1,000

This is my 1,000th post on this blog! Wow.

Chicago Bean. September 2012.

“You are not just here to fill space or be a background character in someone else's movie. Consider this: nothing would be the same if you did not exist. Every place you have ever been and everyone you have ever spoken to would be different without you. We are all connected, and we are all affected by the decisions and even the existence of those around us.” --David Niven

Anchorage

It feels like Alaska is still selling itself. Like, every corner has "Alaskan halibut!" signs. But, like, this is YOUR city, Alaska. Don't you know you have fish? It feels disingenuous everything is moose-themed and gift shops are more abundant than what the people require (shoe repair? groceries?).

"Be who you are" and "Say what you mean" seem to be the two most prominent themes of my trip so far. Either because that's what I'm being shown or simply what I'm seeing.

Motorbike to cemetery.
Picnic on wild berries.
French toast with molasses.
Croque and baked Alaskas.

Side: extremely spotty updating as the second leg of my trip begins.

Leaving the Last Frontier

So. The final conference gala is in two hours. I've been here for exactly one week. My jaunt up north has cost seven days of my life and a couple thou from the grad and theatre schools' budget. What am I taking home? (A partial list):

-What are we ever taking home--a nice consideration.

-Transactions. Give the characters something to do. Move the stage.

-"Why is this a play?" is a good question.

-It's not hard to make it serious. Make it enjoyable.

-We know the end: we die. So, what's so important in the middle?

-I don't care enough about playwriting maybe.

-I don't care enough about having fun maybe.

-Get personal.

-A stupid idea, written well, is often better than a new idea.

-I can eat a lot of Cap'n Crunch if there is a Sex and the City marathon.

-You can judgit or you can lovit.

-React as if nothing is personal. It actually never is.

-If you don't want to be concerned, don't be concerned on behalf of someone else.

-Pretty much everything can be overanalyzed by some loser as a metaphor about gender in society. And that is me. I am that loser.

-Music.

-It might be beautiful objectively, but it's still okay if you don't like it.

-You also don't have to have a reason to have your taste.

-Or to be you. (Barf, but, y'know?)

-Audiences need some built-in discussion time. I believe this, but I'm not sure how it can happen.

-I need to perform periodically to keep myself unblocked.

-Feel guilty or don't about shutting down when you need to shut down?

-Say the real thing.

Become the Future

Our past might be what influences us, but our future is what makes us. It is far more logical to act with the purpose of becoming who you want to be instead of in accordance with who you were yesterday.

5 AM in Carefree, AZ.


I'm livin' in the future, so the present is my past.

Richard Dawkins

Found my notes from the Richard Dawkins talk I saw this February with Pookie. Ideas from the legend:

-Trying to figure out God from our perspective is like looking for keys you dropped under a lamppost since that's where the light is.

-People say that our existence is proof of a higher power because us being here is so improbable, but, actually, the big surprise would be if nothing happened in am empty space.

-It's sad all politicians have to lie about being religious. They can't all possibly care. We need to be who we are and own it.

-Fear is a biological mechanism. It's not so bad.

Interesting ideas, Dawks. I enjoyed hearing him speak--despite not always entirely agreeing. Because I had a good, thought-provoking evening, when the dude was walking offstage to thunderous applause of four-thousand hands, I yelled up at him (I was in the front row) "Thanks!" and he smiled so so genuinely, and he pointed at me, like, "Hey, YOU thanks."

And then my sis and I went out with Blue Eyes to an Irish pub and sucked down cranberry juices.