Wednesday, December 23, 2009

Moon Safari

I know I've been neglecting my electronic soapbox of late, but that will soon change. Provided I have an internet connection, I will be blogging from New Orleans sometime in the near future as I continue my project there documenting the remaining FEMA trailers and the families that live in them in the wake of Hurricane Katrina. Hopefully with an emphasis on the whole "families that live in them part" this time around. Then, inevitably, I'll have to re-edit Two Years and Two Hundred Square Feet to create an even more comprehensive version. That's alright, though, it will only make the final product better, right? That's what I'm telling myself.

I've also been telling myself that I'll make up at godawful hours of the morning in order to catch the delicious morning light. I still need a bit of convincing. Another thing I've been telling myself is that I'll finally record a proper interview with Chuck. I figure that if the average temperature is 65 degrees during the day, he won't have a million fans running, thus drowning out any sort of intelligible conversation. At least that's what I'm banking on. Also, being that I don't need to worry about any kind of baggage restrictions, I can bring as much recording equipment as I damn well please.

One question I've been asking myself is what I should do about Chuck. It's getting to the point where he almost requires a separate essay. Bottom line: Chuck's story needs to be told somehow, because his story is as tragic as it is universal to New Orleanians. Local man loses everything following hurricane. It's a story that's almost on the verge of being played out, but Chuck is so personable that it absolutely slays you. Figuratively, of course. So is this to become a section in the book or another book entirely? I suppose I'm looking for advice on that.

Another thing I need advice on is showing this work. Do I have enough street cred to show on my own or even with another person? Should I trust my work to convince others that I'm worthy of a gallery show? As you can tell, the gallery world seems like it has a steep learning curve to me.

Currently in heavy rotation:







The Strokes - Take It Or Leave It






The Crystal Method - High Roller





Why? - Eskimo Snow