Uppity-Negro.com

Just realized I only link to Laura when someone dies. This is mostly because she knows her stuff, but there's also my suckage to consider.

The only three Katharine Hepburn films I remember seeing are Stage Door (mentioned by Laura), Bringing Up Baby (which I saw for a film class back at U of I) and, naturally, Guess Who's Coming to Dinner. Not sure how I managed to avoid seeing African Queen, and I think I saw Philadelphia Story, but don't remember a thing about it.

But I do remember an NPR story about Kate Mulgrew portraying "Katherine [sic] Hepburn" from slightly over a year ago. Weird.

Nothing remotely profound to say about her passing, I'm afraid. She was a great actress (despite what Dorothy Parker might have said at one point), seemed like a wonderful person, and she'll be missed.

From George, a link to Katharine Houghton discussing her aunt. Guess I could look through the Margaret Sanger Papers Project to find the letter mentioned in the interview, but I couldn't even find a decent link for the Parker quote. . .

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You know that thing where you spend a beautiful, sunny Sunday afternoon at Chicago Pride Parade with your sister, checking out butches for your I'm-not-quite-certain-what-we-are-actually?

Nah, me neither. No idea why I asked.

Looking for an excuse to link Chicago Kings, probably. They had a nice float. So did Early to Bed.

And that's it, I'm going back to the book I'm not talking about, as per the title of this entry.

And a good thing I didn't take it with me. For a start, it weighs a fricking ton, and on top of that the gay are entirely too free with Super-Soakers, and it would probably weigh even more wet. . .

Update: Right, almost forgot. The former Illinois Comptroller won my write-in vote for every public office ever with a banner reading, "Dawn Clark Netsch: I'm Not Running For Anything." Attorney General Lisa Madigan went by, accompanied by the gentle chiming of all the dykedar she was setting off. And the only Presidential candidate with any exposure whatsoever that I noticed was Howard Dean.

Which explains his showing in MoveOn.org's primary, I expect.

Illinois Treasurer Judy Baar Topinka put in an appearance. I think she was the only Republican there, but she's also the only one with a State office at this point. . . and the Governor was there, but Mayor Daley, bless his black heart, skipped the event.

I mention the politicians because most of them somehow managed to secure primo spots towards the front of the parade, when I was still somewhat alert to what was going on. And even if participating is purely a symbolic gesture on their part, it's a better gesture than bitter complaining about the Supreme Court decision last week.

Better stop. I'm starting to link things. Next thing you know, I'll be quoting them and might actually post a real entry.

Posted by Aaron at 8:53 PM | Permalink | Comments (7) | TrackBacks (2)

Happy Juneteenth, people. I'll be observing tonight in the traditional fashion, at a Lisa Germano show (with a thousand thanks to George).

Hey, my site, my traditions. You don't like it, make your own.

Also saw her last night, but I'm hoping that she takes some time to review some lyrics sheets today so she actually remembers the words to her songs. Either this is a common problem with singer/songwriters, or I just happen to like the ones who space out as easily as I do.

Started a temp assignment today. It's quite astonishingly boring. And in Elmhurst. And it's paying me, so I can't say too many bad things about it, plus the RSI probably isn't going to cripple me before the Gulf War Syndrome, so why worry about it?

Also, some reviews: The Animatrix has about four segments worth your time, and several more that, um, aren't. Combined, there's probably as much quality entertainment in them as there is in Reloaded, so, um, yeah. Plain Brown Wrapper is probably a much more entertaining read if you're an African-American with some relationship to publishing, and I haven't read nearly enough mysteries to have a worthwhile opinion on that aspect. But there are some thinly-veiled slams on Our Kind of People, or those who try to write about them, so that's all right. And since vegan-y me enjoyed Ruth Ozeki's My Year of Meats, there's no reason for anyone else to be frightened off by the title.

Right, that's the content for this month handled. . .

Posted by Aaron at 4:46 PM | Permalink | Comments (8) | TrackBacks (1)

Right, it's the anniversary of me switching this beast over to Movable Type (note to self: update to newer version), and I expect there should be some sort of observance.

Too busy this weekend to do anything, between hanging out with Neo and, um, puppy-sitting on Saturday night. Long story.

Neo also presented me with a large, plush Afro Ken, an, um, gift from her and Garrity. I'm trying to figure out how I can possibly repay them for this kindness.

Any road up, I figured I could make a list of all the fansite titles I've stuck on the blog over the past almost-year I've been doing the things. Except, of course, that I don't remember all of them, and actually keeping a list would have required, like, forethought and planning.

And since I've now spent entirely too long chatting on IM with Heather and Michelle rather than making a list of the ones I do recall, I'm going to ask that those with better memories toss 'em in the comments.

I'd say there was a very special reward for the person who comes up with the most, but I suppose I should keep the Afro Ken for at least a while. . .

Posted by Aaron at 11:27 AM | Permalink | Comments (16)

As I mentioned in the comments to the previous entry, Neil mentioned how much he enjoyed doing readings in actual auditoriums, where he could do more with character's voices. This really came out with the first, as-yet-unpublished, story he read.

"When the Wolves Come Out of the Walls," an adult's voice intoned, confident, precise and without hesitation, "it's all over."

"What's all over?" The voice of a little girl, curious about this new information and wanting to know more.

"It," the adult replied, as if this word contained all the answers the child could possibly need.

He also held up what he described as "a beautiful Dave McKean double-page spread," then quickly folded it and replaced it on the lectern, adding, "which you can't see because you're too far away."

This caused delighted laughter to pour from the audience, which ironically? predictably? regretfully? contained very few children. It was a children's book story, after all, and I imagine the few in attendance (which included his daughter) enjoyed the tale as much, if not more, than the older Sandman/goth adults who made up most of it.

Vaguely apropos, my older sis mentioned a few days back that the American Library Association has a Read poster featuring Sandman available now.

I have no idea why I needed to get that out of my system, particularly the description of the reading, but I did. And did. So, um, right.

Posted by Aaron at 1:36 PM | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (1)

No, the blog (and the blogger) aren't dead. Just having a lie-down. No jokes about smelling funny, thank you.

As I'm still broke, no Lisa Germano or Over the Rhine shows for me. Of course they're playing Chicago now. Why bother when I could actually go?

Might be going to see Neil Gaiman doing a reading tomorrow, as part of Printers Row Book Fair, since it's free, but seeing as I used to pass up his readings/signings all the time in Minneapolis, this seems. . . odd.

And that sentence seems. . . disjointed. Which is the other reason for the lack of updates, me not feeling capable of expressing things well.

Off to listen to This American Life.

Posted by Aaron at 7:02 PM | Permalink | Comments (5) | TrackBacks (0)