pain and about how my week and day have gone. She does this to assess my general state of mind to get an idea of the sort of massage I will need. The types of massage vary from person to person. Since I have soft tissue damage and my upper back muscles are very constricted, my sessions focus on opening up the muscle of my upper back and on my body's range of motion. As a general rule, I receive a fairly relaxing massage.
Stephanie begins every session with some sort of connecting touch. A lot of times she'll start with a rocking motion, which she explains, is naturally soothing by stimulating the parasympathetic system.
At this point, I'm lying on stomach. She'll do some specific point work on my shoulders to loosen my muscles and to get the blood flowing properly through my muscles.
She'll also do range of motion work on my arms to further loosen and open up muscles. An example of this is when she stretches one of my arms out straight and then moves it around in the socket (hence, passive joint manipulation). She might do a very gentle rocking motion with my arm as well.
She'll focus on some acupressure points in my neck, shoulders and arms but also on some points in my lower back. Our two back muscles stretch the entire length of our back and sometimes pain in the neck and shoulder regions can be alleviated by relieving pressure in the lower back.
Other points she'll focus on are points on the jaw, especially the ossiciput and the nape of the neck. She even works points in my back to help open the tightness in my neck, since there are several points in the body that can be affected by working entirely separate and distant regions of the body.
Once I turn over onto my back, she again focuses mainly on my upper torso in order to open up my constricted muscles. After a bit, she'll do some range of motion with my legs. She'll pull on each leg to get a nice stretch and bend and rotate in space; I sort of feel like taffy.
Although every session is a little different, depending on my current level of pain and when in the day I receive my massage, by the end of a session, every muscle, especially my back, neck and chest muscles, are completely relaxed. I am always amazed at how much better my back feels, how much my mood improves. A session creates a world of difference, without a bunch of drugs and an insane number of visits. And all from a "simple" massage.
1999 ... I can remember when that was nothing more than a really great song and some far off time in the future that held the allure of endless debauchery. At least, that's what 1999 meant to me back in the 80s. I'm sure others had (and still have) differing views on the matter. Instead of the catch phrase, "Why does everybody have bomb?" (for The Artist illiterate, that's at the end of the song, "1999"), other people associate, "The End Is Near" and "God/Jesus/Buddha/Bob is coming" with 1999. The closer I've gotten to it, the more it's morphed in my mind. And now, here I am staring right down the barrel of 1999. Naturally, we're all wondering what this year holds in store for us. Barring either a nuclear holocaust or an alien take-over, these are my ideas about the matter (with a touch of nostalgic reflection on that crazy year 1998).
Music
1998 saw the release of new albums from many of my favorite artists ... The Church, Chris Whitley, P.J. Harvey, Tricky. It was great to see Madonna back, ready and willing to take again her rightful place as the Goddess of Pop (yeah, she's added that electronica edge but it's pop nonetheless). It was also nice to see The Artist continuing with his breakneck speed of record production. The man's a genius and maybe, by the close of 1999, everyone will finally pay homage to his incredible talents and skills.
Now, that I've successfully annihilated the Spice Girls ... uh, I mean, now that the Spice Girls have receded into the background, I'm sure another horrible pop band will take their place in the hearts of teeny-boppers all over the globe just like that immortal head of the Hydra. It's really too soon to tell who will fill the gaudy platforms of the Spice Girls ... but trust me, after Scary and Posh pop out those puppies neither of them will have the figure for pop world domination. We've seen the last of the Spice Girls. Let's brace ourselves for the next bad pop barrage.
Reflecting on the Spice Girls makes me miss the days of teenage pop stars. Not that there is any shortage of young stars in music. I was cruising through BET the other day and I saw a rap group of kids that looked not older than eight or nine. At this rate, by the end of 1999, they will be awarding embryos with record deals. However, there are so many young-uns in the record world that no single kid star controls all the pop pubescent hysteria ... at least not yet. Perhaps, 1999 will reveal a pop savior for teen-agers world wide.
I think that grunge is finally dead. Even Courtney Love began bathing regularly. This means that for the first few months of 1999 we will be grunge free. Granted, in late 1999, grunge nostalgia will be in effect full force. That will be okay since radio stations will just play the good stuff, the original grunge, instead of regurgi-grunge music like Creed. Then, Chris Cornell of Soundgarden will be seen as the Rock God that he truly is. I'm just waiting to set up my alter to His Holy Hairness (well, His Former Holy Hairness).
Groove has come back to music. Whether it's R&B folk like Keith Sweat or Esthero, 70s groove found its way back into music in late 1998 and, damn it, it's going to stay. After years of thrashing to hard beats, it's nice to bob along with the music again.
1998 was the year of electronica ... in car and jeans commercials. In a way, it was disappointing, but I suppose even that kind of exposure is good exposure. It doesn't look like the 1998 momentum behind both electronica or industrial music will lessen in the following year. Perhaps even beer commercials will begin to use electronica.
I predict that market will become glutted with gothic-type music. With Bauhaus Resurrection Tour, the goth scene is bound to bust out of its coffin again, at least for a little while.
Fashion
Speaking of gothic reminds me of what's ahead for us in fashion. I was right ... 1998 saw lots of medieval inspired fashion. This Renaissance Festival strain will continue in 1999 but will also branch into Middle Eastern and Eastern flavored designs. Be it Slavic, African, or Turkish, fashion will become more cultural diverse in its sources.
I think it's also safe to say that the decade borrowing will continue. The end of 1998 saw many 30s and 20s inspired designed. By the end of 1999, decade blending will be predominant; 40s shoes with a 20s skirt and 80s hooker top. Let's just hope the designers use their powers for good and not for evil.
One disturbing trend I've noticed in the fashion world is bad design passing for "avante garde" design. I watched "MTV's Fashion Out Loud," horrified, as models traipsed by in some of the most hideous outfits I've ever seen (and that includes my high school experiences). But it doesn't stop with MTV. Other designers proudly display ill-designed, bad-materialed, terribly-colored, unflattering clothing in their new lines. While I hope that this is simply a phase of fashion that will soon fizzle out, I'm afraid it will continue until the point where designers are using burlap cloth for their fall lines and talk about the beauty of puke brown.
Movies
1998 gave us our fair share of Armedgedon related movies. Whether it was a comet, a volcano, or aliens, the cinema would have led us to believe that the world was going to end ... soon. The post-apocalyptic themes won't end with 1998. 1999 practically begs for more movies of that nature.
1999 will see more conspiracy theory movies. I'm thankful for The X-files but it certainly opened up the way for entirely too many "the government is out to get us" films. I'm just not sure that most government officials are bright enough for such convoluted plots and schemes. Scientologists, maybe, but the IRS?
I'm sure the Jerry Springer movie is going to be a blockbuster. Well, that is if the people who watch him actually get off their couch and pay nearly $8 to watch him and his circus on the big screen. We'll see which wins out, inertia or sensationalism and the chance to hear the word "f@#%" out loud.
One angle I didn't foresee in the 1998 line-up was the vampire theme (me, of all people, didn't see that coming). I won't make that mistake again. I'm sure all sorts of weird creatures will come out of the woodwork for 1999 movies, more vampires, further werewolves, maybe some ogres, perhaps a fairy or two. 1999 will see many a mystic movie, a ton of thrillers and a passel of aliens. Let's just hope life doesn't start reflecting art.
One thing I'm looking forward to in 1999 is the production of more artsy, cutting edge films. John Waters released Pecker in 1998 and I'm hoping other talented and not-so-Hollywood directors follow suit. I don't know what it is about the end of a century but it brings out the geniuses. And believe me, the cinema could use a breather from the shoot-'em, blow-'em up action format and the trite love stories that inundate theaters.
Television
Just like the film world, TV land is cashing in on the doom and gloom theory toward the end of the millennium. Fox put a new series Brimstone in front of Millennium. I must admit, I find it slow moving and uninteresting. At this point, I feel the same about Millennium. Furthermore, The X-files, my reason for living for the past five years, well, let's say I find it inconsistent. I'm keeping my fingers crossed for the coming year.
I'm sure the favorites of 1998 will continue to be the favorites of 1999. The TV public doesn't much like variety or a challenge. I think that it would take the Una-bomber to get rid of Friends. Though I find Ally McBeal to be annoying, wishy-washy and a horrible role model for men and women alike, the anorexic thing has seemed to found a comfortable spot in the tiny hearts of Americans.
Sitcoms will continue their reign over the boob tube but the public will never give up on their evening dramas. I think that ultimately the daytime talk show will keep reign over America's sensibilities. The average American needs these shows to reaffirm that, yes, Virginia, there really is someone out there who's life is more screwed up than your own. Naturally, daytime television will be dually ruled by soaps and by those silly talk shows.
I just hope that Interior Motives continues on the Discovery Channel. I love that show. Not that I'd ever get off my lazy ass and do any of that stuff but at least I know how do some of it now. Move over, Lynette Jennings and Martha Stewart ... Christopher Lowell is here and he's flaming.
Books
1998 saw the return of many great writers to the presses ... Tom Wolfe and Poppy Brite to name a couple. It also saw the return of some big-selling staples like Anne Rice. Believe me, Mrs. Rice will continue with her tales of blood and lust until the public pukes at the sheer mention of her elven-like, gorgeous and tormented vampires.
There will be probably plenty of "how to prepare for the end of the world" books going to hit the market in 1999. Maybe one or two on "how to build a bomb/alien shelter." Books on spirituality and theology will swamp the market. I also think that the publishing world is another realm that the gothic element will infiltrate to a future extent in 1999.
Internet
The internet is fast becoming the entertainment choice of the new century. I spend more time in front of the computer, poking around web sites, than I spend in front of the TV. Everyone's got a web site. In fact, I have at least three friends who have up and running web sites. Not slack web sites ... sophisticated web sites. Soon, people will not only ask for your phone number and e-mail address but for your web address so they can do a personality check on you.
Pretty much, if you're interested in it, there's bound to be a web site on it. There are even books printed on the internet, like Ryman's 253. Computer companies promise that we'll be able to watch TV and movies on the internet soon. I think the era of Max Headroom is not too far away. Just stay away from computers with the letters HAL in it.
I think e-mailing alone will become one of America's favorite pastimes. Like Jeff Goldblume says, "There's a party going on -- it's called the internet." No wonder the Postal Service has jacked up the prices on stamps; no one uses them any more.
Politics
Who knew politics could be so entertaining? After hours and hours of coverage, we know that Clinton has interesting tastes in cigars and that Monica is not much into doing laundry. Really, all this Star crap is as sad as the 5 billions hours we devoted to O.J. Simpson. I'm hoping we'll all be bright enough not use politics as another way to waste our time, but that's doubtful. After all, talk shows seem to American real past time. The aftermath of these incidents are simply an extension of that fascination, which is disturbing to say the least. There is nothing entertaining about the impeachment of a President over something so common as a sexual indiscretion. However, I'll get off my soapbox and move onto to my wish list.
Paige's Wish List for 1999A public apology from the Spice Girls. Better X-files... I've got to do something on my Sunday nights Three words -- Chemical Brothers Tour. Well, another one; I missed them last year. Some good, affordable new fashions -- a little latex there, a corset here. To see The Artist New Year's Eve 1999. That would truly be heaven. Not to mention expensive.
There you go, kids. What I think will happen this year in entertainment. Remember, party/pray/work/play like it's 1999 'cause it finally is.
Fall has finally descended upon us, and while it may take time for the weather to catch up with the designers, stores have lost no time in casting out the old summer styles and proffering forth their fall lines of clothing. So what can we expect in the coming months on the fashion front?
For one, prints, in all manners and forms, are going to be quite popular. Prints are all over the place; they're inundating all the stores. It doesn't matter if the print is inspired by modern art or by an Eastern cultures, like India or China. If it's a print, it's "in."
You can expect to see a pack of animal prints infiltrating every aspect of fashion. Even the work-a-day world will see the likes of a leopard print skirt or a zebra print scarf.
Striped knit sweaters and tees are back ... again. The knit patterns recall both 70s knits and the knits that became so popular during the "Grunge" movement in the early 90s.
One of the splendid things about the prints for fall is the wide range of dramatic and divergent color schemes that are possible. Orange, turquoise, dark pink, yellow, brown, green ... all the colors are up for up for grabs so long as they're vibrant.
Fall's dynamic color schemes also give the plethora of animal patterns a punk rock edge. These prints aren't you basic reptiles, tigers or leopards; they have colors that never occurred on any beast in nature.
There's no reason for anyone's wardrobe to be drab this autumn. The wonderful spectrum saturated hues coupled with the wide range of patterns work marvelously with Florida weather. After all, who wants to wear dreary clothes when it's still bright and warm outside?
Another convenient thing in the fall selection of clothing for us Floridians is the wide variety of materials available. There are plenty of garment styles that appear in typically heavier fabric that can now be found in a wide assortment of lighter materials. No longer do we have to wait months before we can wear our new fall purchases; now we can find a sweater that is no only stylish but lightweight as well.
The fall line-up of clothing features a wealth of textures. Fuzzy, soft, furry, feathery, fringed, whatever you fancy, it's bound to be out there this season. Again, designers are exploring many options in fabric so that even Floridians can find fuzzy or textured pants without dying of heat exhaustion while wearing them.
As far as skirts and dresses go, fall lines are continuing the asymmetrical styles of the past year, so you'll be seeing more of the slanted skirts and the single-shoulder strapped tops; many of the cuts call back to the height of 80s fashion.
On the flip side, pants and pant suits seem more reminiscent 70s style. Granted, today's pant suits are sleeker than those of yore but you can still trace their leisure suit heritage.
One thing that will be a new trend is the cowboy chic. You've seen Madonna in her new video with her cowboy hat? Well, you can now expect everyone else and their pet cow to be wearing them as well. Naturally, where there's cowboy hats, there has to be a ton of fringe; and let's not forget those western vests! We can thank Lisa Eisner's book Rodeo Girls and designer Fred Sathal haute couture line for this new wild west bent. The cowboy chic also opens up a new, heretofore unexplored animal print option -- cow print. Cows have never been so hip.
Boots are going to be even more popular this year, especially in the animal print variety. Again, expect a wild variety of colors for these prints. Knee-high go-go boots will be permeating everyday shoe wear, just one more throwback to the glorious seventies that has taken a new millennium twist.
The coats for this year are very streamlined and very heavy. Even though the designer are utilizing a wide range of textures and fabric, don't expect to see too many of these coats around town. Tallahassee falls being what they are, there won't be much need nor demand for these coats, no matter how dapper they may be.
Unfortunately, for the guys, there's not much change for their fall fashion. Designers are certainly playing the texture card, which opens up some new avenues in men's clothing, but the cuts of most men's designs won't stray far past seasons. Nevertheless, I see no reason why the fellows can't go along with the print trend that's occurring in women's fashion. There's enough vintage shops and thrift stores in Tallahassee that you guys can find a couple of jaunty 70s shirts to sport around town.
While Tallahassee weather may not offer us too much variation, at least we can count on the fall fashion lines to spice things up with its layers of diversity. Gone are the boring browns and greys of season past; this year, your clothes can be as vibrant as the climate. Your fall wardrobe can encompass not just a rainbow of colors but a plethora of patterns and a surfeit of fun textures. The fall line-up even come in Florida-friendly materials. This season promises to be anything and everything you can imagine except banal!