B U Z Z C R A F T

Cody Critcheloe (SSION) Sometimes I Think About You Every Day,...

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 00:15:21 -0400

Cody Critcheloe (SSION) Sometimes I Think About You Every Day, 2012.

Cody Critcheloe (SSION)

Sometimes I Think About You Every Day, 2012.

I guess technology can be totally isolating

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 00:11:00 -0400

That problem where emoji doesn’t convey the right feeling, and you’re worried they’re being sarcastic, and no one is actually talking anymore.

"You’d think because these people have jobs at the New York Times that they’re clever. But it’s all..."

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 23:56:59 -0400

“You’d think because these people have jobs at the New York Times that they’re clever. But it’s all these arrogant fags who think that because they were called “sissy” as a kid that they get it and they understand it and they don’t need to learn it. Just like I’m an arrogant feminist, they’re arrogant LGBTQ advocators. They think they already know stuff, therefore they aren’t learning.”

- Justin Vivian Bond, Paper Magazine (via thematerialworld)

topsidepress: Donna Ostrowsky (1986-2013) reading “The Queer...

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 23:55:37 -0400

topsidepress:

Donna Ostrowsky (1986-2013) reading “The Queer Experiment” at Barnard College on October 18, 2012.

“The Queer Experiment” is Donna Ostrowsky’s short story from The Collection: Short Fiction from the Transgender Vanguard. It is in epistolary form, from the point of view of a woman who has been institutionalized after a mysterious disaster. H.P. Lovecraft fans will recognize the general style, and it’s a comedic-horror story about early 20th century lesbians. It’s also, in my reading, a very “trans” story. I hope you enjoy it.

Download a PDF of “The Queer Experiment: here if you prefer to read it instead of watching Donna read.

You can also see Donna participate in the panel related to that reading: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dj4SFWZqqZQ

We’re spreading this story far and wide today because last week we lost our dear friend Donna.

Early Monday morning on June 10th, Donna Ostrowsky made the decision to take her own life. Donna was a filmmaker, a stand-up comedian, and an author. She was 27 years old.

Donna was originally from the Boston area and moved to New York City to attend NYU’s Department of Dramatic Writing in 2004. She performed regularly at comedy events around New York City. In 2011, Donna produced a celebrated short film called Bodega Cats with the Internet Celebrities. Just two weeks ago, she was celebrated as one of 28 authors in The Collection: Short Fiction of the Transgender Vanguard when the book won the Lambda Literary Award for Transgender Fiction.

Donna is survived by: her beloved partner and best friend Johanna Schaufeld; her mother Celeste, father Jonathan, and her older sister, Tess; hundreds of friends and family members who adored her; audiences and fans who laughed, giggled, and chortled through her performances.

Perhaps what Donna will be best remembered for her sense of humor. She had the unique ability to make everyone in the audience delighted and uncomfortable all at the same time. Perhaps my favorite memory of her sense of humor is from last fall at Barnard College. “Staking Our Claim: Trans Women’s Literature in the 21st Century” was a panel that was one of those moments where everyone in the room was a little on edge—excited, but also nervous. It was the first time that a women’s college in the US had put together a program about trans women’s literature, and Donna was one of the authors who came to read and participate in the panel.

When she stood up to speak, Donna said, “Thank you for having me, and for letting me use your bathroom,” and then she continued to compliment the Barnard community on their artfully designed tampon packaging. Not enough to be in this contested space, at this women’s college, Donna had to remind everyone what it meant—that today, there were trans women everywhere, including in the bathroom, where they are buying your tampons. All at once, Donna was bold, and intelligent, and kind, and hysterical.

We’re so proud that we had the opportunity to publish her and work with her over the last year. Her story was the last one to be added to The Collection, and it only happened because we saw her read it just before we closed the files for the printer. After she read, we begged her for two weeks to let us publish it, and she finally relented and sent over the document. Consequently, I saw Donna most often at book events—she came with us to the College of Staten Island to speak to Matt Brim’s queer short story class about The Collection, and she was part of the release events in October. The last time we saw her was at a reading for this year’s Lambda Literary Finalists at Bluestockings Bookstore, where, as usual, she stole the show. When I saw her, I greeted her as I always did, by saying, “Donna, when is your book going to be done?” She confessed she had started working on a novel, but she was worried her idea wasn’t good enough. She told me, “Tom, give me something to write about,” and I told her, honestly, “Donna, anything you write will be brilliant. Just write.” It breaks my heart that we won’t get to have more of her work in the world.

Memorials for Donna will be held in both New York City and in Boston, where her family still resides. The New York City memorial will be on Sunday, June 23rd at 4pm at the LGBT Center at 208 west 13th Street. If Donna or her work touched your life, please join us to celebrate her life, love, and laughter.

RSVP on Facebook here: https://www.facebook.com/events/186506201510744/

Plans are underway to remember her with a grant given in her name to other trans women artists and authors. We’ll have more info about that as we work out the details.

What I did yesterday

Mon, 17 Jun 2013 14:07:13 -0400

What I did yesterday

Graffiti depicting Erdogan, Turkish Prime Minister, saying “You...

Mon, 17 Jun 2013 14:03:49 -0400

Graffiti depicting Erdogan, Turkish Prime Minister, saying “You are very sweet”

Source: Gays in the park: Why a rainbow flag has become one of the primary symbols of Occupy Gezi

"You were always so scared, even when you were being brave. How could I be mad at you for being so..."

Mon, 17 Jun 2013 01:19:44 -0400

“You were always so scared, even when you were being brave. How could I be mad at you for being so scared?! Every time you didn’t show up, I knew it was because you were just too scared and I never held it against you. There’s so much to be scared of in the world. All my friends are all terrified. All the time. My friends are afraid of being around other people. They’re afraid of being alone. My friends are scared to go to the store. My friends are scared that men are going to run them over on purpose. They’re scared to ride the bus. They’re scared everyone’s going to find out how to scare them and then scare them on purpose. I keep thinking about how scared you must have been. You left the house by yourself at night. Anyone who doesn’t understand how scary that is will never understand you or me or us.”

- Red Durkin on the death of Donna Ostrovsky - and the fear that trans women live with. (via sheknowshowtofly)

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Mon, 17 Jun 2013 01:17:08 -0400

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Mon, 17 Jun 2013 01:16:33 -0400

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Mon, 17 Jun 2013 01:15:20 -0400

gladysgreen: Katie Gegenheimer Painting’s Painting, 2012...

Fri, 14 Jun 2013 18:44:54 -0400

gladysgreen:

Katie Gegenheimer

Painting’s Painting, 2012
Enamel, Oil, and Paint Pen on Canvas
16” x 20”

studiomuseum: Afrofuturism’s Others at Tate ModernSaturday June...

Fri, 14 Jun 2013 18:31:02 -0400

studiomuseum:

Afrofuturism’s Others at Tate Modern
Saturday June 15, 2013 at 2pm

Ellen Gallagher’s work deconstructs received truths and weaves together propositional narratives, inhabiting spaces where the future collapses into the past, obsolescence into technology and image into text. These are spaces carved out by the cultural aesthetic of Afrofuturism.

In the context of Gallagher’s work, speakers will explore and complicate readings of Afrofuturism and its influence on contemporary artists’ practices, creating an intricate understanding of the genre and its evolutions. Speakers include Zoe Whitley (Independent Curator and panel co-organiser), Hazel V. Carby (Professor of African American Studies and Director of the Initiative on Race Gender and Globalisation at Yale University), Amna Malik (Lecturer in Art History and Theory at the Slade School of Fine Art,UCL), and Lili Reynaud-Dewar.

etchasketchiest: My 6.10.2013 My pal Carey made a tumblr of...

Mon, 10 Jun 2013 22:45:59 -0400

etchasketchiest:

My 6.10.2013

My pal Carey made a tumblr of all of his Etch a Sketch drawings. They’re pretty incredible.

askouija: brettkingery: Anatomy of plant cells wow i really...

Sun, 09 Jun 2013 18:31:15 -0400

askouija:

brettkingery:

Anatomy of plant cells

wow i really miss science class

fyeahwomenartists: Stephanie GonotUntitled (by Gomargot)

Sun, 09 Jun 2013 15:19:14 -0400

fyeahwomenartists:

Stephanie Gonot
Untitled

(by Gomargot)

Photo

Sun, 09 Jun 2013 15:06:23 -0400

bidyke: Today, on the Tel Aviv Pride Parade, our...

Sun, 09 Jun 2013 15:06:15 -0400

bidyke:

Today, on the Tel Aviv Pride Parade, our queer-anarchist activist group, Mashpritzot, protested against pinkwashing and the “gay” community’s priorities. The group painted themselves pink in protest against pinkwashing - the cynical use of the Israeli “gay” community in order to paint Israel as a “liberal”, “progressive” country, and divert attention from the occupation and apartheid against the Palestinians.

They also carried signs protesting the “gay” community’s priorities, reading: “While you fight for gay marriage, LGBTQs are sleeping on the street”, “While you fight for the right to have children, LGBTQ youth are facing parental violence”, “One quarter of bisexuals suffer from poor health”, and more.

In the middle of the Pride Parade, they spread a huge rainbow flag and fell on it, feigning death. The sign seen in the picture reads: “Here lie the victims of the community’s priorities”.

For more about pinkwashing:
BDS, LGBT, and Why You Should Care About Pinkwashing
Pinkwatching Israel //Pinkwashing FAQ

velved: ‘MY BODY, MY SHRINE’ SWIMWEAR COLLECTION BY PROJECT...

Sun, 09 Jun 2013 15:04:26 -0400

velved:

‘MY BODY, MY SHRINE’ SWIMWEAR COLLECTION BY PROJECT 104

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Thu, 06 Jun 2013 01:29:08 -0400

bledhead: GIRLGANG 1. i don’t wanna be too cool - kate...

Thu, 06 Jun 2013 01:25:38 -0400

bledhead:

GIRLGANG

1. i don’t wanna be too cool - kate fagan
2. rapist in the park - anorexia
3. i hate being in love - amy & the angels
4. date with jack - castration squad
5. guys are not proud - the anemic boyfriends
6. thousands dead - mag & the suspects
7. mean to me - celia and the mutations
8. we don’t wanna be prisoners - chin chin
9. dirty white lies - neo boys
10. depressiv - neonbabies
11. panic - the comes
12. new kids army - suicide squad
13. society for cutting up men - big in japan
14. girl on the run - honey bane
15. happy funeral - kitchen & the plastic spoons
16. masochistic opposite - mo-dettes
17. extraña invasión - morticia y los decrépitos
18. boys boys boys - nikki and the corvettes
19. the man under my bed - the nixe
20. paranoia - the petticoats
21. games of life - rubella ballet
22. pânico - as mercenárias
23. subete urimono - aunt sally
24. she is a boy - androids of mu
25. creeps - q4u
26. don’t dictate - penetration