on things lovely partner wants me to blog

we do this on a fairly regular basis: one of us says something hilarious/witty/profound and the other immediately says: you should blog that!

here's one of them.

we were discussing the 50 state quarters that have finally all been released by the u.s. mint. and here are our favorites:kt's caption: "breaking news: space shuttles go back in time!"
kt's caption: "breaking news: saarinen design go back in time!"

on obama

i voted yesterday. for obama, of course. it's interesting, i've always thought voting for a presidential election in texas was futile, but recent polls have put texas in the "tossup" column in some cases, which is-like-CRAZY! anyway, as with many folks i know, i've been a presidential news junkie these last few days. time magazine ran a photo story on obama. this photo really made me a little weepy.

maybe part of my sensitivity to this photo has to do with a dream i had last night that involved all the little boys of color in our neighborhood becoming our friends. one of them was a piano prodigy, one of them played violin, but was also a dj. one of them was a poet. the boys in our neighborhood are real. their abilities may just be my imagination. in the dream, i was negotiating with lovely partner on how to make our piano available to the prodigy. and then he came by the house and asked me what i meant on my blog when i said *something i don't remember here.* somehow this pic really spoke to me, tho'.

call for donations

Performance artist (me, kt shorb) seeks donations of material objects associated with cancer:

Hospital wrist bands, printouts of blood test results, x-rays, empty prescription bottles, needle caps, brochures, canes, skull caps, wigs, etc.—these are objects that surround cancer treatment and institutions. They are evidence of the pain, time, anticipation, transformation and rituals that cancer demands of patients and caregivers. To some, these objects are badges of honor—proof of survival; to others, they are reminders of things and people lost; still to others, they are mere refuse, waiting to be disposed.

I am looking for donations of such material objects to serve as inspiration in my upcoming solo performance opera, “Una Corda.”

The Project:
“Una Corda” is a journey through the spiritual affects and effects of cancer. Using textual and musical influences of the Catholic Latin Mass and the Buddhist Heart Sutra, “Una Corda” digs beneath the sentimental and condescending notion of cancer as it exists in the popular imagination and instead explores how cancer effects us as a lived experience—visceral, complex, messy, and unresolved.

“Una Corda” is a deeply personal piece. It is a way through which I explore my own grief and mourning of watching my mother die from cancer. It is also a way to mark the many survivors of cancer. “Una Corda” is a meditation on how cancer creates survivors and tries the soul. At the same time, it is a rigorous aesthetic exploration of what cancer implies, what it destroys, and what it makes.

Use of Objects:
The donated objects will be the physical connection to the experiences surrounding cancer. They will be used in multiple ways: as props, set, images, parts of sculpture, or sources for borrowed text, sound, and imagery. All objects will be treated with respect and reverence.

How to Donate:
If you are interested in donating materials, please contact me at: ktshorb@hotmail.com . If you live in the greater Austin area, we can set up a time for me to pick up the goods. If you live outside of the greater Austin area, we can set up a way for me to send you postage or reimburse you for postage via paypal. International donations are welcome. If you wish to donate postage costs as well, just send the materials to:

kt shorb
“Una Corda”
2906 Glen Rae St
Austin, TX 78702

For all materials, I request the following information.

Object:
Your Name:
Your contact information (email, address, phone):
Name of cancer patient(s), if not you:
Current state of cancer patient:
Would you like your name or the name of the cancer patient to be anonymous?
Do you wish to receive information via email regarding “Una Corda?”
If you are comfortable doing so, please share a story or information about this object and the patient:
May I use this story as inspiration for material in the piece?
Your signature acknowledging the below statement and date of donation:

k. terumi shorb solemnly promises to treat all donated materials with respect and reverence. By donating the materials, donator relinquishes rights or materials to k. terumi shorb, to be used in any way shorb sees fit for the purposes of the solo opera, “Una Corda” and any works of art, writing, music, video, performance or promotional materials associated with “Una Corda.” All information will remain strictly private except where donor and cancer patient appear in the thank you section of the opera program. Donors who wish to remain anonymous will not appear in any materials associated with this project.

on voting

okay, kids. this one should be a no-brainer, but just in case, if you live in the following states, please be sure to vote NO:

Proposition 8 in California
Proposition 2 in Florida
Proposition 102 in Arizona
Unmarried Couple Ban in Arkansas

UPDATE: Question 1 in Connecticut

again, the point is to vote NO. as in: N-dot-O. unless you hate the gays. and if you hate the gays, please go away.

on youtube bombing

hey y'all. um. so i know that a lot of you have looked at my youtube page. and you've told me that you like my shit. so. um. i was just wondering. could you possibly leave comments and ratings? that'd be great. it seems that the only people who have bothered to rate me really have ABSOLUTELY NO IDEA WHAT THE HELL MY SHIT IS ABOUT. i mean, if they paid attention, they would realize that they are precisely the people i'm satirizing... but anyway.

check out my youtube channel here.

on writing exercises

"write for 5 minutes. never put your pen down. use only three-word sentences."

the above exercise is one deb margonlin gave us at a writing workshop i attended three years ago. i'm looking for more exercises.

in working on "una corda," i have many ideas, but i'm having trouble putting it down on paper and parsing out the themes and problems. then i thought: hey, maybe my writer friends could help me!

i want to do a series of writing exercises. i know i could google some, or think up my own (i already have). but there is something particularly inspiring about being "set to" an exercise by a teacher, friend, colleague, etc. i sent an email to a bunch of my writerly friends about a week ago asking for writing exercises. some responses were a whole page, some were one line. i invite you to leave writing exercises in the comments of this post. i plan to do every exercise i receive, and the more exercises folks leave, the more there will be for folks to use!