Mots à la Bouche, Paris
October 27th, 2006 | Uncategorized
I feel bad that I didn’t do more of an event this evening at Mots à la Bouche, the very lovely gay & lesbian bookstore in the Marais…I had some miscommunications, and thought that there wasn’t room to do my slide presentation. (Perhaps it wasn’t a miscommunication, but my situational A.D.D.)Anyhow, I felt bad that people were expecting more and I didn’t deliver. I’m really, really sorry. Come see me tomorrow between 3 and 5 at the Festival International du Film Lesbien & Feministe de Paris, and there will be more of a discussion. Plus I’ll draw pictures for you.
(to G&H, who commented on the last post: Sorry you didn’t find me after my signing tonight. I had dinner with some women I met at Mots à la Bouche. First they showed me the bar Le Troisieme Lieu–but we just walked in, looked around, and left. Then we ate at the Café Beaubourg.)
23 Responses to “Mots à la Bouche, Paris”
…. yes, missed communications, missed connections, and missed spaces between words. All goes with the territory.
Cut yourself some slack, A. (if you can; don’t pressure yourself if not!). You’re in trying circumstances (especially for someone who seems to be an introvert); you’ll be back to your normal self soon; it’s just an adjustment process. In the meantime, know you won’t be able to do what you normally can do, and try to be gentle with yourself around that. Down time and comfort, and remember that you rock.
Other (unsolicited) tips: try to anticipate and take steps to accomodate your ‘situational a.d.d.’ (which I’m guessing is the case ‘cuz stress hugely exaggerates my symptoms; it’s like ptsd): go slow; budget for unforseen needs; repeat arrangements back to event producers (slowly) or people you’re meeting to confirm everything — even (especially) when you think you’ve got it down;, go slow; get sleep; go down a mental checklist of key belongings whenever you’re leaving (who said a.d.d. and o.c.d. can’t co-exist?); do a final walk-through of hotel rooms, or glances at seats / stages to see if anything’s left behind; go slow. Above all, know things might still happen, you might *not* be able to ‘deliver’ as much as you usually can or want to, and that that’s ok.
I’m sure you’ll snap out of it soon (and emerge with good material for a dtwof run on a.d.d. should you ever want to do one!). In summary: hope the engagement tomorrow goes smoothly and without a hitch, and *please* treat yourself to some ice cream if doesn’t.
Ok, I’ll stop being an annoying unasked-for-advice-dispenser now.
All the best!
Thy weary footsteps led you astray
3W was the place to sway
Stalking not being our forte, we’ll ask you to join us next time.
We’re about to leave for Belgium, alas not for Brussels and our paths won’t meet.
Have a very nice tour,
Maybe next time we’ll meet up in Tours (sorry for the lame rimes)
I hope someone remembered to tell David Sedaris that you were in town.
Regarding “suddenly anonymous”‘s post:
the difference between an Introvert and an Extrovert:
An extrovert spends the evening meeting new people, going to parties, and connecting intensely, comes home around 2 AM, and feels energized and motivated.
An introvert does about half of all the above, comes home, and feels completely exhausted and wants to curl up and disappear for a while.
Or to give a more specific example, an Extrovert lesbian and an Introvert lesbian go on a date to see a great movie. Driving home in the car, the extrovert wants to talk about the movie, but the introvert wants to think about the movie.
Alison, your publisher needs to give you an assistant when you travel, especially if they (we) look forward to a future with you. As charming and original as I find your descriptions of shopping at a French electronics store, I think you deserve the Louvre. (Of course, that’s what makes you so special–it’s the mundane details that you treat with such an artistic eye. Still, you deserve an assistant.)
I think you need an assistant too. And the Louvre? I have never been there but if you have the time, try to make it. I have heard it is extraordinaire!
OCD is a very good — but exhausting — corrective for ADD.
I like the assistant idea. Suddenly Anonymous’s tips are on target; it seems she’s to have lived what she advises. still, doing so much to assure that things go smoothly takes a *lot* of energy and doesn’t offer any guarantees. life happens, despite our most careful planning.
assitants don’t come with guarantees, either. but they take off a lot of pressure and most people who attempt to keep track of someone else’s travels are pretty good at it.
I see that Aunt Susie made a suggestion similar to mine on the last thread — in a way that’s both amusing and practical! for reasons I don’t (yet) understand, my concern comes across in a way that’s so much heavier. perhaps not what you need, Alison, but it’s totally sincere.
here’s a thought: maybe France isn’t the best place to practice your French? and remember — your French in Fun Home is above reproach!!
The work that Alison has produced in her career has recently taken a dramatic turn. In Dykes To Watch Out For, she documented a vibrant, essential subculture ignored by almost everybody outside that culture, despite its constant, profound impact on the larger world. For this reason alone she deserves serious recognition. However, in Fun Home, she has applied this same lens to autobiography. She has entered the world of art that changes how a critical mass of the population looks at things. She has done this as a woman, as a lesbian, as a radical..
Serious artists deserve far, far more than individual donations. Even if they are women, lesbians, radicals. She’s not our pet artist; she never was. If you want to place altruism back at the forefront of our cultural ethic, do it collectively — support the network that fosters art, so the revolutionary cartoonist kids now reading Alison will have a market already receptive to their work.
As a struggling artist, I want the actions of the public who love and need and respect Alison to do more than just put a dollar in her violin case. The street performers I’ve known have had enormous difficulty with health care and stability issues. Insisting on thinking of innovative ways to support not just Alison but all the networks that helped her get to where she is — please, who is better to do that than those of us on this blog? This venue is an extraordinary social networking tool (as already demonstrated), as well as a marketing tool (not so well demonstrated.)
If you can’t afford to buy art, organize 20 people you know into donating enough to buy one of her monumental drawings. Then either share it on a rotating basis or donate it to a common space, a community space, where everybody who comes in will see a drawing by Alison Bechdel. Takes more time and ingenuity than going to PayPal, but zowie, what an impact. Alison gets the same amount, but the ripple effect is incalculable.
A cutting edge artist has an obligation to not just create but also to promote her work. If Alison needs help, it is more in the arena of promotion. The best way to expand her capacity to affect people through her art is to assist the distribution of that art — buy the product and strengthen the network that gave her a chance.
If you have ideas along this line and want help, use us here. And please tell us how it’s going.
Yay, just printed out my train ticket, packed my bag and will get up obscenely early tomorrow morning in order to pick up my friend and hop on a train to Brussels with her to make it to your book signing. Hopefully. I have a penchant to get lost and/or lose stuff (I am living proof that not all Germans are disciplined and orderly ;)), but I trust my friend to get me there safely. So don’t you fail me, M 😉
And yeah, I agree with the previous posts, an assistant would be neat. I’d volunteer, but I don’t think you need any more unwelcome excitement while travelling. Among other things, I left my favourite woolly sweater at Dunkin Donuts across from Berlin Zoo Station – something I still haven’t gotten over, almost 6 years later…
As an author who has earned only modest amounts from my writing and my books, I am grateful to receive money in any form it comes, from book sales, sales of articles, speaking fees, or dollars tossed in the proverbial violin case.
Also, I can’t imagine buying art work that I can only view only on the web. I have to see it in person. Does anyone else feel this way?
Is Fun home going to compete in the Angoulême festival? If not ask your french publisher about it: it’s a big event, it would be a pity to miss it. It’s the place to be for comics authors at the end of january.
and don’t forget to turn your clock an hour back… (although, luckily you would be early for stuff rather than late if you don’t…).
Right about the clock turning back! Also, I intend to purchase some artwork after an estate settlement. I have been skimming through all Alison’s works so I can request my favorite strip, if it’s available. And……I intend to have the artwork displayed in a very visable area of my living room. So…….I am still working on which strip I want but am excited to think that I can one day own not only a piece of original art, but also a dynamic piece of my culture and community. I will let Alison or whoever know when I am ready to purchase.
Yes, definitely, an assistant is ideal. Didn’t realize that that was something one could ask for from a publisher.
mlk — yes, having to work that so much to increase the chances that things go smoothly (knowing that stuff will still happen) is a *lot* of work. welcome to the world of living with a.d.d. (you were right; I do live w/it; see my post under blog entry first documenting A.’s misadventures).
Silvio – yes, yes, yes. The point being: for someone who’s an introvert, being constantly bombarded with interaction day after day is exhausting and draining (especially when you have to be ‘on’ so much), which exacerbates conditions like ‘situational a.d.d.’
Maggie Jochild — you speak convincingly; something to chew on. i like looking at the network rather than individual perspective. but alas, with the work it takes to just get through the week smoothly (see comments above — a.d.d. by definition interferes with the ability to perform major life functions), I got all the extra work I can handle. as soon as i get some money coming in, i’m hitting the paypal button.
thank you though for writing; your points are stimulating and it *is* provoking a paradigm shift, just to let you know.
Maggie, your ideas about obtaining art collectively and letting it “live” somewhere many can enjoy it is right on the money (no pun intended.)
And your comments about A.B.’s history of documenting our community are exactly right. In a way, the DTWOF strip has functioned like the next generation of that foolproof question “Do you like Holly Near’s music” for a slightly younger, hipper generation of women (although I belong to the the older and differently-hipped 🙂 generation).
For years I have marvelled at Alison’s tenacity and persistence in continuing to create the strip. Speaking as a musician and songwriter who for years has had to use those few hours at the end of the workday to do my music, I know how hard it is to thrive without public support. Community support means EVERYTHING. The love and attention of “fans” (for lack of a better word…perhaps “lovers” is more accurate–lovers of art/music/creativity/culture…) is even more sustaining that money (although money is good too!) because it keeps the fire burning. [a digression: does anyone remember Sonia Johnson’s definitions of “lover” and “sexer”? We’re talking 1989, 1990-ish ]
I think most creativity is born to please its maker first of all. If an artist is not enamoured of their own work, why bother? But secondly, it is so important to know one has an audience.
Personally (closet introvert speaking here), I prefer not to be too close to the audience. I don’t think I could bear a blog like this focused on me. I have that scorpio need to disappear and hide, but for those few minutes or hours while performing, it is all good. But afterwards, there must be space.
I am rambling, but the point I started out to make is that for a visual or literary artist like Alison, for their work to be publicly accessible (hanging on a wall, in a museum, in a community center, in a school, as a mural, even ON THE WEB!!) is the best way because then there is automatic connection created with the world and between those who appreciate it.
To sum up, thank you for the reminder that people can collaborate not just on art projects, but on acquiring and sharing art work.
Maggie
-Silvio.
I’m one of the people who said “oh, I was hoping you’d do a reading/presentation” and now I feel bad too! Don’t beat yourself up. It’s so great that you’re over here and it was wonderful to meet you after reading DTWOF for so many years. I am not good at thinking of nice things to say off the cuff when I meet people whose work I admire, I always get tongue-tied. But your comix are amazing and Fun Home is incredible, so bravo and thank you! Also thank you for the drawing you did in my book (I’m not saying what it was, in case the person to whom I’m giving the book is reading this post), but I really appreciated it.
I also wanted to say on Friday and was too shy that I’m from Vermont and one of things I’ve always loved about DTWOF is how much it reminds me of there, from concrete little details to the general vibe. I know the strip could be taking place in one of many progressive towns, but it just feels like VT to me, something that’s even more meanful to me now that I’ve been living in not-at-all-like-Vermont Paris for six years now.
Anyway, I hope you had a great rest of your stay in Paris and that you’re enjoying Belgium. Safe journey.
OK, I’m about to do a very bad thing that is frowned on by the community of posters here;complain. I think Alison is a fine writer and a talented artist, but I am beginning to resent the frequent exhortations on this forum to buy her art. I did not mind the “$500 for #500” because that was divided between many different people, and she deserves it. But as much as wish I could, there is no way I’ll ever be able to pay $350 for a piece of art. I would dearly love to, but I make $11 an hour. I’m partially disabled. The dozen or so people I regard as close friends are in the same boat as I am. We’re lucky we can buy the books, let alone art. Besides, “band together and share ” a piece of art? I can’t see myself driving across town for art visitation. Also, no place to put it-our lesbian and gay center recently folded, so the only other place would be one of the 2 bars in town. Don’t think they’d appreciate it.
I hope for Alison’s sake, there are a lot of rick dykes out there to buy her stuff, because if anyone deserves it it’s Alison. And don’t you think we know it’s a good investment? Soon she’ll write another book, she’ll get more acclaim than ever before, and before you know it, she will stop writing the strip. I’m sad about that, but that’s the way life goes. Anyway, is there some way you people who are promoting the art tone it down just a bit? I would think one short post a week would be enough. Maybe I am the last finanacially challenged fan of Alison, but I’m betting I’m not. And when I see this many “buy it now” posts, I feel like a second rate, or third rate fan; not really important, because the only things I buy are the books, and contribute a paltry amount from time to time on this blog.
hey nonny nonny.
Point well taken. I appreciate the posts about helping me (and the larger network of cultural workers) to survive financially. But I don’t like the vibe of urging people to buy stuff. Original art is absurdly expensive. And I trust that if someone really wants some, they’ll come and seek it out. I don’t want people to buy art to support me. I want them to buy art because they want the art.
Nonny, I totally hear you. As I said, I like the whole network thing but I don’t have much money or capacity for earning it right now.
I also agree about buying art b/c you *want* it (and can feel good knowing that you’re supporting an artist as well).
I also like the idea of 500 or even 5000 for the 500th (and the sliding scale), but to me, it’s not a donation or charity, but rather an exchange: it’s in return for the direct access I’ve enjoyed (not to mention this community forum) over the last year or so. Which has sustained me. As an aspiriing artist, I realize that our world does little to support the everyday-kinda art, and so I feel the need to value and support it — not just for A., but for all of us (hopefully including myself too at some point).
Making art or selling it or buying it or enjoying it (or ignoring it) – all have a place. Most of us here care – about people, art, justice. How does money fit into class/society dynamics? In our inegalitarian world, who can decide the rightness of receiving or spending resources – be it time or money or love – and how does any one person’s use of resources affect the rest of community/society? These are bigger questions than a blog can address – but we can consider them.
Alison says above that “original art is absurdly expensive”. On the BUY ART page, she says “Prices start at $350 for older episodes and go up. (A bargain in terms of the hourly rate–just a tad above minimum wage.)” Double minimum wage is about what Nonny says she makes an hour. Is that absurdly expensive?
“Expensive” is relative – to a vegetarian, a burger seems expensive –even at 99 cents – money + earth resources + the life of the cow. To the wealthy – like David Geffen, selling a Jasper Johns & de Kooning for $143 million is an economical way to fund a new enterprise. To many, a warm house in winter is expensive. It is related to both our resources AND our perceptions of worth.
On OUR world (even if we would not design the system that way) things are given monetary/ commercial value. We can choose to accept or reject that value or create a different value for it (obviously beyond subsistence living – growing our food or building shelter – and then only if we have the physical and mental capabilities).
But art – we get to choose. We get to value it. Nobody wants it = no value. (Artist must find another way to live.) But if we find it valuable and use our resources to acquire it (individually, collectively or with a museum/library card), then the artist makes money, the gallery owner makes money, and the publisher makes enough money to pay her or himself AND hire a travel logistics assistant for the artist.
I second Marty’s statement that “Making art or selling it or buying it or enjoying it (or ignoring it) – all have a place.” I, for another, am unlikely to buy any of Alison’s original artwork (although I’d love to have the gigantic piece that she drew on my b-day!!). if I got one of those amazon drawings I’d HAVE to donate it to some public space — where would I hang it in my modest apartment?? and I’ll have to be more out of debt before I consider buying one of her original strips.
I don’t think that’s the point of it. those of us who buy the books and contribute online (or through the P.O. box) are doing our part to support Alison and her work and, in some small way, the artistic establishment.
the ardor of Alison’s fans sometimes overwhelmes me, and I sometimes feel a sense of competitiveness with those who seem to be more (fill in the blank) than I can ever hope to be. still, I can’t imagine for a moment Alison deeming anyone who follows her work to be 2nd or 3rd rate. and — I hope I’m not wrong here — I can’t imagine Alison ever deciding it’s no longer worthwhile to draw the strip.
Thank you A.B., S.A. and all others who responded to my post. I think part of my problem is, that if I had the money, I really would buy a piece of art (I downloaded Pine Street’s website, an I’d love to have the sleeping figure with the cat; I thought I was the only one who slept with a pillow between her legs, and that looks just like my cat).
mlk, I share your view that “the ardor of Alison’s fans sometimes overwhelms me” and I feel a sense of competitiveness between the posters that sometimes looks downright embarrassing.I thought I was above all that, but evidently, it affected me as well, or I wouldn’t have written that post.This is a strange little world we enter when we visit here;it consists of one talented woman, and all the people who admire, respect,and love her and/or her work; at times it just gets a little weird for me. For what it’s worth, I hope I’m wrong about Alison quitting the strip too. But I wouldn’t count on it. Fun Home was just too good.
A different artist’s thoughts on art:
http://catandgirl.com/view.php?loc=244