Changes

My co-author, Saoirse, and I have met to discuss goals for the Vagabonders site. We both  agree that we would like to see it grow into something more awesome and that benefits the communities we aim to serve. Having said that, we realize that we are doing this in our spare time and that there is only so much we can do. Now, having said THAT, here is a list of goals that we feel we would like to accomplish in 2009. If you like what you’re reading or have suggestions, or anything, please leave a comment.

- 1000 hits by April (if you like this blog and want to help us reach that goal, you can continue to pass on the URL to friends of yours, word of mouth helps us so much)

- Minimum of 1 more author by May

- Some sort of steady funding (private? corporate? donations?)

- A feminist/queer/trans read-in fundraiser at the Concord Cafe (possibly a spoken word/performance/storytelling night?) to raise money for a website, webmaster and honorrariams (a word I cannot spell) for interviewees and guest authors

- Daily posts/multiple posts per day by multiple people (no more Brandon Brandon Brandon)

- Interviews!

- Vlog set up by April

What do you think? What would you like to see?

Ivan E. Coyote

Sorry everyone, but we took a short break from intellectual posting, but we’ve now returned to our regular schedule of shit that’s actually interesting and matters. Today we’re hitting you up with some Canadian stuff.

I first heard about Ivan E. Coyote on the blog Queer Eye Candy (by Sinclair, who also does the Sugarbutch Chronicles) and sort of fell in love.  Ivan’s style is fucking rad, and her way of speaking sometimes makes it hard to discern what’s story and what’s just general garble. Which I mark as a good thing. I’m going to alternate pronouns, because I’m actually not sure which pronouns Ivan uses and would rather be half-wrong than whole-wrong. So his style kicks ass, as I said, but today I got a copy of one of her award-winning volumes of short stories, The Slow Fix. I’ve read a few pages, and I’m already in love and telling people they have to borrow it.

So, here’s some Ivan for you. Enjoy.

Vagabonders 3.0

On behalf of the Vagabonders team; I now unveil to you The Vagabonders 3.0.

Please let us know what you think about the stylistic changes.

A New Thing

For a while, I have wanted to do a photography series phocused (haha…) around queer, old, young and otherwise sexually marginalized couples kissing.

So if you’re interested in having your photo taken as part of this series, could you pleeeease let me know? And/or pass this on to anyone you know who may be interested? Thanks.

Rick Warren

U.S. President-Elect Barack Obama has chosen evangelical pastor, Rick Warren, to do the official prayers at Obama’s inauguration in January. Many people are pissed off over this, and rightly so. He’s been known to say many misogynist things, many bigoted things, and many homophobic things, which has gotten many LGB groups pissed off. Obama doesn’t care that people are pissed off. Rick Warren made a speech about his role at the inauguration, in which he said “I love Democrats and Republicans. And, for the media’s purposes, I love gays and straights.”

For the media’s purposes? Are you fucking kidding me? A simpleton could figure out that if you have to actually say, “for the media’s purproses”, everything after that is not actually sincere. At all. If you acknowledge that what you’re saying is only being said to please the media, you are also saying that it is not actually heart-felt and true.

Thoughts?

Sometimes

I feel so sad about the world. This Christmas, though I want to feel warm and happy, though I want so badly to focus on the good, I can’t help but constantly remember that there are terrible things going on around the world.

In Johannesburg, a 35 year old woman named Takelah Chakamza is able to buy only two things for Christmas for her family. Her family lives in Harare, Zimbabwe and much of the country relies on people like Takelah to live. The economic situation in Zimbabwe is unimaginable. People navigate wheelbarrows full of money through crowded streets to buy a loaf of bread. Sometimes, entire families of five or six carry thousands of bills in whatever they can find, sacks, wheelbarrows, barrels, just to buy a roll of toilet paper. Inflation is going up by massive amounts per year. I don’t remember the number, but we studied it in World Issues and it was astronomical. If you have cash one day, you spend it because it may be worth nothing the next day. If you need something, you get it, because the next day it could be ten times the price. Takelah makes $80 a month working for a family in Johannesburg, and I am so, so sad that all she can send home is cooking oil and corn meal.

I have spent just under $200 on gifts this Christmas. The total cost of presents that people will buy from me will probably average out to be between $500-$1000. I have tried not to spend money. I have told my parents that I wish to make things this Christmas, instead of buying into the commercialism of it all. I really don’t have $200. Between trying to buy food, clothes and save for surgery, $200 is hard to part with. I do not want people to spend $500-$1000 on me. Next year, I will not give my parents an option. I will not ask them if I can make things. I will not seek their permission. Next year, all money will be spent on either buying materials to make things or will be sent to a charity, or even on gifts for kids in this city who won’t otherwise get them. Or perhaps I’ll go see my street friends and buy them stuff. We can make a day of it.

Saturday Story Time

I want to wish you a merry couple of weeks. These weeks are very exciting. Lots of celebrations. If you’re trans or queer and your family is somewhat like mine, you know that this time of year usually leaves a lot to be desired, but it’s laughable. Well, it’s Saturday Story Time.

I’m sort of in love with Bing Crosby, so if this doesn’t make sense, it’s because I’m filling up with a dose of Bing.

So I needed a haircut. Badly. Very badly. And that is how I found myself getting up early and heading to the hairdressers this morning (who were, by the way, very nice and queer AND trans +). After many laughs and all my hair getting shaved off (it’s 1/2 inch long!) I went to fish out my wallet, which I didn’t have. Oh shit. So I left my blackberry as collateral (in -14 degree weather I surely was not to leave my jacket or hat!) and took the subway home and back again and paid up. After being home fro a while myparents returned with news from my grandma. My aunt is not coming for Christmas.

I tried to explain the complexity of substance abuse to my mom. How alcoholism is not something that just ‘happens’. How it’s not all down to my aunt. Things my mother, of all people, should know. It wasn’t working. The ending is that my grandma is very upset.

And I have hair that’s 1/2 an inch long.

But at least, this year, my queerness did not ruin Christmas. However, it certainly won’t help.

BUT, alas, this video is amazing. It’s incredible.

Laugh your ass off, kids.

-brando.

Absorbing the World

So, though I am not really one for appologies, I feel one is currently needed.

Unfortunately, as I have been busy working on three productions and transferring schools, I haven’t really been writing lately. By ‘working on three productions’ I mean I’m writing, directing, stage managing, set designing and producing one play, I’m writing and performing a puppet show (as well as making the puppets) and I’m writing yet another play. All of that keeps me very busy.

On the other hand, I am busy trying to find another writer so that when I disappear like this there is somebody writing.