Search Results
231 items found for ""
- Magazine Spotlight: Best of Issuu.com (Part II)
Tiffany Wong December 3, 2013 | 10:30am EST With less than a week before AmLit’s release party, we know you’re getting antsy, so here’s Part II of our “Best of Issuu.com” to satisfy your creative needs. Freckled Magazine http://issuu.com/freckledmag Recent issue: http://issuu.com/freckledmag/docs/freckled_summer_2013 Created in Vancouver, Canada, Freckled Magazine describes itself as a “season, non-profit online visual inspiration magazine featuring photography, writing, traditional art forms, fashion and music.” Sounds overwhelming for an online publication, but Freckled manages to balance its dreamy photography and art pieces with interviews with emerging photographers, artists, fashion pioneers, and bands, especially when Freckled is over 100 pages. In its most recent issue, Summer 2013, Freckled Magazine features photography spreads of Croatia, paintings and illustrations of characters from another world, and personal written pieces. Like its past issues, the magazine seems to take pleasure in transporting its readers to a place that doesn’t exist in the real world – where everyone has the time to take long road trips and watch the sun set, documenting their adventures along the way. Little White Lies http://issuu.com/lwlies Recent issue: http://issuu.com/lwlies/docs/lwlies_47 Unbeknownst to many of us, Little White Lies is a popular publication hailing from London and focuses on the wonderful world of movies. Each of its issues are dedicated to a single film, interviewing its main actors and exploring different aspects of the film’s creation. Unlike many other publications that feature films, Little White Lies relies heavily on graphic design rather than generic movie stills or photographs from behind the scenes. Each of its covers are a work of art and it’s obvious that every page’s design was created with a purpose. As for its verbal content, Little White Lies is able to hold its readers’ attention, dividing its issues into different acts. In its “latest” issue on issuu.com (which came out five months ago; because the magazine stopped publishing online yet continues to churn out hard copies, reading its back issues will more than suffice), the magazine focuses on Man of Steel, the most recent film for the Superman franchise. Notable features include an analysis of hilarious vintage Superman comic covers, an exposé on the woman who served as the inspiration for Lois Lane, and an article on the five different ways Superman’s story was transformed in order to humanize a superhero who seems invincible. Loud and Quiet http://issuu.com/loudandquiet Recent issue: http://issuu.com/loudandquiet/docs/loudandquiet54 For those of us tired of the usual music magazine that focuses an obscene amount of attention on the same old artist that’s writing the same old music about the same old thing (love and heartache?) in the same way for a new album, there’s the U.K.- based Loud and Quiet. What better way to be ahead of the curve than to learn about new artists from the P.O.V. of another country? Its most recent issue includes short interviews with nine bands about things that piss them off, an interview with Lee Ranaldo of Sonic Youth fame in his own home, and numerous profiles of artists on the rise. Have you ever heard of the German band called Autobahn who’s compared to the likes of Joy Division, or the London-based band Shopping that produces “DIY funk punk”? I haven’t, but I definitely want to know what “DIY funk punk” sounds like.
- Artist Spotlight: Mikala Rempe
Emma Bartley November 23, 2013 | 7:28pm EST Meet Mikala Rempe – my partner in crime. The empty voids in both of our lives were filled the day we were brought together as assistant poetry editors for AmLit. If you’re wondering what that position even is, it basically just means that we get to geek out about poems while excessively using the words “dude” and “literally,” along with a somewhat shameful list of colorful expletives. Rest assured, while this girl most definitely talks the talk, she can also walk the walk. At the AmLit open mic early this semester, she wowed everyone with her slam piece, “Early Onset.” So, without further adieu, enjoy these wise musings from the ultimate poetry babe herself. What got you into slam poetry? When did you start? I started slamming at the start of my senior year of high school. I have been writing short stories and poems pretty much since I could spell, and I started to watch slam videos on Youtube and became obsessed with the art and the way that page meets stage. I didn’t really gain the confidence to join a team until my best friend forced me into it. It was the best thing that could have ever happened to me. It’s amazing the sense of community you gain from slam. Talk a little about your writing process. Where does most of your content seem to come from? How have you played around with form? In what ways do you use – or perhaps avoid – certain formal elements of poetry, like rhyme and rhythm? Coming from a slam background I now write for cadence and sound above anything else. When I write poetry I have to read all of my lines out loud, just to find where my voice naturally builds and falls. I like to play with form in unconventional ways. Lots of slam poets do list poems where they number each stanza, so I like to play with that form. I have a poem about my dad’s battle with early onset Alzheimer’s. One test to diagnose Alzheimer’s is to ask the patient to count backwards from 100 by 7’s to test their cognitive state. So in this poem I number my stanza 100…93…86… and so on, like the test. I absolutely loathe traditional rhyme scheme, like nothing turns me off from a poem more, but I am in love with internal and slant rhyme. Have you written much poetry outside of the slam genre? If so, describe how your writing process for these poems differs from writing slam. Hmm, not so much right now. But I will say that I don’t think that the majority of slam poems transfer well to the page, so I definitely want to try my hand at more academic poetry. I also tend to write longer poems, so I want to play around with shorter poems and see if I can still write evocatively. How are you pursuing your passion for poetry at American? I work with AmLit’s poetry genre and it has been so eye opening to see what other people appreciate about poetry. All of the other editors make comments on poetry that I never would have thought to comment on. Everyone that came to the AmLit poetry review sessions made me appreciate poetry so much more, and the feedback has pushed me to make my own writing better. Whether it’s other poets, musicians, or visual artists, what creative work has influenced your own writing? I could talk about influences for days! I always write to music, and it can range anywhere from some old school Frank Sinatra or lately I’ve really been into Chance the Rapper’s Acid Rap. I definitely would say whatever I’m listening to is reflected in my writing. My favorite slam poets are Sam Cook from the twin cities and Jeanann Verlee from NYC. I could seriously listen to their poems all day. My favorite page poet will always be Langston Hughes, like if I ever have a son I will probably name him Langston. I also just feel the need to admit my love for Kate Chopin’s The Awakening, I can only reread that novel if I am okay with my view on life being completely flipped upside down… that book is probably the reason I am a literature major.
- Magazine Spotlight: Best of Issuu.com (Part I)
Tiffany Wong November 21, 2013 | 7:07pm EST You love AmLit. I love AmLit. We all love AmLit, but for those of us who need some sort of creative stimuli as we await the next release of our beloved semiannual student publication, Issuu.com is a great gift. On our college budgets, dismal and meager, pretty interest magazines published on premium card stock with minimal advertisements are usually out of our financial reach. Issuu.com, an online hub of self-produced publications, is here to help you bide your time before AmLit’s December release. Here are a few free magazines featured on the website that’ll quench the literary thirst of the curious. Au Science Magazine http://issuu.com/ausciencemag Latest issue: http://issuu.com/ausciencemag/docs/issue8 Like our precious baby AmLit, Au Science Magazine is a publication written, edited and produced by university students. Unlike our baby, Au is a product of the University of Aberdeen and focuses on current science research, views, and news. The complete opposite of what we go for, but intriguing nonetheless. In its latest issue, “Dauntless Discovery”, Au “explores just how far science can take you, and how – even without the melodrama of big screen films – some of the quietest labs have sparked the most dauntless discoveries ever made.” The magazine is able to hold the interest of those of us who aren’t the most science-savvy by tying unexpected topics together with the academic, like space psychology, historical diets, and relief efforts to save endangered, “ugly” animals. https://issuu.com/ausciencemag/docs/issue8
- Magazine Spotlight: Best of Issuu.com (Part I)
Tiffany Wong November 21, 2013 | 7:07pm EST You love AmLit. I love AmLit. We all love AmLit, but for those of us who need some sort of creative stimuli as we await the next release of our beloved semiannual student publication, Issuu.com is a great gift. On our college budgets, dismal and meager, pretty interest magazines published on premium card stock with minimal advertisements are usually out of our financial reach. Issuu.com, an online hub of self-produced publications, is here to help you bide your time before AmLit’s December release. Here are a few free magazines featured on the website that’ll quench the literary thirst of the curious. Au Science Magazine http://issuu.com/ausciencemag Latest issue: http://issuu.com/ausciencemag/docs/issue8 Like our precious baby AmLit, Au Science Magazine is a publication written, edited and produced by university students. Unlike our baby, Au is a product of the University of Aberdeen and focuses on current science research, views, and news. The complete opposite of what we go for, but intriguing nonetheless. In its latest issue, “Dauntless Discovery”, Au “explores just how far science can take you, and how – even without the melodrama of big screen films – some of the quietest labs have sparked the most dauntless discoveries ever made.” The magazine is able to hold the interest of those of us who aren’t the most science-savvy by tying unexpected topics together with the academic, like space psychology, historical diets, and relief efforts to save endangered, “ugly” animals. Off LIFE Comic http://issuu.com/offlife Latest issue: http://issuu.com/offlife/docs/off-life-issue7 I’ve never been one to read comics because I’ve never found a comic book – not a graphic novel – that really spoke to me, especially after I got over my short-lived Sunday newspaper Peanuts obsession (my frustration with Charlie and that football, however, still persists). Luckily, I discovered United Kingdom-based Off LIFE Comic. A little over 20 pages, the comic book reads like a book of short stories. Most comics are only two pages and in order not to bombard the reader with illustration after illustration, Off LIFE also includes interviews with comic artists and writers. It’s not surprising that the publication prides itself as U.K.’s only street press comic magazine, especially when it holds so much substance in its collection of short comics. Hot Rum Cow http://issuu.com/hotrumcow Latest issue: http://issuu.com/hotrumcow/docs/hot_rum_cow_____issue_4_-_issuu Hot Rum Cow was, admittedly, a surprising find. Its print magazine is typically 100 pages, but because the publication is based in Edinburgh, U.K., its sample 18-page issues on Issuu will have to suffice. Fortunately, Hot Rum Cow packs a lot of alcohol-soaked punch in its pages. Self-described as a “bi-annual independent magazine for people who are fascinated by great beers, wines & spirits – and the extraordinary stories behind them,” Hot Rum Cow spotlights one type of alcohol for each issues. For its most recent issue, Issue 4, the magazine focuses on sherry, a fortified wine made from white grapes that was once the drink of choice for kings and Shakespeare. Fancy stuff, but Hot Rum Cow insists that sherry has a wild side. This issue explores the 3,000-year-old history of a drink once savored by Phoenicians, interviews a man who drank 30,000 beers, and introduces a rock star turned Michelin-star chef. It’s a magazine drunk off its love for alcohol. As for its odd name, its editors say, “We’ve named it after a warm cocktail made from rum, milk, brown sugar and nutmeg. Some people love it, others don’t get it – and that’s exactly the sort of magazine we publish.”
- Location Review: Kramerbooks & Afterwords
Mia Saidel November 14, 2013 | 6:10pm EST “Esteemed city institution” and “DuPont’s replacement ritual for church” are among the words of praise for the long-running bookstore and café, Kramerbooks & Afterwords, a D.C. must-see nestled comfortably on the cosmopolitan Connecticut Avenue. A well-oiled machine, the establishment first opened in 1976 and has since been coined as the first bookstore in the country to feature a full bar and an adjacent restaurant. Its alliterative slogan, “Serving Latte to the Literati since 1976,” gleans some truth; the bookstore is also credited for being the first to serve espresso and cappuccino to its customers. Discerning eyes will recoil in defeat as they enter; Kramerbooks is deserving of its praise and location. Upon entering, the wood-clad interior illicts a comforting and casual feel to both newcomers and frequenters (I observed tourists and D.C. natives alike leaning against the shelves, elbows propped, leafing through intriguing reads). The overstuffed ledges and nooks are unpretentious, as the books converge playfully in horizontal and vertical stacks against the walls. Void of any flashy advertisements, the store is elegant in its simplicity and allows customers to stumble upon their own finds. The unobtrusive air it offers gives clear explanation of its national exposure during the Lewinsky scandal when it refused to disclose records of Lewinsky’s purchases from the store, a clear indicator of the priority it gives to customer service. The inventory is varied, but leaves room for plenty of paperback fiction and travel writing. The latter is a particularly captivating section, exciting recounts of European travels by bike and treks through France’s cuisine being among the best selling (One particularly intriguing find was Remembrance of Things Paris: Sixty Years of Writing from Gourmet edited by former Gourmet magazine editor-in-chief Ruth Reichl). France dominates the section, with more than 30 books to choose from about Parisian travel. At least two fellow browsers picked up Paris to the Past: Traveling through French history by Train during my visit. Other choices include stories of South America and the Middle East, but few featured stories were from the African continent. Bill Bryson, an expert traveler and superb writer, is also a store favorite. The children’s and young adults’ sections are equally impressive in their tasteful selections (finally, Captain Underpants wasn’t the first thing to see). Shel Silverstein’s The Giving Tree and Falling Up are given a prime spotlight in the center shelving. Classics by Eric Carle and Ian Falconer are also among best in the collection. Seeing the flash of pink lipstick from the Eloise cover was enough to provide a momentary flashback to my childhood and I was reminded of the simpler reads that brought me so much joy. In the adolescents’ area, it was pleasing to see that superficial reads like The Clique series were nowhere in sight. The titles, ranging from Beverly Cleary’s Ramona and Beezus and Sarah Dessen’s The Truth About Forever, signify the message that Kramerbooks is attempting to say to its younger customers: substance is key. Despite its location in the heart of a political district, Kramerbooks displays no such partisanship in its inventory. Though there are books to satisfy the future politician, they do not represent an overbearing presence in the store as one might imagine. Of course, the newest from Bill O’Reilly and Chris Matthews take center stage in the front, but most people flocked to the likes of James Patterson to satisfy their leisure time. However, in light of the recent government shutdown, a few customers seemed to be inspired and walked away with Ira Shapiro’s The Last Great Senate: Courage and Statesmanship in Times of Crisis. The second half of the establishment’s name, Afterwords Café, is not to be missed. Almost completely hidden if one walks into the front entrance of the bookstore, the café is bumped out into a mod interior with a sky-high ceiling and mirrored walls and extends into an outdoor patio setting. The menu is surprisingly sophisticated and vegetarian friendly, and is noted for its healthy alternatives. According to a waitress, the weekend brunches and Saturday evening suppers are when the café is at its busiest. It is known to host many of Washington’s prominent politicians for lunch as well. For brunch, a lovely complimentary plate of assorted mini pastries and fruit is offered as a starter. The recommended crab cake sandwich was not overwhelming in size and had a side of tangy greens that complemented it well. A bustling and enthusiastic staff contributed greatly in making the dining experience exceptional. Dining aside, Kramerbooks & Afterwords reminds D.C. that reading is an adventure. It is reminiscent of “The Shop Around the Corner” from the film You’ve Got Mail in its charm, but differs in that it will not be defeated by the corporate bookstore across the street. In other words, Kramerbooks is here to stay. Address: 1517 Connecticut Avenue, NW, Washington, D.C. 20036 Hours: 7:30 AM-1AM daily, 24 hours Friday & Saturday Live Music Wednesday-Saturday night.
- Location Review: Kramerbooks & Afterwords
Mia Saidel November 14, 2013 | 6:10pm EST “Esteemed city institution” and “DuPont’s replacement ritual for church” are among the words of praise for the long-running bookstore and café, Kramerbooks & Afterwords, a D.C. must-see nestled comfortably on the cosmopolitan Connecticut Avenue. A well-oiled machine, the establishment first opened in 1976 and has since been coined as the first bookstore in the country to feature a full bar and an adjacent restaurant. Its alliterative slogan, “Serving Latte to the Literati since 1976,” gleans some truth; the bookstore is also credited for being the first to serve espresso and cappuccino to its customers. Discerning eyes will recoil in defeat as they enter; Kramerbooks is deserving of its praise and location. Upon entering, the wood-clad interior illicts a comforting and casual feel to both newcomers and frequenters (I observed tourists and D.C. natives alike leaning against the shelves, elbows propped, leafing through intriguing reads). The overstuffed ledges and nooks are unpretentious, as the books converge playfully in horizontal and vertical stacks against the walls. Void of any flashy advertisements, the store is elegant in its simplicity and allows customers to stumble upon their own finds. The unobtrusive air it offers gives clear explanation of its national exposure during the Lewinsky scandal when it refused to disclose records of Lewinsky’s purchases from the store, a clear indicator of the priority it gives to customer service. The inventory is varied, but leaves room for plenty of paperback fiction and travel writing. The latter is a particularly captivating section, exciting recounts of European travels by bike and treks through France’s cuisine being among the best selling (One particularly intriguing find was Remembrance of Things Paris: Sixty Years of Writing from Gourmet edited by former Gourmet magazine editor-in-chief Ruth Reichl). France dominates the section, with more than 30 books to choose from about Parisian travel. At least two fellow browsers picked up Paris to the Past: Traveling through French history by Train during my visit. Other choices include stories of South America and the Middle East, but few featured stories were from the African continent. Bill Bryson, an expert traveler and superb writer, is also a store favorite. The children’s and young adults’ sections are equally impressive in their tasteful selections (finally, Captain Underpants wasn’t the first thing to see). Shel Silverstein’s The Giving Tree and Falling Up are given a prime spotlight in the center shelving. Classics by Eric Carle and Ian Falconer are also among best in the collection. Seeing the flash of pink lipstick from the Eloise cover was enough to provide a momentary flashback to my childhood and I was reminded of the simpler reads that brought me so much joy. In the adolescents’ area, it was pleasing to see that superficial reads like The Clique series were nowhere in sight. The titles, ranging from Beverly Cleary’s Ramona and Beezus and Sarah Dessen’s The Truth About Forever, signify the message that Kramerbooks is attempting to say to its younger customers: substance is key. Despite its location in the heart of a political district, Kramerbooks displays no such partisanship in its inventory. Though there are books to satisfy the future politician, they do not represent an overbearing presence in the store as one might imagine. Of course, the newest from Bill O’Reilly and Chris Matthews take center stage in the front, but most people flocked to the likes of James Patterson to satisfy their leisure time. However, in light of the recent government shutdown, a few customers seemed to be inspired and walked away with Ira Shapiro’s The Last Great Senate: Courage and Statesmanship in Times of Crisis. The second half of the establishment’s name, Afterwords Café, is not to be missed. Almost completely hidden if one walks into the front entrance of the bookstore, the café is bumped out into a mod interior with a sky-high ceiling and mirrored walls and extends into an outdoor patio setting. The menu is surprisingly sophisticated and vegetarian friendly, and is noted for its healthy alternatives. According to a waitress, the weekend brunches and Saturday evening suppers are when the café is at its busiest. It is known to host many of Washington’s prominent politicians for lunch as well. For brunch, a lovely complimentary plate of assorted mini pastries and fruit is offered as a starter. The recommended crab cake sandwich was not overwhelming in size and had a side of tangy greens that complemented it well. A bustling and enthusiastic staff contributed greatly in making the dining experience exceptional. Dining aside, Kramerbooks & Afterwords reminds D.C. that reading is an adventure. It is reminiscent of “The Shop Around the Corner” from the film You’ve Got Mail in its charm, but differs in that it will not be defeated by the corporate bookstore across the street. In other words, Kramerbooks is here to stay. Address: 1517 Connecticut Avenue, NW, Washington, D.C. 20036 Hours: 7:30 AM-1AM daily, 24 hours Friday & Saturday Live Music Wednesday-Saturday night
- NaNoWriMo is Here!
Jessica Perry November 13, 2013 | 10:09am EST November is a lazy month for most. Football, turkey-induced naps, and shopping trump any real world obligations. Meanwhile, several hundred thousand others spend the month slumped over a laptop with cup after cup of coffee. So how do the authors of Water for Elephants, The Night Circus, and Persistence of Memory fit into this equation? They are part of the “Wrimo tribe”: the overcaffeinated, overworked participants of National Novel Writing Month. This yearly event- NaNoWriMo for short- requires participants to write at least 50,000 words between the first and 30th of November. That averages to about 1,667 words per day. Intense time constraints leave no room for overthinking. Though it might seem crazy, many complete this challenge. The aforementioned authors are part of over 250 traditionally published NaNoWriMo authors and countless other self-publishers. They joined online at www.nanowrimo.org, where anyone can publicly post their novel information, update their word count, and connect with tons of other writers and resources. The best part about NaNoWriMo? It’s a 501©(3) nonprofit which works with local communities to empower worldwide creativity. They offer regional workshops, write-ins, and motivational speeches to expand their offline presence. Specialized branches focus on integrating creative writing into educational systems, prisons, juvenile halls, and more. I am continually impressed by this organization. Admittedly I failed the challenge eight years in a row. But I have gained so much more than the competition I lost. I have learned to not fear deadlines, but use them to move forward faster, to not be intimidated by others’ work, but inspired, and to reach out when I’m stuck. Most importantly, I met unexpected writer friends who support me year-round. I am inspired not only by those involved, but by the premise that personal limitations can be broken by external motivation. I have walked away from this year after year knowing I’m a more confident writer- and confidence is the most effective enemy to employ against creative self-doubt. What keeps me hooked on NaNoWriMo is the idea that everyone has a story to share. Whether you’re a student, an auto worker, unemployed, an engineer, or a retiree, you can walk away a novelist. NaNoWriMo believes everyone deserves the chance to try. All you have to do is join the tribe and jump in. Who knows where you’ll end up?
- NaNoWriMo is Here!
Jessica Perry November 13, 2013 | 10:09am EST November is a lazy month for most. Football, turkey-induced naps, and shopping trump any real world obligations. Meanwhile, several hundred thousand others spend the month slumped over a laptop with cup after cup of coffee. So how do the authors of Water for Elephants, The Night Circus, and Persistence of Memory fit into this equation? They are part of the “Wrimo tribe”: the overcaffeinated, overworked participants of National Novel Writing Month. This yearly event- NaNoWriMo for short- requires participants to write at least 50,000 words between the first and 30th of November. That averages to about 1,667 words per day. Intense time constraints leave no room for overthinking. Though it might seem crazy, many complete this challenge. The aforementioned authors are part of over 250 traditionally published NaNoWriMo authors and countless other self-publishers. They joined online at www.nanowrimo.org, where anyone can publicly post their novel information, update their word count, and connect with tons of other writers and resources. The best part about NaNoWriMo? It’s a 501©(3) nonprofit which works with local communities to empower worldwide creativity. They offer regional workshops, write-ins, and motivational speeches to expand their offline presence. Specialized branches focus on integrating creative writing into educational systems, prisons, juvenile halls, and more. I am continually impressed by this organization. Admittedly I failed the challenge eight years in a row. But I have gained so much more than the competition I lost. I have learned to not fear deadlines, but use them to move forward faster, to not be intimidated by others’ work, but inspired, and to reach out when I’m stuck. Most importantly, I met unexpected writer friends who support me year-round. I am inspired not only by those involved, but by the premise that personal limitations can be broken by external motivation. I have walked away from this year after year knowing I’m a more confident writer- and confidence is the most effective enemy to employ against creative self-doubt. What keeps me hooked on NaNoWriMo is the idea that everyone has a story to share. Whether you’re a student, an auto worker, unemployed, an engineer, or a retiree, you can walk away a novelist. NaNoWriMo believes everyone deserves the chance to try. All you have to do is join the tribe and jump in. Who knows where you’ll end up?
- On Campus Event: How to Make Money Selling Drugs Screening
Nolan Miller November 12, 2013 | 5:19pm EST American University’s chapter of React to Film is a documentary film club geared towards raising awareness about important social issues through organizing free documentary screenings on campus twice a semester. How to Make Money Selling Drugs was shown this past Tuesday (11/5) for the club’s last film of the semester. Even after cramming in a few more additional rows of chairs and having standing room in the back, there was still barely enough room to fit everyone. Apparently students at American University are looking at every avenue possible for ways to cut down on their ever increasing tuition fees. The film itself describes how to “level up” through the ranks of the illegal drug trade, from recreational user all the way to cartel lord. Unfortunately, the comic video game imagery weaved throughout and a couple semi-surprising facts are just about the only elements that set the film apart from the tidal wave of drug related movies that have been released over the last twenty or so years. All fictional and documentary drug films seem to follow the same formula: First, ease into the subject lightly with lots of smiling druggies describing how fun illegal substances can be and how quickly you can make stacks of cash by entering the drug trade. Build on that high by moving to seductive depictions of the lavish, pleasure-filled lifestyle that could potentially be yours if you are willing to take some big risks and start selling “weight,” i.e. larger and larger amounts of drugs. Then suddenly change to a depressing tone to surprise the audience with in depth descriptions and examples of how completely the lifestyle can ruin you and those you love. Finally, wrap up with some statistics and/or tears that slam home how drugs and the drug war perpetuate violence and addiction with massive costs to the poor for the general benefit of the politicians and the drug kingpins. How to Make Money Selling Drugs follows the structure I just explicated to the letter, in addition to not presenting any strikingly new insights about drug policy, trade or abuse for anyone who is familiar with the United States’ drug war. Thus, the film’s strength is in the coherence of its presentation of the conflict, not in any radical reinterpretations of, or captivating and original information on the subject itself. The panel after the film, however, was a great bookend to the event. Comprised of two interviewees featured in the film, Eric Sterling, president of the Criminal Justice Policy Foundation, and Neil Franklin, executive director of the Law Enforcement Against Prohibition (LEAP), the panel presented opinions not explicitly stated or fully developed in How to Make Money Selling Drugs. Responding to questions from the audience, both panelists explained their own roles they have adopted in the war against the war on drugs, what each thought was the best path to achieving deregulation in the U.S., and then how drugs should be managed by the government in a post-drug war society. Even considering my misgivings about the film itself, React to Film’s event was, undeniably, a huge success. The screening attracted men and women of all ages and the discussion with the panelists was lively and stimulating. What remains to be seen is how many drug czars the event will produce on campus. Below is a quote about the club and last Tuesday’s event from Amanda Zimmerman, one of the co-heads of React to Film along with Emily Zabaleta and AmLit’s very own co-editor-in-chief, Samantha Falewee. “I’ve been one of the REACT to FILM AU Chapter Leaders since my sophomore fall semester and it has been amazing watching the organization transform over the years. Our screening of How to Make Money Selling Drugs was by far our most successful screening yet. We had almost 100 people come out and we really tried to make the experience of the screening unique. Over the course of the past year, we’ve taken on 13 new team members who deal with event aspects ranging from marketing to graphic design to social media. REACT to FILM AU is not just about watching awesome documentaries, it’s become a creative outlet for the students involved and an interactive viewing experience for all those who come to our screenings.”
- Art Exhibit Review: First Fridays on R Street
Tiffany Wong November 5, 2013 | 6:28pm EST On the first Friday of every month, DC art lovers gather in Dupont Circle for First Fridays, a night when galleries stay open later than usual to debut new works. Free wine and snacks are served, but, more importantly, visitors can meet the artists themselves and even snag some art firsthand. These independent galleries, typically “rest stops” for those making a pilgrimage to the Phillips Collection, are housed in brownstone-like buildings with welcoming staircases and worn white walls. Several R Street galleries participate in First Fridays, some of which are conveniently situated one after another. For November’s First Friday, AmLit visits two: Alex Galleries and Studio Gallery. Alex Galleries Our first stop is the Alex Gallery – the first floor gallery of its overarching plural, Alex Galleries – where the recent works of Judith Judy are currently on display. Here, the scene is quiet as viewers weave in and out of its rooms. Judy’s current exhibit features landscapes of various sizes that juxtapose a blurred scene with clear uses of artistic technique. In “Green Tree Mountain,” a tree of blues, greens, and grays sits atop a slight hill. Although the overall painting is one that will make viewers want to rub their eyes, Judy’s concentration on brushstrokes and painting methods is undeniable. Close-up of Judith Judy’s “Green Tree Mountain” Next is Studio Gallery, Washington’s oldest cooperative gallery that is equally owned by 32 artists who regularly exhibit in the space. Tonight, a white-haired, bow-tied Eugene Markowski can be seen working the rooms of Studio Gallery’s first floor, an art space more bustling than our last gallery. Close-up of Markowski’s “Early Cosmos” In the artist’s exhibit, Cosmologies, Markowski depicts his perception of Einstein’s equations of gravity and accelerating gravity with controlled color palettes and materials such as homosote, wood, modeling paste, acrylic, and metallic paint – materials that are all unforgiving, especially when used with purpose and precision. Citing Leonardo da Vinci as one of his inspirations, Markowski says, “What I got from him was his interest in mathematics, the equations in nature, and the construction of machinery. He, in my mind, was the first artist to bridge art and science.” Eugene Markowski with “Message from Mars” at Studio Gallery A painting and sculpting minor as an undergraduate, the artist says that he moved away from flat painting because the art form wasn’t achieving a sense of depth that satisfied him. After years of experimentation, Markowski finally found a happy medium that combines both painting and sculpture, but is continuously discovering new ways to combine art and science. “I see the beauty in the mathematics and in the equations,” he says. “What I’m doing here is translating the elegance and magnificence of Einstein’s equations, plus the cosmos itself” ——- Judith Judy’s exhibit at Alex Galleries will be open until November 30. 2106 R Street, NW Eugene Markowski’s exhibit at Studio Gallery will be open until November 23. 2108 R Street, NW
- Film Flashback: La Notte
Jeoffrey Pucci November 2, 2013 | 6:17pm EDT With the opening scene of La Notte (“The Night”) (1961), Michelangelo Antonioni (director) challenges how the modern subject is seen. Beginning within an empty reflection of an elevator, gliding down the side of a Modern skyscraper without emitting sound of its own, one must become aware to the metaphor of modernity: Alienated romance. Following the dark and restless L’Avvenutra (1960), La Notte is a troubled, sterile, and suffocating experience of an emotionally deadened marriage and its agonizing exploits throughout the intellectual circles of Milan. At the center of the film is the story of Giovanni (Marcello Mastroianni) and his wife Lidia (Jeanne Moreau), an intellectually affluent couple, whose marriage appears predicated upon the empty promise of romantic love. Whereas the rural countryside of L’Avventura openly admits to its isolationism and restlessness, the urban landscape of La Notte assures the modern subject that there are abundant friendships and commonalities to be found within the Modern City. As the rural countryside of L’Avventura fades into the repetitive and gray cityscape of Milan, the immensity of Modernity’s industrialization returns as the central theme of Antonioni’s en-framing of Modernity. Unlike the docile and describable characters of L’Avventura, never giving birth to any sense of self-awareness or self-worth, the characters of La Notte bear the distinct marks of human beings. The film’s two main characters, Lidia and Giovanni, reluctantly attend a book signing for Giovanni’s latest book, when he and Lidia have the opportunity to involve and experience themselves with other affluent members of the intelligentsia, they are forced to confront their utter lack of interest in each other. However, as members of the educated elite, are they not bound to each-other by personal choice? How could there be a desire not to want to spend time together if they chose to be together? La Notte remains distinctly Marxist, the centrality of alienation within freely chosen arrangements remains a site of profound contradiction in Modernity. The modern subject, in experiencing herself through the abundantly empty and emotionless spaces arising between individuals within the modern city, echoes Marx’s sentiments on estrangement; “the external character of labor for the worker appears in the fact that it is not his own, but someone else’s, that it does not belong to him, that in it he belongs, not to himself, but to another […] it belongs to another; it is the loss of his self” (Marx,1844). One must reflect on how Modernity experiences itself. As the question of meaning and purpose evacuates itself from one’s career, relationships with loved ones, and most agonizingly, relation to the self through, where is one to locate the production of meaning within one’s life? This is the question that drives Antonioni’s story of Lidia and Giovanni as they struggle to find connections between themselves and others — and most importantly, to find a solution to the suffocating and crippling sense of despair and emptiness that accompanies so many daily experiences. The search for meaning locates itself uniquely in the problematic of the most affluent and intelligent actors of in Modernity. After all, it seems that the educated are motivated into commitments by their own choosing. However, the nature of these commitments is primarily sexual in nature. The sexually frustrated and experienced woman is the focus of this film as she navigate her social landscapes primarily dominated by sexual contrasts, tensions, and commitments. Unlike the failures of the rich woman in La Adventura, to derive any kind of emotional value from a paradigm of materialism, the intellectual woman in La Notte finds herself unable to grasp a sense of commonality, excitement, or general interest from her peers without the intervention of sexual seduction, possibility, and domination. La Notte is a radical exposé on the centrality of sexuality within the intellectual world, as it rejects the emptiness of materialism by sentiments of erotic pleasure and romantic love. These societal acts come to see money as false, fake, and ultimately unrewarding, whereas the possibility of love, sexual lust, and erotic pleasure drives actors into the most unexpected social arrangements, which initially promise a chance of emotional connection. As Giovanni chases Valentina Gherardini (Monica Vitti) through a party, ultimately seducing her and promising himself to her in front of Lidia, the centrality of sexuality within the intellectual world cannot be understated. But as these societal actors violate and break their promises to each other, in the end, they remain only with their abstracted promises of eternal love through marriage. This subtle, and depressing paradox within Modernity concentrates us into a landscape of utter loneliness and self-absorption. However, by no means does this film lack in emotional quality. In many scenes, Lidia follows the haunting memories of her and Giovanni’s past; locating herself near their first home, watching young lads shooting rockets into the sky, having coffee at old and familiar cafes. Lidia, emblematic of the modern subject, is haunted by the specter of her idealized past. When struck by a romantic moment with Giovanni, both quickly flee, avoiding any chance of experiencing an emotional cathexis. Through Lidia, La Notte demonstrates itself as a chilling and sublime study of the urban identity, an identity that revolves around numerous sexual friendships predicated on shaky commonalities and commitments. Most of the film is spent in the quiet moments of Lidia and Giovanni, each desperately clinging to erotic possibilities and disappointments. By the conclusion of film, one is forced upon the question: Can love exist even for those who reject the materialist world? More than that, can one even reject a romantic love that has turned sour and hope to be happy? As Andrei Tarkovsky, director of the infamous Stalker (1979) and Solaris (1972), commented on the film: The final sequence of Antonioni’s La Notte is perhaps the only episode in the whole history of cinema in which a love scene became a necessity and took on the semblance of a spiritual act. It’s a unique sequence in which physical closeness has great significance. The characters have exhausted their feelings for each other but are still very close to each other. As a friend of mine said once, more than five years with my husband is like incest. These characters have no exit from their closeness. We see them desperately trying to save each other, as if they were dying.
- Artist Spotlight: Mattea Falk
Emma Bartley October 31, 2013 | 5:59pm EDT Amid the sea of SIS and Public Affairs majors at AU, relatively small pockets of literature-loving students can be found floating around campus. We aren’t too hard to find (just look in the Dav on any given day or, better yet, come by an AmLit meeting). I decided to sit down with AU junior Mattea Falk last week in the Mudbox for a morning chat about her passion for both reading and writing poetry. She has been writing poems since sophomore year of high school and recalled her first poem with embarrassed laughter: “I specifically remember that it was about driving somewhere, and I was listening to Konstantine by Something Corporate.” Now Mattea is majoring in Literature and is one of the two Poetry Editors for AmLit. She has had several of her poems published in AmLit, the Harrisonburg-based MING!magazine and the online publication The Paper Knife. Despite being super modest about the depth of her, it is no exaggeration to say that Mattea absolutely geeks out over poetry, and I have a feeling that she should could talk about it for a way longer time than my impromptu interview allowed. Below are some of the more coherent snippets from our frequently rambling and all around sporadic conversation. What are some poetry-related activities that you do outside of your regular Lit classes? AmLit is the big one, I don’t know what I’d do without it. But I’ve also been doing poetry workshops… like right now I’m in a workshop with Kyle Dargan [a poetry professor at AU], and that’s been really cool – we’re bringing in a lot of extra readings, like Patrick Phillip’s collection, Chattahoochee. Definitely the best thing I’ve done was the workshop I took last spring with David Keplinger. I‘d never heard of anyone speak about poetry so beautifully. That sounds pretty corny, but it’s true! For Keplinger’s we did rounds of workshops – so, one group would bring in a poem a week, we’d take it home, and next week we would all critique that piece, focusing on elements like image, line, language, form, etc. Keplinger’s class was cool because everyone was kind and helpful and it had this interesting format where the author couldn’t respond, because Keplinger was of the mind that if an author is allowed to respond (or, in a sense, “defend” what was critiqued in a piece) that person would miss the point i.e. that there was a weakness in the piece. When coming up with subjects or ideas for your poetry, do you often draw from material from other classes? Yeah, I think so. A lot of times I go back to concepts from lit theory. I’ve been really obsessed with identity formation lately (like, Lacanian mostly) and just generally have issues of semiotics in the back of my mind, though I don’t know if any of that really comes across in my poetry. Maybe? Recently I wrote something that kind of revisited Saussure/some post-structuralism stuff that’s all about resisting fixed meaning and binaries. Is there a certain element of your poetry, like rhyme scheme or line breaks, that you actively enjoy manipulating and playing with? I don’t like rhyme that much unless it’s, like, internal, soft rhyme. But line breaks I can definitely tinker with forever. I like lines that can stand alone – meaning they have significance on their own. I also like lines that alter the meaning of the previous line, or that have different significance depending on how you read the surrounding breaks. I think every line should have impact (though, obviously, I don’t think I really achieve this. It’s kind of the ideal, you know? But shoot for the moon and all that, I guess.) There was a discussion in my workshop the other day about how writing on the computer is different from writing on paper because it’s easier to manipulate line breaks on a computer and kind of rearrange really quickly and see all the options. But some people are really into the slow, lengthy process of rewriting on paper. But with that I think there’s also an element of like “art needs to be hard” snobbery and quasi-Luddite-like resistance to technology, which I don’t find very appealing or productive. I’m mostly about images though. I think, for me, despite my fascination with line and all the minutiae of poetic mechanics, it always comes back to startling language. What’s that formalist idea? Like, the point of art is to “make the stone stony”? I feel something along those lines: That all the other tricks are kind of accessories to the main point of reviving language to express an image (or sensation) as something fresh or startling or worthwhile or … I guess there’s about a thousand things I could say here. It would be kind of dumb to try to enumerate all the potential ends of art. But anyway, you get the idea: images. Who are some poets that you draw inspiration from? Last semester David Keplinger showed me this poem, “To Go To Lvov” by Andrew Zagajewski and it’s awesome. It’s super long and there’s no stanza breaks and it just goes – like, it has this velocity to it. So sometimes I find myself trying to write that poem a thousand times over in my own context. It’s just, like, I love poems that just go and go and go and go and lead to this weird other place. Okay… so then I’m also pretty into Alt Lit (Alternative Literature) people like Crispin Best and Mira Gonzalez, even though I don’t think I really write like them. Other than that, I’m just forever in love with Carolyn Forche, Li-Young Lee, and Richard Seeken. What is your editing process like for poems that you plan on submitting? Do you ask other people outside of your workshops for suggestions? How do you know when you’re finally finished? I’ll definitely show other people when I just want their opinion on something. When I want, like, specific things I’ll go to people and ask, “Does this work? Does this communicate this idea?” And for AmLit, for example, the night before I submit stuff I stay up all night and spend a good couple of hours going over poems on my own. But I don’t know, sometimes I just keep going… and I don’t know that any of my poems are ever finished. I always kind of go back and look at a poem and think about how I could change something. Okay, so this might be an awkward question that’s going to force you to boost your own ego but here it goes: What do you think is one of the most interesting things you’ve done in your poetry? Ah no that’s so gross! Okay…well last semester I wrote a series of prose poems about dreams. Even though I think it’s kind of cheating when you write about dreams, because dreams are awesome all the time, some of the images in those are really cool. I don’t even know that they are from actual dreams, I might have just made them up. But yeah, I liked writing prose poems. I think prose poems are really interesting mainly just because there’s a really distinct difference between a prose piece and a prose poem. I don’t know if I can articulate it well, but it has to move like a poem and think like a poem, instead of thinking like prose. So I think that was a really cool thing to try and get in to. What is one thing that’s happening in contemporary poetry that you find particularly interesting? Like I said earlier, I think Alt Lit is really fascinating. I like Crispin Best and Mira Gonzalez because they’re honest and also just generally very bizarre and there is absolutely no sense of shame or trepidation in their work. Like, they’re all about bucking conventions of what poetry “should” be or do, and they don’t even apologize for it, they don’t even give a moment of consideration to the conventions they’re messing with. I think I find that really appealing because (for whatever reason, maybe patriarchal socialization, maybe just me bein’ me, who cares?) I am really apologetic about everything. Like, I’m that girl who says sorry when she accidentally breathes too close to you in the coffee line. SO, yeah. They just don’t care, or rather, they don’t let anybody else tell them what to care about, and I love it. Do you have any final thoughts that you want to throw out to the world? If you write secret poetry, you should show people. Because it’s more fun when it’s not secret.