FPM: Festival Fashion

1. I have nothing here that foreshadows the upcoming NY Fashion Week, which for the first time is at Lincoln Center. I will, however, patronize Fashion's Night Out here and try and borrow my kid's camera again.

2. Yesterday, we were headed up for a tranquil afternoon at Central Park and ran into a parent from Kid #2's school who was accompanying the artist Gene Pool (as the Can Man( uptown to the Unicycle Festival at Grant's Tomb. (I had my photo taken with the Gene in my new dress, but I looked so terrible, I am not posting it here.

3. I need a dress covered with dangling aluminum cans.

4. The Can Man makes a considerable amount of noise when merely walking. You should hear him on a unicycle. It's an aluminum storm.

5. On 125th Street, women came out of church to get their photos taken with the Can Man. One of them said, "I love Jesus, but I'm staying with the Can Man."

6. Midweek, I discovered a new/old artist, Lee Bontecou. A woman, too, with a solo show. (The Guerilla Girls would be somewhat appeased.)

6. The weekend before, we were at the annual Charlie Parker Jazz Festival. Parker would have been 90 last Sunday. The 80-something vocal legend Jimmy Scott sang from a wheelchair. I danced with my children. I took photos of striking older women. I saw a woman wearing a black spangled snood before I discovered I had my camera.

7. The weather is changing. It was blazingly hot, and now it's breezy and chilly. I still don't know what to wear.

Fashion Post Monday: Frightening Prospect

In honor of Sarah Palin's eye-poppingly elitist shopping spree, I have made her the star of this week's FPM. While I don't relate to her sexpot ceo-on-steroids aesthetic (whether this has been forced on her by her high paid stylists, I can't be sure), I had to put Palin in this once I ran across this "Frightening Prospect" wheatpasted poster on 10th Street. I was beside myself with delight, of course, when I spotted it; could not tear myself away. Good thing I had my camera, and now you can join me in gazing upon its awesomeness. The link here takes you the site which allows you to download your own Frightening Prospect poster. Yes! (The site even has a recipe for wheat paste, btw.)

And I am hoping for hordes of Sarah Palin drag queens on the streets of NY this Friday.

In stark contrast, to Palin's American royalty wardrobe, I've posted some photos of mostly lower east siders in old school thrift store fashions. Today, I saw the poetry boy again, but this time in Tompkin's Square Park. He had fans whose outfits I also snapped. I've also included the fashionable bike of the week, complete with handcuffs.

Tonight I'm as disheveled as Edgar Allen Poe in my a crummy, low rent black sweater dress and anarchist maroon tights and my hair--unlike Sarah Palin's--is a stripper era Courtney Love, but without the panache. (The only thing I do admire about Palin is her awesome hair.)

What are you wearing? I really want to know. (And what will you be for Halloween?)

Omigosh, I'm so subversive; I'm blogging from class!

I've never had all my info, photos, etc on one computer. AND this is the first computer I've ever owned that had a wireless connection. I'm sitting in the back in a corner blogging and it's thrilling.

After this class is over, I'm staying for some Radical Reference guest speakers. And then the long subway ride home.

This photo is another from my Art in Odd Places series that is also taking this place this weekend, I believe, along 14th Street. This man was clothed in a long dress made of garbage/recycled materials. There was a long plastic train stuffed with garbage that gently skimmed the sidewalk and picked up more garbage. His mouth was sealed--unsure why.

I am blogging and note taking, checking email and my facebook site. I'm also hungry. Should I rifle through my backpack for a cheese stick?

Coney Island Piano Bar

Yesterday, we ended our summer at Coney Island, as we always do--well, we've done it two years in a row now, to be accurate. So maybe it will be codified as one of our traditions, if the Coney Island Boardwalk scene is still interesting next summer.

This guy was set up at the Boardwalk's edge, plaintively crooning. I don't know what's in store for Coney Island next year, but there are many people lobbying so that people like this guy will still be welcome. (Just call me the "slippery slope girl.")

What else is happening?

The girls are back at school. I am trying to be very disciplined with the time I have, using it to do my own writing, work out in our ragged city gym regularly (it's true!), spend time on the one class I'm taking this semester, and turn my volunteer time in my kids' school library into more of an internship experience.

Right now I'm reading Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird for the first time in my life. A birthday gift from a friend this past birthday, the title was never assigned in all my years in public schools. Come to think of it, not much was assigned, and I was too anxious anyway when I was at To Kill A Mockingbird age trying to pretend to my peers that my family wasn't living below the poverty line. I had no mind space for literature at the time--or so I thought at the time. It's too bad--it may have made me feel better in some respects to realize there was poverty even greater than ours.

Speaking of birthdays, it's my Portland friend's MK's today. If you're reading, MK, be well and good vibes to you.