On the Radio!

I about an hour I will be on the radio show "Alternative to Sleeping."  Ethan is interviewing me about comedy and my experiences in it.

Listen to me here: http://alternativetosleeping.com/home/listen/ at 10:30 PM EST!

I'll talk about how my two best friends in high school were 35 year old men in trench coats.

THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT

I just spent the whole weekend in my apartment listening to these three artists on repeat:

1) Wilco
2) Diamond Doves
3) Shovels and Rope

1) Wilco has a new album out, called "The Whole Love" and it is fucking amazing.  The first song, "Art of Almost" is incredibly sexy.  My next favorite is "Dawned on Me," which is the musical equivalent of snuggling.  "Whole Love" is just well, whole love.  I can't stop listening to this whole thing on repeat.  Over and over. Alone on the subway. I take special walks just to listen.  This album has a track for every different kind of Wilco fan.  I am always so amazed at Tweedy and the band's ability to sound completely different all the time.  Every avenue they explore musically is exactly the kind of avenue down which I would like to stroll.  God, Jeff. You get it right. All I can do is make short declarative statements.

2) I don't know why it took me so long, but I just listened to the Diamond Doves Daytrotter session.  I don't so much enjoy their version of The Felice Brother's "Back in the Dancehalls," but I do love everything else.  Especially since I have seen them a handful of times live and have been dealing with the fact that the songs are in my head but I could never listen to clear version of any of them until now.  As you probably guessed, I love "Endlessly" the best.  However, there's a special place in my heart and libido for "Club Night."  It's raunchy...but I kinda dig it.  "Hey Lady" is just nice and sweet.  Did I tell you that when I met Nick Kinsey, he put down his drum to talk to me?  That means we're practically engaged, right?

3) I want to be Cary Ann Hearst.  Just watch this.  Need I say more?


I have literally been listening to all of the above on repeat all weekend.  I think my neighbors/roommate must think I'm crazy. Who cares.

CONNIE CONVERSE ON VINYL!!!

The gentleman at Squirrel Thing Recordings have something awesome up their sleeves...but they need your help!

So many gross mustaches on the subway today. 

#gobeardorgohome

Unless, of course, you are Ron Swanson...

(Yes, my friends Photoshopped themselves into my picture with Mr. Swanson. My friends are internet meme geniuses.)

Good things to come.

My new mandatory but extraordinary (eventually) academic blog.

I'm getting a PhD in this.

I wanna study bad media. What makes it bad? What is the line between just plain bad and so bad it's good?  Who are the people making these things?  Are they kidding?  Are they too serious? What about sensationalist journalism?

Also...please help me understand the above video. I don't mean to be rude, but are they gang-banging her or something?

I keep repeating this Jack Kerouac quote from Visions of Cody over and over again.  It sums up my method of existence:

I wish I had ten personalities, one hundred golden brains, far more ports than are ports, more energy than the river, but I must struggle to live it all, and on foot, and in these little crepesole shoes, ALL of it, or give up completely.

ShakinShakinShakinShakinSHAKE

This is another music video of my nieces, set to Darren Hanlon's "Electric Skeleton." The girls are so funny in such a subtle, adorable way.

Look to the right of the screen!

You may now proceed to give me your lunch money...c'mon, it's for art!

This documentary not only asks the question “Who is Connie Converse?” but also, “Where did she go?”  To those who knew her, Connie Converse was a daughter, a sister, a sister-in-law, a friend, a scholar, a writer, an artist, a political activist, a composer, and a musician.  She was indeed all of those things, but as one can tell from the goodbye letter, Connie was much more.  She was a human in a lifelong battle with herself.  Each year brought more disappointment and loneliness as she struggled to connect herself to this world while seeking commercial success for her work.  Faced with major surgery, an impending trip to be spent sober with her mother, and a crippling sense of failure, Connie Converse drove off in her Volkswagen bug leaving only notes of goodbye.  The year was 1974 and she was 50 years old.  Connie was never heard from again, and all we have left is a filing cabinet of papers and her haunting, beautiful Musicks.

Although I am in the research/grant proposal writing/planning stages of the film, tricky circumstances have called for what might be my final chance to go to Michigan and speak with her brother, Phil, and sister-in-law, Jean. While I am in Michigan I will also be gathering materials to aid Lau Derette (the record label who released her album, "How Sad, How Lovely") with the re-release of a special edition. I will be purchasing a portable digital document feeder/scanner to obtain copies of as many treasures from the filing cabinet as I can, including her personal letters, pictures, and drawings.

My trip is scheduled for September 8-10 and I am attempting to raise any amount of money I can to subsidize the cost of travel, equipment, and other production expenses.  If you have a bit of fundage to spare, I would greatly appreciate donations of all denominations, from non-consecutive twenties to kind words.  I don't discriminate!  Soon I will have a website with a better promo video, pictures, an inside look into production, etc.  Of course I will keep you all updated as things progress.

I am so thankful for all of your support.  If it weren't for your belief in me, I wouldn't believe in me!

I need an intern.

3 jobs. Grad school. Documentary. 

More info soon about how YOU can help me spread the Gospel of Connie Converse.

If you would like to know right this second, please email:

connieconversedoc@gmail.com

My First Attempt...

Please disregard the less than perfect video composition and sound quality.  However, I needed to let some of this footage see the light of day!