From one MaryMac to another, brava! My three essays for FAIR detail my experiences in theater, which track yours, sadly.
Now, plans are in place to mount an adaptation of mine, The Macbeths, in Utah next fall. After all that’s happened, including fleeing to North Carolina to only be cancelled yet again by the theater community here, I admit I am nervous about mounting my play because the Pacific Northwest leftists continue to hunt me. But I’m going to anyway.
I’m so happy you found a free-thinking community in FL… in the before times, this would not be the unicorn it is today. Keep up the good and brave and important work. Keep the flame and power story alive!
Hurray, MaryMac!! Wow am I glad to meet you -- and sorry that your move to NC didn't pan out artistically as you had hoped. Damn.
NC was an option for us, as was TN and other places that felt more "northern," but honestly, when we visited FL to check it out, I was surprised to find that it felt very much like a melting pot. It makes sense, with so many transients here.
I've been blessed to find a social tribe here; how free-thinking the theatre community really is remains to be seen.
I'm looking forward to reading your FAIR essays, and I have fingers/toes crossed that The Macbeths is produced as planned. Keep in touch! xox
Eddie! Just was in Charlotte. When are we getting together for a beer, fellow ex-pat? I’m in Chapel Hill but will come your way happily! See my three essays for FAIR for my stories. The Art Thieves, Art From the Ashes (also audio) and The Artist in Exile are the pieces. Here’s to an NC freethinkers play fest! (NC|FPF… that’s got a nice ring to it!)
Chapel Hill? Woo hoo! In the mid to late '70's, I had transferred to Chapel Hill from UNC-W, from marine biology to philosophy. Took a class under the infamous Paul Ziff, while my Japanese girlfriend went up to Harvard to do honors work for Prof Susumu Kuno. We lived next door in Carrboro, and I worked the night shift at a convenience store called 'The Open Pantry'. I might be mistaken, but I think the neon lit 'r' had burned out. 😂
Chapel Hill was as close to an intellectual heaven as I ever got — much better than the best similar communities in Japan. But I hear Asheville is quite the beehive too.
Hi Steve, CH is very, very blue these days, as is UNC, Carrboro, on and on. So that means the brainpower has dimmed to the dominant paradigm, sadly. I've already been cancelled from the theater community here -- managed that just a brief few months after moving here. Sigh. I'm off to Japan in a few weeks, for the first time. Can't WAIT! Best to you.
It saddens me to hear that. I have vague memories of sitting in a coffee shop, and hearing someone at the table next to me chat about Wittgenstein, and someone else about Herbie Hancock, and not hesitating to jump into such chats with strangers.
Japan is quite a socially conservative place. Strangers rarely talk to strangers. Hospitality and presentation skills are top-notch, but it tends to be traditional / transactional rather than transformational. But I guess that covers most of the world. Even though the novelty has worn off, I'd still rate Japan as one of the top must-see places for travelers.
If interested in a meet up or need some assistance ... I am less than 30 minutes from Shibuya or Shinjuku by train, and have a van for longer excursions such as the Fuji 5 Lakes, Enoshima, Hakone, etc. ... and a couple of recently retired lady friends who speak a bit of English and enjoy any excuse to hit the road or the town.
ps. You might be interested in checking out a new buddy, Robert Jefferson, through his YouTube podcast, The Kamakura Gardener.
Shortly after leaving my stint at Temple University Japan (biology lab director, public speaking, freshman writing), Robert joined the faculty. He still works part-time for NHK, but was at ABC as a foreign correspondent for a while. We met here on Substack because of shared attitudes about the plandemic. Smart guy!
I was about to say to Mary McD, "I'll bet Steve Martin would meet up with you if you're anywhere near him in Japan," but then I read your response -- you're so kind, Steve!
Hey Mary, thanks for the reply. But I think you misread where we wound up. We're in Charleston, SC... not Charlotte. More specifically Daniel Island (suburb). But yeah, if you're ever down in this part of the world, I'd be more than happy to share a beer. Do you currently live in NC?
Ha! We read what we wish to see, ain't that the truth! I'm living in Chapel Hill, which, if you look at the third essay in the series, didn't turn out to be as welcoming as I'd hoped. But there is still a lot to recommend it. I just can't make art here (or possibly anywhere, if past is prologue). I will be heading to Georgetown, ~ 60 miles from you, to visit yet another heterodox artist, in this case a musician, who also fled here from the Pacific Northwest. He's headed into the ministry now. Love to continue down your way to visit. I'll be making the trip to see him in the summer, after I'm back from a trip to Japan.
Hey Mary, will definitely try to read that essay when I get a chance. And yes, please, if you do go South of South, happy to meet up with you. Japan, wow! I've been practicing Aikido for decades. Love the culture. My sis-in-law was an ESL teacher in Tokyo for 20 years. I've never been, but would love to some day. You can contact me directly at eantar123@gmail.com. Best.
Just thought I'd butt in ... a former Carolina guy now living in Japan for close to 44 years. Grad school was in TESOL at Temple Univ. Japan, so most of my career has been in EFL. I live in the Tokyo area, so there is a good chance your sister in law and I have worked at or visited similar places. It's a nice place to visit, but the education system is not designed to empower the average worker to be bilingual or more. The heavy hand of the government on mass media and the narrative would be weakened, so we English instructors have been knee capped for quite a while now. Pre-plandemic. Still, it is a nice place to visit.
MARY! Oh my lord. This is VERY close to my story. I had developed a bit of a following as an NYC playwright. One of my plays was a New York Time's Critic's Pick, nominated for two Drama Desk Awards, winning 2 New York Innovative Theatre awards... And then... there's a lot to tell you. The short version is, after coming to terms in 2021 that we were living in a city where we were no longer wanted, my wife and I left our beloved NYC, where we lived all our lives to live in (ready???) Charleston, SC! I've gone on to other things. BUT, God I miss theater. I have TONS of material. The last full length was about Covid back in 2021. But I have lots of shorter plays as well. Would LOVE to connect. Love what your doing and I will check out your playwrights group. All the best!
EDDIE! I'm delighted to meet you. Wow zow, what an odyssey you've taken since covid. I met my husband in NYC -- we were both actors and I was involved with Alice's Fourth Floor Theatre a million years ago -- but we moved out of the city just before we married. I loved NYC too, but unlike you, I knew I didn't want to live there indefinitely. Also unlike you, I didn't have nearly the theatrical success!
I'd love to connect, too. I'll shoot you an email at eantar123@gmail.com. So glad you commented!
Wonderful article. Thank you. I miss real art dearly, art that resonates with the secret tender hearts of real people. I miss art and theater and the delicate beautiful skill of real talented artists, free. Thank you.
Go, Mary! Impressive and lovely, creative and talented you!
Beautiful story that reminded me quickly of this global impossibility we all experienced and the many lives it impacted. And yet as you demonstrate you took those disappointments and an even better version of you emerged.
What else is there to do with life's challenges? Inspiring.
I'm happy for you, for these new networks and opportunities. I have no doubt your light will ripple out and warm the hearts and minds of many.
Oh Kathleen! What gracious words. Thank you for sharing my happiness with me!! I really do feel empowered by individuals like you, who have quietly, steadfastly continued to shine their own lights. When Tonika was here (I miss her and Gillian's presence in my home!) she likened it to lighthouses blinking, signaling not just to ships in the dark but to fellow lighthouses: WE ARE HERE.
You have been, and continue to be, a lighthouse yourself. Big love. xoxo
It's such a fascinating (disrupting, uncomfortable, fill-in-the-blanks) time.
A quick (I hope) aside:
I'm visiting a sister in AZ and was reading on the plane yesterday. A Martha Grimes book I've read before - grabbed on my way out.
As I'm reading, I'm remembering more of the story of course, and also the author's style, the characters and their cadences, the themes that go with the times the book is written in (lates 90's) and I get this sense that while the book 'holds up' it's also tied to and describing a world that's over.
What humans do and talk about and how they understand their lives - all of that is taking place in a range - bandwidths of frequency - that act like a template for experience and interpretation of experience. For what's possible.
Gone. A whole setting or reality-template, in the dust-bin.
Everything created, tied-to that setting will begin to sound hollow, old, irrelevant, out of time etc.
It begs the question - assuming nothing new under the sun - what will the underpinnings of the incoming template be? If the perennial human stories are feeling out of date and anemic then what brings them back to life and meaning?
I don't know of course though if I had to guess, the incoming reality-template range will reorient who we ACTUALLY are in relation to the world, each other, etc. as opposed to the identities we've formed in order to adjust to that manufactured world.
Who we absent the programs. Who we are unplugged from the matrix.
Def went on too long. Still your essay I think is getting at how it feels when one reality gives way before the next iteration (of us and the world) is clear. And if you just 'keep going' through the doubts it gets good again. (And yes, Ronnie is like the world's best cheerleader for those moments we need reminding.)
Well, damn. This comment deserves its own Substack, Kathleen. And I could not agree more with your analysis.
I'm currently reading Kingsnorth's Against the Machine, and his central thesis aligns with yours: Western culture isn't dying, it's DEAD. So our job now is to plant seeds for the culture to come -- one we may never see or know.
It's my strong resonance with that concept that is driving me now. Theatre, to me, is sacred and ancient, and its power has been squandered at best, misused at worst. I see it as one real seed I can plant, to help birth the new culture that is awaiting, whatever that might be.
Gosh, am I happy to hear your thoughts. I've missed you. Sending big LOVE. 💞
Oh, Mary! This essay just makes me cry, first, tears of joy for you to have finally found your place. Then tears of sadness and anger for what you had to go through to get to this, your rightful place in the Art of Theater, but that the Covid fiasco attempted to deny you. Actually, all the consternating and agonizing, "should I, or shouldn't I wear a mask, honestly declare my covid status, take a stand and speak my truth etc." I can certainly relate, having gone through similar experiences in different circumstances. Yes, you were incredibly courageous, and have set an example for all those who know and love you. And now look at you, dedicating your talents to bring people back together after all the divisiveness. I'll close by saying, I'm so grateful that part of your journey led you to start your wonderful Substack, The Art of Freedom, because that's how I had the pleasure and the good fortune to become acquainted with you. I've loved you ever since then and always will. xoxo
You know this, but I'll say it again: it was your support and loving encouragement that KEPT ME GOING when The Art of Freedom was young and I was still unsure of myself. Not that I've got it all figured out now, but I do feel a clarity of purpose -- that would not have arisen had I not KEPT GOING. I loved you when you were simply "Rocket," the voice of a wiseacre cheerleader with heart, and still do now that you're Ronnie, my friend for whom I will ever be grateful. xox!
Oh, Mary! This essay just makes me cry, first, tears of joy for you to have finally found your place. Then tears of sadness and anger for what you had to go through to get to this, your rightful place in the Art of Theater, but that the Covid fiasco attempted to deny you. Actually, all the consternating and agonizing, "should I, or shouldn't I wear a mask, honestly declare my covid status, take a stand and speak my truth etc." I can certainly relate, having gone through similar experiences in different circumstances. Yes, you were incredibly courageous, and have set an example for all those who know and love you. And now look at you, dedicating your talents to bring people back together after all the divisiveness. I'll close by saying, I'm so grateful that part of your journey led you to start your wonderful Substack, The Art of Freedom, because that's how I had the pleasure and the good fortune to become acquainted with you. I've loved you ever since then and always will. xoxo
Mary! I am so thrilled for you, my friend! I can feel your excitement at returning to the stage. Oh my goodness. I love hearing stories like this. I asked Tonika recently whether she has a lot of Leo in her chart, and I'm wondering if you do as well. I sometimes dream of another lifetime where I have that Leo ability to get up on a stage and shine my light. I miss going to the theater. I'm in awe of it all.
Bless you, Barbara, and your enthusiasm for me. I really am so delighted to be taking the initiative to create theatre myself, rather than waiting for someone else to "choose" me. Basta, I say.
Leo, eh? Not sure. Capricorn sun, Pisces moon is all I know from memory! 😅
Tonika and her friend/co-writer/co-actor Gillian stayed with me for a week while we worked on the show, then they knocked it out of the park with their performance. I can't tell you how fulfilling it was to collaborate with them. Like coming home. ❤️ xox
This is a breath of fresh air! Does anyone know of a similar group for fiction writers? I want to get back to writing novels eventually...for people with an attention span, which might be doable as more people swear off social media.
You might check out FAIR's writers group. Karen Howes is the moderator of the Playwright's Think Tank and also runs this one. I don't have personal experience with it...
Just had to say something because I got such a grin at your moniker.
Will have more to say a bit later in a direct comment to Mary, but in the meantime ... I'm about halfway through 'Project Hail Mary' and having a blast. Info-tainment, in a novel form, at its best.
I'm still working on my 'top reader' stats, but comments are picking up too!
One of many problems is that what can be talked about is changing so quickly, and what is fundamental is beyond words. That liminal space in between ... I guess that's my target. There is a good Japanese word that obliquely points to that ... 'komorebi' ... the shifting light that filters through leaves. On the other hand, with a name like mine, I'll settle for a snicker.
From what I've seen over the last few years, writers (at least the visible "I really want to be in a MFA program" kind) are among the least tolerant people in the universe. Sometimes you can escape into more genre writing, but even there you must tread carefully. I've pretty much given up looking for writing groups, honestly, for that very reason.
I'm not even sure if such things exist anymore outside of groups focused on very specific genres. I had the misfortune of wandering near that NaNoWriMo thing in its last functional year (more out of curiosity than anything else), and if you weren't some kind of teen, gender fluid person writing dystopian, queer science fiction fantasy they had no use for you at all. Far too many people who claim to want to be writers have closet MFA aspirations, and it makes it tough for those of us who just want to write without the crap. Factor in the literary crowd's disdain for what they consider "genre" fiction and you're kind of hosed.
I figure there's got to be groups that don't mandate woke ideology. I mean, the 'politically homeless' are bigger than either the far left or the far right, so there must be clandestine groups somewhere. I expect it will be easier to be more visibly in these groups shortly--esp if you're not interested in 'traditional publishing' which at the moment is a waste of time.
Like I said, I suspect it's more likely they're lurking in the genre space than anything else. The whole "small press" movement unfortunately turned out to be yet another (even more rabid) "woke space," so it's not even worth a look as far as I can tell. Genre has the advantage of being considered "low brow" by the MFA warriors, so it seems to have escaped some of their not-so-loving attention. At least that's been my experience.
Actually I read the transcript of a podcast by a romantasy author and the host, an enthusiastic reader, and they kept exulting about how wonderfully diverse and LGBTQ romantasy was. So, pretty sure fantasy has probably gone pretty woke too.
I figure with woke dying, there will be more space for us to promte on out own...reach out to our own kind who can download books as anonymously as they always have--and maybe even use outraged cancel culture warriors as free advertising :)
Whatta treat ta see ya here Mary, tellin' yer story an' sharin' how dee-skustin' our profession beehaved--forcin' folks ta "pretend" & bend, an' wieldin' medi-cull tyrrany .... an' shame.
So glad ta hear of this noo endeavor in Flurry-da! (I knew 'bout yer directin' Tonika's show in ChiTown but this here's noo...an' great nooze!) Congrats, mazel tov, hooray!
As ya know, I'm one'a the banned thes-bean NewYawkers (banned in NYC as it were) along with mah hubby (who had ta sneek inta the office after midnight like a thief usin' the emergency metal key so the diggy-tale system didn't note that an unvaxxed person wuz enterin'!) an' mah girls, specially includin' mah youngest who could no longer perform, audition, 'er even take her beloved classes after a soiten pernt. Bein' unjabbed meant bein' unemployed--she wartched her peers git paid gigs & off b'way roles (b'way in a couple instances) but not her, couldn't even show up unjabbed sans Empire Pass An' not me either (also lost mah union coverage which sucked cuz no werk means no longer qualifyin'). She did do sum voice werk that allowed fer remote recordin' -- ditto here...but it ain't the same. An' YET we endure an' yer tale's encouragin' fer sure...gives one hope ye know--there is bouncin' back!
You know mah own woe-full story but I'll share it here jus' ta chime in. Our fam left The Big Apple (now the Rotten Apple) with our tails 'tween our legs--unemployed due ta not complyin' with the ManDates an' with our savin's all used up hopin' things'd open up again an' that those ManDates would be lifted. By the time that happened 2.7 years later an' we were already all packed up fer da boonies. Couldn't stay anyway... our landlord decided ta double our rent an' boot us out after 15+ years. I know we warn't alone tho'. ('Tis funny--bein' exiled is how we all convened on substack).
An' so I write/type/"stack" 'til I kin figger out a way ta trod the boards again! (As yer doin' so admirably!)
Bein' in the land of...cows...dirt roads...an' notta lotta culcha'--I ain't found thee-ate-'er werk yet--at least not professional stuff--nor mah pay-the-bills "extree" work...BUT mah youngest did with a gaggle of homeskoolers--Course it warn't quite the same (she's been off b'way, on stage at Lincoln Center, sang at Carnegie Frickin' Hall!) but "drama will out!" an' bitterness fizzles. We make do...that's whut we gypsies are about. Mah girl's doin' a show now ;-)--small taters but she's havin' fun.
If anybuddy here wants ta dig thru mah vernacular an' read 'bout mah own trials & tribulations in the Rotten Apple (that used ta be mah alwayz home) which wuz the imp-a'tus that started me on Substack, then by all means mosey on down--I write 'bout all sorts've stuff (none too typical) but here, below is how I began.... it started with the BAN!
Daisy, it's wonderful to be in contact again... especially because I've been thinking of you so very much recently -- while applying for the grant, and even more while working with Tonika and her friend Gillian on The Missing Piece. It felt heavenly to be collaborating with talented theatre artists again, but this time on my own terms -- not at the behest of some producing entity that was calling all the shots. So to speak.
It makes me so sad and angry that you and your family (your youngest in particular) were treated so abysmally, and that you're still reeling from the consequences of your choices. I pray that all of you can, if you desire, find your way back to a fulfilling artistic life -- no matter where you end up geographically. If you ever find your way to FL... :-) xox!!
Aw...thank ya Mary--in odd ways I'm still glad we made our "cherces"--as ya know NYShitty's a dumpster fihre now an' that partly describes our former whirled of thee-ate-'er even (thankfully) risin' from the ashes...
There's still a few embers/glimmers of what wuz but I'm not fully convinced that even if we'd found a cheapo apt. again that work would'a returned... an' now I'm seein' folks masked up again so who knows if they'll pull the covidcon once more? But I'm sensin' the "timbre" ain't the same... it all feels far harsher, more politi-cully fraught, ya know? "Dishonest" rewrites/reframes of past work.... leaves a kinda bad taste in mah mouth. I think yer findin' work in new places & venues is the right way ta go... Oh & do (if ye can w/legalitties) record The Missing Piece--would love ta see it!
Funny, our fam is kinda startin' ta feel re-situated so no deep regrets 'bout havin' ta move 'cept fer the income.... It was real hard on mah younger one missin' out by no fault of her own but she's been re-findin' her confidence in fits & starts...an' performin' too. Ironically she might do a summer thee-ate-'er internship in the city--if she gits the job I'll have worries a'new safety-wise but she'll reconnect with sum've her dear ol'contacts so we shall see & I'll still cross fingers all works out...).
Once the whirled simmers down a bit an' the fam hits a normal groove (ain't there yet...also gotta deal with my Ma's house fulla 50+ years of stuff!) then I'll start lookin' fer some way ta connive work (even if remote / voice etc) I may add a voice element ta my stack, we shall see...
Anywayz, MEGA CONGRATS again on this grant an' honor (bravo & XOs back at'cha!)
ps yes, Flurryda's temptin'! (we still had snow up here'bouts last week!)--right now my older one gits special needs services that I'd hate ta have ta reinvent elsewhar (took years ta put it 2gether) but time'll tell... our HoHo Hocul's a real-live Wicked Itch!
My fingers are crossed, too, for your littler one. It is so hard to "go home" after so long away, and I can see how you have created new lives where you are. I wonder if someday you'll look back in gratitude for all of it...
I recorded TMP, and so did Gillian, so we're going to try to cut it together into something watchable!
Here's a question: do you think you would be interested in participating in zoom play readings (early on in the play development process)? 🤔
1. hooray! I'll look forward ta seein' it once ya've edited it...
2. u bet! ('slong as I kin be there as Daisy I'd be heppy ta do it with bells on...which seems ta go with the motley ;-)
(ps I hope I'll look back in grattytude... got some've it....an' ambivalence... of course--life throws ya them curveballs... wull... let's say curve globes with a bit've globalist muscle behind 'em)
lol OH I see whut'cher gittin' at--nope I just meant usin' mah non-de-plumage... But "Daisy" here kin do any agg-cent 'cha want--at the ready would be standard British, cockney, std english, this hillbilly Lil' Abner one (an' other southern, various), transatlantic English, shanty Irish, central castin' generic E. European an' most others with time ta brush up! (...be it brushin' up on mah shaks'pur or otherwaze.. ;-) if ye have sumthin' in mind I could send an mp3 recordin' given all the options (plus young, old, munchkin, & other such various)
So good to hear from you again. While reading your post, I couldn't help but to bounce back and forth in triangulating between your dilemma with in-group / out-group dynamics in the U.S., my own experiences with small groups and more rigid institutions in Japan ... and a very good read that I am about halfway through ... Andy Weir's 'Project Hail Mary'.
The protagonist, Dr. Grace, is an outcast from mainstream academia, self-exiled to teaching Jr. High science, doing it well, and now finding a new 'community' with a non-carbon alien character to save the universe. The movie is getting rave reviews here in Japan, so I plan to see it in the next week or two.
'Iambic pentameter'?
Hmm ... the carapace of 'Rocky', the alien co-star, is pentagonal, and it (wondering how many pronouns) has five legs.
Steve, you always bring a wealth of intriguing ideas with you wherever you go. And kindness, too. Thanks for the support from halfway 'round the world! xox
If it were not for a handful such as you and Kathleen, I would be deaf, mute, and blind, Not many authentic communities here in Japan for the likes of me. But the older I get, maybe the more I prefer that. A half-dozen sympaticos here is worth a hundred mere acquaintances in Japan.
It is so good to hear from you again ... and good to hear you are getting back into the saddle again. We sure need some hard riders to mount up against the turmoil the bad actors are bringing to the table.
I'd love it if an organization like FAIR could put together a list of local and regional artists who refuse to give in to the woke agenda, so that I can patronize them exclusively. I've noticed that a lot of the left-wing arts community essentially boycotts right-wing art, and I'd like to reciprocate the behavior in kind so that THEY can feel a little bit of the pain they inflict, as well as directing my entertainment budget towards people whom I feel are more deserving. Why would I ever want to go see a play or buy a book from people who hate me so much that they would refuse to patronize MY art or buy MY books?
I can reasonably commit to never consuming left-wing art again, but only if I have other options. A year from now, I'll have forgotten this post - but if there was a list of unwoke bookstores, theaters, etc in the Boston region I would absolutely use it whenever I wanted to go out.
Exactly this. Funny how their boycotts are always labeled as some sort of principled stance against some great wrong or another, but when another group (for example) boycotts Target it's declared "hate speech" or some nonsense.
Mary, I started reading this on the day you posted but work/jobs did not allow me to finish it until this morning. I was drawn in for obvious reasons (well, obvious to those who meander in my Sane world). Most notably the internal conflict around To Mask or Not to Mask, a heavy recurring dilemma these last 6 years here for Sanes in SF since, as you point out, it results in either cognitive dissonance within self or external shaming. Congratulations on finding this community and for creating a project which will undoubtedly engender more courageous speaker-uppers. “Instinctive, preemptive self-muzzling is what I see as the greatest threat to the arts”: despite my own bravery in many arenas I am still required (?) to hold myself back in certain spaces (ugh, an evening at a theatre with a Sane friend the other night with two of his friends, both were lovely people, but I was warned by my friend in the car that we shouldn’t talk about you know what; and of course at work for a couple of my jobs). Chipping away at that question mark, and knowing always that our courage is contagious.
Ugh is right. It's awful. My mind keeps drifting back to the good old days before this schism, and it's hard not to wish for those days again. Every morning, this is part of my mantra: "I embrace all of myself, and all that is." I have to say it out loud daily, to remind myself that I signed up for ALL OF IT this time around, AND to remind myself of all the growth and goodness (including connecting with readers/artists like you) that have resulted from it all.
You’re inspiring, authentic (wildly intelligent 🤯) and glad to call you a friend! ☺️ Congratulations and excited to see what’s on the horizon for you! 👏🏻
From one MaryMac to another, brava! My three essays for FAIR detail my experiences in theater, which track yours, sadly.
Now, plans are in place to mount an adaptation of mine, The Macbeths, in Utah next fall. After all that’s happened, including fleeing to North Carolina to only be cancelled yet again by the theater community here, I admit I am nervous about mounting my play because the Pacific Northwest leftists continue to hunt me. But I’m going to anyway.
I’m so happy you found a free-thinking community in FL… in the before times, this would not be the unicorn it is today. Keep up the good and brave and important work. Keep the flame and power story alive!
Hurray, MaryMac!! Wow am I glad to meet you -- and sorry that your move to NC didn't pan out artistically as you had hoped. Damn.
NC was an option for us, as was TN and other places that felt more "northern," but honestly, when we visited FL to check it out, I was surprised to find that it felt very much like a melting pot. It makes sense, with so many transients here.
I've been blessed to find a social tribe here; how free-thinking the theatre community really is remains to be seen.
I'm looking forward to reading your FAIR essays, and I have fingers/toes crossed that The Macbeths is produced as planned. Keep in touch! xox
I knew there were others! Check out my response to Mary. Good to know you MaryMac!
Eddie! Just was in Charlotte. When are we getting together for a beer, fellow ex-pat? I’m in Chapel Hill but will come your way happily! See my three essays for FAIR for my stories. The Art Thieves, Art From the Ashes (also audio) and The Artist in Exile are the pieces. Here’s to an NC freethinkers play fest! (NC|FPF… that’s got a nice ring to it!)
Chapel Hill? Woo hoo! In the mid to late '70's, I had transferred to Chapel Hill from UNC-W, from marine biology to philosophy. Took a class under the infamous Paul Ziff, while my Japanese girlfriend went up to Harvard to do honors work for Prof Susumu Kuno. We lived next door in Carrboro, and I worked the night shift at a convenience store called 'The Open Pantry'. I might be mistaken, but I think the neon lit 'r' had burned out. 😂
Chapel Hill was as close to an intellectual heaven as I ever got — much better than the best similar communities in Japan. But I hear Asheville is quite the beehive too.
Hi Steve, CH is very, very blue these days, as is UNC, Carrboro, on and on. So that means the brainpower has dimmed to the dominant paradigm, sadly. I've already been cancelled from the theater community here -- managed that just a brief few months after moving here. Sigh. I'm off to Japan in a few weeks, for the first time. Can't WAIT! Best to you.
Wow, Mary. Your bravery inspires. Have a fantastic trip to Japan!
Hi again Mary.
It saddens me to hear that. I have vague memories of sitting in a coffee shop, and hearing someone at the table next to me chat about Wittgenstein, and someone else about Herbie Hancock, and not hesitating to jump into such chats with strangers.
Japan is quite a socially conservative place. Strangers rarely talk to strangers. Hospitality and presentation skills are top-notch, but it tends to be traditional / transactional rather than transformational. But I guess that covers most of the world. Even though the novelty has worn off, I'd still rate Japan as one of the top must-see places for travelers.
If interested in a meet up or need some assistance ... I am less than 30 minutes from Shibuya or Shinjuku by train, and have a van for longer excursions such as the Fuji 5 Lakes, Enoshima, Hakone, etc. ... and a couple of recently retired lady friends who speak a bit of English and enjoy any excuse to hit the road or the town.
ps. You might be interested in checking out a new buddy, Robert Jefferson, through his YouTube podcast, The Kamakura Gardener.
https://www.youtube.com/@TheKamakuraGardener
Shortly after leaving my stint at Temple University Japan (biology lab director, public speaking, freshman writing), Robert joined the faculty. He still works part-time for NHK, but was at ABC as a foreign correspondent for a while. We met here on Substack because of shared attitudes about the plandemic. Smart guy!
I was about to say to Mary McD, "I'll bet Steve Martin would meet up with you if you're anywhere near him in Japan," but then I read your response -- you're so kind, Steve!
Hey Mary, thanks for the reply. But I think you misread where we wound up. We're in Charleston, SC... not Charlotte. More specifically Daniel Island (suburb). But yeah, if you're ever down in this part of the world, I'd be more than happy to share a beer. Do you currently live in NC?
Ha! We read what we wish to see, ain't that the truth! I'm living in Chapel Hill, which, if you look at the third essay in the series, didn't turn out to be as welcoming as I'd hoped. But there is still a lot to recommend it. I just can't make art here (or possibly anywhere, if past is prologue). I will be heading to Georgetown, ~ 60 miles from you, to visit yet another heterodox artist, in this case a musician, who also fled here from the Pacific Northwest. He's headed into the ministry now. Love to continue down your way to visit. I'll be making the trip to see him in the summer, after I'm back from a trip to Japan.
Hey Mary, will definitely try to read that essay when I get a chance. And yes, please, if you do go South of South, happy to meet up with you. Japan, wow! I've been practicing Aikido for decades. Love the culture. My sis-in-law was an ESL teacher in Tokyo for 20 years. I've never been, but would love to some day. You can contact me directly at eantar123@gmail.com. Best.
Hello Eddie.
Just thought I'd butt in ... a former Carolina guy now living in Japan for close to 44 years. Grad school was in TESOL at Temple Univ. Japan, so most of my career has been in EFL. I live in the Tokyo area, so there is a good chance your sister in law and I have worked at or visited similar places. It's a nice place to visit, but the education system is not designed to empower the average worker to be bilingual or more. The heavy hand of the government on mass media and the narrative would be weakened, so we English instructors have been knee capped for quite a while now. Pre-plandemic. Still, it is a nice place to visit.
Cheers
Yes!! NC Freethinkers Play Fest! I've really come to the conclusion that DIY is the way to go...
MARY! Oh my lord. This is VERY close to my story. I had developed a bit of a following as an NYC playwright. One of my plays was a New York Time's Critic's Pick, nominated for two Drama Desk Awards, winning 2 New York Innovative Theatre awards... And then... there's a lot to tell you. The short version is, after coming to terms in 2021 that we were living in a city where we were no longer wanted, my wife and I left our beloved NYC, where we lived all our lives to live in (ready???) Charleston, SC! I've gone on to other things. BUT, God I miss theater. I have TONS of material. The last full length was about Covid back in 2021. But I have lots of shorter plays as well. Would LOVE to connect. Love what your doing and I will check out your playwrights group. All the best!
EDDIE! I'm delighted to meet you. Wow zow, what an odyssey you've taken since covid. I met my husband in NYC -- we were both actors and I was involved with Alice's Fourth Floor Theatre a million years ago -- but we moved out of the city just before we married. I loved NYC too, but unlike you, I knew I didn't want to live there indefinitely. Also unlike you, I didn't have nearly the theatrical success!
I'd love to connect, too. I'll shoot you an email at eantar123@gmail.com. So glad you commented!
Wonderful article. Thank you. I miss real art dearly, art that resonates with the secret tender hearts of real people. I miss art and theater and the delicate beautiful skill of real talented artists, free. Thank you.
Love this: "the secret tender hearts of real people." Me, too. Thanks for the kind comment, Jim.
Go, Mary! Impressive and lovely, creative and talented you!
Beautiful story that reminded me quickly of this global impossibility we all experienced and the many lives it impacted. And yet as you demonstrate you took those disappointments and an even better version of you emerged.
What else is there to do with life's challenges? Inspiring.
I'm happy for you, for these new networks and opportunities. I have no doubt your light will ripple out and warm the hearts and minds of many.
The world is better for you. XOX
Oh Kathleen! What gracious words. Thank you for sharing my happiness with me!! I really do feel empowered by individuals like you, who have quietly, steadfastly continued to shine their own lights. When Tonika was here (I miss her and Gillian's presence in my home!) she likened it to lighthouses blinking, signaling not just to ships in the dark but to fellow lighthouses: WE ARE HERE.
You have been, and continue to be, a lighthouse yourself. Big love. xoxo
It's such a fascinating (disrupting, uncomfortable, fill-in-the-blanks) time.
A quick (I hope) aside:
I'm visiting a sister in AZ and was reading on the plane yesterday. A Martha Grimes book I've read before - grabbed on my way out.
As I'm reading, I'm remembering more of the story of course, and also the author's style, the characters and their cadences, the themes that go with the times the book is written in (lates 90's) and I get this sense that while the book 'holds up' it's also tied to and describing a world that's over.
What humans do and talk about and how they understand their lives - all of that is taking place in a range - bandwidths of frequency - that act like a template for experience and interpretation of experience. For what's possible.
Gone. A whole setting or reality-template, in the dust-bin.
Everything created, tied-to that setting will begin to sound hollow, old, irrelevant, out of time etc.
It begs the question - assuming nothing new under the sun - what will the underpinnings of the incoming template be? If the perennial human stories are feeling out of date and anemic then what brings them back to life and meaning?
I don't know of course though if I had to guess, the incoming reality-template range will reorient who we ACTUALLY are in relation to the world, each other, etc. as opposed to the identities we've formed in order to adjust to that manufactured world.
Who we absent the programs. Who we are unplugged from the matrix.
Def went on too long. Still your essay I think is getting at how it feels when one reality gives way before the next iteration (of us and the world) is clear. And if you just 'keep going' through the doubts it gets good again. (And yes, Ronnie is like the world's best cheerleader for those moments we need reminding.)
Best. 💝
Well, damn. This comment deserves its own Substack, Kathleen. And I could not agree more with your analysis.
I'm currently reading Kingsnorth's Against the Machine, and his central thesis aligns with yours: Western culture isn't dying, it's DEAD. So our job now is to plant seeds for the culture to come -- one we may never see or know.
It's my strong resonance with that concept that is driving me now. Theatre, to me, is sacred and ancient, and its power has been squandered at best, misused at worst. I see it as one real seed I can plant, to help birth the new culture that is awaiting, whatever that might be.
Gosh, am I happy to hear your thoughts. I've missed you. Sending big LOVE. 💞
"So our job now is to plant seeds for the culture to come -- one we may never see or know."
That's a great driver. I have no doubt you are doing exactly what you should be, where you should be.
Big Love to you!
Oh, Mary! This essay just makes me cry, first, tears of joy for you to have finally found your place. Then tears of sadness and anger for what you had to go through to get to this, your rightful place in the Art of Theater, but that the Covid fiasco attempted to deny you. Actually, all the consternating and agonizing, "should I, or shouldn't I wear a mask, honestly declare my covid status, take a stand and speak my truth etc." I can certainly relate, having gone through similar experiences in different circumstances. Yes, you were incredibly courageous, and have set an example for all those who know and love you. And now look at you, dedicating your talents to bring people back together after all the divisiveness. I'll close by saying, I'm so grateful that part of your journey led you to start your wonderful Substack, The Art of Freedom, because that's how I had the pleasure and the good fortune to become acquainted with you. I've loved you ever since then and always will. xoxo
You know this, but I'll say it again: it was your support and loving encouragement that KEPT ME GOING when The Art of Freedom was young and I was still unsure of myself. Not that I've got it all figured out now, but I do feel a clarity of purpose -- that would not have arisen had I not KEPT GOING. I loved you when you were simply "Rocket," the voice of a wiseacre cheerleader with heart, and still do now that you're Ronnie, my friend for whom I will ever be grateful. xox!
More tears! Thank you, Mary. You go, girl!
What Ronnie said! Hi Ronnie!
Hi! back to you, Kathleen!
I've missed you.
😘
I am so proud of you, Mary, and I can’t wait to see the creative and community fruits of your idea!
Thank you so much, dear Margaret!
Oh, Mary! This essay just makes me cry, first, tears of joy for you to have finally found your place. Then tears of sadness and anger for what you had to go through to get to this, your rightful place in the Art of Theater, but that the Covid fiasco attempted to deny you. Actually, all the consternating and agonizing, "should I, or shouldn't I wear a mask, honestly declare my covid status, take a stand and speak my truth etc." I can certainly relate, having gone through similar experiences in different circumstances. Yes, you were incredibly courageous, and have set an example for all those who know and love you. And now look at you, dedicating your talents to bring people back together after all the divisiveness. I'll close by saying, I'm so grateful that part of your journey led you to start your wonderful Substack, The Art of Freedom, because that's how I had the pleasure and the good fortune to become acquainted with you. I've loved you ever since then and always will. xoxo
Mary! I am so thrilled for you, my friend! I can feel your excitement at returning to the stage. Oh my goodness. I love hearing stories like this. I asked Tonika recently whether she has a lot of Leo in her chart, and I'm wondering if you do as well. I sometimes dream of another lifetime where I have that Leo ability to get up on a stage and shine my light. I miss going to the theater. I'm in awe of it all.
Shine on, Mary! XOXO
Bless you, Barbara, and your enthusiasm for me. I really am so delighted to be taking the initiative to create theatre myself, rather than waiting for someone else to "choose" me. Basta, I say.
Leo, eh? Not sure. Capricorn sun, Pisces moon is all I know from memory! 😅
Tonika and her friend/co-writer/co-actor Gillian stayed with me for a week while we worked on the show, then they knocked it out of the park with their performance. I can't tell you how fulfilling it was to collaborate with them. Like coming home. ❤️ xox
Yay to all of this! Check your Rising/Ascendant sign. So important. Pisces is a dreamy moon to have. I just discovered this wonderful astrology page here on Substack. Check out what she says about your moon sign: https://farstellar.substack.com/p/your-moon-sign-is-not-just-your-comfort
Must have been a gal blast of fun with the three of you living and creating together. Makes me so happy for all of you. XOXO B
Okay, I will! And yes, "Gal Blast" is exactly what it was!!🎉
This is a breath of fresh air! Does anyone know of a similar group for fiction writers? I want to get back to writing novels eventually...for people with an attention span, which might be doable as more people swear off social media.
Hi GSL!
You might check out FAIR's writers group. Karen Howes is the moderator of the Playwright's Think Tank and also runs this one. I don't have personal experience with it...
https://www.fairforall.org/fair-in-the-arts/writers-group/
Thank you for telling me about this! I just dropped Karen a line. Once a month sounds about right, for now...
Hello GSL,
Just had to say something because I got such a grin at your moniker.
Will have more to say a bit later in a direct comment to Mary, but in the meantime ... I'm about halfway through 'Project Hail Mary' and having a blast. Info-tainment, in a novel form, at its best.
https://annas-archive.gl/search?q=Project+Hail+Mary
Cheers from Japan
Grin at the moniker? Made me roar!
LOL ... Birds of a feather Michael.
Nice ta meet ya!
Thanks for the subscribe Steve. Have dropped in on your 'stack too. (Not very active at present, but hoping to change that soon!)
Glad to have connected you two!
I'm still working on my 'top reader' stats, but comments are picking up too!
One of many problems is that what can be talked about is changing so quickly, and what is fundamental is beyond words. That liminal space in between ... I guess that's my target. There is a good Japanese word that obliquely points to that ... 'komorebi' ... the shifting light that filters through leaves. On the other hand, with a name like mine, I'll settle for a snicker.
Looking forward to reading you Michael.
Cheers from Japan
Me, too!!
From what I've seen over the last few years, writers (at least the visible "I really want to be in a MFA program" kind) are among the least tolerant people in the universe. Sometimes you can escape into more genre writing, but even there you must tread carefully. I've pretty much given up looking for writing groups, honestly, for that very reason.
I avoid the MFA crowd, and I'm looking specifically for unwoke, non-SJW-oriented groups.
I'm not even sure if such things exist anymore outside of groups focused on very specific genres. I had the misfortune of wandering near that NaNoWriMo thing in its last functional year (more out of curiosity than anything else), and if you weren't some kind of teen, gender fluid person writing dystopian, queer science fiction fantasy they had no use for you at all. Far too many people who claim to want to be writers have closet MFA aspirations, and it makes it tough for those of us who just want to write without the crap. Factor in the literary crowd's disdain for what they consider "genre" fiction and you're kind of hosed.
I figure there's got to be groups that don't mandate woke ideology. I mean, the 'politically homeless' are bigger than either the far left or the far right, so there must be clandestine groups somewhere. I expect it will be easier to be more visibly in these groups shortly--esp if you're not interested in 'traditional publishing' which at the moment is a waste of time.
Like I said, I suspect it's more likely they're lurking in the genre space than anything else. The whole "small press" movement unfortunately turned out to be yet another (even more rabid) "woke space," so it's not even worth a look as far as I can tell. Genre has the advantage of being considered "low brow" by the MFA warriors, so it seems to have escaped some of their not-so-loving attention. At least that's been my experience.
Actually I read the transcript of a podcast by a romantasy author and the host, an enthusiastic reader, and they kept exulting about how wonderfully diverse and LGBTQ romantasy was. So, pretty sure fantasy has probably gone pretty woke too.
I figure with woke dying, there will be more space for us to promte on out own...reach out to our own kind who can download books as anonymously as they always have--and maybe even use outraged cancel culture warriors as free advertising :)
Whatta treat ta see ya here Mary, tellin' yer story an' sharin' how dee-skustin' our profession beehaved--forcin' folks ta "pretend" & bend, an' wieldin' medi-cull tyrrany .... an' shame.
So glad ta hear of this noo endeavor in Flurry-da! (I knew 'bout yer directin' Tonika's show in ChiTown but this here's noo...an' great nooze!) Congrats, mazel tov, hooray!
As ya know, I'm one'a the banned thes-bean NewYawkers (banned in NYC as it were) along with mah hubby (who had ta sneek inta the office after midnight like a thief usin' the emergency metal key so the diggy-tale system didn't note that an unvaxxed person wuz enterin'!) an' mah girls, specially includin' mah youngest who could no longer perform, audition, 'er even take her beloved classes after a soiten pernt. Bein' unjabbed meant bein' unemployed--she wartched her peers git paid gigs & off b'way roles (b'way in a couple instances) but not her, couldn't even show up unjabbed sans Empire Pass An' not me either (also lost mah union coverage which sucked cuz no werk means no longer qualifyin'). She did do sum voice werk that allowed fer remote recordin' -- ditto here...but it ain't the same. An' YET we endure an' yer tale's encouragin' fer sure...gives one hope ye know--there is bouncin' back!
You know mah own woe-full story but I'll share it here jus' ta chime in. Our fam left The Big Apple (now the Rotten Apple) with our tails 'tween our legs--unemployed due ta not complyin' with the ManDates an' with our savin's all used up hopin' things'd open up again an' that those ManDates would be lifted. By the time that happened 2.7 years later an' we were already all packed up fer da boonies. Couldn't stay anyway... our landlord decided ta double our rent an' boot us out after 15+ years. I know we warn't alone tho'. ('Tis funny--bein' exiled is how we all convened on substack).
An' so I write/type/"stack" 'til I kin figger out a way ta trod the boards again! (As yer doin' so admirably!)
Bein' in the land of...cows...dirt roads...an' notta lotta culcha'--I ain't found thee-ate-'er werk yet--at least not professional stuff--nor mah pay-the-bills "extree" work...BUT mah youngest did with a gaggle of homeskoolers--Course it warn't quite the same (she's been off b'way, on stage at Lincoln Center, sang at Carnegie Frickin' Hall!) but "drama will out!" an' bitterness fizzles. We make do...that's whut we gypsies are about. Mah girl's doin' a show now ;-)--small taters but she's havin' fun.
If anybuddy here wants ta dig thru mah vernacular an' read 'bout mah own trials & tribulations in the Rotten Apple (that used ta be mah alwayz home) which wuz the imp-a'tus that started me on Substack, then by all means mosey on down--I write 'bout all sorts've stuff (none too typical) but here, below is how I began.... it started with the BAN!
https://thcsofdaisymoses.substack.com/p/8172021-a-date-which-will-live-in?
https://thcsofdaisymoses.substack.com/p/8172021-a-date-which-will-live-in-8b3?
https://thcsofdaisymoses.substack.com/p/bye-bye-broadway?
Writin' in character...but cheerin' ya on, Mary, that part's fer realz!
Daisy, it's wonderful to be in contact again... especially because I've been thinking of you so very much recently -- while applying for the grant, and even more while working with Tonika and her friend Gillian on The Missing Piece. It felt heavenly to be collaborating with talented theatre artists again, but this time on my own terms -- not at the behest of some producing entity that was calling all the shots. So to speak.
It makes me so sad and angry that you and your family (your youngest in particular) were treated so abysmally, and that you're still reeling from the consequences of your choices. I pray that all of you can, if you desire, find your way back to a fulfilling artistic life -- no matter where you end up geographically. If you ever find your way to FL... :-) xox!!
P.S. You would LOVE The Missing Piece!!
Aw...thank ya Mary--in odd ways I'm still glad we made our "cherces"--as ya know NYShitty's a dumpster fihre now an' that partly describes our former whirled of thee-ate-'er even (thankfully) risin' from the ashes...
There's still a few embers/glimmers of what wuz but I'm not fully convinced that even if we'd found a cheapo apt. again that work would'a returned... an' now I'm seein' folks masked up again so who knows if they'll pull the covidcon once more? But I'm sensin' the "timbre" ain't the same... it all feels far harsher, more politi-cully fraught, ya know? "Dishonest" rewrites/reframes of past work.... leaves a kinda bad taste in mah mouth. I think yer findin' work in new places & venues is the right way ta go... Oh & do (if ye can w/legalitties) record The Missing Piece--would love ta see it!
Funny, our fam is kinda startin' ta feel re-situated so no deep regrets 'bout havin' ta move 'cept fer the income.... It was real hard on mah younger one missin' out by no fault of her own but she's been re-findin' her confidence in fits & starts...an' performin' too. Ironically she might do a summer thee-ate-'er internship in the city--if she gits the job I'll have worries a'new safety-wise but she'll reconnect with sum've her dear ol'contacts so we shall see & I'll still cross fingers all works out...).
Once the whirled simmers down a bit an' the fam hits a normal groove (ain't there yet...also gotta deal with my Ma's house fulla 50+ years of stuff!) then I'll start lookin' fer some way ta connive work (even if remote / voice etc) I may add a voice element ta my stack, we shall see...
Anywayz, MEGA CONGRATS again on this grant an' honor (bravo & XOs back at'cha!)
ps yes, Flurryda's temptin'! (we still had snow up here'bouts last week!)--right now my older one gits special needs services that I'd hate ta have ta reinvent elsewhar (took years ta put it 2gether) but time'll tell... our HoHo Hocul's a real-live Wicked Itch!
My fingers are crossed, too, for your littler one. It is so hard to "go home" after so long away, and I can see how you have created new lives where you are. I wonder if someday you'll look back in gratitude for all of it...
I recorded TMP, and so did Gillian, so we're going to try to cut it together into something watchable!
Here's a question: do you think you would be interested in participating in zoom play readings (early on in the play development process)? 🤔
1. hooray! I'll look forward ta seein' it once ya've edited it...
2. u bet! ('slong as I kin be there as Daisy I'd be heppy ta do it with bells on...which seems ta go with the motley ;-)
(ps I hope I'll look back in grattytude... got some've it....an' ambivalence... of course--life throws ya them curveballs... wull... let's say curve globes with a bit've globalist muscle behind 'em)
Regarding 2: does Daisy speak the way she writes?? ❤️
lol OH I see whut'cher gittin' at--nope I just meant usin' mah non-de-plumage... But "Daisy" here kin do any agg-cent 'cha want--at the ready would be standard British, cockney, std english, this hillbilly Lil' Abner one (an' other southern, various), transatlantic English, shanty Irish, central castin' generic E. European an' most others with time ta brush up! (...be it brushin' up on mah shaks'pur or otherwaze.. ;-) if ye have sumthin' in mind I could send an mp3 recordin' given all the options (plus young, old, munchkin, & other such various)
Congratulations, Mary! Your personal story had me hooked.
Thanks, Noel! 🙏🏼
Congrats Mary!
Thanks, Michael!
Helloooo Mary!
So good to hear from you again. While reading your post, I couldn't help but to bounce back and forth in triangulating between your dilemma with in-group / out-group dynamics in the U.S., my own experiences with small groups and more rigid institutions in Japan ... and a very good read that I am about halfway through ... Andy Weir's 'Project Hail Mary'.
https://annas-archive.gl/search?q=Project+Hail+Mary
The protagonist, Dr. Grace, is an outcast from mainstream academia, self-exiled to teaching Jr. High science, doing it well, and now finding a new 'community' with a non-carbon alien character to save the universe. The movie is getting rave reviews here in Japan, so I plan to see it in the next week or two.
'Iambic pentameter'?
Hmm ... the carapace of 'Rocky', the alien co-star, is pentagonal, and it (wondering how many pronouns) has five legs.
Keep on saving the universe, Grace.
Uh ... I mean Mary. 😂
Steve, you always bring a wealth of intriguing ideas with you wherever you go. And kindness, too. Thanks for the support from halfway 'round the world! xox
Hello again Mary.
If it were not for a handful such as you and Kathleen, I would be deaf, mute, and blind, Not many authentic communities here in Japan for the likes of me. But the older I get, maybe the more I prefer that. A half-dozen sympaticos here is worth a hundred mere acquaintances in Japan.
It is so good to hear from you again ... and good to hear you are getting back into the saddle again. We sure need some hard riders to mount up against the turmoil the bad actors are bringing to the table.
Go get 'em!
Hugs Mary.
Well, shucks 🙂↕️
Great post!
I'd love it if an organization like FAIR could put together a list of local and regional artists who refuse to give in to the woke agenda, so that I can patronize them exclusively. I've noticed that a lot of the left-wing arts community essentially boycotts right-wing art, and I'd like to reciprocate the behavior in kind so that THEY can feel a little bit of the pain they inflict, as well as directing my entertainment budget towards people whom I feel are more deserving. Why would I ever want to go see a play or buy a book from people who hate me so much that they would refuse to patronize MY art or buy MY books?
I can reasonably commit to never consuming left-wing art again, but only if I have other options. A year from now, I'll have forgotten this post - but if there was a list of unwoke bookstores, theaters, etc in the Boston region I would absolutely use it whenever I wanted to go out.
Exactly this. Funny how their boycotts are always labeled as some sort of principled stance against some great wrong or another, but when another group (for example) boycotts Target it's declared "hate speech" or some nonsense.
Mary, I started reading this on the day you posted but work/jobs did not allow me to finish it until this morning. I was drawn in for obvious reasons (well, obvious to those who meander in my Sane world). Most notably the internal conflict around To Mask or Not to Mask, a heavy recurring dilemma these last 6 years here for Sanes in SF since, as you point out, it results in either cognitive dissonance within self or external shaming. Congratulations on finding this community and for creating a project which will undoubtedly engender more courageous speaker-uppers. “Instinctive, preemptive self-muzzling is what I see as the greatest threat to the arts”: despite my own bravery in many arenas I am still required (?) to hold myself back in certain spaces (ugh, an evening at a theatre with a Sane friend the other night with two of his friends, both were lovely people, but I was warned by my friend in the car that we shouldn’t talk about you know what; and of course at work for a couple of my jobs). Chipping away at that question mark, and knowing always that our courage is contagious.
Ugh is right. It's awful. My mind keeps drifting back to the good old days before this schism, and it's hard not to wish for those days again. Every morning, this is part of my mantra: "I embrace all of myself, and all that is." I have to say it out loud daily, to remind myself that I signed up for ALL OF IT this time around, AND to remind myself of all the growth and goodness (including connecting with readers/artists like you) that have resulted from it all.
Chipping away, indeed. xox
Excellent mantra! Keep saying, and writing, good words! 💗
You’re inspiring, authentic (wildly intelligent 🤯) and glad to call you a friend! ☺️ Congratulations and excited to see what’s on the horizon for you! 👏🏻
Michele, you're making me blush. Thank you. So glad to call you friend, too! xox