January 2012
“Forget” by Liana La Havas (Shlohmo...
Another consistently good mix from the Indie...
“Lafaye” by School of Seven Bells
...
Light to Dark
Mostly, I’ve realized a lot of people are unhappy or dissatisfied, that it is not just an internal frustration, but also a universal, generational worry. But I’ve also realized that people have many goals and aspirations, and the older they get, the more hesitant they are to admit them. Goals begin to feel like things that young people do and accomplish, and now my goals should be...
The Commute
You have two choices in your walk home in the cold: be like everyone else and keep your head down, or turn the next 10 minutes into a moment for a Naomi Campbell Walk. Glide over those patches of ice like the graceful swan you are. This block right here is your runway. A moment of rest is never in order. To rest is to stop moving. To stop moving is to feel the cold. Remember, the prize is heat,...
“ICBYS” by Zambri
A stark, but...
“Watching You Without Me” by Kate...
“Lights” by Dave.I.D.
Another missed...
acoldwar asked: Hey Britt, I think you're awesome (and we share the name name! and we're both writers!) Since I turn to you for all things indie and avant-garde-y, I was wondering: Do you tend to find indie/alt covers of hip-hop and r&b songs to be fun exercises in genre exploration, exasperating displays of irony, or something else? I just came across Sondre Lerche's cover of Beyonce's...
Circled Sun
I spent part of the day at Hubbard Street Dance Chicago and immediately upon entering his office, Artistic Director Glenn Edgerton recognized that I was a former dancer.
“And why did you stop?” he asked.
I felt ashamed, but couldn’t articulate why. This wasn’t the first time this sort of conversation has come up during my visits to the studios, rehearsal spaces, and...
Dimming
I fear that what has been ingrained in me is a lack of self-worth perpetuated by an understanding of an unsympathetic cultural, social machine. Meaning, the way I now look at the world is exhausting. It’s a way of seeing that is blinded by history and expectation. It’s a way of seeing that acknowledges, “That’s just the way things are done,” and there’s nothing...
“Sadness” by Steffi
The nice thing...
“I realized I was smiling and heard myself thinking this was the closest to...”
– Karina Martinez-Carter, Good Airs, Good Reads
Karina interned at the MCA when I worked there in 2010 and we became friends over a mutual love of culture and media. We were also around the same age, trying to navigate and understand our lives outside of college.
The above quote felt especially real...
What Tumblr Does:
Provide users with an outlet to be open, vulnerable, and inspirational. I can’t stress the vulnerability enough. Public vulnerability is something that is looked down upon, or shamed, and I love that there are projects such as Notes from Inside the Closet and The Twenty Twelve Project that are focused, but still open. More than curation, I find that it is the continued connection between...
An Experiment:
I took a walk home with my head held high. There was physical pain because of the unfamiliar position, but also the realization of the emotional vulnerability of looking up. Eye contact happens and it is an acknowledgement of another person. I’ve realized how little I do that with strangers, but with those I am acquainted with, my looks are long and deep. Connections now come quickly and...
“Do you know what she did?” he said. “She sent me the link to your blog and she was making fun of it.”
This girl was supposed to be my friend, but I also knew that as easily as she talked about other people, I’m sure she also talked about me. That’s one thing I sometimes forget about gossip and the way I talk about others. I am not excluded from name calling,...
“Get Together” by Madonna
Home after...
December 2011
“There’s a certain dreariness to a winter without snow. There’s no blanket of...”
– Elisabeth Donnelly
That’s why Chicago in the winter has always been a terrible environment. It is always too cold to snow, and so the air is bitter and the wind is painful. It feels as if it never ends.
“Hard-Boiled Babe” by Lizzy Mercier...
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The Breathing Stereotype
Clearly, you are angry all the time. Clearly, the emotions you feel can only be anger. Clearly, we can’t recognize that you can feel any other way. For you, to show emotion can only mean to show anger or hate. You are not sad. Those are tears born out of the rage that is your birth right. You don’t cry tears of pain. There is no pain. You don’t know pain. You are not happy. You...
