Tuesday, October 25, 2011

Zine-tastic / Mine (found)

Hfx Zine Fest ( a part of Hfx Pop Explosion) was this past Saturday and I am totally inspired by all the lovely ladies and gentlemen to rekindle the flame of zine making in my heart. Yes, I used to make zines. And yes they were mostly for me and kinda sucked but still they hold a special place as a part of my teenage angst years that went on for way too long.

Coming home after eight years away, I have rediscovered shoe boxes and shopping bags full of bad poetry and lame short stories and drafts of my first novel called Mine in which nothing really happens but the narrator can't sleep and likes to watch ants and hates happy people. \

Excerpt: "Mine" / Martha Tuff c2000 This is where the main character has a job interview and I try my hand at dialogue, oh dear.

References?”

Bachelor degree”

In what?”

Does it really matter?”

Do they all cost the same nowadays?”

Yes”

No, I guess not”

Temperament?”

Neutral, fairly agreeable”

Sparky?”

Sparky? Like a flame?”

Sure”

Like the fire dog?”

No... funny. I like that. Why do you wanna work here?”

Nice architecture”

Anything else?”

I need to get out of the house”

And?”

I want to learn more about this town.”

And why is that?”

Because it is my town. I grew up here and I know nothing of it.”

Oh really?”

Sure, why not?”

And you think it is important to know about the town where you grew up?”

Yeah, how else are you going to know who you are, if you don’t even know where you came from, what geography is in your blood?”

Good a reason as any. I’ve heard better but I’ve also heard worse.”

Oh, yeah?”

Yeah, can you type?”

Yep.”

Well?”

I guess so.”

What do you mean you guess so?”

Is 90 words per minute good?”

Ummm yeah sure. With or without mistakes?”

Without.”

Look of forced approval.

Ok, yes I can type.”

I’ll see you Monday morning. Nineish”

Nineish?”

Punctuality isn’t worth much anymore as long as you get your work done I don’t really care. And if you could do it from home, I’d say good for you. Monday morning.”

Sure, thanks”

What the hell are you thanking me for?”


How delightful. I have also rediscovered handmade button jewellery, my collection of rocks *not* found on a beach and rusted metal anything. I used to wear rusty metal on necklaces that would turn my skin green and I thought it awesome.

So zines. Yes. I will make again. And it will be special. And maybe I'll share them this time.

You should make one too:
http://www.instructables.com/id/how-to-make-a-zine/

Hug a stranger! Make a friend!
Mar

Monday, October 24, 2011

Connected

Today the internet came on and the phone works and I can post without resorting to a Starbucks' wifi spot. Just couldn't do it. Why do all Starbucks' smell like burnt milk and diasappointment?

Things are coming together. The Halifax Pop Explosion rocked Halifax and I got to rock a bit myself to Montreal band The Suuns (http://secretlycanadian.com/artist.php?name=suuns) at the Olympic Centre on Saturday night. Techno trance-y I fell in love with their sexy beats and roomie Tati was in heaven. I am starting to see familiar faces even if I don't know all the names yet, and there's a definite comfort to Halifax that I have been missing. Where else would I find myself in a new African restaurant on Gottigen where new friends Shelley and Ann would keep me company, drink coffee and eat cookies? I mean these amazing women make food and art, shared their creative voices, gave me directions and made me feel at home. I guess I am, home, that is.

Last night was AFCOOP's film screening of their One Minute Film Program ( http://afcoop.ca/) featured at the Bus Stop Theatre (http://www.thebusstoptheatre.org/). It was a great night with an assortment of a dozen films on a variety of topics, love, poverty, environmental issues, war, waiting, cake and fatal spaghetti. I got to meet some great guys waiting in line and the film makers were sweet. I am looking forward to meeting some of the organizers to get some input on renting equipment for my movie Trailer Trash.



Trailer Trash, how I love you. The script is now complete and with working internet magic I will be sending it out to my beautiful actors. I have really had fun with this project so far, through many re-writes and efforts to make the characters interact just *so* I've decided I really want to get my actors in a room and see what they can do. I believe in the power of improv. And fake blood. I need to make buckets of the stuff.

This past week I also got to go hang out at The Hub (http://thehubhalifax.ca/)with lovely friend Gia and hosts Brent and Julia. I think this is a wonderful space to work for all sorts of artists and freelancers. I mean I saw two guys with beards, two laptops and two beer looking completely blissed out at 4pm on a Friday afternoon. Count me in.

This upcoming Thursday I will be spending the evening with lovely writers as part of the Wired Monks Writers Group (http://dinawrite.weebly.com/wired-monk-writers.html). Last time I shared some spoken word ("Baby Mama Lit" and "Things") and I think this time I'll share a story or two from my neighbourhood collection, which I have decided to call (despite its potential complications) "Mother of three killed in front of house while trying to rescue dog" and other stories of the neighbourhood. I mean, its a grab, right?

Now that the internet is in my very capable hands I will also be posting some items to my Etsy shop MarMade. I have some knit, jewellery and magnets to post. I will let you know when its all ready for visitors - gotta get some models to pose for me.

Big hugs. Love each other.
Mar

Saturday, October 1, 2011

MarMade in Halifax

Heya.

I'm here. Finally. And it feels good.

Let me tell you why:

(a) I have returned to Nova Scotia after 8 long years in Toronto and have re-discovered how beautiful the province and how wonderful my family and friends.
(b) I have met delightful people, artists in all senses, who make me feel that I have made the right decision in returning and putting my creative energy into full force.
(c) I am so inspired it hurts.

The whole blog realm has been lost to me of late. My last blog "No More Toxic Village" was a way for me to express my move from small town to big city and lost its pogniancy early in 2007. I like that it still exists albeit in hibernation and I'm now back where I started from.

I start to move my stuff to Halifax into a darling apartment with a darling friend Sunday and will continue the process calmly and gradually for the next week or so. I am so lucky that this move can unfold slowly and simply, a complete change from my chaotic and sporadic life of a few short months ago.

My goal is for this to be a place to wax poetic about Halifax and the glorious people I meet and spend time with as well as a link to my creative pursuits. I have some great stuff to share:

- My Etsy shop of the same name will be up and running soon with handmade accessories and other cool stuff.

- I'll also include insights into current writing projects with excerpts from my latest collection in draft (temporary title: This is where we live - stories from the neighbourhood.)

- I am also working on a movie (draft title: Trailer Trash - put it in the bin, an amateur horror flick to be filmed in Masstown, NS and Upper Stewiacke, NS) with some great people, script to be sent out soon!

So I'll see ya later. We'll have coffee sometime.