DTWOF: Miami
March 14th, 2007 | Uncategorized
One upside of blogging is that it’s a curious kind of anchor, a way of locating myself. Since I’ve been traveling so much, I barely know where I am when I wake up. But the blog is always right here where it always is–everywhere and nowhere. Here I am right now in Miami, of all places. I’m getting ready to go to some classes at Miami Dade College today. And tonight I speak at the Broward County Library.
I only managed to get one comic strip done during my brief time at home last weekend. I guess I’ll do the next one when I get home next weekend.
32 Responses to “DTWOF: Miami”
AB–I would really like to hear what the folks in Florida think of your work. Are there any Floridians lurking about? I connect Miami with sun, parties, and Cuban exiles. I would love to hear more, and have my clueless generalities enlightened!
As a Northerner, it’s always seemed to me that the weirdest news always comes out of Florida. It’s like a Twilight Zone state where anything can happen.
Relax about the work, Alison…cut yourself some slack, baby girl.
Sigh, it does read like the Twilight Zone when all they print is the bad stuff. We Floridians wince every time someone pulls some stupid crap because we KNOW what will make the news. I live in West Central Florida, and things are fairly mellow for GLBT, until the small pockets of intolerance band together and scream. Then it sounds like Redneck-ville again. ::headdesk, headdesk::
Alison, hope you are enjoying the soft warm breezes of Miami! And yes, no matter where you go, here we still are!
Growing up as New York/New Jersey-ite, for years I thought Florida was just a place New Yorkers retired to.
Then after college I caught a train in Deland (north central Florida) out West and was amazed how “southern” the area looked.
Then I read the novels of Carl Hiassen, who writes about all the crazy nutcases living in the Everglades, and also about all the environmental issues the residents face against all those New Yorkers building condos in the wetlands.
So now I have finally learned to see through the resort mentality that the rest of the country has toward Florida, and I see it as a beautiful wild place that has been under threat for years from developers (like so many other beautiful places.)
Even Key West, the great gay party island has a sordid and sad undertone–so many burnt out Viet Nam vets hanging out on the street–the ghosts of a bad war still haunting us, amid all the t-shirt stands.
Sheesh! I’m sound awfully heavy-duty, considering what a beautiful spring morning it is here in Baltimore!
Hola Alison!
Enjoy the sun and sand. When I saw this photo, I thought of the song lyric, “The future’s so bright, I gotta wear shades…” Pick up some shades, sister!
Have fun!
On the blog~I agree. Blogs have a certain empheral quality and are grounding simultaneously. Kind of an interesting phenomenon.
Oops. Schoolmarm alert. I meant ephemeral. Tsk. Tsk.
Has anyone seen the movie “Ruby in Paradise”? It stars a very young Ashley Judd as a woman who runs away from her family and kind of floats about in a Florida resort town in the off season. From what I remember of it, it’s really meditative and beautiful.
Oh, and of course, there’s “Sunshine State” with a very funny Edie Falco about developers and locals.
I’m with Silvio Soprani on this one: I’ve always envisaged Florida as a sort of sixth borough, somewhere a little to the south of Staten Island. Really, it ought to be possible to extend the 6 train just a bit and run it straight into Miami. Or maybe there’s a bridge from Brooklyn heading south… 😉
( For what it’s worth, I tend to think of Manhattan as a district of London – just one with a long commute… I’m a city boy at heart ! )
LondonBoy–Hye-larious! Yelena, I saw Ruby in Paradise and it WAS a great little film; I would recommend it to all here on the blog. Speaking of Mr. Hiassen, he also wrote Team Rodent: How Disney is devouring the World. The title says it all. It’s a quick, snarky read about the big land grab to creat Disney World and other seamy details.
http://www.carlhiaasen.com/books/native.html
My favorite Hiassen book is NATIVE TONGUE (see link above), which introduces surely his most out-there character, Skink, who is a refugee from high public office who lives in the wilds of the Everglades and plots sabotage against developers.
Hiassen has the knack of making me laugh until I wheeze, but also opens my eyes to some critical environmental issues at the same time. Quite a talent.
Miami! Sounds warm and nice. Never been there. My Alison, you are getting around aren’t you?! I agree with most posters here, get some shades.
IGNORE
Silvio-I admit, Carl Hiassen’s and Dave Barry’s books are a guilty pleasure for me. Their best stuff is just pee-your-pants funny…Much of my Florida knowledge comes from their writings; is that a good thing?
Miami politics may not be so gay-friendly, but from what I hear from friends, much of the city is–and they have beaches! Sun, sand, South Beach—ooo, now I want to go too…
There doesn’t appear to be a troll here. Why the “ignore” posting? Just curious.
sunicarus,
Maybe it was a test post.
Oh. I am so not in the know when it comes to blog technology. I don’t post very often and thought I had missed something. Thanks for the clarification, Deena.
And I am still learning.~Michelangelo
On another note, there seems to be many a Carl Hiassen fan here. I know “Skinny Dip” was a bestseller a couple years ago. I’ll have to check him out though I rarely read from the mystery genre with the exception of a few old school Agatha Christie titles. I’ve heard Hiassen does have a wicked wit, though.
Wicked…well that would explain why he has so many fans on this blog!
At the moment I don’t feel very wicked though…like shadocat, I wish I were on the beach!
Today in school there were tons of students in cut offs and flip flops! (Perfectly appropriate…the weather was in the 70s, I think!) it made me want to come home, put all the sweaters in the storage boxes, and haul out my summer clothes! Must be prudent, however. Can’t even plant seeds in this climate safely until after Mother’s Day.
By the way, did anyone watch the pilot of THE RICHES? (New tv show with Eddie Izzard and Minnie Driver.) I have never seen Minnie Driver in such a dramatic role before! She was excellent. I have heard of Eddie Izzard, but know nothing of his comedy/drag persona.. All I know is, these two Brits totally convinced me that they were Southern Americans of the [non]working class! What is it lately with Brits playing Americans (and doing it so well!) i suppose they are paying us Yanks back for trying to do Shakespeare all these years…
Silvio-
it was up to 70 here too. I got out the pitchfork and did composty things. *happy sigh*
Even if we get the threatened 6 inches of snow Friday I don’t mind now.
I forget the name of my favorite Hiassen, but the murder weapon is a toy rubber gator. How could I not love that?
Hi Alison,
It was great to see you tonight in Ft. Lauderdale talking about Fun Home. I can’t wait to read it (I am such a procrastinator…been meaning to buy it since it came out). Thank you for drawing me a Mo since I was sans book to sign. It was extremely interesting to see your drawing process (being the computer geek that I am).
Hope you have a great time in FL, out of the cold. You are here at a great time of the year for a visit.
Take care,
Barbara
That is so ODD. I moved to Tallahassee this year after only having visited Florida once, so I do believe the Broward county library in Fort Lauderdale was one of about 3 Florida buildings I’d ever set foot in before January. You’re not coming up this way are you? Visit the Capital!
Eddie Izzard. He is a brilliant crossdressing comedic genious. His one man shows on dvd include – Dress to Kill, Circle, Definate Article, Sexie. And a few others. You must see them if you haven’t already.
Liza,
It’s hard to imagine Eddie Izzard as a crossdresser; his character in THE RICHES is such a solid he-man type. And his character’s personality is quiet, deliberate, with obvious deep feeling that comes out in bursts.
The contrast reminds me of another cross-dresser of sorts–David Johanssen (of the 70s glam-rock New York Dolls.) Recently the Harry Smith Project came out on DVD. It is the 30s and 40s traditional folk collection re-interpreted by contemporary folk, rock, and jazz artists, including D. J., who performs a particularly red-neck, muscular version of “Old Dog Blue,” straight out of the neighborhood we saw in DELIVERANCE. Hard to even imagine him in those tacky wigs and dresses from the New York Dolls.
Such is art.
Hey, Little Gator, you are right! No matter what the weather does now, I know that Spring is possible!
Yes, but Eddie talks a lot about being a crossdresser in his one man shows. Its a huge theme, which he talks about, jokes about and is quite moving and serious about as well.It’s not put on as an act. It is who he is. And he’s totally out and proud and funny. He is so intelligent and sophisticated and educated, you really have to see him as himself.
Silvio,
Eddie Izzard is not just a cross-dresser! He is an “Executive Transvestite! (you’ll know what I mean when you see “Dress To Kill”).
Actually,once you see his videos, you’ll be shakin’ your head every time you see him as a “straight” guy-for a minute, anyway.
What was the name of vampire “movie-in-a-movie” movie made
a few years back? Had Willam Dafoe in it-was a take on “Nosferatu”.(please don’t check my spelling on that, btw)
Eddie was in that too.
What freaks people out about Eddie Izzard is that he is a very out heterosexual. And not anti-gay. So all those people who think draq queen, we know who you are, are thrown into confusion.
I think all men should have to wear big swishy skirts all the time. Prefereable pink. Quickest route to women’s liberation ever. Watch them work out how to cross their legs at the ankles.
I think his heterosexuality and his womens outfits make him divinely queer. And rather sexy. And he seems quite humble about his sexuality, at least in interviews. He’s brilliant.
OK, new movie fantasy. Izzard and Alan Rickman. With Sigourney Weaver and Isabella Rossellini. And there are no couples.
shadocat-
It was “Shadow of the Vampire”
Terrifying and hilarious. Though it might have been less scary if I hadn’t had to drive home in the dark to an empty house.
Pam I,
Yes, I know what you mean. I have a very close friend who is hetero, a crossdresser, and a musician. It makes for a very interesting liberation–being open to artistic expression makes so many labels irrelevant.
Shado, I will certainly rent “Dressed to Kill” as soon as I can. Thanks!
“dress to kill” is hilarious. hope you enjoy it, silvio! (not to be confused with the movie “dressed to kill” though…)
Lea,
Yeah, as I recall, the latter movie is Michael Caine in a really sorry lookin’ wig murdering people in an elevator, right?
Shadow of the Vampire! Thanks, lil gator! That movie was hilarious AND scary! I remember Eddie’s first scene with the
“Count”–everyone was complementing Eddie’s character’s “acting”–the joke was, he was REALLY terrified! And wasn’t Willam Dafoe great? He was as much starstruck with his leading lady as he was “hungry” for her. Oh, and the fingernails!(Wondering how poor Willam went to the bathroom between breaks with those babies…)
Here in Louisville, it was 78 one day and 42 the next. Daggone Mason Dixon warming
Re: Eddie Izzard: His humor is so smart and askew from much of what people find. About his dressing habits–well, “our founding fathers” wore makeup, wigs,and heels, but I guess the difference is that nowadays the gender norms have changed so the cross-dressing frission is possible.
I went to Miami for the NGLTF Creating Change meeting once. I went to a nightclub that was converted from a laundrymat.
After a long day of networking and strategic planning, I barely had the energy to dance. It was at least as humid as Kentucky, so that was okay. The ocean makes all the difference, though, in the perception of heat.
I think that people on this list might benefit from a peek at what Callenbach’s _Nine Nations of North America_ has to say about Miami being the capital of the Carribean cultural region.
“People” (read: white people, and some other non-recent immigrants) often don’t realize how multicultural (not just Cuban American) Miami is. People of color, some good number of whom are at least bilingual, dominate in numbers, and that must unfortunately freak some people out.
Enjoy yourself Alison!