Saturday, February 28, 2004
Week in Review:
I don't remember Monday.
Tuesday I went to the Acentos reading featuring Omar. I was video taping so I had to lug out the equipment to the Blue Ox. I'm just realizing now that's a Paul Bunyan reference. Anyway, Omar was a fantastic feature. I was a little worried when the audience was unsure how to respond to the series of short poems in the beginning. They weren't always prepared to clap so soon after just clapping, so they clapped after every second or third short one. Then Omar got into a great run of his work. The crowd at Acentos had never really heard his work en masse so it was very cool to see their reaction to the pieces. I have to agree with Guy's post about this night and say that there was a definite angrier undercurrent than usual. I know many people use the stage as therapy, I do , and Omar does. So I was glad to see Omar have an opportunity to vent. It was a good night, as Acentos usually is.
I don't remember Wednesday.
I don't remember Thursday except that I cleaned a little for the Queer eye interview.
Friday the people from Queer Eye for the straight Guy came to my house for the longer interview. They were really nice. It was a guy and a girl in their late twenties. I made some coffee for them in our new espresso machine. It was a cool interview. I had a lot in common with the guy, Yochai. We talked about all my DVD's and spoken word. They were really interested in spoken word, even aside from the interview, so that was cool. Both he and Danielle are probably going to be invited to whatever events come up this month. They took a lot of polaroids and digital photos and video interviews, as well as writing stuff down on paper. Yochai asked me a lot of random questions like on a scale of 1 to 10. 1 being a babies bottle and 10 being a bear, How hairy are you? I said i was a 3 and he looked at me skeptically. "lift up your sleeve he said." He gave me the same look again as I lifted my sleeve. "I'm gonna put 3/4 ok." Sure I said "You're the expert." In my head I thought to show him my hairless back, or my chest with only the two hairs that I think are the result of arduous praying when I was a preteen, but I decided it wasn't worth the difference between a 3 and a 3/4.
Mostly what they were looking for was whether i was comfortable in front of the camera. I think I am. They took a guided tour as I narrated on camera and then Yochai asked me some questions as Danielle roamed the apartment filming the inside of our refrigerator and the closet and stuff. The questions he asked me were pretty normal like: "Do you go to museums", "How do you dress on a date?" and then he came to "where was the last place you bought clothes?" I had to think for a minute because I don't but clothes very often. Once maybe twice a year. "The comic book store" I said. He stopped writing looked at me with his most professional composure. This is what all of that training was for when he was told not to laugh at people's pitiful answers. After all he was here to help people. The whole premise of the show is to make people better. He looked at me for a good long while. Jeannie could not control herself though. She started to laugh. I had not thought my answer was that funny at first. It was true, the last time I bought clothes was when I purchased two Star Trek T-shirts at St. Mark's comics in October. "Ya, the comic book store" I said in response to Yochai's look of disbelief. After a wrinkled eyebrow look of confusion on Yochai's face, he turned shook his head and wrote down comic book store, slowly mouthing the words as he wrote them, still trying to come to grips with comic book store, maybe hoping I would change my answer. The rest of the interview was cool. We had a long conversation on spoken word which was fruitful, although I won't go into it here. He also told me that although things had gone quickly to this point, now things would slow down. Once they take the tapes back to the producers, they have to pitch candidates. If I get an email from them within three weeks, then I didn't make it. If they are considering me, then I may not get a call for a month or more. That's how it goes. They could film in April and it not air until September. So now I kind of need to put it out of my mind. Not think about it until it does or does not happen.
Posted by Edward @ 10:51 AM EST [Link] [No Comments]
Wednesday, February 25, 2004
so this is just a quick update on the Queer eye situation. I have made it to the next round. The camera crew is coming to our house on Friday morning. There will be a longer inteerview (45 minutes) and that tape will be what the producer's see when they make their final decisions. I'll let you know when I know more.
Posted by Edward @ 09:26 AM EST [Link] [3 comments]
Friday, February 20, 2004
"They're gonna make you cut your hair!!!" That's what I heard from everyone I told about the casting call.
So i go to the casting call today for Queer eye. The other guys that were waiting in the studio were these really plain, if not hipster looking, white guys. Jeannie went with me and when the casting agent called me in, she asked Jeannie to come in too. When I sat down the casting agent looked at a paper in front of her and says "oh you're the poet. thats so cool." I am really bad at taking compliments. I just get really shy and modest. The exact opposite of what I needed to do. So she asks us a a couple of questions about poetry and about whether my hair is part of my persona. I took out some of my ID's with short or no hair. She complimented me on how I looked. I got shy again. So after a few more questions she says, "Well we'll be making our decisions on Monday. Ten guys will then get call backs for longer interviews. If you don't get a call back" she stopped herself then and said, "You know what. You are getting a call back, I make the decision so ha ha." Then she wrote something on a paper and told us to expect a call sometime next week so they can send a casting person and a camera crew out to our apartment to get a more in depth interview. So I'm on to the next round. It gets scarier every minute. I checked the ratings for "Queer Eye" it gets more than 8 million viewers when its on NBC. Thats as many people as live in New York. Yikes!!!
I'm gonna learn the words to "She Bangs" and go on tour. I'll keep you posted.
I'm gonna keep the day song the same for today.
Posted by Edward @ 08:52 PM EST [Link] [2 comments]
So I did a lot yesterday. I went to open up a bank account, I broke my cell phone, ate sushi with Omar, and I went to a reading in Jamaica Queens with the Acentos crew. One strange thing that deserves mention is that I got a call from a casting agent for an interview today. About a week ago Jeannie got really excited about putting me up for the Queer eye for the straight guy show. All of her coworkers were excited too and it kind of took on a life of its own. She didn't think I would be happy though. I mean who wants to be told they need to be made over, but I was OK with it. Even though I am a Taurus and supposed to want stability and fixedness, I have always been OK with change. Maybe its because I shift around what is stable so there is always something steady in my life. When it is not my romantic life, its my professional life, when its not that its my home life etc... I have to go in for a short interview today with the producers. Regardless of whether I get to do this or not, just the possibility of it has made me think what I am willing to let go of in my appearance and of my possessions. So if I make it on the show and they start cutting my hair and pointing out my faults, of which there are many, I think I'll still be OK. Unless they start throwing out my DVD's, then someone is gettin stuck.
The song of the day is "It's my life" by Talk Talk. This is the song that NoDoubt just remade. Click above to hear it.
Posted by Edward @ 09:48 AM EST [Link] [1 Comment]
Wednesday, February 18, 2004
Let me catch you up on some stuff that I have been doing and stuff that I have been going to lately.
On Valentine's day I went to lunch with Jeannie to Hangawi, this Korean vegetarian fancy place it was delicious. We had four or five courses of food. We were stuffed but not so stuffed that we wouldn't eat ice cream at Stone Cold Creamery in Times Square with Omar and Emily. If you haven't been there you should go. Its a bit expensive but worth it. From there we went to the new Time Warner complex in Columbus Circle. Its this giant Multibillion dollar complex with an indoor mall. They have a new Whole foods that is gigantic so we bought some food to make dinner with. We bought fiddle head ferns, which are weird looking but delicious, and yellow wax beans, which are also delicious. We ran into Eric Guerreri, who works there in the nutritional supplements section. It was cool to see him and Whole foods is supposed to be a really good company to work for. Go head Eric.
On Sunday I went to Bonafide's book release party. I got there a half hour after it was supposed to start, but that was Ok because it didn't start until an hour later. Shaggy is cool people's but I'm not so sure he can organize an event for New York. They are different than events in other cities. Everywhere else people want a lot of stuff and want it to last a long time. This makes sense since they don't have many events throughout the year. they look forward to each and want to savor it. new York is not that way. We plan things to do before and after an event. You might have three or four events to go to in a single night. This means that your events should start relatively on time and be no more than two hours in length. The book party went from 8 to midnight, and was supposed to go longer. I think this added to people feeling anxious. the acentos crew is probably the best at organizing concise and well timed events, one of the many things they do right. But anyway, let me tell you about the book party. I was slated to read a piece at the book release. I went on right after Rich Villar. I chose to do My abuelita piece, "Clorox Christ" because I wanted to do something on a different topic than the other readers. Perhaps this was a bad choice though because there was a film playing behind me that was showing a film about the atomic bomb. It was really distracting. I started my poem ok but then I was thrown off. Apparently there was a sheep being shorn on the film behind me. After Fish pointed this out I couldn't get back into the rhythm of my poem. I just kept thinking about what was being shown on the screen behind me and even forgot some of the lines of one of my oldest and most memorized poems. I tried to cover it up though, don't know how successfully. That film kept playing as the other poets read as well and I found it really distracting. I kept losing my place in peoples pieces because there was a giant mushroom cloud or a house exploding. Other than that though it was cool. Bonafide gave a great reading, even breaking down in an emotional reading of "Rojas".
On monday I went to Oscar's feature at Johnny O's n the Bronx. It took me a while to get up there but it was worth it. Oscar gave one of the best feature's I've seen in a while, busting out with many great pieces I had never heard before. "Sortarican" was a favorite of mine from that night as he laid out the plight (may be too strong a word) of a non Puertorican in New York, something I know all too well. The open mic was also good as the Acentos crew represented lovely. I actually broke through my writer's block that night. I just started writing at the beginning of the open mic and actually came out with a piece that I was able to read by the end of the open mic. I hadn't written anything in almost five months so I was extremely happy. I attribute my break though to the Acentos crew who I have been spending a lot of time with lately.
At the end of that night I ended up taking a cab back from parkchester with Matt Siegel, because I had to work the next day and didn't want to get home at 3AM, and he lives near me. There were only Gypsy cabs around though so I got ripped as i had to pay 32 dollars for a fifteen minute cab ride. Next time I think I might have to leave early or only attend events near express trains.
Today I am taking the day off. I have a lot of comp days that I have not used, and since the schools are closed this week there is probably no better time than now to take them.
Today's song is "Where is the love" by Black Eyed Peas. Click at the top to hear it.
Posted by Edward @ 01:20 PM EST [Link] [1 Comment]
So its down to Kerry and Edward's, both of whom voted yes on the patriot act. Both of whom voted to go to Iraq. This may not mean much since almost everyone wanted these things, it means that they will go with the grain when they feel pressured. I would have rather had Kucinich, Clark or Dean. Instead I am left having to choose between those two clowns. Kucinich is still in I know but there aren't enough states left for him to make up the ground. I might vote for him anyway in the primary but it won't be that way in November. This two party system is so fucked up.
Edwards came out at the bottom of my presidential survey thingy, three percent below Kerry but still sixty percent above Bush. I was hoping for more change. I was hoping for Gay marriages. I was hoping for universal healthcare. I was hoping for a repeal of the Patriot act. I was hoping for military spending cuts. It looks like I will get none of these. I will have to make due with lower taxes and abortion rights. Nothing new there, just towing the party line.
If I ahve to choose between Kerry and Edwards, I would go with Edwards. He is younger and a better speaker, also he can probably get the south to swing back to the democrats. Kerry however can challenge the Pres. on his military record, thats a big thing. Either way I think both of them can beat Bush. I wish one of them spoke spanish though. You would think they would learn it somewhere along the line. I worry about the way Hispanics will vote this year. We have a tendancy to think we are white upper class corporate CEO's, even as we wash their dishes and clean their houses. I've never understood that.
I'll vote for the next top model girl before I vote for Bush, and I'll vote for pretty boy before I vote for Herman Munster.
Posted by Edward @ 11:00 AM EST [Link] [No Comments]
Monday, February 16, 2004
Anyone that tinks that Iraq is unilaterally better off without Saddam Hussein should think about this set of occurances as a result of our invasion of Iraq. (This is only about the Iraqi people not about the US ramifications.)
1. Iraq is now unstable and may erupt into a bloody civil war between the kurds the shiites and the other groups in Iraq.
2. Iraq's oil industry will be left in control and beholden to a group of international oil companies like Exxon and BP.
3. Some of the officials appointed by the US to head the interim Gov. and make a new consitution are embezzlers and con men.
4. Iraq is now a fertile ground for terrorist, and guerilla fighting which will lead to many civilian casualties.
5. Just like in Florida, we have told the Iraqi people they are not allowed to vote in general elections.
6. (And this is a big one) Women may lose many of the rights that they had under the secular Gov. of Hussein to the rule of Muslim law if the Gov. changes its constitution. Women will lose the right to divorce, much of their inheritance rights, the right to education and many other civil liberties that women enjoyed under the old "regime". Isn't that ironic. We go there "to free the Iraqi people", and end up taking away their liberties. Sounds a lot like the Patriot Act to me.
Today's song of the day is "WarChild" by Jethro Tull
Posted by Edward @ 01:55 PM EST [Link] [No Comments]
Saturday, February 14, 2004
I need to exert more power with the things I buy. I need my purchases to reflect my political views. There is an interesting articleabout Gold and chocolate. I don't really buy gold. I haven't liked it since I was a teenager. I associated it with conquistadors and death.
There is a conspiracy theory that says that civilizations on earth have liked gold for millenia not because of its shine or the fact it doesn't tarnish but because in Pre-history Aliens came to earth and forced people to mine gold for them. Their planet had somehow lost its atmospheric radiation shield, equivalent to our Ozone layer, and they used the gold to deflect radiation. I'm not making a call on its validity but it is very coincidental that the substance revered by most of the world's ancient civilizations is also a fantastic conductor of electricity, is used on NASA helmets as radiation shields, coats the skin of stealth fighters because it absorbs radar, and is not rejected as a foreign substance by the human body. It's a similar story with diamonds which are used in so many industrial applications. Why would ancient civilizations almost universally treasure things that had no purpose, other than beauty, in their time, but would then become important materials for an industrialized age.
But I digress. I am not buying gold anymore, am going to try to only buy free trade chocolate, and I am also going to keep a look out for strange lights in the sky. Happy Valentine's Day!!!
The song for today is "My Funny Valentine" by Miles Davis. It's from a 1958 recording where John Coltrane, Cannonball Adderly and Bill Evans are in on the recording. The players on this recording would later go on to be in Miles' sextet.
Posted by Edward @ 12:15 PM EST [Link] [No Comments]
Friday, February 13, 2004
So haven't been talking that much about what I have been doing, but that's because I haven't been doing much. However, on Wednesday something of note happened. I went to the Nuyorican to see the encomium thing put on by Acentos. It was one of the best shows I've seen in a while. Ray's Band was off the planet. Man they were smokin. The organization was tight. It started and ended on time, and the poetry was sincere and well performed by everyone, not just the people paying tribute. I am really happy I went. It was what I needed. Crazy cheers to everyone who organized it and performed in it. (Guy, Ray, Fish, Oscar, Rich, Jessica.......)It is a beautiful thing to see Acentos expand at such a glorious rate. It hasn't even been a year and they are the talk of the town.
Seperate issue:
Outkast's show at the Grammy's. I didn't see the grammy's but I read an article about the complaint lodged against them. I think it's fucked up. Why are there always certain stereotypes that remain ok in society. As though the country says we won't make fun of certain things but you gotta give us something to ridicule. The Washinton redskins is a good example of this same kind of thing. No one seems offended. Because the native American population has been destroyed so that it only represents 1% of the nation, its somehow OK to make fun. No one cares because there aren't enough of them to cause trouble, or change elections, or make economic dents in large corporations. It saddens me. The same can be said for the dominance of Asian Stereotpyes (only 4% of US population.) As long as its not their own group people stay quiet. It reminds me of that poem by Pastor Niemoller where no one is left to protest when they come for you because everyone has already been taken. We constantly think we won't be next to be put under scrutiny or ridicule. Constantly think scorn will shift its eyes to someone else. It happened after 9-11 when everyone pointed their fingers at Arab Americans, it happens now when everyone blames Same Sex couples for destroying the sanctity of marriage. Not enugh stand up, they chip away at all of us, splinter us into Iron Filings with the same charge made to repel eachother. I don't think its Ok for Outkast to us sacred images as flippantly and commercially as they did, the way "F Troop", Cartoons, countless movies and sports teams have used them. Allthis shit gotta stop. I find it way more offensive than Janet's nipples.
Today's song of the day is "None of Us Are Free" by Ray Charles
Posted by Edward @ 01:00 AM EST [Link] [No Comments]
Wednesday, February 11, 2004
I've been Outed (no not like that). Someone else who shall remained named. Here he is exposed my stage name. There is a story behind it. I didn't even choose it. It was given to me in Miami. I started reading in this place called "Faatland", it was run out of a club on Washinton ave on South Beach. It was the Brain child of a friend of mine named Dj Snowhite. She had previously run the night out of the Marlin Hotel (home of an Island Records studio where U2 recorded a few of their albums). When the managment asked for a larger cut of the door Snowhite moved Faatland to Club Zaanzibar on Washington ave. Thats when I started going. We had a lot of mutual friends and Faatland was an unofficial meeting place for all of us. I would hang out there drinking and listening to Snowhite spin. But Faatland was not just a music night, there was also an open mic. She had started this open mic back at the Marlin and it had really become the main focus of the night. The night would be a mix of poets and Mcs all listening to eachother and the chill underground hip hop vibes that Snowhite would play before and after the open mic. I was not a poet. I was a spectator, a listener and sometimes a heckler, but not a poet. However, there were a lot of blank napkins in this bar, and a few floating pens (probably for hooking up and such). So one night in 1998 after an exceedinly fucked up rhyme about women or guns, ( I can't remember now, I only remember it made me upset) I took to scratching some lines on a napkin. I turned to the host, L Boogie, who was a friend of mine and said "let me go up tonight". He looked at the open mic list which was always full and said, "sure I'll put you up after th next person." I had a few drinks in me so I wasn't scared, also I've never really been afraid of addressing people, and I was still mad about the fucked up rhyme (really all the fucked up rhymes and poems I heard about shit they didn't know about or didn't treat seriously.) So I was eager. I went up there with my three scribbled napkins and spoke(preached really). It was about the fucked up nature of Hip Hop, the coming mellenium and righteousness (of couse). I had used some metaphors and similies, but it wasn't good. What it did have however, like many first poems, was passion and belief. I guess because of that I got some positive response after I got off the stage. That was it. Give an opinionated, paranoid, conspiracy theorist, with childhood identity issues an opportunity to air his shit out and you might not be able to shut him up. I didn't go up the following week, but did the week after, and then every week until Faatland shut down in Septemebr of 1999. I moved back to New York the following month. But many months before that, I started to find that there were people who liked my poetry and said it was good. Miami had a very small poetry community. I'm talking like a handfull tops. There were a lot of MCs, but not many poets(not making a judgement call only one of self Identification). Anyway I had always put my name down as Eddie garcia on the list. L Boogie says to me one night "Are you sure you wanna stick with Eddie. You don't have a nickname or stagename or somethin." (Everyone elses names were like "g-grip", "red" "imajistic" or "mushroom" No joke) I was working 6 Pm to 2 am then at the postal mail sorting Facility, only taking one day off a week to go to Faatland, so I told him "Man I have no time to be thinking of rhyme names, I sleep all day now. I'm practically nocturnal." He said " Ok Nocturnal." So from that day on I was introduced as Nocturnal. I took to the name, even published my first chapbook under that name. It was somehow appropriate to the life I was living and the Miami nightlife I was entwined in. I was nocturnal then always out always closing out the clubs.
When I moved back to New York, I realized that I wanted to use my real name instead. This was a return to who I was in NY, the person I had left in New York when I was sixteen. I used my real name the first time I read in NY. Not Eddie but Edward. Its very funny for me to think back to those times in Miami. Faatland was so very Important to me, a hint of what Acentos and the poetry community would mean to me in the future. Today I went to Acentos. Probably the one place that still gives me a feeling of home, a feeling of friendship and welcome. The one place I go to be a spectator, a listener, a heckler and a poet. It also happens to be on Tuesdays just as Faatland used to be.
Today's song of the day is "Miami" by U2. Click above.
Posted by Edward @ 12:00 AM EST [Link]
Saturday, February 7, 2004
An article came to my attention today about the government gaining access to the records of war protestors. Here is the link
It makes me really angry that this kind of stuff doesn't even get talked about in the presidential debates. It all goes out the window as we cower in fear of terrorism. We are slowly turning into a totalitarian state the way that Germany did in the early ninteen thirties. By the time we realize what has happened all of our rights will be gone, there will be concentration camps, and we will be invading countries willie nilly. Oh shit it has already happened. I'm gonna go rent Chaplain's "the Great Dictator" and practice my voting skills. I wonder what the going price is for an uncharted island. I should start building an ark.
Posted by Edward @ 02:00 PM EST [Link]
Thursday, February 5, 2004
In fifty years my grandchildren will scarcely be able to comprehend the world I grew up in. They will undoubtedly hear of the war on terror and its McCarthy like implications, they will hear of life before the internet and they will hear of a time when same sex marriages was a presidential issue. They will ask me why people stood in the way of something that makes total sense, the way we think of the people who stood against integration or woman's suffrage. It's hard to put yourself in a world where such stances are taken seriously, yet here we are in a world where people aren't allowed to marry because of their gender. Senator Frist has said that the Republican Senate will enact law banning same sex marriages, I think of Strom Thurman Democrat turned Dixicrat in 1948 speaking on his segregationist platform. Why does it not sound as stupid to them as it does to me.
This issue will die with them. With their hate and their fear. I have asked my students at the High school where I teach. The school is 85% boys in a not so good part of the South Bronx. They are like many highschool boys, Homophobic, misogynistic and full of fragile ego. Yet, when asked the question "if same sex couples should be allowed to marry?" They answered "Of course they should. They should be allowed to marry whoever they want. This is a free country, right mister?" I didn't tell them the truth. Still, there is no doubt in my mind that same sex rights will be resolved by the time they are adults. I mean if Fucking Disney recognizes same sex Unions, can America be far behind?
Posted by Edward @ 11:11 PM EST [Link]
So many, many things to say:
Janet's nipple slip was supposed to be seen under a red bra. I think she wanted to shock with a see through bra without being thought of as the super bowl boob girl. No conspiracy this time. sorry zapruder.
Fish's superbowl party was off the hook . Thank's Fish.
Oscar might be working with the same program as me. Yaay Oscar.
Harvey Pekar signed the DVD of American Splendor for me. Well he didn't know it was for me when he signed it because my friend Joey was at Virgin Mega store when he was signing and got one signed for me.
Haleiluia, (you know I'm Catholic School boy and I'm not even sure how to spell that, Typical) I got internet at work now. AIM me at "edwardgarcia1313". I should be online during the day, sometimes at least.
Jeannie's Birthday was this week Feb 3. Happy Birthday Be. How old is she? Well I won't say but she is between 28 and thirty. That's all I'm saying.
I need to hire some people for my job. If you know anyone who is looking to work 10 to 18 hours a week in a high school teaching leadership and poetry between the hours of 11 and 6 let me know. Via AIM. HEHE.
We got a cappucino machine, and a bread maker for $20 bucks from Macy's. Martha is innocent. Free Martha Stewart. Paid for by Firends of Martha.
I don't like Kerry or Edwards. They vote for shit because other people are voting for shit, then talk bad about it later, i.e: war and No child left behind, plus patriot act. Boooo. Fucking typical politicians. With that being said, I will vote for them twice if it means no more Bush. I would like Kucinich but who am I kidding. Clark would be a good second option, and I like Dean more than Kerry (Herman Munster) and Edwards (Kennedy wanna be), at least Dean isn't trying to hide his flaws and put on a dog and pony show.
I went to Shangrila restaurant on 2nd ave and eighth st twice this week. It's my new favorite spot. Great decor, great service, fantastic food. Homemade noodles, fresh ingredients. The bomb tea. We ate dinner today, fifteen minutes after having dinner somewhere else. They deserve more than their 18, 19, 20 from ZAGAT. Free Martha.
I am wired on my Cappucino and have to get up early for a budget meeting. Good night!!!!
Posted by Edward @ 01:25 AM EST [Link]
