Not Just Austin Armadillos by Gary Lee

Author Martha Wells reading her new opus.

      I just had a wonderful weekend:  writing, artwork, and poetry.  Every year, Austin hosts a literary science fiction / fantasy convention called ArmadilloCon.  This year’s venue was the Renaissance Hotel in the Arboretum.  Almost  400 people attended this year;  there were also several dozen authors and poets; and over 30 artists including John Picacio (see http://www.johnpicacio.com/ ).

       The art show boasted 595 works of art:  somewhat over a quarter of the con-goers bid on the art, with prices  from $1 to $1000.    My wife actually bid on 7 of the cheaper items, winning 5, and looked longingly at another four before deciding to not spend the money.   A hundred of us voted on the art and artists we liked best.  Julie Dillon did quite well at the Art Show, winning three awards including Best in Show (see www.juliedillonart.com  for examples of her work).   Victoria Shipman and David Pancake also won awards.

The 2012 Writer’s Workshop had 28 students enrolled (all photos by Gary Lee Webb).

      My major interest was in learning to write better.  So Sharon and I went a day early, and attended the writer’s workshop:  28 students  being taught by 18 pros.  Each student had submitted up to 5000 words of unpublished material.  In my case, I submitted the immediate sequel to “A Dish Served Cold”    (Page 38 of the July 2012 issue of Bohemia;  see http://www.bohemia-journal.com/electronic-copies to check it out on-line).  Sharon submitted the first 5000 words of an 8000-word story called “Adoption”.  We spent the morning discussing generic advice for new writers and participating in various exercises.  We then spent a working lunch and afternoon split into smaller groups:  4-5 new writers and up to three pros. 

      Two weeks before the workshop, everyone in the smaller group had received the submissions from each of the students in the group.  These we were tasked to review.  I was amazed at the depth of the comments I received:  approximately 2500 words, generally quite positive.  It *will* take me some time to assimilate all that, but I can already see ways I may improve my writing.  I appreciate the time spent by my fellow students (Thomas Burbridge, Aaron DaMommio, Leigh Berggren Reinhart) and the professionals leading us (Melissa Tyler and Martin T. Wagner).  One advantage of this approach is that I received five stylistically very different reviews, and while they were often making similar comments, they focused on different aspects.

Experienced con-goers know to visit the Con Suite: good food and interesting people. A tri-corder is useful if you are watching your weight.

      Besides the writer’s workshop itself, I attempted to get to as many panels  on writing as I could .  I also caught readings by several authors, visited the Con Suite and some of the evening bid parties, and bought several things in the “huxter” room (a/k/a, the dealer’s room).  Some panels I just attended for fun, but even those turned out to be interesting.  For example, there was a panel amounting to an hour of poetry readings  by six poets, led by Juan Perez.  Talking with Juan afterwords, I found out that he is looking for poets to fill 8 hours of time at the 2013 World Science Fiction Convention:  is anyone interested in having a *large* audience, next year?

      In short, I had a blast, and I think I learned a lot.  I spent some time with old friends, and met some new ones.  While I am looking forward to the much bigger convention in 13 months (25 times as many people at the world con!),  I am also looking forward to future writer’s workshops and the annual ArmadilloCon.

L-R: Poets Juan Perez, David Chang, Tess Mallory, Jamie Lee Moyer, Steven Utley, and Rie Sheridan Rose read their work for us.

Freaking Hot, by Albert

My Friends, please take this heat wave seriously. I had the opportunity to ride in the back of an ambulance once and get a IV stuck in my arm, many, many moons ago because of a heat exhaustion. I can’t remember what hurt more, the splitting headaches or the army medic jamming the IV into my arm. Regardless, it hurt!
I am older and just a tad wiser now, I keep telling myself that. I choose not to run in the heat of the day with a huge beefy drill sergeant chasing me down and yelling at me to win a race. By the way I won that race, then passed out! I upheld the honor of my squad and won a free ride to the emergency room. In all seriousness this heat is nothing to poke fun at.

Be safe and smart, drink plenty of water, not energy drinks, soft drinks, and other sugary stuff, it will not keep you hydrated. I have seen people pass out while they stood in line or just walking. You can tell when people are not faking it because they usually land on their teeth. The fakers always land on their hands, go figure.

Use this hot weather to write great poetry or a short story while inside, enjoying the AC, just like I am doing. You stand less of a chance of getting a free ride in a loud ambulance and a night in the ER.

Stay cool!

 

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I Wake Up to Wake Up, by Amy Lam

I wrote this when I was twenty years old. I found it today. Hope you enjoy it.

 

I wake up from my camouflage bed sheets.

I wake up to wake up.

How stubborn I am.

Resist the voice that repeats:

“YOU MUST WAKE UP TO EAT!”

I ignore the demand.

I wake up to wake up.

High heels clash outside my basement window.

“Wake up, wake up, wake up!” it calls out.

For what????

And brush my teeth?

And fix my hair?

And fill up what all is missing on my face?

How silly.

How typical.

I don’t want to wake up to this.

I want to wake up to a gentle voice.

I want to wake up when it is time to wake up.

I wake up to wake up.

 

Book Collecting – Continued by Jim McKeown

As a collection grows, most collectors gravitate toward one, two, or three authors.  Sometimes these writers make frequent appearances at book stores, libraries, colleges, and other venues for readings.  These events almost always include a book signing.

Furthermore, readings present great opportunities to hear the actual voice of a writer as well as an chance to ask questions about a particular book or passage.  Of my favorite authors, several made frequent appearances in and around Philadelphia and New York.  I often heard John Updike read.  He even spoke at the Dallas Museum of Art.  All this resulted in a really nice collection of signed first editions of Updike’s works.  This is not a valuable collection, but they are priceless to me.

Other writers rarely make these kinds of appearances.  I once drove from Philadelphia to Boston – about 6 hours – to hear Margaret Atwood read from her then latest novel, Cat’s Eye.  To my surprise, this story of her youth in Toronto closely paralleled my early years in Philly.  Some of the remarkable details involved games of Monopoly© with her friends, trips to the movies, walks to and from school, and many more details I do not recall.  Perhaps it is time I reread that wonderful novel!

Another interesting story involves Peter Benchley, the author of the best seller Jaws.  I read where Mr. Benchley lived in Princeton, New Jersey, less than a sixty-minute drive from my home.  I found his name and address in the Princeton phone directory, and I called him.  He answered the phone, and agreed to let me visit him to get my copy of the book signed.

When he answered the door, I thanked him – always important when intruding on a writer’s time!  I then felt bold enough to ask him a question about a significant detail of the book which did not appear in the film.  In the book, Matt Hooper, played by Richard Dreyfuss, actually grew up on Amity Island.  While in high school, Matt dated Sheriff Brody’s wife, Ellen, played by Lorraine Gary.  The shark attack, which resulted in Hooper’s return to the island, also presented an opportunity for Matt and Ellen to renew their relationship, and a brief affair ensued.

Mr. Benchley told me the editor of the book did not think anyone would be interested in “just a shark attacking a summer resort” unless he spiced it up with some sex.  Hence the affair which Peter luckily removed from the screenplay he wrote.  The book was a tremendous hit with the affair, and the film won three Oscars without the sex.

But my greatest encounter I will save for a future installment of this series.

“Remember the Days..” by Brittney Pratt

I remember when all the children would play outside with all the other neighborhood kids. With Bright bouncy balls, sidewalk chalk, “skip-its”, sprinklers, and slip n’ slides. I remember sleepovers, or being invited over to a friends house for dinner. I remember homework right after school, and then being outside with friends until mom called us in to eat. I remember actually having to open a book for research, before “Google” and Iphone apps became an epidemic, before encyclopedias, and dictionaries became antiques. I also remember when a person had an issue or a conflict, it could usually be handled without Malice.

Now, today, there is an extreme difference. The youth today seems to have an infatuation with violence, and a fascination for pain, destruction, weapons, and some, death itself. This is definitely a new generation. Over the years, numbers have grown showing more and more people being bullied or hazed in some way. Whether its at home by family, or at school by peers..Its obvious that this is not yesterday’s today. Meaning, this is not the world it once was maybe decades ago. What used to be ” peace” and “one love” is now replaced with judgement, and fear, and violence.

 

Bridal.

I recently walked in a show for Georgio’s Bridal and I had a lot of fun working with all the brilliant women involved. However,It was so strange wearing bridal gowns. I laughed at myself thinking, “These will be the only times I’ll ever wear a wedding dress… Hm. Sad day… Not really. Or is it??” I loved the dresses, it just felt strange being in them.

And now I make your look at me, haha.

Bridal by Serena.

I recently walked in a show for Georgio’s Bridal and I had a lot of fun working with all the brilliant women involved. However,It was so strange wearing bridal gowns. I laughed at myself thinking, “These will be the only times I’ll ever wear a wedding dress… Hm. Sad day… Not really. Or is it??” I loved the dresses, it just felt strange being in them.

And now I make your look at me, haha.

Motivation.

There was a canvas sunset. The speakers played sounds of streetcars and people talking and construction. We stood on a stage in front of a wooden building painted to look like red bricks. The lights were bright and hot and I couldn’t ignore them that day. I was with my favorite lady and she wore a flimsy yellow sundress with pink and orange floral print. It hugged her body and collapsed into her curvature. That dress had been made for that day. I looked up at the ceiling and asked: “It sure is a beautiful day love, wouldn’t you say?”

With the wind from the fans disturbing her obsidian curls she looked over her shoulder and said softly. “Oh, yes dear, quite.”

Short Attention Span Adventure: How to Prepare an Artichoke, by Meg

You’ll want it firm, and a little squeaky when you rub its leathery petals together in the store.  Ignore the stares as you examine your artichoke; it’s important that you choose wisely. You deserve the best artichoke money can buy.

It should feel heavy for its size.  Observe the cut end of the stem – does it have a purple dot in the middle?  Reject it.  Reject also the artichoke that looks shriveled.  Petals with brown peeling areas like a sunburn are ok.

Tourist by Whitney Van Laningham

Riding the train from London to Hampton Court Palace via Paddington Station

I am walking to school in the morning, late as usual, and I am trying not to die. On my right, a bright red double-decker London tour bus nearly catches my elbow, and straight ahead of me, at least 250 businessmen and women with briefcases of all sizes are barreling me down. I have two choices: I can curl up in the fetal position in the middle of the street and beg for mercy, or I can close my umbrella, hang a left, and stop being such a stupid American.

The Old Standby, by Amy Lam

Most people have a certain comfort food. But what is your comfort outfit? You know, the thing you wear when you don’t care about how you look and the only care is to have fun.

Mine is the timeless classic fitted t-shirt and jeans. The t-shirt is worn in just right with a little tiny bleach stain that only I notice, (I think). And the jeans are frayed in the ends from too much treading, lethargic sauntering, and let’s face it- the occasional half drunken wandering. It’s what I wear when I want to feel comfortable, and self assured and not the least bit interested in impressing anybody.  In t-shirt and jeans days, all I want to do is blend in and absorb and be delighted by people, sometimes quiet, sometimes waving my arms and shouting out silly things that mean everything at the moment.

On other days, the old standby gets tossed aside, suddenly boring, and forgotten.

But on those chill days amidst last minute Bbq’s, night caps,  and porch-talk that go on until the sun comes up…howdy doo ol pal, drape me like a second skin.

Oh and in the winter?

Same outfit but with a hoody.

Keeping A Fresh View, by Albert

I’ve been enjoying the Texas roads all summer. I’ve traveled for business and pleasure and truly enjoyed both. The best part of traveling in Texas has been the food, I love BBQ! Unfortunately I have been so busy driving and eating I have been skipping my workouts.

I started Zumba about a a year ago and try to get in every weekend. During the week I take workout clothes so I can walk or jog, mostly walk during my stays. It allows me to get a better look at the towns where I stay. It also has helped me find other hidden gems, like more BBQ joints. So now starts my dilema.

As an author and blogger you have to keep a fresh mind so creativity can flow from your mind to your keyboard. To do this oxygen must flow freely, not BBQ sauce. So now I am getting up at 5:00am to run on a treadmill, really mostly walk, so I can get that inspirational edge back. I have also been trying to work out more. Does a push up count it your tummy hits the ground before your chest? Not sure on this.

The urge to write is slowly coming back as the weight trickles off. I’m going to finish a manuscript I have been putting off for a while. It is about 150 pages long so far and will be part two of my first book. So I challenge the Bohemian bloggers, stay fresh and creative and if you have a secret to how you do this, share it! This workingout is killing me!!

 

Reading is Essential by Gary Lee

As anyone who has been to my house knows, I have a house full of books.  My living room is lined with books;  I have back to back shelving in the den, and various other rooms have book cases.  Moreover, I have books in English, Spanish, French, German, Russian, Dutch, Qartuli, and Latin  (not all of which I currently read), not to mention dictionaries and grammars in several other languages.  Why do I love books so?

Some of my doubly-stacked bookshelves in the living room. Even the chess table is covered !

I was blessed to grow up in a house full of books.  I grew up believing that we should all read, and read a lot.  After all, my parents did.  Moreover, when I was five, my eight-year-old cousin Diana gave me 300 “Little Golden Books” that she had outgrown.  I was delighted:  I had books of my own!  That day a bibliophile was born, and I have been one ever since.

Shoutin’ Again with Count Basie by Jim McKeown

Back in 1966 when I first attended college at LaSalle in Philadelphia, I was awestruck by the facilities the school offered.  An art gallery, although small then, boasted paintings by Thomas Eakins and Rembrandt Peale.  Don’t even get me started on the library.  Another favorite was the game room with pool tables, ping pong tables, darts, and spaces for chess and checkers.  The room also had a seating area with a television.  I don’t remember the TV having color.  Video games were decades in the future.

But my favorite space was the music room.  It had a state of the art tuner, turntable, and a reel-to-reel tape player.  The room had little else – a few paintings and drawings, some comfortable sofas.  Jazz was all the rage then, and the music cabinet had a large collection of jazz, classical, and some LPs of the new British invasion groups like The Beatles.

My favorite album was “On My Way & Shoutin’ Again!” by Count Basie and his orchestra, with music composed by Neal Hefti.  The amazing Thad Jones played piano.  At least once a week, I would go to the room, find it nearly empty and the record player unused.  I would sit there eating my lunch, reading, or catching up on writing assignments.

Summer by Brittany

Summer. Everyone has their own perception, or idea, of how the perfect warm summer day should be spent. There are some who consider these days and these nights to be magical..

The father, who spends the whole day fishing, ands shares his passion with his children. Catching dinner, and bringing it home to cook up for their mama..To the adventurers, who love to camp out on a warm summer night, under a blanket of stars, lost in the middle of woods..To all the girls in bikinis, lathered up in oil, laying in the sun, trying to catch the perfect glow. Its a time to gather up the friends, and spend the hot days by the Lake, or at the beach, or swimming in an ice cold pool. Its a time for barbeque’s and sports, and friends, and the family. A time to break out the pretty summer dresses, a time to doll up, go out, and dance out under the warm summer night sky, with your best girlfriends, or best buddies..

Summer. No matter how its spent, it is magical, its a time to make the best memories to look back on, So one day you can look back on it, and ask, ” Do you remember that summer?”..      – BP

A Political Discussion

“Jim.” I asked. “What do you think about our new senator?”

My best pal and longtime confidant had only this to say: “I don’t think much of him that’s for sure; he’s a terrible fat and sweaty cow if you really want to know.”

“Good and well thought out point sir. I can always count on you for the best advice.”

“Tell me, what do you think of the political climate of our trying and turbulent times?”

He gave me a grim and heated glance and said: “It’s a terrible tempest of absolute manure and filth; I mean to say that it’s just an absolute storm of garbage!” He pounded his fist on the table and continued. “We would be better led by giving our house pets control of the governing body!”

“So, tell me, what do you think about the economy these days Jim?” Without a second for thought he screamed: “I was waiting for you to ask me that! I’ll tell you what I think! The economy is like a giant garbage can full of old rotting cabbages! It’s like a maggot covered fish head baking in the sun! It’s not unlike a heaping pile of old fruit!”

“So, Jim, what could you tell me about how to fix it?” He cocked his eyes and gave me a sinister and crooked smile. He said this: “Well I’ll tell you how we won’t fix it. We won’t fix it with any of these new hippie ideals! Work smarter not harder my tired old ass, that isn’t how dad did it, and that isn’t how I do it! We need good old fashioned hard work! Nothing will ever get accomplished if we can’t roll up our sleeves and be willing to put in a good solid days’ work. These kids today are lazy good for nothing hippies I tell you, they don’t understand an honest day’s work. Why, if I could do it all over again…”

At that very instant at Jim’s most triumphant moment a child walked into the café holding a storybook and sat across from us in a very comfortable armchair and began reading quietly. Jim asked me if I wanted to continue the discussion outside under an umbrella.

Sounds of Bohemia : July by Dominik Young

By Dominik Young

Why hello again my fellow Bohemians! The heat is still on (UGH!) but the summer jams keep on coming.  If you’re STILL looking for that perfect soundtrack, then your friendly neighborhood Dom is here to help you out. There are songs that are sure to fit your different summery needs. Just check them out after the jump .

London Trains by Whitney Van Laningham

Big Ben at nighttime on the Thames River

When you board a train alone in London, your perception changes. You become more hyper-aware of the possibility of pick-pocketers and train bandits, and all the scenery starts to look like something out of a Wes Anderson film. With a first-class ticket, it is possible to take your morning muffin to one of the quiet cars at the front of the train, unpack your reading, and politely ask the man in the booth across from you if you can borrow a pen. Because isn’t that how J.K. Rowling got her start? Scribbling ideas in the margins of the newspaper on her commute from Manchester to London one weekend in 1990?

My Heart by Erica

In the dark or in the light

I hold you as I hold my own heart

As something that belongs to me

Who has been with me since conception

Where To Find Art in Waco by Amanda Hixson

Official Galleries where you can view and/or purchase art year-round:

Croft Art Gallery (Austin Ave) — incredible gift shop in front and gallery in back, event space, artists’ space rental upstairs
Studio Gallery (Waco Drive)– frame shop in front and gallery in back
Legacy Cafe and Art Gallery (Austin Ave)– cafe and art gallery
Waco Art Forum (Sanger Heights)– gallery, event space, artists’ space rental in back
Martin Museum of Fine Art (Baylor)
Art Center Waco (MCC)

“Tomorrow”

If tomorrow fades away, and the world is left alone, What happens to today, when we all are dead and gone?

To the life, once over-bearing, to a mind once over crowded, To the blood once ever flowing, and the secrets never outed.

Where do the skies take refuge, where will the streams run end? How many thoughts have now been darkened, How many dreams are left UN-dreamt?

How will the birds sing their melodies?, How will the wind blow it’s kiss? Where stores the stolen memories? Where hides the eternal bliss?

To all the things once so important, Now into dark waters, The beating heart that’s no longer rhythmic, A future that has Faltered.

Where goes the humble whisper?, or yet the shrieking scream? The enchanting mountain tops, or subtle valley streams?

If tomorrow fades away, and the world is left alone, What happens to today, when we all are dead and gone?..                -BP

 

East Coast Home Sick? by Albert

I love traveling in Texas, you can drive for hours and still be in the same county here in this huge state. When I traveled in northern Pennsylvania and through upstate New York, that was fun too. In a few hours you would cross a state line. If I drive a few hours in Texas, I’m still in Texas.

I do want to share a great little drive if you are from the East Coast and feel the urge to see hills covered with 100 foot tall trees. In between Tyler and Jacksonville, Texas on highway 69 there is a look out park called, follow me on this one, “Lookout Park Lane.” I can’t make this up.

It is basically a road side park but with a stunning view. It sits on a hill and and has plenty of walking area where you can see for miles. The huge pine trees remind me so much of driving from Pennsylvania to Syracuse, New York. I did that drive several times a month.

So if you are a little homesick, get in your car and head out to Tyler, and catch the road to Jacksonville. It will help a little I hope. On the way play some east coast music, You know, Bon Jovi, Billy Joel or whatever. Just enjoy the ride.

An Interview With The Waco Praying Man by Brett

Photo by Susan Mullally

The other day I was fortunate enough to run into the infamous Waco Praying man, also known as Virgil Lee Bell.  He is often seen on the bridge over the 77 freeway, between Common Grounds and South 8^th Street. He is usually wearing a robe and holding a wooden stave. He drew a lot of attention from passing motorists; they honked their horns as they passed under him. I asked Virgil if he would be interested in being interviewed for Bohemia and he was more than happy to talk with me. We sat down in the grassy space near Common Grounds. The conversation started off normal enough but soon took an interesting turn.

Book Collecting by Jim McKeown

Last week, I wrote about collecting to the point of hoarding, however, there is another side to the hoarding coin – collecting – specifically book collecting.  Since Bohemians are, by nature, creative individuals, books must play an important role in every Bohemian’s life.

Furthermore, book collecting doesn’t require a lot of time, money or expertise – it does require book cases!  A few easy steps can get anyone started on this interesting hobby.

Paradise in the Jungle by Gary Lee

Imagine being off in a tropical paradise with friendly people and animals, a beautiful horseshoe waterfall twice as big as Niagra less than a mile away (an easy walk), and of course a resort hotel to retire to in the evenings.  That was our tenth anniversary and 6 years later with the whole family.  Sharon and I decided to take a trip to Iguaçu Falls on the Brazilian-Argentine border, and after hearing us rave about the trip, our four daughters insisted on going the next time.

A view of the center islend (left) and Iguassu Falls shot from downstream. Photo by Gary Lee Webb.

The Iguaçu river flows north along the border and then west to join with the Paraná (which marks the edge of Paraguay).  Just a few miles before it hits Paraguay, it spreads out into a huge horseshoe and dives into “the Throat of the Devil” (la Garganta del Diabolo), spume rising into the sky amidst the jungle.  My friends that have seen both say that Niagra does not hold a candle.  I am told that the best time to go is April when all of the orchids are in bloom; we did it in February and May.  Both sides of the river are a national park (different countries) and you can wander around at your leisure:  enjoy the flora and fauna – especially the Coati.

 

 

Boho Flicks: Hooray for Bollywood!, by Meg

Summer calls for a Bollywood extravaganza.   Fortunately, more and more Hindi cinema classics with English subtitles are showing up on YouTube,  making it easy to indulge in this particular escape from reality.  Romance stories (a staple of Hindi cinema) abound, but comedies and dramas are also available.  However for casual summer viewing, the romances are a good place to start.

Offering interesting insights into Indian culture, the romance films generally revolve around two lovers who for societal or other reasons can’t be together.  (Rich boy/poor girl is a common trope.)  Graphic sex is rare in a Hindi film, but directors find inventive ways to make them smolder all the same.  Romance plots  don’t require any heavy lifting mentally, making them perfect summer fare.

Pin-up Photography Alive and Well in Central Texas by Courtney

For a long time now I have admired pin-up photography for its blatant glorification and yet classy portrayal of female sexuality.  I have spent many hours browsing through vintage magazines and photos online of lovely ladies, for fashion inspiration and for photo references to use in my artwork.  I am happy to know that pin up photography is alive and well here in Central Texas.  I recently attended a photo-shoot put on by the Central Texas Photographers and Models Co-op.  The theme was “sexy kitchen.”  All the models and photographers were so nice and really created a fun and creative atmosphere.

Behind the scenes:

The Traverse City Film Festival by Erica

One of the best things about being in Michigan in the summer is the Traverse City Film Festival, which is a great opportunity to see artsy movies, documentaries and shorts that you would otherwise never be able to see outside of New York or Los Angeles. The film festival is put on by Michael Moore, one of Michigan’s more notorious celebrities and is something I look forward to every year.

Deity by Whitney Van Laningham

Reeve Carney

Feared and loved by the people of Ancient Greece, the deities of the time controlled society and culture. Their power, as well as their frailty, attracted the Greeks to a complex, polytheistic religion that changed generations of human life for centuries. Offerings of love and sacrifice were given to these hallowed beings in exchange for blessings and guidance, and monumental houses of worship were constructed out of celebration and reverence for each god and goddess:  the Acropolis, the Pantheon, the Temple of Athena Nike.

Her by Brittany

A step in life she has yet to take, A mile shes already taken…
So Sweet, the Smell of the temptress, the siren,
Emerging from the gates of exile, and hatred…

Where Does A Bohemian Call Home, by Albert

I’ve been home from the ocean now for about 3 weeks. I still can’t get the smell of the salt and sea out of my head. To keep my summer dark tan going I have had to resort to pushing a lawn mower and running a weed eater in the yard. I know I need to keep my lawn looking nice or fear the wrath of the home owners association, but is this really home or just my house?

I’m not really sure how this all started but I have felt the tug to the Gulf of Mexico like the tide pulls water in and out of the bay most of my adult life. I can still recall the first time I set eyes on the horizon as I looked out to sea and saw that slight curve of earth, out there, somewhere. The ideas and pictures that it created in my head led me to write my first book.

The ocean can be inspiring as well as the land around it. I love looking at the windswept oaks in Rockport, Texas. I will drive up and down one specific road and admire how the wind and sea shaped the canopies of trees into tall, manicured forty foot hedge.  My words cannot fully describe what I see when I travel to the coast. It’s like trying to describe the lights in down town Las Vegas or recant what Niagara Falls looks like. I just can’t do it with words. So this leads me back to my original question, where does a Bohemian call home?

For me it’s the Texas coast along Rockport and Aransas Pass. Yes, I don’t pay them a mortgage and I understand that, but when I’m there I feel like I am truly home. How about you?

Confession by Jim McKeown

Okay, let’s get the embarrassing premise of this blog post out of the way.  I am something of a hoarder – not pizza boxes, empty bottles and cans, or newspapers (well, I do save SOME newspapers).  And, in my defense, I recently spent about 6 Sundays loading up my recycling bin with (almost) every Sunday New York Times Book Review dating back to 1970.

The July Issue of Bohemia and Requests

Open publication

Follow the link to read through the latest issue of Bohemia Journal, if you have not done so already that is. So, the first version of it that we put up got 50 reads and this version has gotten 270 reads. Altogether, about 320 reads. Woot.

Things Bohemia needs right now:

We are looking for a set designer for a photo shoot in our next issue. We can pay about 150 dollars but that must include the materials as well.

Bohemian thought for the day

“An artist shouldn’t recount his life exactly as he’s lived it, but rather live it exactly as he is going to recount it.”

-Andre Gide

“Road Less Traveled..” by Brittany

Today is a good one. Life can throw curves, but if you know how to react, your world wont fall apart.

Sometimes, actually, more times than some, you come to a crossroad, and your forced to stop and think.

As you stare at the two paths, contemplating this one, or that one,  you can’t seem to form a single thought.

No right, no wrong, just which one? Well either one will take you. Take you on a journey, take you on an

an adventure someplace new, someplace different, other than where you are standing right now. When it

comes time for your decision, go with the one opposite of  your intuition and mind’s choice, the path, the road less traveled.

Take the experience and make it your own. Live for today.  – BP

Be All You Can Be ! by Gary Lee

      We have no box.  I am sick of hearing how we need to get out of the box, think out of the box.  I repeat:  we have no box and if you see one around you, it is an illusion.  Ignore it!

      All our lives, we are told what we cannot do.  Sometimes it is well intentioned:  “Don’t touch that, or you will get burned” .  Sometimes it is simply derogatory:  “Girls can’t do math”.  Sometimes it is just dictatorial:  “Don’t do that because I said so!”.  All of these are wrong because they condition us to have limits, to build boxes around our selves. 

Don’t box in your children! My grandson on the cotton blanket I knitted him.

      Of course, often we do it to ourselves.  We try something and fail, so we decide we cannot do it.  Eventually we have a large list of things we “know” we cannot do.  When our friends agree, “yes, you are just not good at that”, or worse our detractors make fun of us for trying, those boxes become set in stone. 

Fear By Savannah Loftin

This photo is not my own art, but it did remind me of one of my writings:

Fear.

It creeps up in dark corners,

Stares behind black eyes,

Drives you mad, trapped in the quarters of your mind

The only way to release this, they said, is to face it head on

The Amazing (Japanese) Spider-Man By Dominik Young

By Dominik Young

We’re celebrating the release of The Amazing Spider-Man film by showing another incarnation of everyone’s favorite webslinger — the Japanese Spider-Man or ” Supaidaman” .

This classic tokusatsu was the result of a licensing agreement between MARVEL & TOEI (the makers of Super Sentai & Kamen Rider) in which  both companies were allowed to use each other’s properties in any way they wanted.

If you thought Andrew Garfield’s Spider-Man was different from Tobey Maguire’s, then think again. Just check out the official synopsis along with the accompanying trailer:

Short Attention Span Adventures: Did You Play Today?, by Meg

I’d like to be a cautionary tale for someone (hopefully not you).

I spent my working life obsessing and dealing with day-to-day dramas, and rarely allowed myself the “luxury” of purely idle artistic play.  Is it any wonder that I now find myself feeling like the Hoover Dam, holding back years of denied creative exploration? The mistake, I see, was in thinking that it was a luxury, and not a necessary and regular part of life.

(I also made another mistake in listening to the monkey mind chattering away inside my head, telling me the myriad reasons why I couldn’t, shouldn’t, wouldn’t do something.  If I can’t write scintillating prose right out of the box, why bother?  My attempts at art look like a sad case of arrested development. And so on…)

The sources I’ve been reading lately speak quite a bit about connecting with what’s going on inside. Julia Cameron (“The Artist’s Way”) and Natalie Goldberg (“Writing Down the Bones”) believe that creativity is akin to spirituality. Cameron  doesn’t see a distinction between the two in fact, and Goldberg takes a Zen approach.  Lynda Barry’s “What It Is” doesn’t so much take a spiritual view but rather invites your inner six-year old out to play.

Expressing one’s creativity is not optional, it’s as needed as air and food – and denied at one’s peril.  I see that now.

Did you play today?

Kate Sterchi — Baylor Art Grad, local working artist

Kate is up for artist of the year in the Bohemia Awards! (vote, vote, vote) Bohemia ran a a story about her back in January. Digital copies of our issues out now available online.

Observations from Home by Erica

A lot of us Bohemians are on the road these past few posts, and I joined their ranks a week ago. I am home in Michigan for my wedding, and to enjoy the lack of 100 degree days, and beach weather and good food and culture that my hometown of Royal Oak, Michigan and my fiance’s of Northport, Michigan offer us.

I only go home for Christmas and summer. A lot can change in 6 months. I arrived home to find that Michigan had finally legalized fireworks. I’m sure this sounds strange to Texans, as you’ve always been able to explode whatever you want there, but it was an almost disconcerting sight to see fireworks stores popping up everywhere in Detroit. It used to be a covert operation to drive to Indiana to buy your fireworks for 4th of July, and I’m a little disappointed that the thrill has gone out of acquiring what is no longer contraband.

People talk up the new law that says it’s no longer illegal to ride a motorcycle without a helmet. Again, something Texas never prohibited.

All along the interstates are billboards pumping up Michigan and its awesomeness. The “Pure Michigan” campaign is rampant. Is Michigan awesome? Not if you want a job, a home or a respectable living. All of my friends and family ask me when I’m coming back to stay. I don’t know what to tell them. I look at job postings for orchestra teaching in Michigan and I’m not even tempted to apply. I don’t trust them. Who’s to say that I wouldn’t be laid off in a year even if I did get hired? This keeps happening to all my friends who refuse to leave.

It’s supposed to be in the mid nineties all week here, stretching as high as 102 in Detroit. It never gets this hot this early ever in Michigan.

As the differences between Michigan and Texas seem to blur, it makes me wonder: who has changed more? Michigan or me?

The Vacation Blues, by Albert

Well friends, the vacation is over and the only thing left is the sunburn. I did my “Drinking and Dreaming,” all the way to the Gulf of Mexico last week and now the blues are setting in. I drove back home trying to keep my energy level up by playing the same songs I listened to all the way down to my favorite fishing hole, it didn’t work. Those same songs that had me pumped couldn’t keep me stoked up for the long seven hour drive back home. So here’s my question, what do you listen to when the vacation is over?

I went through various playlists and finally settled on the 80’s! Even if you did not grow up in that time period, you know you dance to it whenever those huge hair bands crank it up! Come on, you know you watch those VH 1 shows on the 80’s when they come on, I see you watching them!

Who didn’t enjoy early Madonna, Boy George, and of course, George Michael. For the rockers, those were the days of Bon Jovi and Van Halen. I found my foot tapping and singing along with the Pet Shop Boys and Tears For Fears. Those were the days of great music. No matter what genre you were into, the 80’s had it. If you like rap, remember Run DMC? It’s like that, and that’s the way it is.

Yeah, I love me some Texas, but when the blues set in, you get back to the 80’s!

Motto, Questioning, and Kant by Devin

To remain a child at heart you need only catch your imaginations fancy. Take your mind swimming in the absence of protocol. Hold and maintain a disbelief in authority. You chose to wake up. You chose to walk out your door. You are interacting with people because you decided to. To let them affect you negatively is a choice also. This is not to say that you shouldn’t do what you’re told, just don’t agree with the visible distaste people have in their lives while they do what they have chosen to do. I find myself constantly asking why I have bad feelings, where they come from, are they real? Choose to be happy!

 

“Always act so that so that you can will the maxim or determining principle of your action to become universal law; act so that you can will that everybody shall follow the principal of your action” ~ Kant.

Courtney Woodliff Balko — Artist From Gatesville, TX

Vote for Courtney!

Bohemia discovered Courtney when we were putting together one of our Fall issues last year. We needed artwork to illustrate some of the eerie stories. I was talking to the owner of the Croft Art Gallery, which is a gallery whose space Bohemia has an office in the loft above. She recomended Courtney and showed me examples of her work. What she showed me was prints from wood etchings. Woodliff seemed to mostly do female figures and there was a lot of dark things going on, sort of freaky carnival circus type settings with characters possessing lesions on their faces and eyes falling out– clowns, ballerinas, and giant baby robots.

Bohemian Scene : Acoustic Caravan By Dominik Young

By Dominik Young

The Fourth of July weekend is right around the corner. And with the surprisingly falling gas prices, you have some people willing to travel. There are others who plan to stay home, fire up the grill, & maybe go swimming. This weekend is also perfect for the nightlife scene. There are many entertainment venues out there that are planning parties, concerts, and other events. Among these events is the “Acoustic Caravan”, a traveling music show in which you can see your favorite local bands unplugged at three different venues. One of the tour organizers, Shane Howard, provided some more details about this acoustic extravaganza.

Serendipitous Reading by Jim McKeown

One thing I love about long, cross-country road trips is the ability to stop whenever we like to visit some historical, cultural, or otherwise interesting site.  Of course, my idea of “otherwise interesting” usually means book stores – especially used and/or independent shops.

In Nashville, Tennessee we frequently visited Davis-Kidd, a large independent store.  However, before we set out on this year’s trip, we learned the had recently shuttered their shelves.  Then we saw an article about a new bookstore which opened near the old Davis-Kidd location.

Old Dog Knitting by Gary Lee

They say you cannot train old dogs to do new tricks.  I can attest the falsehood of that statement.

Scarf #1. Can you tell which end I started with?

At age 52, this old dog learned a very different skill from any I had known.   I don’t mean to brag, but if I can do it, so can you.  It does not matter how crazy your desire might be:  if you work on it, long enough and hard enough, you can do it.  So let me tell you about mine, and hopefully inspire you to chase your desire.   My crazy desire was to learn to knit.  I had actually bought needles and yarn and had a friend willing to teach me two decades ago, down in Chile.  Getting euthyroid Graves’ Eye Disease put an end to that dream for a long time.