When this blog went on hiatus, I held out the thought that a couple late-arriving pieces might still hit the in-box. In reality, Bill got me these a few weeks back, but I’ve been distracted and haven’t paid due courtesy by posting his thoughts up here. So, our first TS5Q Lagniappe, of which there may be more. As with this concept, generally, there’s always hope.
One. Which of the seven deadliest sins make for the best art?
In this order: Envy, Lust, Gluttony, Wrath, Sloth, Greed, Pride. At least for today.
Two. For what are you going to need a little more evidence?
That there’s no link between long fingernails and depression.
Three. For personal creativity (or productivity), are you better served by contentment or restlessness?
I’ve always assumed restlessness, but if think about it my favorite projects don’t usually come from a restless need to make something — they simply came from noticing one thing while I was doing something else. Then I took it and ran with it. So I guess my projects, once begun, are fueled and finished by restlessness. Although contentment doesn’t really get things done and restlessness can be very distracting.
Four. Likeliest occurrence within your lifetime: true peace, total war, or the arrival of spacemen/spacewomen?
You can always count on war. I’m not a pessimist, I’m a disappointed optimist, to paraphrase someone, although I can’t remember who.
Five. Select/discuss any one of the following options.
- Five-a: You lost it as a child and you want it back.
- Five-b: You are concerned about your food and its origins.
- Five-c: These are your generation’s greatest successes. + Five-d: For you, this is the book, play, recording, painting, poem, scripture or (item X) that made all the difference.
- Five-e: Do you have a question for me? (What is it?)
Mid- to late 1980s Freestylin’ Magazine pretty much made all the difference. Combine that with a Dead Kennedys’ “Give Me Convenience Or Give Me Death” cassette and you have my teenage mind shift. Somehow, some way, for some reason, the little local department store in Columbiana, Ohio had that album for sale. I bought it (to be honest I actually put a discounted price sticker on it so it was $2.99 instead of $7.99) and it reset my head forever. In fact, one day 10 years ago my wife Diane and I were at a country bar out by the Katy Trail and we got to talking to some bored teenager whose mom was working there. I gave him all the DK tapes I had in my car in the hopes they would get in his head too, and get him out of the small town he hated.
Posted: May 2nd, 2011 | Author:Thomas | Filed under:Meta | Comments Off
Officially, today marks the end of this oddball project, with four entries coming in under the wire. Though the date-stamp on the page may read May 2, it’s definitely May 1. In fact, as I’m typing this, it’s only 20-odd minutes ’til midnight, which’ll mean May 2, which’ll mean no more TS5Q updates.
That said, if a few orphans filter through the digital transom, they’ll be added here. Goodness knows that I asked enough folks for one, or two, to still come along, unexpectedly. And it’d be rude to not post them if they do arrive.
Perhaps it was rude to expect anyone to answer any of these Qs, for any reason, under any circumstances. Dunno. It was all intended to be a bit of a lark, really, a reason to bug some old friends, or to put a line out to people I’d like to interview, but would otherwise have no reason to contact. I love projects with a random edge to them. And, not-so-subtly, I often wonder what makes one quirky project a book-worthy-mega-hit and another one a bit of online roadkill. On that count, I’m still as ig’nert as ever.
There’s another lark to come, but not until the end of summer, when a couple of St. Louis-related, web projects will come to a close. When that new one’s ready for inspection, it’ll be linked here.
Thanks for answering questions, those of you that did. And thanks for reading, those of you that did. Over, out.
When this silliness began a year ago, my original dream list contained people that I knew, people that I knew would never talk to me (if I could even get word to them), and people that somewhat knew but had no real reason to chime in on a random interview project. DJ Lance Rock fell into the last category, more or less. He’s a friend of friends and he’s a St. Louisan and he’s a good egg, according to all. He’s also a successful entertainer these days, so there was no guarantee of this one ever happening.
Over the past year, though, he visited his hometown a few different times and I ran into him on more than one occasion. The project was discussed each time, to the point where I was certain that every trip back to St. Louis for him contained a tiny black cloud, this little bit of worry that I’d pop out of the bushes and ask if he’d had time to work out the answers to TS5Q. While I never popped outta the bushes, literally, I’m pretty sure I provided at least a few “ayie!” moments. If so, sorry, dude.
But the star of “Yo Gabba Gabba!” came through. And we chalk up one more member of The List of 100. Who won’t have to stress running into me any more.
Thanks for making my year, sir. Seriously. We end on a high note, for real.
One. Which of the seven deadliest sins make for the best art?
Lust or Envy. Desire in a positive or negative way is usually a motivational force.
Two. For what are you going to need a little more evidence?
I recently watched the entire series of Carl Sagan’s “Cosmos,” so I’m going to say extraterrestrial life. Simply because the odds of a life form that could or would want to make contact with us, and for us to be able to communicate with them are so great that it seems extremely unlikely.
Three. For personal creativity (or productivity), are you better served by contentment or restlessness?
Restlessness. If I’m content, I tend to get a little complacent. Whereas when I’m restless, ideas come to me constantly
Four. Likeliest occurrence within your lifetime: true peace, total war, or the arrival of spacemen/spacewomen?
I don’t think it’s likely that any of these events will occur during my lifetime.
Five-d: For you, this is the book, play, recording, painting, poem, scripture or (item X) that made all the difference.
I have been influenced by so many amazing books, records, films, art and experiences, I can’t pick just one, since they have all contributed to my being. However, I am going to say “The Simpsons.” It has so many layers of appeal. It’s awesome satire, has some of the sharpest writing of any show on television, and has so many divergent cultural references. I mean what other show has referenced or included James Brown, The Ramones, Gore Vidal and Judge Judy?
Though I don’t know David Meiklejohn, I semi-sorta-kinda know the person about whom he’s created a well-received documentary, Davy Rothbart of “My Heart is an Idiot.” And though I’ve not seen the film at the time of this writing, I have seen the trailer, have talked to people who’ve seen the film and do semi-sorta-kinda know Davy. So there is a kinship. Especially because those people, the ones who saw the film, liked it. And I like them, so I’m sure I’d like it, if not even love it.
This much I know: I like answers that David sent. They’re right here. Read them. Then watch the trailer, below. And special note to David: if you’ve got a photo, I’ll replace this goofy graphic with a still or a headshot. Thanks.
(David’s touring the film right now. Check out the doc’s website and see if you can’t track it down, live.)
One. Which of the seven deadliest sins make for the best art?
I don’t mean to play the iconoclast, but I’m more attracted to art that makes use of virtues rather than vices, and bravery is the most inspiring virtue, for me. I just finished a full-length documentary called My Heart is an Idiot, and it’s primarily about FOUND Magazine creator Davy Rothbart and his roller coaster love life, but it portrays the romantic stories of other people in Davy’s life as well. To let your lovelife be filmed and then shown to audiences takes a lot of courage, and the bravery of the subjects of the film inspires me to be more brave in my own life, love-related and otherwise.
Two. For what are you going to need a little more evidence?
I’d like more evidence that people are reading poetry. Deep inside I know that poetry is badass and powerful, and I know that everyone wants more badassness in their lives, so I keep waiting to see proof that poetry is being read, savored, and shared. There’s not as much evidence of this for my liking, but maybe if I keep demanding that people read poetry, more will.
Three. For personal creativity (or productivity), are you better served by contentment or restlessness?
I’m easily distracted, and I have self-diagnosed high-functioning OCD, which basically means I work best if my work area is tidy and I’m wearing shoes. For that reason, I’d say contentment. However, I also find myself regularly waking up at 4am full of ideas that make it impossible to sleep, so I get up and start working out whatever creative business is in my head, and I love that kind of restless enthusiasm. Can I make up the word “restentlessment” and claim that one instead?
Four. Likeliest occurrence within your lifetime: true peace, total war, or the arrival of spacemen/spacewomen.
All three, and what’s important to remember is that all three have already happened and are continuing to happen. If you ask someone in Palestine or Darfur or Iraq or Libya whether total war will happen in their lifetime, they’ll tell you to look around, it’s already here. And at the same time, a gardener in Detroit is planting zucchini in an abandoned plot of land where an elementary school used to be, and that peace is total and pervasive. Reaching outside our own perspective teaches us that it’s not a matter of “if” but rather a matter of “where.” And as far as spacepeople coming to our planet, you don’t have to be a conspiracy theorist or X-Files fanatic to believe that there are truths beyond our comprehension that exist right in front of our eyes. Also: Lady GaGa.
Five. For you, this is the book, play, recording, painting, poem, scripture, or (item X) that made all the difference.
I’m not sure the person I’d be if I hadn’t read any of Jean Genet’s writings. Probably a banker instead of an artist. And probably someone who wouldn’t steal your silverware when your back is turned. Which I am, so look out.
True, LJ Lindhurst was a part of the one of the great newspaper staffs in collegiate history, the Webster University Journal of the… well, of the last century. But let’s not limit her to just that bit of alumna trivia.
She’s also a painter, a graphic artist and a teacher in New York City.
Regarding the painting, this info is found on her website: I am a photorealist painter, and I work from original photographs of images that I find personally appealing. I like to explore the colors and textures of objects at a macro level. My paintings typically feature close-up views of tiny objects; I am particularly drawn to toys, candies, and other often-overlooked detritus of our popular culture. I find that when you isolate and magnify small details from these otherwise insignificant objects, they reveal more than just their hidden beauty; the mere act of enlarging these items to thousands of times their natural size and rendering all of the detail in paint creates a distinctly absurd sense of comedy. I like to think that my work makes people laugh, or at the very least it makes them more aware that there are entire worlds of beauty in even the tiniest object in their landscape.
She’s also usually got a funny aside, or two, whether or person or via e-mail, so this one back was a treat. Thanks, LJ.
One. Which of the seven deadliest sins make for the best art?
First of all, I must confess that I had to look on Wikipedia to see what exactly the seven deadly sins are—and I’ve even seen that movie “Seven! Ah well, that doesn’t mean I am any closer to answering this question. I was raised in an indignantly non-religious household, so I always fail to grasp even the broadest of Biblical references. But I guess if I had to choose one, I’d say wrath definitely makes the best art. There’s nothing like the result of a good fury.
Two. For what are you going to need a little more evidence?
That politics and politicians actually have any impact on my life.
Three. For personal creativity (or productivity), are you better served by contentment or restlessness?
Definitely contentment. If I am restless, I cannot concentrate, and 99% of my work is fueled by intense concentration on minute detail.
Four. Likeliest occurrence within your lifetime: true peace, total war, or the arrival of spacemen/spacewomen?
I’d have to say total war. Though I am rooting for the appearance of spacemen/spacewomen (and by the way, nice shoutout to the ladies that you bothered to include “spacewomen” in that scenairo).
Five. Select/discuss any one of the following options. Five-d: For you, this is the book, play, recording, painting, poem, scripture or (item X) that made all the difference.
When I was in 7th grade, we took a trip to the St. Louis Art Museum. This was the first time I’d seen Chuck Close’s painting, Keith. I remember looking at it forever, and repeatedly returning to it during our visit. I simply couldn’t believe it was a painting and not a photo—but more than that, I couldn’t believe that someone would do something like this. Why would someone try to make a painting that looked like a photo? And why would someone choose such a thing for a subject? It blew my mind. There have been few moments in my life when I felt that spark, that desire to be and do something. I will never forget that afternoon. I know it was nothing more than simply viewing a painting in an art museum, but it will forever feel to me like the day my eyes were opened.
Some time back, a group called Arson Garden played the rock clubs of the Midwest. They were amazing. Just awesome. Killer.
When the five-piece from Bloomington, IN, eventually disbanded, after a handful of great releases on an equal number of doomed indie labels, guitarist and songwriter James Combs released some solo work. Primarily releasing music through himself or the eclectic Ubiquity label, Combs went from the edgy rock of Arson Garden to a decidedly calmer guise, creating smart music for smart people. He also stepped into the forefront as a singer with those solo releases, after sharing some counterpoint vocals in AG.
These days, he’s playing music again with his sister, April Combs, along with Laurie Burnham. The trio Honneycombs has strengths, ala the vocal harmonies and clever hooks. If the tornadic passion of an Arson Garden show’s a thing of the past, the Combs siblings still know their way around a pop song. And a player with the skill of James deserves the right to recreate himself as many times as he wishes.
One. Which of the seven deadliest sins make for the best art?
Well its not avarice, sloth, discouragement, envy or gluttony. So that would leave us with lust, vanity, and wrath. I think good art comes from all of them. Personally I am not that into wrath.
Two. For what are you going to need a little more evidence?
Ghosts – I have had friends tell me very convincing personal ghost stories – friends whom I really admire with no agenda whatsoever. In fact two women who I most admire have told me chilling, detailed ghost experiences they had staying in 100 year old hotels – one in San Francisco, one in New York. One saw a ghost sitting on the end of her bed and told it to leave, which it did. The other felt menaced and harassed by an obvious presence all night and checked out the next day. I can’t explain their experiences – but I am going to have to have a similar experience myself before I can fully accept them. I believe my friends and I simultaneously can’t reconcile their stories with my experience. So I am kind of stuck on ghosts.
Three. For personal creativity (or productivity), are you better served by contentment or restlessness?
Cycles of both – I am happy in my personal life right now – I adore my wife and we have a beautiful baby son who we are mad for. But for about three weeks last October, I got strangely inspired to write an entire, very focused record examining a much more tumultuous period in my life – when I first moved to LA after bouncing from city to city. Everything was torn down at that moment and I was starting from scratch. Everything that came out of me felt completely candid, completely accurate. Like being where I am now allowed me to have the tools to write a record about where I was then.
But strangely I don’t have the language to write about right now. This is a very emotionally resonant time for me but it needs to play out more before I will know how to write about it.
So I suppose the best recipe for creative productivity as far as I am concerned is: being content but knowing turmoil.
Four. Likeliest occurrence within your lifetime: true peace, total war,or the arrival of spacemen/spacewomen?
Spacemen. Absolutely spacemen.
Five-a: You lost it as a child and you want it back.
I remember: a tan plastic clock radio, a bona fide wooden nickel and a 1910 dime, a faux fur blanket, a used hospital bed, a school tape recorder, 3 cassette tapes with home made radio shows and recordings of “Happy Days” reruns, a hand-me-down Rubber Soul with lipstick marks on John, a blue wooden toybox built by a janitor from school with missing fingers named John Flynn, a 3/4 size Yamaha acoustic guitar, a yellow legal pad with a story about cavalry soldiers, an aluminum bat, all those plastic guns, the interior book for Magical Mystery Tour.
Where are those things? I would like them back, please. Except for the plastic guns – they can stay where they are.
(Photo credit: Gina Weathersby; Laurie, James, April, left to right.)
At some point in time, I heard a phrase that I remember as “in brevity lies the soul of wit.” Always kinda liked that one. Made sense to me. Rattled around the brain for years, in exactly that word order. Checking the great giver of good, Google, I see that Shakespeare’s responsible for “brevity is the soul of wit,” which works, too, though I’m going to hold onto the prior version, if you don’t mind.
As just as brevity offers the soul of wit, Blackberry’s tend to provide the brevity of information exchange. So much so that Matthew Vasquez of the Delta Spirit appears to chime in at the record-setting TS5Q, when measured in both word count and turn-around time. He’s the Usain Bolt of repondees, really.
Sara Casella, the hard-working publicist of Tell All Your Friends, is beating the roster’s bushes for TS5Q participants, bless her.
One. Which of the seven deadliest sins make for the best art?
Vanity.
Two. For what are you going to need a little more evidence?
UFO’s existence.
Three. For personal creativity (or productivity), are you better served by contentment or restlessness?
Contentment.
Four. Likeliest occurrence within your lifetime: true peace, total war,or the arrival of spacemen/spacewomen?
Total war.
Five-a: You lost it as a child and you want it back.
My metabolism.
Those of us who still treasure our physical/musical media know the sensation. You peruse your cabinet of CDs at home. Or you comb through a box of records at a flea market. Or you simply read an article in a dogeared magazine, purchased (if not rescued) from a quality record store. And when you’re not expecting it, a band, or song, strikes your attention, a group or track that may’ve long since been relegated to an unfair spot at the end of the your bench.
I used to love X-tal. In an active, play-all-the-time manner. Of late, X-tal’s been in lighter rotation; I still love what they put together in the 1980s and ’90s, but in a more abstract, passive way. But after finding frontman, vocalist, songwriter and founder J Neo Marvin on Facebook, I’m rekindling my enjoyment of the band. Based in the Bay Area, the band created a handful of crackling records, filled with something akin to folk-punk. Or perhaps punk-folk. Ah, to heck with genres. It was thoughtful rock’n'roll, with lyrics that wound put a wry smile on the face of any Nation reader, while also causing your feet to tap in time.
Once, oh-so-long-ago, X-tal came through St. Louis and with my roommates on the road with their own band, X-tal stayed at my crib in Webster Groves. I’ve seldom felt quite so locked into the idea of DIY. And 20 years later, I interrupted the digital peace of J Neo Marvin for TS5Q, which he sent back, thoughtfully, of course, in a matter of a day. At the end of the piece are a handful of links he’s sent along, getting me (and TS5Q’s thousands of readers) up-to-speed with his latest efforts. In fact, if you find your way into some of those links, you’ll find links to music, progressive politics and all the good stuff that made X-tal so special, but in the newer guises of J Neo.
One. Which of the seven deadliest sins make for the best art?
Mmmmmm… let’s start by ruling out sloth, which prevents one from accomplishing anything at all in life, art included. Gluttony might inspire some artistically rich recipes, but other than that, I can’t see too many results. Greed might make for bad commercial pop music at best, while envy would inspire someone to imitate another artist rather than come up with anything on their own.
So, it’s down to pride, wrath, and lust. Pride is essential for an artist to get off his/her ass and get started, certainly. Wrath can produce some great art, but lust might just edge it out, if you consider that eros is an essential component of the life force itself. As angry as I can be at the state of the world today, I would have to say that lust without wrath will bring you more rewards than wrath without lust.
Two. For what are you going to need a little more evidence?
That everything’s all right and there is no need to be concerned.
Three. For personal creativity (or productivity), are you better served by contentment or restlessness?
To be effective at focusing on creativity, a minimum of personal security and freedom from worry is essential. That said, the creative process starts with restlessness and ends with contentment.
Four. Likeliest occurrence within your lifetime: true peace, total war, or the arrival of spacemen/spacewomen?
None of the above. Little wars will continue to be conducted in small areas so the general population can cheer it on or ignore it as they please while the spacemen and spacewomen will look on, shake their heads, and sigh, “maybe they’ll grow up someday”.
Five-c: These are your generation’s greatest successes.
Having been born in 1957, what constitutes my generation is an open question. I’m either among the youngest baby boomers, or among the oldest of the generation following the baby boomers. The latter rings more true to me. The greatest success of the generation between the baby boomers and Generation X? Punk rock, perhaps. We did finally elect our first president. The jury is still out on whether he can, will, or even wants to, live up to his potential.
Here is my own site, which has lyrics, old photos, a history of X-tal, some interviews I did in the past for different zines, and more: http://www.jneomarvin.com/
Having just watched the remarkably sly and inventive “The Girlfriend Experience,” it’s not hard to imagine how certain blue cinema performers, like Sasha Grey, begin to transition out of the erotic arts and into the mainstream. Should they want to, of course.
Were Ariel X to make the same move, it’d be easily imaginable. An actress in a variety of lesbian-themed titles for multiple studios, Ariel X is also a serious star in the world of niche porn; for example, at the site UltimateSurrender.com she’s been a champion as a solo wrestler and as a tag-team participant, while she’s also worked in a host of bondage series, as well as other fetish sub-markets. Our guess is that whenever she makes the big, career-changing burst it could come from numerous angles, whether it be as a WWE Diva, or as a supporting player in a John Waters or Kevin Smith movie. (Out of those options, we’re betting Kevin Smith, actually.) Not that she’s uncomfortable with where she’s at today, as evidenced by her TS5A’s.
While some might shy away from discussing their work in a public context, Ariel X does a pretty thorough job of explaining the peculiarities of the business, as well as giving a glimpse into her personal travels (and some travails) with a blog on her homepage. It’s an intriguing read, giving a glimpse into an adult performer’s life, with amusing asides running through the text. That spirit’s hinted at below.
In the earlier months of this experience, an accurate observer noted that the site was dominated by the answers of esoteric (if not outright eccentric) white guys. And lately, musicians are pouring forth their thoughts. Based on these five answers, Ariel X adds some interesting, new perspectives to the mix, and we thank her for the time.
One. Which of the seven deadliest sins make for the best art?
Wrath makes for the best art in my line of work. I am a competitive and sexual wrestler/fighter as well as a lesbian porn films star. When I’m on the mats with another woman, my fans don’t want to see two girls who are silly slapping each other, they want to see an intense fire burning in each girls heart. They want to see the girls give themselves completely until one finally falls. The women I fight all feel my wrath. I have a hunger for winning. I hate to lose and I will strike out against anyone who threatens me in any way in my playing field. I’m sure most people would think I would say LUST makes for better are in my lesbian porn genre. But I feel something very animalistic inside me when I perform with a woman I enjoy. I do want to tear her apart. I do show her my wrath. When not working on a scripted bondage shoot where I am playing the “submissive”, typically the women will start off trying to control me in bed as I am a very small person ( 5’3, 118 lbs). Perhaps they do this because I am small or because they have seen me play a submissive role very well and they believe they are “entitled” to dominate me. When a woman assumes something of the sort without discussing it with me, I go out of my way to be aggressively dominate and they always become submissive to me after sensing my experiences and drive. The is nothing more beautiful than seeing the power struggle between two lovers and then seeing the underdog or small/delicate one come out victorious.
Two. For what are you going to need a little more evidence?
That this world isn’t all made up in my own head, that any of this is real and that I’m not in a coma just dreaming up this world. I think therefore I am but I don’t know about the rest of you.
Three. For personal creativity (or productivity), are you better served by contentment or restlessness?
Are those my only two choices? I think I work best when I hit rock bottom so I am neither content and I’ve tried everything else and too tire to be considered restless. Most of my business ideas have come to me while I was in my darkest hour when I needed something to save me the most. I am a single mother and being able to provide for me son is the most important thing in my world. I probably would not have gotten in the wrestling had someone not offered me a job when I needed the money. It’s not something I would have sought out on my own. In that same respect, I didn’t start doing affiliate marketing until the holidays of 2009 when I wanted to really treat my son to something nice. I work best under pressure, in business and on the mats. My life imitates a wrestling match. If my opponent is weak and doesn’t push me to be a great fighter, then I will sandbag the match and give it only 20% because I don’t need to. But if you put me with someone who’s bigger, faster, stronger, I will adapt and FAST. So if my job just allows me to scrape by , I will allow it to not push me. I need to be pushed. I need something to fight for.
Four. Likeliest occurrence within your lifetime: true peace, total war, or the arrival of spacemen/spacewomen?
I believe I will find true peace. I regret nothing, fear nothing, love everything and everyone regardless of how the see me or treat me. As much as a badass as I try to make myself sound, I am a lover not a fighter. I am, however, pretty stubborn (I am a Taurus) and I don’t necessarily turn the other cheek at first if someone’s really pissed me off. If I am pushed I will lash out (remember, I love showing my wrath).
Five-a: You lost it as a child and you want it back.
I want my innocence back and I’m not saying that because I’m in porn and think I’m a sinner. I see young kids everyday finding the joy out of the most simple things. Things like a paper bag can make a small child laugh for hours. When did I start taking the small things in life for granted. It was probably when I learned there were evils in the world; people who will try to hurt me mentally, physically, sexually, financially. I miss not knowing or being aware of all the evils in life (like murders, frauds, rape, war). I think a baby’s laugh is the most pure, innocent thing in this world and I always cry when I hear it because I know that child will realize all the evils as well and that laugh will change. I guess they say Adam and Even put clothes on when they became aware they were naked…. I wish we just never became aware of these stupid things… ignorance is bliss as far as I’m concerned. I miss my ignorance.
(Photo compliments of Ariel X and Triangle Films.)
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