The Comedy of Awkwardness
Last week I posted my video of my intentionally awkward Powerpoint presentation, “My Dog Cosmo.” My father in law wrote to me to say that he enjoyed it, and that it reminded him of a 1928 performance by humorist Robert Benchley, which was tantalizingly titled “The Treasurer’s Report.”
Watch the video of “The Treasurer’s Report,” below, and think of all the “comedy of awkward” in 2010, especially the comedy of the awkward nerd. And, of course, think back to Andy Kaufman, who made a career out of making you wonder what was real and what was an act. (more…)
Art and the Zen of Bicycle Maintenance
When I lived in DC, one of my favorite local orgs was Art Enables, a non-profit studio and gallery for artists with mental and/or developmental disabilities — or, as they say in their much-catchier tag line: “Outsider art, inside the Beltway.”
I’m still on their mailing list, and I got a postcard yesterday for an event I’d definitely attend if I were in town:
What: Art and the Zen of Bicycle Maintenance
When: Saturday, May 15, 2010, from 3-5pm
“The artists at Art Enables work at making the best outsider art inside the Beltway. The young people in training at Phoenix Bikes learn entrepreneurship from running a bike shop. They also make bike art. Karma.”
Two great community orgs coming together to produce a creative event… (more…)
Bad Writing Documentary
I love the story behind this film: Guy writes poetry. Time passes — guy quits drinking, gets his GED, starts writing again. Guy finds box of old poetry in mom’s basement and is horrified to find out that he isn’t the poetic genius he once thought himself to be. Guy decides to show his bad poetry to good writers, from David Sedaris to Margaret Atwood, and get their advice about what makes for good writing.
And so, I present the trailer for Bad Writing:
Bad Writing – Official Trailer from Morris Hill Pictures on Vimeo.
“Guy,” by the way, is Vernon Lott. The film is 100% self-financed, and he’s looking for a distributor.
Learn more about the project on Facebook.
Drum Circles
This is my second post in the 2010 WordCount Blogathon, or #Blog2010 on Twitter – a challenge to blog every day for a month. If you found me through the Blogathon and this is your first time at Tastee Pudding: welcome!
I live across the street from Tompkins Square Park in New York City’s East Village. My daily soundtrack includes the rumble of buses on Avenue B, a hound dog bellowing from the famous Tompkins Square dog run, and, if it’s the weekend, a nonstop flow of drumming – a rolling sound punctuated with hollow pops. (I can hear the drumming right now, as I type this.)
Sometimes I see the drummers when I’m walking my dog. Today was one of those days, and I decided to capture the moment on video (more…)
2010 WordCount Blogathon
After seeing Jordan get so much from FAWM (February Album Writing Month), I found myself craving a similar opportunity to intensify my focus on writing. Thanks to the wonders of Twitter, this week I discovered the 2010 WordCount Blogathon (#Blog2010 on Twitter) – a challenge to blog every day for the month of May. I signed up, and I can’t wait.
I’ve been wafting about with Tastee Pudding, feeling like I’m not quite hitting the voice or approach I’m after. Sometimes, I let a week go by without posting — death in blog land. I think the Blogathon will help me focus, and after writing 31 posts in 31 days, chances are I’ll have a much better sense of what this blog really is.
Away we go…
