cry

Kurt

I met Kurt Vonnegut one summer in the late 80s, when I was about 11 years old. He happened to be old friends with my uncle Bob, a doctor. I'm not sure how they met, but they maintained a bro-mance-like bond until KV's death.
I don't remember too much from that visit, but here's what I do remember:

KV smoked, copiously, unfiltered Pall Malls. I've no clue how the Hell he lived as long as he did. He almost died once from smoking, but not from internal charring or cancers. He fell asleep while smoking, setting his house on fire and nearly burning himself to death.

His wife seemed uptight and crazy.

He had a very young daughter, probably at the time about 7 years old, which was odd because KV already seemed very old to me. But I was 11. Anyone over 30 seemed old.

He talked about Woody Allen, saying that he met him once (this was around the time the whole Soon-Yi thing happened) and thought him to be 'weird'.

He was wearing a sweater vest of some sort. So writery.

Uncle Bob often lined the walls of his apartment with KV's prints and drawings. They were almost always goofy self-portraits in profile with a cigarette protruding, dashed off in wiggly lines.

The one thing I remember the most in Bob's stories about KV was that he was convinced that the rattlesnake couldn't have been a product of evolution. It seemed to be the only lifeform with an instrument attached to its body. He theorized that aliens came one day and slapped some kind of marraca on its tail and let it loose to breed.

Spring's coming

Therefore, it's a good time for some Tiny Tim.



Welcome to My Dream

Tiptoe Through the Tulips With Me

Frankie Knuckles

I guess I'm a sucker for that synthetic flute hook throughout this track. It sounds so fucked up. It's trying soooo hard to sound kind of gentle, but it's really almost scary.

A GOOD DOG

This is touching. Even though Mr. Stewart was a republican.

R.I.P. Corey Haim

R.I.P Corey Haim, from whose publicity machine brought us "Me, Myself, and I" in the late 80s. A MASTERPIECE of teenage-targeted propoganda. Hilarious and sad. A MUST SEE. We used to screen it at Bard (Thanks Mr. Krakow!) and yell back it drunk and rowdy. It was OUR Rocky Horror Picture Show.

Oh yeah this place looks like a really gr8 place to work!

And for $12/hr! Wow! $100 says this is Ace gallery.

http://losangeles.craigslist.org/wst/med/1628412539.html

THE JOB: Contemporary art gallery with an active exhibition program seeks a second assistant to the director for a multitude of tasks including: inventory data entry; scanning or photographing objects for web or database; packing items for shipment; and much more as required. This job is available immediately to a super-motivated, hardworking, positive person.

NECESSARY SKILLS:
PRIOR GALLERY EXPERIENCE IS NECESSARY AS IS KNOWING THE CONTEMPORARY ART SCENE. THIS IS AN ABSOLUTE NECESSITY. DO NOT APPLY IF YOU HAVE NOT WORKED/INTERNED AT ANOTHER RELEVANT CONTEMPORARY ART GALLERY. IF YOU ARE IN DOUBT AS TO WHETHER YOUR PAST GALLERY EXPERIENCE IS RELEVANT, PLEASE APPLY THE SIX MONTH REVIEW RULE. IF THE GALLERY YOU WORKED AT HAS NOT HAD AN EXHIBITION REVIEWED IN ART FORUM, FRIEZE, ART IN AMERICA, THE LOS ANGELES TIMES OR THE LIKE WITHIN THE LAST SIX MONTHS, THEN YOU HAVE NOT HAD RELEVANT GALLERY EXPERIENCE. IF YOU DO NOT KNOW WHETHER THE GALLERY YOU WORKED AT QUALIFIES YOU FOR THIS JOB, THEN YOU VERY LIKELY WOULD NOT BE THE RIGHT CANDIDATE.
Applicant must be neat and organized.
Must be an efficient worker and a fast learner.
Excellent descriptive writing.
Excellent letter writing.
Highly proficient using Mac.
Highly proficient in Photoshop.
Highly proficient in Filemaker Pro.
Highly proficient in use of Internet generally.
Excellent researching skills.
Able to multi-task, manage time, prioritize and work fast.
Neat, organized and able to wrap packages for shipment.
Somewhat experienced at hanging two-dimensional artwork and installing artwork in other media.
Positive attitude with willingness to learn.
Prompt and reliable.
Knowledge of/interest in art history and contemporary art.
Must know Los Angeles art scene.
Able to travel and to work at art fairs two to four times annually.
Knowledge of media art and installation thereof a plus.
Language skills a plus (Spanish / French / German)
The ideal candidate will be someone who wants to grow with the gallery, someone who is looking for a job to stick with for years to come.
EXPERIENCE:
Prior RELEVANT art gallery experience is necessary (see above). Having worked at a non-profit space or at a tourist gallery that sells bad art does not qualify one for this job. References required.

HOURS:
Three days minimum, full time also a possibility. Work days are Tuesday thru Saturday, 10 - 6.

COMPENSATION:
Hourly pay of $12.00 per hour for first three months. Based on performance, there will be advancement possibilities, periodic pay increases and built-in incentives. Qualified applicants should not focus entirely on the posted starting pay rate. When Craigslist allowed internship postings, this posting could also be used to seek a highly motivated intern that does not have the necessary experience, but does have a great attitude and possesses some of the other required skills. However, to comply with their rules, we are seeking someone for the paid position who has real work experience at one of the 75 or so relevant contemporary art galleries in Los Angeles.