I recently went to the theatre to see an underwhelming big budget Hollywood film, and was literally cringing in my chair as I listened to dialogue that has surely been woven in to many many other films, lines having to do with love and "finding oneself" which are nauseatingly and endlessly recycled. The words lose all meaning. They become wisps of cliched smoke with no memorable fire. I began thinking about the use of language in my own life and the way that I too, recycle the same vocabulary often. It reminds me of an inprovisational dance show I saw last Autumn at the Russell Industrial Center. The dancers began their number sitting in chairs in a row and slowly began rising from their chairs, flipping them over their heads, weaving over them, and, eventually, twisting themselves around eachother and performing various motions that vaguely resembled everyday movement, but were worlds apart and very new. I remember a friend of mine remarking after the show that she had forgotten that the human body is capable of so many shapes and forms. Thinking of my own life, movements include : walking, laying down, bending down, driving and getting into my car, etc. And these motions are repeated endlessly. Why not add a silly flourish? Why not deck out our words in proverbial frippery and unusual diction? The commonality of word usage has got me so frustrated I would rather not speak and soak up other people's fascinating speach habits instead!
No better way to do this than to listen to...
The Moth Radio Hour on NPR!! We've been listening to it in the studio. If you don't know anything about the moth, here's what their website has to say:
The Moth, a not-for-profit storytelling organization, was founded in New York in 1997 by poet and novelist George Dawes Green, who wanted to recreate in New York the feeling of sultry summer evenings on his native St. Simon's Island, Georgia, where he and a small circle of friends would gather to spin spellbinding tales on his friend Wanda's porch. After moving to New York, George missed the sense of connection he had felt sharing stories with his friends back home, and he decided to invite a few friends over to his New York apartment to tell and hear stories. Thus the first "Moth" evening took place in his living room. Word of these captivating story nights quickly spread, and The Moth moved to bigger venues in New York. Today, The Moth conducts eight ongoing programs and has brought more than 3,000 live stories to over 100,000 audience members.
It is utterly fascinating to hear these people's stories and get a little slice of their life as they remember it and wish to share it. My personal favorite so far was one by a woman named Faye Lane called "Green Bean Queen". I was able to find it on iTunes, I wish there was a way for me to post in on here (there probibly is a way that I'm unaware of).
Anyways, time to leaf through a dictionary and pick random words to introduce into my life and spice things up!
In other news, (and speaking of spicing old ways up) check out and soak up the unsettling and fantastical porcelin work of Shary Boyle http://www.sharyboyle.com/index.htm
Also, Andrew Bird's "Oh, the Grandeur" is pure honey. I'm listening to it on my balcony rght now and let me tell you, its a perfect summer evening soundtrack.
This song has so much weight for me now. Its rich rich rich. I feel like Led Zeppelin has been helping me heal.
Robert Plant is also the sexiest, obviously.
This song is fitting because two dear friends of mine moved to California today, and because Andrea and I are deeply in love with it right now.
have a good night
madeleineee
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