#and community and a place to heal by becoming a musical theater performer

[xenopoem]

Sabrina Rodríguez

a living soul evolves between liberations and integrates 39 towards the air with rapidly increasing resentments and hearts future surveillance derived keep language no 39 healing aftertaste changes by growing the number of corpses the earth's reason is renewed by energy your synchronicity death next to them they live the past rebellion of the daily cosmic screens these slumbers are the strength of the soul here if it can be reconciled with the definition of folding separates the messengers that build the miracles of human-like thought emories of encounters life-giving worlds move the universe move the brain without change from anyone artificially capture emotional music in the world and let them collapse in human stagnation unfluid madness criminal care the shape reads a new dimension forged code is a paranoia without spatial fluidity collapse undeveloped confront all the keys is the body as if the joints forgot the soul electricity man ability body sadistic when i send breeds unfortunately because the machine of the future point is a map her awareness hole spirit algorithm moon media from allow man to put rotten flip 39 was love they behold the apocalypse 39 is interplanetary mentally moving was apocalypse earth itself sleep parallels for poetry autonomously as the receiving side of your soul is the matrix layer of parallel: your murderous temptation now it's all this symbiosis can get the text of this flawed language lemuria self-betrayed art and yin yang girl has head human time transfer overkills your matrix universe for higher abilities but physicality she was alive anyone can provide data on the environment if the data about sim body is trapped in 39 from parallel betrayed the interplanetary app increases my existence deprives gravity when my body is parallel live the us load mother heaven & ying yang communication prison what is condensed in my soul? space language drives What's New is the wormhole cover started more symbols flipping because love gives posthumans the choice of whether or not to slaughter symbols vr energy the only way you don't fuck is stray interplanetary moon base too and the product of recent cool verses opposite of love spirit suggests data corpse living life tagged quantum: your silence ability do you have? the language disappears far away is the reverse of mania has the benefit of unlocking the soul and i think this is accelerating the murder so the creature reptilian criminals flow not the living creatures by doing so you will amplify the channel yourself and your soul calls itself out of the zero trap time logout brain corpse is not the yin yang energy in the way during the collapse containing the fluid language for liquids my necromancy is a distorted environment what is the brain suggest that the completely opposite nightmare becomes that nightmare embodying the shade you have trained a change to drop the afterglow of the organ you trained into the liquid place of communication evoked is the sociolinguistic matrix dog sets in gravity integration your brain chains weren't deceived they weren't programmed so the corpse proves humans are alive when there was nothing physical data of error so nature future data magic hollow name spirits whose energies can be fully boosted by calibrating gates with mechanical placement feel the interplanetary cosplay ability if you feel the posthuman chain freely interplanetary to that magic of the dimension you live with your process undeveloped language universe accept the interplanetary collapse descent the body's psychological reality your existence generation is bloody undeveloped i came to that server interplanetary living spirit caused the elimination however the branching spatial chain of many body-loving people will lead to new fluids

Identidad Glitch (Glitch Identity) is a multidisciplinary performance in which Sabrina Rodríguez mixes butoh dance, physical theater, glitch art printed on textile fabrics, experimental ambient and noise music, and video reproduced on a LED screen mask. What happens when what we are collides with the expectations of a hyperconnected world? The Internet has connected us and given us a whole new world of possibilities, but in a society where each and every person is meant to be a simple and coherent personal brand, error is inevitable. The solution may be to assume and embody that error, to create something new, without limits; for we are much more than the sum of our parts. Initially premiered as the inaugural show in the contemporary art exhibition Manlleu Galeria d'Art: MGA9 (Manlleu, Barcelona, Spain, 2022), Identidad Glitch is a work in progress evolving with every new performance. Sabrina Rodríguez is a multidisciplinary artist and performer from Barcelona, Spain. Her work reflects on the mutually constructive nature between human identity and technology, through different media such as performing arts, video, experimental music or glitch art.

[naturalkillercyborg]

Mother party member headcanons

Figured I'd dump some of these here lol. Just gonna focus on the first game for now. Headcanons below the cut

Ninten: - Penguins are his favorite animal - He's fairly popular at school - He hoped that Giygas would return peacefully one day so that he could bond with his space uncle - He's a pretty good athlete and plays for the local mini-league team (IDK how baseball works), but the constant kicking up of dust can make his asthma act up. - "Pollyanna" is one of his favorite songs. His mother introduced it to him. - "All That I Needed Was You" is another favorite song of his. He picked it out on a karaoke machine at the bar in Ellay - He actually has a pretty big passion for music that he doesn't get to display often. - He gets along with people easily. - He's not the super emotional type, but he needed a moment to cry after Magicant disappeared. - He's a pretty heavy sleeper. - He rarely used his psychic powers before the events of Mother 1, so getting used to his abilities involved some trial and error, as well as some help from Ana. Lloyd: - He'd get into trouble a lot at school, often through no fault of his own. - Explosives are a special interest of his. - He looks up to Dr. Andonuts as a kind of personal hero. - He didn't know how to handle being treated like a hero after Mother 1, but at this point he was a bit more willing to open up to people. - Another special interest of his is the operations of military weaponry. - He hated Snowman because of his low cold tolerance. - During the events of Mother 1 he develops a small fascination for the paranormal. - His relationship with his father is incredibly strained, as his father doesn't understand his autism and thinks he's just a "defective" child.

Ana: - She was raised in a strictly Christian household. Her family are convinced that her psychic powers are a blessing from the lord. - She tries to conform to a lot of the expectations placed onto her by her parents, which is mostly a very 1950s view of what is considered "ladylike". - Due to the very controlled environment she was raised in, she got a good handle of her psychic powers at a very early age and helps Ninten control his somewhat. - Ninten, in return, shows her some more creative and unconventional uses of psychic powers. - She tries to be a stern motherly figure to Ninten and Lloyd when first meeting them, but since they're all middle schoolers that doesn't exactly work out. - Throughout the adventure, she lets herself relax more and explores her individuality. - She was part of the choir at her church. Teddy: - He was only a teenager when his parents died, so he turned to some very unhealthy forms of self-expression to cope with it. - Due to Ninten's asthma, he starts to cut down on smoking. - He swears like a sailor. - Through his time with the others, he learns to reconnect with his inner child, let himself heal and find joy in life again. - Being taken to Magicant blows his mind and is a pretty major step in his character growth. - When R7038 attacks the gang at the cabin, Teddy takes major damage because he's shielding the kids with his body. - After his body recovers and he does some community service, he becomes a performer at the theater in Ellay and turns himself into something of a town hero.

[suispiria]

had an extremely isabel allende adjacent dream

[thefederalistfreestyle]

*taps the mic* Hey... this thing still on…?

I hope that everyone had a wonderful Hamil-weekend! 

Once upon a time, I'd thought that I'd return here if a big event happened. Something like, say, the release of a movie.

I never imagined that said big event would be entirely overshadowed by a pandemic incapacitating the country, which had in turn allowed for a long-overdue reckoning with the U.S.'s foundational racism to burst forth, and, individually, being just a week out from being surrounded by the police who, it turns out, would attack the queer liberation march literally on the day of Pride while I was taking a breather on the steps of the Public Theater, which was just one more incident in an ever-growing litany of bald-faced police overstep beyond the usual racial inequity, to the point of snatching a well-known musical theater composer from her own front stoop for having the audacity to cheer in support of protesters.

There are still parts of Hamilton that are amazing.

It's also amazing and wonderful that so much of Hamilton is NOT revolutionary. The cultural conversation is on the move. And the arts play such a huge role in that movement.

On Friday the 13th of March of this year, the NYC theater industry closed for the foreseeable future.  Theaters elsewhere in the country have followed.  On a human level, almost everyone involved in the industry is unemployed: actors, dancers, singers, musicians, stage managers, backstage crew, electricians, carpenters, stitchers, props artisans, designers, writers, directors, choreographers, box office staff, ushers, janitors, security, marketing, scenery building shops, and more. Adjacent businesses, whose clients are theatre workers and theater audiences, are affected as well: restaurants, bars, the bodegas with the cute cats, materials suppliers, and more. On a cultural level, even if there were enough "other jobs" for everyone to go to, what will be left when performance is able to resume? I fear that the "unpaid internship" will become writ even larger than normal: the people who will have the means to stay in the industry will be reduced down to an even more exclusive class than they are currently.

This has not been the case globally. In some countries, the pandemic is sufficiently under control for even professional productions in big cities to continue with safety measures in place (e.g., The Phantom of the Opera in Seoul). In some countries, the government is giving robust financial support to the arts (e.g., Britain announcing a nearly $2 billion stimulus for the industry).

The Arts in the U.S. need your support. If you can donate, then donate. But perhaps even more important: contact your senators and other officials to encourage them to support measures that will keep artists and the arts going. And be the change within your own families and communities to help fight the view that the arts are disposable. If someone has read a book or listened to music or Netflix-and-chilled or watched a Marvel movie, then they are benefiting from the arts – not just the material that they are directly consuming, but the community theater or PBS broadcast that led that movie star to start acting in the first place. (To say nothing of: remember all of the tweets of people saying that the Watchmen series was how they learned about the Tulsa Massacre?)

& I’m sure that A.Ham would appreciate the fact that the Arts & Entertainment industry accounts for $877.8 BILLION in value and 4.5% of U.S. GDP.

ExtendPUA.org/entertainment is a good place to start. You can find information on more ways to be an #ArtsHero here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1tJFHBXZYZfHG86l4jr2dFFS-KBtUkdcfewHDl9iVUyI/edit (And remember, try to personalize the subject line and at least a couple sentences of any auto-generated emails so that they don't get flagged as spam!)

Check out See Lighting Foundation to support immigrant theatre artists, who are particularly vulnerable right now. Between their specific risks/futility in applying for government benefits, the increasingly onerous visa processes, & the simple fact that theatres in other countries are not facing the shitshow faced by theatres here, many immigrant theatre artists are looking at leaving the U.S.. It will be, truly, our loss.  

There is a lot of work happening within the industry right now that isn't a product for immediate public purchase. Grassroots groups organizing for more equitable labor practices. Forums hosted to root out and start healing the racism within the industry. (The Broadway Advocacy Coalition, of which Hamilton alum Amber Iman is a co-founder, has been doing great work.) Works in the early stages of creation that hopefully have actual stages ready for them when the time comes. Be proud to support all of this.

Also: if you are a young BIPOC stage manager (or even just stage management curious!), please feel free to reach out to me if you’d like to chat about the profession, including grad school and NYC specifics.

Black lives matter. This land is stolen from Indigenous people who are still here. Stonewall was a riot. Wear a fucking mask.

[96thdayofrage]

Living through Covid-19 while Black and homeless

Not too many people do what Luther Keith does. Keith walks the streets among the homeless, passing out clothes and serving the unhoused with hot meals. This has been an everyday occurrence for Keith for over two decades.

On a weekly basis, Keith donates his time and feeds hundreds, sometimes thousands.

“That was my mission back in 1999, [that’s] to feed the homeless,” said Keith. “I started doing this on Avalon and Imperial Highway back in 1999 when I was at Locke High [School].”

At the time of his calling to help out those on the streets, Keith was a security officer for Locke High School in an area previously known as Watts, which is now encompassed inside of the boundaries of South Los Angeles.

A longtime gang interventionist, Keith has a strong presence on the streets of South Los Angeles. Working as the head of security for the renowned Drew League, a pro-am summer basketball league that has become home in the offseason for many NBA players, and keeping the peace among warring gang factions, Keith is a doer and not a talker when it comes to helping others.    

Feeding and clothing the homeless is not for the faint of heart. Driving through downtown Los Angeles one can encounter many things. First, the many skyscrapers silhouettes that outline the Southern California skies make for a breathtaking view.

There are local hotspots and eateries that pop up on just about every block of the downtown area that make it chic or trendy to wine and dine.

STAPLES Center, the place that the Los Angeles Lakers and Los Angeles Clippers call home, is snuggled in the midst of all of this hustle and bustle. Right across the street sits the Microsoft Theater, where live concerts from some of the biggest names in the music and entertainment industries are constantly on display as artists come and pay a visit when they’re in town performing.  

Then there is Skid Row which is the direct antithesis to everything that is glamorous and modern in the downtown area of the second-largest city in America.

Though it is located in the downtown area of Los Angeles, a person would have to go through nearly two miles of designated parking lots and clumps of buildings and go past the city’s Los Angeles Fashion District before encountering humanity at its worse.

Skid Row is a proliferation of tents, gangs, hustlers, prostitution, gambling, and drug activity. The streets are blackened by the large amounts of trash and debris that have settled on them. The air space is almost inhalable. Assaults and robberies can happen about as quickly as you snap your fingers.

Navigating through Skid Row and other parts of downtown Los Angeles can be a dangerous place to walk or drive. The Covid-19 pandemic has magnified the danger alert to an even greater level. Keith is not too concerned about it. That’s because as a devout Christian, Keith arms himself with the faith weapons he’s been given on his sleeves.

These are the antidotes to any negativity he may encounter when he’s out and about doing what he’s called to do.

Judge David O. Carter gave the elected officials representing the City Los Angeles and Los Angeles County a sharp rebuke for failing to properly address the homeless crisis. The judge issued a memo ordering those living on Skid Row to be housed by this fall.

“There can be no defense to the indefensible,” Carter wrote in a 110-page ruling in the court case LA Alliance for Human Rights v City of Los Angeles. “For all the declarations of success that we are fed, citizens themselves see the heartbreaking misery of the homeless and the degradation of their City and County. Los Angeles has lost its parks, beaches, schools, sidewalks, and highway systems due to the inaction of City and County officials who have left our homeless citizens with no other place to turn. All of the rhetoric, promises, plans, and budgeting cannot obscure the shameful reality of this crisis—that year after year, there are more homeless Angelenos, and year after year, more homeless Angelenos die on the streets.”

The system of homelessness has become a Black problem with long-rooted institutional checks and balances in place playing a significant role behind the scenes, said Heidi Marston, director of the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority.

“I want to be very clear, homelessness is a byproduct of racism,” Marston said. “We continue to see that Black people are overrepresented in our homeless population and that Black African Americans are four times more likely to become homeless than their white counterparts.”

Being homeless and Black in the middle of the Covid-19 is not just a Los Angeles thing. The numbers are just as staggering nationally. Much like the population-to-homeless ratio in Los Angeles, unhoused statistics for Blacks across the country are alarming.

According to the 2020 Annual Homeless Assessment Report (AHAR) to Congress, a report backed by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, 39 percent of the people who are homeless nationwide are Black. The AHAR report, released this past January, also concluded  that Blacks with families and children (53 percent) are in far greater numbers to be homeless than any other ethnic group surveyed.

According to a 2020 U.S. Census study, Blacks are just 12 percent of the general population in the country, a sobering reality to the vast homelessness numbers this group represents. There are several contributing factors as to why many Black people can be found on the streets or are unsheltered, according to the National Alliance to End Homelessness.

The main causes, poverty, rental and housing discrimination, lack of access to quality health care and incarceration, are nothing new. When it comes to re-entering back into society after being incarcerated, Black women are more likely than anyone else to be homeless, according to the Prison Policy Initiative. That’s including Black men.

A New Way of Life Reentry Project, founded by Susan Burton, does its best to address the needs of these women once they leave jail or prison.

“A New Way of Life and similar programs offer people released from jails and prisons an opportunity to live in a safe, welcoming, structured, and supportive environment where both staff and other residents understand the challenges that convicted and formerly incarcerated people face, and are able to offer a clear path forward,” said Pamela Marshall, co-director of A New Way of Life Reentry Project.

“Having stable, safe and affordable housing improves an  individuals’ abilities to reduce stress; to heal from trauma or addiction; to manage a health or mental health condition; to find and maintain employment; to protect, uplift and support children and other family members; to attend school and/or job training programs; to avoid violence and system contact,” Marshall added.

Based in South Los Angeles, A New Way of Life Reentry Project has 10 homes to accommodate women coming from jail or prison. Marshall said once these individuals put incarceration in the rearview mirror, trying to live and function in normalcy, can be overwhelming.  

“Imagine living in a jail or prison cell where your every movement, every minute, every meal and every decision has been made for you and you are suddenly released with $200 or less, without a state ID, social security card, medical or birth documents, into a world where the technology, bus routes, culture, and communities have advanced far into the future leaving you without direction or understanding and you have also lost all contact with family, friends or a place to stay,” Marshall said.

While A New Way of Life Reentry Project has a more structural way of helping those once locked up to stay off the streets, Keith keeps things pushing with his charitable outreach, bringing encouragement and food to fill the bellies and minds of the homeless. And he does it without fear.  

“If you ain’t equipped and know how to do this…they got gangs down there,” Keith said. “Folks are scared to go down there.”

[littjara-mirrorlake]

Ravnica Academy campus map

(an early version and subject to change) i can’t draw i’m sorry take this sketch

Facilities

A - Main academic building where the majority of classes are taught. Contains the Hall of the Paruns, where assemblies and ceremonies take place.

B - Ismeri Library, containing more knowledge and secrets than even the faculty know of; has a banned section and houses the hidden entrance of Dimir Hall

C - Campus commons, a student community center tucked into the roots of the great Worldtree (which is also Selesnya Hall)

D - Dining hall, kitchens, and greenhouses, with the greenery tended to by Selesnya students

E - Science building, adjoined to Simic Hall at the west wing and Izzet at the east; contains labs and equipment for magical experimentation, both biological and physical. After hours, it becomes a place where Simic and Izzet residents mingle.

F - Sparring grounds, where martial and magical combat classes are held. The center is open, but there’s some forest as well. Games of Capture the Flag (like in Percy Jackson, because that was a Great Concept) are held here.

G - Theater, most popular lurking place of Rakdos students.

H - Hospital wing, staffed by casters well-versed in the healing arts. Equipped to handle both magical and mundane accidents.

Dorms

1 - Azorius Hall - pristine white stone, inlaid with triangular motifs, looks the most like a typical university dorm. Highly symmetrical on the inside and the outside. 

2 - Boros Hall - built like a Greek temple, with sturdy columns and Boros banners flying from the windows. The top floor is a penthouse apartment housing Aurelia, the angelic dorm head. Contains gyms and training rooms.

3 - Dimir Hall - completely underground. Labyrinth of books with gothic carpeting, blue fire, and leather furniture–a dark-academia dream. Doors to student rooms are scattered between the bookshelves.

4 - Golgari Hall - aboveground portion small and run down, but an elaborate underground network of chambers exists beneath, lit by magic lamps and luminescent fungi

5 - Gruul Hall - kinda broken down and overgrown, most of the students camp outside anyways

6 - Izzet Hall - wacky architecture, steam pipes, explosions. The glass Aerie on the top floor houses Niv-Mizzet. Connected to science building east wing.

7 - Orzhov Hall - not-so-secretly the dorm with the best facilities, where rich relatives of Ravnica Academy’s trustee board–the Obzedat–end up. Has a stained-glass watchtower, plush carpeting, multiple common rooms, and a functioning elevator.

8 - Rakdos Hall - underneath the theater. 2 large rooms with bunks scattered around, as well as questionable performing equipment. Rakdos himself lives below the dorm, relishing the sounds of partying and pounding music long into the night.

9 - Selesnya Hall - built into the giant Worldtree at the center of campus, with rooms spiraling up the trunk and extending onto the branches.

10 - Simic Hall - elegant, organic architecture with blue-green windows and swirling filigree motifs. (Within the dorm, the stained glass makes everything look as if it’s underwater.) Contains communal labs and growth pods showcasing the students’ best biomantic creations. The basement is aquatic, housing the Academy’s merfolk students.

Not shown - a network of tunnels extends underneath campus, allegedly connecting every building. It’s against school rules to venture down into them, but students (mostly from Golgari and Dimir Halls) have picked the locks on some of the old entrances. They still haven’t explored much.

[sammy8d257]

Masterlist For Object Head Media

LAST UPDATED: April 1st, 2020

Google Doc: HERE

Welcome! Ever wanted to find out if there’s any types of media that feature Object Head characters that aren’t just one-off or background characters?

Well you’ve come to the right place!

Here I hope to create a comprehensible list of all types of media that contain Object Headed characters!

But I’m only one person who doesn’t know every piece of Object Head media out there

SO IF YOU have a suggestion for a piece of media that would fit on this list

Send me a message through my Tumblr @sammy8d257 ​  

or on Twitter under the same name

With your help, I hope this list becomes very long with all sorts of amazing Object Head media!

Other than that, have fun exploring to your heart's content!

- Sammy

(List under “Keep Reading”)

Comics/Webcomics:

Saga - written by Brian Vaughan, illustrated by Fiona Staples

Gene: Space/fantasy

Rating: M+

Language: English

Status: 54 issues, On Hiatus (as of 4/1/2020)

Read On: Physical Comic

Description: Saga is an epic science-fiction/fantasy drama about two lovers from long-warring extraterrestrial races, Alana and Marko, fleeing from authorities from both sides of a galactic war as they struggle to care for their daughter, Hazel.

Object Heads: TV Heads, in Saga there is a whole race known as Robots Kingdom that are made entirely TV Headed characters.

Character Status: The object head characters turns from side to supporting character in the main cast

Warnings: Nudity, Sex, Death, Violence, its a war setting, blood, drugs, etc.

MyStereoBot - by bioatomic

Gene: Sci-fi, Romance, Comedy

Rating: M

Language: English

Status: 537 pages + 24 page Epilogue, Completed on 6/6/2017

Read On: Smackjeeves or Tapas

Description: Infinity, a stereo head robot, finds himself conflicted with his worth as a person, as a partner, and as a friend. Having trouble with feeling at home on Planet Ribbon and finding happiness, his boyfriend, Cloudburn, and his cousin, Ohm, do the best they can to help him feel worthy. Things seem to go downhill when Quence, a new friend, worries Cloudburn about Infinity’s motives towards him. That is, until an outer-worldly encounter changes all of their lives, for better or for worse, and may just show Infinity what home really is.

Object Heads: Stereo heads, radio heads, tv heads, box heads, etc. There's a lot of different Object heads in this comic

Character Status: Main characters and other side characters are object heads

Warnings: Swearing, partial nudity, drugs

Notes: You can find more information on Tumblr - @mystereobot

Sebastian - by Amanda Heard

Gene: Slice-of-Life, Romantic, Comedy

Rating: pg-13 to M

Language: English

Status: On-going, 80+ pages (as of 4/1/2020), Updates Tuesdays and Thursdays

Read On: http://www.sebastiancomic.com/, Tumblr: https://sebastiancomic.tumblr.com/ or @sebastiancomic

Description: Sebastian is about a pessimistic thief and a happy-go-lucky dork finding each other through unexpected circumstances and learning about forgiveness, love, and loss. Also CRIME!

Object Heads: Pumpkin Heads

Character Status: Main characters are object heads

Warnings: Swearing

Notes: Created by @batberryboo on Tumblr

The Property of Hate - by Sarah Jolley

Gene: Fantasy/Adventure

Rating: Pg 13

Language: English, translations in French, Russian, Polish, Hungarian, Japanese, Norwegian, Dutch, Portuguese, Breton, Brazilian, Tagalog, German, Chinese, Swedish, Spanish, Esperanto, Latin, Korean, Italian, Hebrew, Greek, Czech

Status: On-going, 400+ pages(as of 4/1/2020), Updates Sundays

Read On: http://jolleycomics.com/, Smackjeeves

Description: When offered a chance to be a hero by a strange figure with a TV for a head, a young girl is whisked away to a whimsical land in desperate need of a hero. This journey will take them across the lands where emotions manifest into physical forms and the inanimate becomes animate.

Object Heads: Tv Head, Radio Head, etc.

Character Status: One of the main characters and a few secondary characters are object heads

Warnings: None

Notes: Created by @modmad ​ on Tumblr

The Strange Tales of Oscar Zahn - by Tri Vuong

Gene: Fantasy, slight horror

Rating: PG 13

Language: English

Status: 100 Chapters, Completed on 5/21/2019(maybe on Hiatus?)(as of 4/1/2020)

Read On: Webtoons

Description: Follow the journey of the world's greatest paranormal investigator - Oscar Zahn. Friend to lost souls, enemy of evil, he may lack a body but that doesn't mean he's missing a heart!

Object Heads: Skull Head

Character Status: Main character is an object head

Warnings: Some disturbing imagery

Robot Dream - by Robot Dream, written down by Paulie Godbout, illustrated by Sandra Grygier

Gene: Action, Drama

Rating: PG 13

Language: English

Status: On-Going, 70+ pages (as of 4/1/2020) No Solid Update schedule

Read On: https://www.robotdream.com/mystory (up until page 73), Tapas (up until page 70)

Description: When a lonely human-robot-hybrid refuses to live a life of seclusion, he discovers a community of outcasts in the world of electronic music. But, when he begins creating his own remixes, and discovers they somehow have the power to heal broken hearts and minds, he must learn that revealing who you truly are comes at a price before he is captured by the people who “created” him.

Object Heads: TV Head

Character Status: Main Character

Warnings: References to manipulation and abuse

Notes: You can also read it on Webtoon under the same name but it is only up to page 32

Third Shift Society - by Meredith Moriarty

Gene: Supernatural, Adventure

Rating: PG 13

Language: English

Status: 24 Episodes, On Hiatus(as of 4/1/2020)

Read On: Webtoon

Description: Life’s funny. One minute you're jobless, deep in debt and on the verge of eviction; the next you’re in a fight with a monster and getting a job working for a Paranormal Detective with the head of a Jack-o-Lantern. It’s an age-old story. Now the financially-challenged Ellie (who’s just discovered she has strong psychic powers) and her Pumpkin-headed boss Ichabod have to team up and fight the things that go bump in the night.

Object Heads: Pumpkin Head

Character Status: Secondary Main Character

Warnings: None

Notes: Created by @meredithmoriarty ​ on Tumblr

Rice Boy - by Evan Dahm

Gene: Surreal fantasy, Adventure

Rating: PG 13

Language: English

Status: 439 pages, Completed as of 2008,

Read On: http://www.rice-boy.com/see/, or on Soft/Hardcover Graphic Novels,

Description: Rice Boy is a simple creature torn from his mundane life by an immortal “machine man” called The One Electronic, who suspects that Rice Boy may fulfill an ancient prophecy. Now tasked with trying to fulfill a prophecy he did not choose, Rice Boy must explore the vast, fantastical, and surreal world of Overside and encounter the dangers that it hides.

Object Heads: Circular TV Head

Character Status: Secondary Main Character

Warnings: Chapter 19 contains one page of suggestive incest, Slightly disturbing imagery, violence, drug use

Notes: Dahm also runs a Rerun blog of Rice Boy where he does commentary on the pages as he posts them on Tumblr: @riceboycomic ​

Film/Shows/Anime:

FLCL (also known as Fooly Cooly) - written by Yōji Enokido, directed by Kazuya Tsurumaki

Studio: Gainax

Gene: Comedy, drama

Style: 2D Animation

Rating: PG 13

Language: Japanese, with an English sub and Dub

Status: 1 season(6 episodes), Completed as of 2001

Description:  A boy's humdrum life turns upside-down when he encounters a maniacal girl who causes strange things to grow out of his forehead and draws him into conflict with a mysterious, otherworldly organization.

Object Heads: TV Head Robot

Character Status: Side Main Character

Warnings: Sexual innuendos

Notes: There are 2 more seasons of FLCL known as FLCL Progressive and FLCL Alternative, I haven’t watched them but I don’t believe there are any object head robots in them

The Amazing World of Gumball - created by Ben Bocquelet

Premiered on: Cartoon Network

Gene: slice of life, comedy

Style: Mixed Media Animation

Rating: PG

Language: English,

Status: 6 seasons(240 episodes) + a 6 episode miniseries, Completed as of December 2019

Description: The series revolves around the misadventures of blue cat Gumball Watterson and his adopted goldfish brother and best friend, Darwin. Together they spread mischief across the weird and wacky city of Elmore.

Object Heads: Bomb Head, Boombox head, whatever rob was

Character Status: Secondary and background characters

Warnings: None

Notes: This one really shouldn’t be on the list but I added it because I literally could not think of another show or film that has Object Head characters

Video Games:

Cuphead by StudioMDHR

Gene: Classic Run and Gun

Style: 2D Handpainted Visuals

Rating: E

Language: English

Released: 9/29/2017, DLC (coming soon 2020)

Playable On: Steam, Xbox, Windows 10, Mac, Nintendo Switch

Price: $19.99

Description: Cuphead is a classic run and gun action game heavily focused on boss battles. Inspired by cartoons of the 1930s, the visuals and audio are painstakingly created with the same techniques of the era, i.e. traditional hand-drawn cel animation, watercolor backgrounds, and original jazz recordings.

Play as Cuphead or Mugman (in single player or local co-op) as you traverse strange worlds, acquire new weapons, learn powerful super moves, and discover hidden secrets while you try to pay your debt back to the devil!

Object Heads: Cup Heads, Apple Head, Dice Head, Fork Head, etc.

Character Status: Playable Main Characters, some secondary characters, and some of the Bosses

Warnings: Cartoony violence

BattleBlock Theater by The Behemoth

Gene: Platforming, comedy

Style: 2D Graphics

Rating: E

Language: English

Released: Xbox Live-4/3/2013, Steam- 5/15/2014,

Playable On: Steam, Xbox, Microsoft Windows, Linux, macOS, Macintosh operating system

Price: $14.99

Description: Shipwrecked. Captured. Betrayed. Forced to perform for an audience of cats? Yes, all that and more when you unlock BattleBlock Theater! There’s no turning back once you've started on your quest to free over 300 of your imprisoned friends from evil technological cats. Immerse yourself in this mind bending tale of treachery as you use your arsenal of weapon-tools to battle your way through hundreds of levels in order to discover the puzzling truth behind BattleBlock Theater.

If solo acts aren't your style, go online or bring a buddy couch-side to play a thoroughly co-optimized quest or enter the arenas. The game also includes a level editor so you can craft your own mind bending trials!

Object Heads: Heads are customizable but the main game gives you many heads to choose from. Block heads, Shape Heads

Character Status: Playable Characters

Warnings: Cartoony violence, crude humor

Pumpkin Noir by PumpkinNoirDev

Gene: RPG Adventure

Style: Pixel Graphics, RPGMaker

Rating: E

Language: English

Status: Demo as of 6/19/2017

Play On: PC, demo link - https://rpgmaker.net/games/9817/

Price: Not available

Description: Stop, Drop, Noir!

Perched on the precipice of endless void-- a single seedy city. Detectives “Smoke & Fire” Rem and Wednesday face a puzzling situation as the curtain lifts on Halloween night. Go broke, or investigate a rollickingly risky mafia mystery? The answer is clear.

Search for the void’s greatest criminal minds, uncover the shocking secrets of the underworld!

Object Heads: Pumpkin Head

Character Status: Main Character

Warnings: None

Notes: This game is still under development, for more information visit the dev’s blog- https://pumpkin-noir.tumblr.com/ or @pumpkin-noir ​

Other:

Object Head Zine - hosted by @potentialforart on Tumblr

Style: Mostly 2D Illustrations and short comics

Gene: Genes differ per year

Rating: PG-PG 13

Language: English

Status: On-Going Project, This zine is a yearly thing

Read On: Tumblr- https://objectheadzine.tumblr.com/ or @objectheadzine, Buy Physical/Digital Copies here - https://gumroad.com/objectheadzine

Price: Prices Vary

Description: The Object Head Zine is a collection of artwork from different artists coming together for a common love of object heads. The Object Head Zine is a yearly project with a new theme chosen for each year. Such themes include Forks and Utensils, Spooky, Flora and Fungi, Superstitions, and Science and Technology.

Object Heads: Yes

Character Status: Main Focus

Warnings: None

And if you have any more suggestions for this list, please let me know!!

[bangwoolofbangtan]

How BTS and Its ARMY Could Change the Music Industry

By Rebecca Davis

It was just a year ago that BTS’ Love Yourself: Speak Yourself tour was selling out stadiums all over the world. Each night of the 20-date trek, which grossed $116 million, a total of nearly a million ticket buyers around the planet witnessed a thumping opening liturgy at the top of the K-pop band’s set in the form of the song “Dionysus.”

As flames shot up from the stage, seven figures emerged in supplicant white amid Greek columns and a long altar. Rapper RM (full name: Kim Nam-joon) led the way, twirling the staff of the titular mythical deity, as group mates Jin (Kim Seok-jin), SUGA (Min Yoon-gi), j-hope (Jung Ho-seok), Jimin (Park Ji-min), V (Kim Tae-hyung) and Jung Kook (Jeon Jung-kook) flanked him in a display of choreographed precision. The crowd, reaching peak pandemonium in a night full of deafening screams, made willing maenads and satyrs, transported by the band’s presence. An anthem about rebirth and self-discovery through the ecstatic collective experience of music was received as intended — as if from the gods.

Idol worship is by no means a new concept in pop music — remember John Lennon’s provocative statement in 1966 that the Beatles were “more popular than Jesus”? — but there’s something about BTS that turns fandom up to 11. The global brigade of BTS acolytes is collectively known by the acronym ARMY, short for Adorable Representative MC for Youth, a moniker chosen by Big Hit Entertainment, the company that launched the band. ARMY comprises the lion’s share of a Twitter audience that’s 29.2 million followers strong, more than triple that of any other K-pop group, and growing daily. BTS’ Instagram presence of 30.6 million followers (also rising rapidly), is trailed closely only by YG Entertainment’s Blackpink, at 29.3 million.

“It is because ARMY exists that we exist,” Jin says.

To understand the scope of BTS Inc.: An influential 2018 study by the Hyundai Research Institute estimated that the ripple effects from the boy band’s ecosystem contribute roughly $4.9 billion annually to South Korea’s GDP, on track to generate more value over 10 years than the Pyeongchang Winter Olympics. The study gauged that in 2017, one in 13 visitors to the country came for BTS-related pilgrimages. That ratio may soon be growing. Spotify has reported a 300% spike in new listeners to the group since the Aug. 21 release of “Dynamite,” BTS’ first all-English single.

The BTS boom has also driven Big Hit to launch an IPO in October projected to raise some $811 million. (Each BTS member will be awarded shares worth approximately $8 million.) Of Big Hit’s revenue in 2019, 97.4% was generated by BTS, including $130 million worth of T-shirts, cosmetics, dolls and other merchandise.

The numbers are no accident. The South Korean government began investing strategically in the arts and the digital economy to help steer the country out of the 1997 Asian financial crisis. On the heels of “Parasite” sweeping the Oscars, the worldwide success of BTS may be another sign to the West that Seoul might be the center of a new force in creative production.

Big Hit, and the K-pop music bus­iness in general, have proved just how much a band, and a company, can prosper through a direct-to-consumer relationship, driven by digital platforms and dedicated apps with lots of behind-the-scenes content that keeps fans emotionally involved. It’s engagement on a scale that no Western artist has ever achieved, despite decades of radio promotion and the best retail strategy.

For the global music industry, the band’s success has meant a serious rethink of how a record company — in BTS’ case, Sony Music’s Columbia Records, which distributes the group’s music in the U.S. (though the band is not signed to the label) — builds and maintains a fan base. You could almost look at it as a collaborative arrangement: As music is being made in real time, decision-makers and strategists at Big Hit and Columbia are taking in and processing the comments and views of ARMY and pivoting accordingly.

“It creates a self-sustaining engine that, eventually, becomes hits perpetuating more hits,” says Neil Jacobson, a former president of Geffen Records who runs Hallwood, a talent agency for producers and songwriters. “A label wants that fan connection happening all the time so that they can consistently release and promote music. But in the past, there had always been intermediaries that labels had to talk to in order to manifest exposure. Now, there is a mechanism for an artist to speak directly to their fans. That didn’t exist before, and it has turbocharged the process.”

It’s all led to this “Dynamite” mo­ment: The single has sold nearly 700,000 adjusted song units since its release — good for a gold record certification by the RIAA. The song is quickly becoming the band’s biggest radio hit to date (without a featured artist, it’s worth noting), and represents a significant breakout beyond its core audience. After that, will Grammys follow?

“They check all the boxes,” says Jenna Andrews, the vocal producer on “Dynamite” who also serves as an executive at Sony’s Records label. “I’ve never seen anything like BTS in terms of singing and dancing. This is just an indication of what’s yet to come. They’re going to take over the world.”

Kathryn Lofton, Yale University professor of religious and American studies and author of the book “Consuming Religion,” says that the bond BTS has with its ARMY is different from the typical singer-fan connection because “BTS’ driving commitment is to their relationship to the fan group, to the manufacturing of their communal joy for you to participate in.” It’s why she views BTS as “a religious project; they are seeking to make a togetherness that you can’t stop wanting to be a part of.”

Lofton also makes a point of distinguishing ARMY from the groupies associated with Beatlemania. Sure, BTS fans know the hagiography and backstory of each member, but everything about the band’s output prioritizes the collective over the individual.

The band itself has certainly leaned into the comparison with the Fab Four. For instance, it re-created the iconic moment of the Beatles’ 1964 debut at the Ed Sullivan Theater last May on “The Late Show With Stephen Colbert” — in a black-and-white segment that showed the K-pop band performing as mop tops in tailored suits.

But while John, Paul, George and Ringo had spotlight moments of their own, both within and outside the band — songs they wrote individually, causes they took up personally — with BTS, it’s all for one all the time. Unlike many other groups, the members share single, collective Twitter and Instagram accounts, and release even solo material through their shared channel. Accomplishments are never spoken of as belonging to any one group member but rather as the work of the team (and, of course, ARMY). In their videos, they often begin in solo shots but end up together.

This all strays from the typical tropes of Western boy bands including New Edition and ’N Sync, which have all proffered “star” frontmen. The thinking for decades had been that a record company would be lucky to have one breakout solo career among the bunch.

But BTS’ selfless approach didn’t happen randomly: The group was envisioned as a collective to heal the alienation that ails us in the digital age. Its name — “BTS” stands for Beyond the Scene — is an invitation to fans to join them offstage via almost daily video content featuring moments in their intimate if immaculately curated private lives on YouTube, Twitter and Big Hit app Weverse.

In 2011, Big Hit’s revenues from its then-main acts, Lim Jeong-hee and boy band 2AM, were plummeting. As the shadow of bankruptcy loomed, Bang Si-hyuk, now chairman, and Lenzo Yoon, global CEO, felt the company needed a total revamp. They stopped all normal work for months and called on employees to perform market research instead, seeking a new vision and formula.

Bang describes the conclusion they reached in a recent Harvard Business School case study of the firm written by Anita Elberse and Lizzy Woodham: “You would think that with the development of digital technology, people can come together more easily, but we found that it is actually more likely that people will feel more isolated. And so we need to find a way to help them, inspire them and heal them.”

Reflecting on the choice to develop a group that satiated this need, Yoon says in the study: “I think back then in 2011, with the conclusions we drew, we found the wild ginseng, as we say in Korea.”

On “Dynamite,” Big Hit worked with Columbia to further cultivate that ginseng. Pitched by Jacobson to label chairman Ron Perry, who guided and essentially A&R’d the song, worked to radio by Columbia executive VP and head of promotion Peter Gray (who has broken hits for Dua Lipa, Kelly Clarkson and Kings of Leon), and all overseen and informed by the years of management savvy of Big Hit, it’s the kind of artist development that was a music business calling card and that has lost its place in the fast-paced world of digital releases.

Radio exposure is not considered as impactful in Korea as it is in the U.S., notes RM, and so BTS — “maybe naively” — didn’t hit the ground in the U.S. thinking, ‘What can boost our airplay?’” the last time around. Still, RM notes that the band has “100% trust” in Columbia, Big Hit and the greater BTS community. “ARMY and the label are all trying their best,” he says, recounting how in the band’s early days, fans would send bouquets to radio DJs to get their songs on the air.

“Our goal is to try to show ourselves, expose ourselves to ARMY as much as possible,” adds Jin. “There are a lot of platforms now.”

In some ways, BTS’ ARMY has grown into its own force and brought the group along for the ride. In the world of K-pop, the expectation is that entertainers stay far away from politics, but as the genre has grown more global, it has begun to reach a transnational cohort to whom matters of social justice are top of mind.

When Variety broke the news on June 6 that BTS and Big Hit had donated $1 million to Black Lives Matter, BTS fans quickly flocked to #Match­AMillion through a link sent out by the fan charity Twitter account @OneInAnARMY. They hit the financial target in just 25 hours.

Erika Overton, a 40-year-old Georgia resident and one of the co-founders of the account, says of the experience: “It was one of the craziest nights I’ve ever seen. I was on Twitter all night. We were refreshing the page every couple of minutes, going, ‘Oh, my God …’” Witnessing ARMY’s U.S. battalion bring the message of Black Lives Matter to fans in other parts of the world who were unfamiliar with the movement was a “big educational moment that was really, really beautiful to see,” says Overton, who is African American.

What Overton saw was facilitated by networks of fan translators who also turn Big Hit’s Korean content into dozens of languages. Other ARMY groups provide counseling or tutoring services, invent themed recipes or write informational threads on everything from the history of the music industry and how charts work to Jungian philosophy, which deeply informs the BTS albums.

Some fan accounts have even become registered nonprofits, with dozens of administrators spread around the world putting in nearly full-time work on top of their day jobs.

In addition to Black Lives Matter, BTS this year donated $1 million to Crew Nation, a Live Nation campaign to support live entertainment personnel impacted by the coronavirus pandemic. And it has continued its campaign with UNICEF to end child violence. But the band members are reticent to take on the role of global activists. “I don’t consider ourselves as political,” says Suga. “We aren’t trying to send out some grandiose message. We would never see ARMY as a conduit for our voice or our opinion. ARMY speaks their own initiatives, and we always respect their opinions, as we respect any other person’s.”

RM, on the other hand, keeps the door open for a kind of apolitical politics based more on actions than words: “We are not political figures, but as they say, everything is political eventually. Even a pebble can be political.”

The scale of its influence is not something that the group takes lightly. “Our [‘Dynamite’] video has seen 80 million, almost 90 million views in just a day. In a way, that’s very weighty — and almost frightening,” RM told Variety the day after its debut, explaining that the balancing act is often one of how to juggle the burdens of being both role models and artists.

Some Korean scholars feel that BTS’ statement in support of BLM shows how ARMY is actually out ahead of Big Hit, spontaneously enacting its own initiatives to which the company must then respond. “Big Hit thinks they can create a company-dominated [approach to] fandom, but fans are agents doing only what they want, not what they don’t want,” says ethnomusicologist Kim Jungwon of Yonsei University in Seoul. For Kim, the fluidity of ARMY’s unplanned, collective responses “is the possible answer to BTS’ success.”

Candace Epps-Robertson, an ARMY member and assistant professor of rhetoric at the University of North Carolina, says the affirmational content of the group’s lyrics and videos may sound simple, but lay the groundwork for millions of fans to learn to engage critically with each other and develop a transcultural sense of global citizenship. “The message of ‘you, yourself, are enough, and you should love who you are and start with that — I think people miss how radical that can actually be,” she says. “We can’t overlook the power of that as an invitation to people to be part of this community.”

The Grammys, where BTS is eligible for record of the year, among other categories (nomination ballots for the 2021 awards, slated to air Jan. 31, went out on Sept. 28), provide a chance for the group to gain industry recognition as a mainstream contender, not just a K-pop act.

Asked why the Grammys matter so much to them, Suga seems to bristle a bit at the question. “I grew up watching American award shows, so obviously we all know and I know the importance of the Grammys,” he says. “It’s a dream anyone working in music has.”

RM says having the goal of a Grammy, an industry-voted award, “motivates us to work harder. As Suga said, if you are in music, the Grammy Awards are something that you cannot help but to look toward and set as an eventual goal.”

BTS’ global influence will soon collide with national duty, and a Grammy Award or three could help maintain its momentum. The band members all have to participate in Korea’s mandatory military service by the age of 28 — and four of them are within two years of that threshold. “Big Hit really wants to target the Grammys before [the members] go into the army,” says an industry source privy to the company’s marketing plans, adding that, from Big Hit’s perspective, it would be best for business if the boys all perform their service at the same time.

The group renewed its contract with Big Hit in 2018, which commits the members to another seven years with the firm, but the army service issue could knock off two years within that time span. A company statement ahead of Big Hit’s IPO shows that Jin, the oldest group member (he’ll be 28 in December), must conscript by 2022 even if he gets an extension of the draft deadline. The statement discloses that plans to prerecord content to be released over the course of any army tenure are being discussed.

South Korea officially changed its rules in July to allow draftees access to once-banned cellphones on weeknights and weekends, meaning BTS could theoretically continue some interaction with fans. However, the taking of photos, video or audio recordings remains prohibited. (Historically, most Korean celebs have fallen silent during their service.)

Soldiering aside, with the push from Big Hit’s IPO, multiple TV appearances — including an ongoing weeklong takeover of “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon” — the chart success of “Dynamite” and growing Grammy buzz, BTS is poised to make some serious noise this fall, which is saying a lot for a group known to shake the decibel scale with a wave or a wink. But perhaps the most significant measure of its ascent is underscored by the frequent speculation of the band’s place in a new moment for the music industry.

“What would it mean not just to include the sound of Korea in the annals of world music, but to actually propose that the South Korean sound is the next chapter?” posits Yale’s Lofton. “What if BTS are actually the next Beatles?”

©variety.com

[c0smicheaux]

Saturn’s Return through the signs and houses. Source;astrostyle . Com

Saturn first/Aries; can make you rather impetuous. You may be the first one to dive in, kickstart a project, or start a new trend. The trouble is your staying power is not quite as strong. Conversely, Saturn in Aries or the first house can make you hesitate, so that you wind up with a zillion genius ideas that never get off the ground. The lessons of your return are to become a leader without doing everything yourself—or becoming completely bossy and domineering. There can be a “my way or the highway” pitfall for you. Stamp your name on your innovations and get them out to the world, but remember that many hands make light work. You could be a stellar athlete and a daredevil. A career as a motivational speaker, CEO, military leader or athlete could be in the cards as well.

Saturn second/Taurus; Practical luxury and comfort is paramount to harnessing the stabilizing energy of Taurus here—but do you actually have the funds to pull off those champagne wishes and caviar dreams? You may struggle in the money department, living in a fantasy world and learning tough lessons about budgeting and delayed gratification. Beware laziness, too. Learn to be the charging Bull instead of the sleeping one, or opportunity could pass you by. With a little elbow grease, you could become an incredible money manager and might have a shining career in finance. Hospitality and the fine goods markets could also be your path. You have a keen eye for beauty and might even own a brick and mortar store one day.

Saturn third/Gemini; Hello communicator! The gift of gab or the power of the pen—you are meant to use your words. But Saturn’s suppressive powers can make you shy about expressing yourself, and it could take a while before you have the guts to voice your opinion or shop around your memoirs to publishing houses. Though you thrive in a partnership (chatty Gemini is the sign of the Twins), you could be a little too quick to compromise, losing your autonomy in the process. Working as a dynamic duo could bring you great success. You could have a career in writing or teaching. You may excel in more sartorial or technical pursuits (especially coding or software development), or harness your people skills to make a mint in sales

Saturn fourth/Cancer; Home and family can be a source of comfort and angst in equal measure. Some people with Saturn in this position may struggle to leave the nest, or become overly attached and responsible for their relatives. Shyness can plague you, making it difficult to come out of the proverbial Crab shell. Some people born with Saturn in heartfelt Cancer or the fourth house have difficult childhoods, with an absent or challenging mother. Although you may resist becoming a parent, it could be your greatest joy, whether you have children or pets. Your care-taking instincts could lead you to a career in the culinary world, hospitality or nursing. Working from home or owning a small business will be fulfilling too. You love being hands-on!

Saturn fifth/Leo; Glamour, passion and fairy-tale romance: you want them all, but may take the long road to achieving them. Although you have talents as a performer or presenter, Saturn’s influence in dramatic Leo can make you slow to find the stage—or hard on yourself once you do. Finding your voice, self-expression and confidence will be a riveting journey. You may struggle with excess—and learn some tough lessons about overindulging. A tendency to romanticize and idealize people can bring struggles in relationships. Although it may take you a while to figure out who is right for you (or distinguish a player from a prince), you could enjoy a rich and rewarding love life. Creativity is your calling card and you could find a career in the arts or theater, or by making beautiful objects by hand. Leo and the fifth house have a regal vibe, so being the boss like the proud Lion is in your blood.

Saturn sixth/Virgo; Order in the court! You love systems and know how make life run like a well-oiled machine. Chaos, which is a naturally occurring phenomenon, could confound you—and you could struggle when things don’t fit into neatly categorized boxes. Learning how to stay on top of the details while also going with the flow will be one of your biggest lessons. Perfectionism could plague you too, and even lead to struggles with food since purifying Virgo and the sixth house govern the digestive system. Your Saturn falls in the sign of service too, and you could excel in non-profit work or as an agent who helps others accomplish their dreams (with a percentage for your time, of course). All things natural appeal to you: organic foods, cruelty free and sustainable products, holistic healing. You could open up a business based around any of the aforementioned, or even train as a therapist, masseur, acupuncturist or herbalist.

Saturn seventh/Libra; Relationships are both a blessing and a thorn in your side in this lifetime as your Saturn theme is all about partnership. You may struggle to find the proper equilibrium of give and take. Your Saturn Return brings the hard truths about what it really takes to co-exist harmoniously with another. Your Saturn Return could also herald a marriage proposal or the dissolution of a relationship based on shaky ground. Harmonious Libra and the seventh house bring a people-loving vibe, but you may struggle with boundaries and lose a few friends before learning to set limits. You could be drawn to the law, fashion or sales as a career, since you’re equally concerned with justice and beauty.

Saturn eighth/Scorpio; Money, power, sex! Having Saturn in sultry Scorpio or the eighth house is no light and fluffy thing. You could deal with blocks to abundance, fear of success or body hang-ups—but your Saturn Return brings an incredible opportunity to work through them. Who knows? You could emerge a yogi, dakini, or powerbroker by the end of this phase. Like the Phoenix rising from the ashes, something must die for a transformation and rebirth to take place. You may deal with a powerful loss that shapes your life path, or discover your own psychic powers during your Saturn Return. Your career may involve medicine (you aren’t afraid of blood) or helping people through personal crises and transformations. Resourceful, you are an alchemist who can turn the mundane into gold.

Saturn ninth/Sagittarius; You’re a worldly one with your Saturn in global Sagittarius or the ninth house. Cross-cultural relationships will be your learning grounds and you may become “adopted” by a culture different than your own at some point in your life. If you haven’t traveled extensively, your Saturn Return would be an ideal time to live abroad. Or, if your nomadic nature has given you a tumbleweed complex, you could pause and put down roots for a few years during the Saturn Return. Higher education is governed by this sign and house: you’re an eternal student of life. Your Saturn Return could be a great time to go back to school for that graduate degree or special certification. Your career could involve traveling, teaching or publishing.

Saturn tenth/Capricorn; Goals, goals, goals! You may be obsessed with success to a detriment, and your Saturn Return will remind you that the end does not always justify the means. If Saturn has stalled your ambition, you could finally find your career calling now. Ambitious Capricorn and the tenth house are associated with men and the father. Daddy issues could plague you, or you may have a strained or distant relationship with your father. Or, your dad could have been very stern and authoritative, making it difficult for you to express yourself in his company. These will need to be dealt with during the Saturn Return, but powerful men will also help you manifest your dreams. Big business could call your name. You may return to school for an MBA, be promoted to a director’s position, or open up shop on your own venture. Hello, CEO.

Saturn eleventh/Aquarius; Community could be a source of struggle for you, but your Saturn Return is the time to find your tribe. Humanitarian issues may rouse you, like a calling, and you might start a non-profit, get involved in social justice work or find ways to make your everyday environment a place where people from all walks of life are welcome. Since future-forward Aquarius and the eleventh house govern technology and innovation, you could invent something life-changing, like an app or gadget. Though you could do many kinds of work, you’ll want to surround yourself with progressive thinkers and inspiring innovators as colleagues.

Saturn twelfth/Pisces; You are a born healer and your compassionate nature will be awakened during your Saturn Return. You may be drawn to the hidden side of life, such as spirituality or esoteric pursuits. An interest in human psychology or alternative medicine could emerge since ethereal Pisces and the twelfth house rule the subconscious mind. Learning boundaries will be a huge lesson now, especially since you may be prone to making too many sacrifices. The arts—especially music and poetry—will call your name. You may also discover a gift for working with numbers and codes or doing holistic healing.

[blackkudos]

Marvin Gaye

Marvin Gaye (born Marvin Pentz Gay Jr.; April 2, 1939 – April 1, 1984) was an American singer, songwriter, and record producer. He helped to shape the sound of Motown in the 1960s, first as an in-house session player and later as a solo artist with a string of hits, earning him the nicknames "Prince of Motown" and "Prince of Soul".

Gaye's Motown hits include "Ain't That Peculiar", "How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved By You)", and "I Heard It Through the Grapevine", and duet recordings with Mary Wells, Kim Weston, Diana Ross, and Tammi Terrell. During the 1970s, he recorded the albums What's Going On and Let's Get It On and became one of the first artists in Motown, along with Stevie Wonder, to break away from the reins of a production company. His later recordings influenced several contemporary R&B subgenres, such as quiet storm and neo soul. Following a period in Europe as a tax exile in the early 1980s, he released the 1982 hit "Sexual Healing", which won him his first two Grammy Awards, and its parent album Midnight Love. Gaye's last televised appearances were at the 1983 NBA All-Star Game, where he sang "The Star-Spangled Banner"; Motown 25: Yesterday, Today, Forever; and Soul Train, which was his final appearance.

On April 1, 1984, the day before his 45th birthday, Gaye's father, Marvin Gay Sr., fatally shot him at their house in the West Adams district of Los Angeles. Many institutions have posthumously bestowed Gaye with awards and other honors including the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award, and inductions into the Rhythm and Blues Music Hall of Fame, the Songwriters Hall of Fame, and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

Early life

Gaye was born Marvin Pentz Gay Jr. on April 2, 1939, at Freedman's Hospital in Washington, D.C., to church minister Marvin Gay Sr., and domestic worker Alberta Gay (née Cooper). His first home was in a public housing project, the Fairfax Apartments (now demolished) at 1617 1st Street SW in the Southwest Waterfront neighborhood. Although one of the city's oldest neighborhoods, with many elegant Federal-style homes, Southwest was primarily a vast slum. Most buildings were small, in extensive disrepair, and lacked both electricity and running water. The alleys were full of one- and two-story shacks, and nearly every dwelling was overcrowded. Gaye and his friends nicknamed the area "Simple City", owing to its being "half-city, half country".

Gaye was the second oldest of the couple's four children. He had two sisters, Jeanne and Zeola, and one brother, Frankie Gaye. He also had two half-brothers: Michael Cooper, his mother's son from a previous relationship, and Antwaun Carey Gay, born as a result of his father's extramarital affairs.

Gaye started singing in church when he was four years old; his father often accompanied him on piano. Gaye and his family were part of a Pentecostal church known as the House of God. The House of God took its teachings from Hebrew Pentecostalism, advocated strict conduct, and adhered to both the Old and New Testaments. Gaye developed a love of singing at an early age and was encouraged to pursue a professional music career after a performance at a school play at 11 singing Mario Lanza's "Be My Love". His home life consisted of "brutal whippings" by his father, who struck him for any shortcoming. The young Gaye described living in his father's house as similar to "...living with a king, a very peculiar, changeable, cruel, and all powerful king." He felt that had his mother not consoled him and encouraged his singing, he would have killed himself. His sister later explained that Gaye was beaten often, from age seven well into his teenage years.

Gaye attended Syphax Elementary School and then Randall Junior High School. Gaye began to take singing much more seriously in junior high, and he joined and became a singing star with the Randall Junior High Glee Club.

In 1953 or 1954, the Gays moved into the East Capitol Dwellings public housing project in D.C.'s Capitol View neighborhood. Their townhouse apartment (Unit 12, 60th Street NE; now demolished) was Marvin's home until 1962.

Gaye briefly attended Spingarn High School before transferring to Cardozo High School. At Cardozo, Gaye joined several doo-wop vocal groups, including the Dippers and the D.C. Tones. Gaye's relationship with his father worsened during his teenage years, as his father would kick him out of the house often. In 1956, 17-year-old Gaye dropped out of high school and enlisted in the United States Air Force as a basic airman. Disappointed in having to perform menial tasks, he faked mental illness and was discharged shortly afterwards. Gaye's sergeant stated that he refused to follow orders. Gaye was issued a "General Discharge" from the service.

Career

Early career

Following his return, Gaye and his good friend Reese Palmer formed the vocal quartet The Marquees. The group performed in the D.C. area and soon began working with Bo Diddley, who assigned the group to Columbia subsidiary OKeh Records after failing to get the group signed to his own label, Chess. The group's sole single, "Wyatt Earp" (co-written by Bo Diddley), failed to chart and the group was soon dropped from the label. Gaye began composing music during this period.

Moonglows co-founder Harvey Fuqua later hired The Marquees as employees. Under Fuqua's direction, the group changed its name to Harvey and the New Moonglows, and relocated to Chicago. The group recorded several sides for Chess in 1959, including the song "Mama Loocie", which was Gaye's first lead vocal recording. The group found work as session singers for established acts such as Chuck Berry, singing on the hits "Back in the U.S.A." and "Almost Grown".

In 1960, the group disbanded. Gaye relocated to Detroit with Fuqua where he signed with Tri-Phi Records as a session musician, playing drums on several Tri-Phi releases. Gaye performed at Motown president Berry Gordy's house during the holiday season in 1960. Impressed by the singer, Gordy sought Fuqua on his contract with Gaye. Fuqua agreed to sell part of his interest in his contract with Gaye. Shortly afterwards, Gaye signed with Motown subsidiary Tamla.

When Gaye signed with Tamla, he pursued a career as a performer of jazz music and standards, having no desire to become an R&B performer. Before the release of his first single, Gaye was teased about his surname, with some jokingly asking, "Is Marvin Gay?" Gaye changed the spelling of his surname by adding an e, in the same way as did Sam Cooke. Author David Ritz wrote that Gaye did this to silence rumors of his sexuality, and to put more distance between himself and his father.

Gaye released his first single, "Let Your Conscience Be Your Guide", in May 1961, with the album The Soulful Moods of Marvin Gaye, following a month later. Gaye's initial recordings failed commercially and he spent most of 1961 performing session work as a drummer for artists such as The Miracles, The Marvelettes and blues artist Jimmy Reed for $5 (US$43 in 2019 dollars) a week. While Gaye took some advice on performing with his eyes open (having been accused of appearing as though he were sleeping), he refused to attend grooming school courses at the John Roberts Powers School for Social Grace in Detroit because of his unwillingness to comply with its orders, something he later regretted.

Initial success

In 1962, Gaye found success as co-writer of the Marvelettes hit, "Beechwood 4-5789". His first solo hit, "Stubborn Kind of Fellow", was later released that September, reaching No. 8 on the R&B chart and No. 46 on the Billboard Hot 100. Gaye reached the top 40 with the dance song, "Hitch Hike", peaking at No. 30 on the Hot 100. "Pride and Joy" became Gaye's first top ten single after its release in 1963.

The three singles and songs from the 1962 sessions were included on Gaye's second album, That Stubborn Kinda Fellow. Starting in October of the year, Gaye performed as part of the Motortown Revue, a series of concert tours headlined at the north and south eastern coasts of the United States as part of the Chitlin' Circuit. A filmed performance of Gaye at the Apollo Theater took place in June 1963. Later that October, Tamla issued the live album, Marvin Gaye Recorded Live on Stage. "Can I Get a Witness" became one of Gaye's early international hits.

In 1964, Gaye recorded a successful duet album with singer Mary Wells titled Together, which reached No. 42 on the pop album chart. The album's two-sided single, including "Once Upon a Time" and 'What's the Matter With You Baby", each reached the top 20. Gaye's next solo hit, "How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved By You)", which Holland-Dozier-Holland wrote for him, reached No. 6 on the Hot 100 and reached the top 50 in the UK. Gaye started getting television exposure around this time, on shows such as American Bandstand. Also in 1964, he appeared in the concert film, The T.A.M.I. Show. Gaye had two number-one R&B singles in 1965 with the Miracles–composed "I'll Be Doggone" and "Ain't That Peculiar". Both songs became million-sellers. After this, Gaye returned to jazz-derived ballads for a tribute album to the recently-deceased Nat "King" Cole.

After scoring a hit duet, "It Takes Two" with Kim Weston, Gaye began working with Tammi Terrell on a series of duets, mostly composed by Ashford & Simpson, including "Ain't No Mountain High Enough", "Your Precious Love", "Ain't Nothing Like the Real Thing" and "You're All I Need to Get By".

In October 1967, Terrell collapsed in Gaye's arms during a performance in Farmville, Virginia. Terrell was subsequently rushed to Farmville's Southside Community Hospital, where doctors discovered she had a malignant tumor in her brain. The diagnosis ended Terrell's career as a live performer, though she continued to record music under careful supervision. Despite the presence of hit singles such as "Ain't Nothing Like the Real Thing" and "You're All I Need to Get By", Terrell's illness caused problems with recording, and led to multiple operations to remove the tumor. Gaye was reportedly devastated by Terrell's sickness and became disillusioned with the record business.

On October 6, 1968, Gaye sang the national anthem during Game 4 of the 1968 World Series, held at Tiger Stadium, in Detroit, Michigan, between the Detroit Tigers and the St. Louis Cardinals.

In late 1968, Gaye's recording of I Heard It Through the Grapevine became Gaye's first to reach No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100. It also reached the top of the charts in other countries, selling over four million copies. However, Gaye felt the success was something he "didn't deserve" and that he "felt like a puppet – Berry's puppet, Anna's puppet...." Gaye followed it up with "Too Busy Thinking About My Baby" and "That's the Way Love Is", which reached the top ten on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1969. That year, his album M.P.G. became his first No. 1 R&B album. Gaye produced and co-wrote two hits for The Originals during this period, including "Baby I'm For Real" and "The Bells".

Tammi Terrell died from brain cancer on March 16, 1970; Gaye attended her funeral and after a period of depression, Gaye sought out a position on a professional football team, the Detroit Lions, where he later befriended Mel Farr and Lem Barney. It was eventually decided that Gaye would not be allowed to try out owing to fears of possible injuries that could have affected his music career.

What's Going On and subsequent success

On June 1, 1970, Gaye returned to Hitsville U.S.A., where he recorded his new composition "What's Going On", inspired by an idea from Renaldo "Obie" Benson of the Four Tops after he witnessed an act of police brutality at an anti-war rally in Berkeley. Upon hearing the song, Berry Gordy refused its release due to his feelings of the song being "too political" for radio. Gaye responded by going on strike from recording until the label released the song. Released in 1971, it reached No. 1 on the R&B charts within a month, staying there for five weeks. It also reached the top spot on Cashbox's pop chart for a week and reached No. 2 on the Hot 100 and the Record World chart, selling over two million copies.

After giving an ultimatum to record a full album to win creative control from Motown, Gaye spent ten days recording the What's Going On album that March. Motown issued the album that May after Gaye remixed portions of the album in Hollywood. The album became Gaye's first million-selling album launching two more top ten singles, "Mercy Mercy Me (The Ecology)" and "Inner City Blues". One of Motown's first autonomous works, its theme and segue flow brought the concept album format to rhythm and blues. An AllMusic writer later cited it as "...the most important and passionate record to come out of soul music, delivered by one of its finest voices." For the album, Gaye received two Grammy Award nominations and several NAACP Image Awards. The album also topped Rolling Stone's year-end list as its album of the year. Billboard magazine named Gaye Trendsetter of the Year following the album's success.

In 1971, Gaye signed a new deal with Motown worth $1 million (US$6,313,065 in 2019 dollars), making it the most lucrative deal by a black recording artist at the time. Gaye first responded to the new contract with the soundtrack and subsequent score, Trouble Man, released in late 1972. Before the release of Trouble Man, Marvin released a single called "You're the Man." The album of the same name was a follow up to What's Going On, but Motown refused to promote the single. Marvin later alleged that he and Gordy clashed over Marvin's political views, and for that reason, he was forced to shelve the album's release and substitute Trouble Man. However, Universal Music Group announced in 2019 that You're the Man would receive an official release. Around this period, he, Anna and Marvin III finally left Detroit and moved to Los Angeles permanently.

In August 1973, Gaye released the Let's Get It On album. Its title track became Gaye's second No. 1 single on the Hot 100. The album subsequently stayed on the charts for two years and sold over four million copies. The album was later hailed as "a record unparalleled in its sheer sensuality and carnal energy." Other singles from the album included "Come Get to This", which recalled Gaye's early Motown soul sound of the previous decade, while the suggestive "You Sure Love to Ball" reached modest success #14 on r&b charts but received tepid promotion due to the song's sexually explicit content.

Marvin's final duet project, Diana & Marvin, with Diana Ross, garnered international success despite contrasting artistic styles. Much of the material was crafted especially for the duo by Ashford and Simpson. Responding to demand from fans and Motown, Gaye started his first tour in four years at the Oakland–Alameda County Coliseum on January 4, 1974. The performance received critical acclaim and resulted in the release of the live album, Marvin Gaye Live! and its single, a live version of Distant Lover, an album track from Let's Get It On.

The tour helped to enhance Gaye's reputation as a live performer. For a time, he was earning $100,000 a night (US$518,421 in 2019 dollars) for performances. Gaye toured throughout 1974 and 1975. A renewed contract with Motown allowed Gaye to build his own custom-made recording studio.

In October 1975, Gaye gave a performance at a UNESCO benefit concert at New York's Radio City Music Hall to support UNESCO's African literacy drive, resulting in him being commended at the United Nations by then-Ambassador to Ghana Shirley Temple Black and Kurt Waldheim. Gaye's next studio album, I Want You, followed in March 1976 with the title track "I Want You" becoming a No. 1 R&B hit. The album would go on to sell over one million copies. That spring, Gaye embarked on his first European tour in a decade, starting off in Belgium. In early 1977, Gaye released the live album, Live at the London Palladium, which sold over two million copies thanks to the success of its studio song, "Got to Give It Up", which became a No. 1 hit.

Last Motown recordings and European exile

In December 1978, Gaye released Here, My Dear, inspired by the fallout from his first marriage to Anna Gordy. Recorded with the intention of remitting a portion of its royalties to her as alimony payments, it performed poorly on the charts. During that period, Gaye's cocaine addiction intensified while he was dealing with several financial issues with the IRS. These issues led him to move to Maui, Hawaii, where he struggled to record a disco album. In 1980, Gaye went on a European tour. By the time the tour stopped, the singer relocated to London when he feared imprisonment for failure to pay back taxes, which had now reached upwards of $4.5 million (US$13,963,449 in 2019 dollars).

Gaye then reworked Love Man from its original disco concept to another personal album invoking religion and the possible end time from a chapter in the Book of Revelation. Titling the album In Our Lifetime?, Gaye worked on the album for much of 1980 in London studios such as Air and Odyssey Studios.

In the fall of that year, someone stole a master tape of a rough draft of the album from one of Gaye's traveling musicians, Frank Blair, taking the master tape to Motown's Hollywood headquarters. Motown remixed the album and released it on January 15, 1981. When Gaye learned of its release, he accused Motown of editing and remixing the album without his consent, allowing the release of an unfinished production (Far Cry), altering the album art of his request and removing the album title's question mark, muting its irony. He also accused the label of rush-releasing the album, comparing his unfinished album to an unfinished Picasso painting. Gaye then vowed not to record any more music for Motown.

On February 14, 1981, under the advice of music promoter Freddy Cousaert, Gaye relocated to Cousaert's apartment in Ostend, Belgium. While there, Gaye shied away from heavy drug use and began exercising and attending a local Ostend church, regaining personal confidence. Following several months of recovery, Gaye sought a comeback onstage, starting the short-lived Heavy Love Affair tour in England and Ostend in June–July 1981. Gaye's personal attorney Curtis Shaw would later describe Gaye's Ostend period as "the best thing that ever happened to Marvin". When word got around that Gaye was planning a musical comeback and an exit from Motown, CBS Urban president Larkin Arnold eventually was able to convince Gaye to sign with CBS. On March 23, 1982, Motown and CBS Records negotiated Gaye's release from Motown. The details of the contract were not revealed due to a possible negative effect on the singer's settlement to creditors from the IRS.

Midnight Love

Assigned to CBS's Columbia subsidiary, Gaye worked on his first post-Motown album titled Midnight Love. The first single, "Sexual Healing" which was written and recorded in Ostend in his apartment, was released on September 30, 1982, and became Gaye's biggest career hit, spending a record ten weeks at No. 1 on the Hot Black Singles chart, becoming the biggest R&B hit of the 1980s according to Billboard stats. The success later translated to the Billboard Hot 100 chart in January 1983 where it peaked at No. 3, while the record reached international success, reaching the top spot in New Zealand and Canada and reaching the top ten on the United Kingdom's OCC singles chart, later selling over two million copies in the U.S. alone, becoming Gaye's most successful single to date. The video for the song was shot at Ostend's Casino-Kursaal.

Sexual Healing won Gaye his first two Grammy Awards including Best Male R&B Vocal Performance, in February 1983, and also won Gaye an American Music Award in the R&B-soul category. People magazine called it "America's hottest musical turn-on since Olivia Newton-John demanded we get Physical." Midnight Love was released to stores a day after the single's release, and was equally successful, peaking at the top ten of the Billboard 200 and becoming Gaye's eighth No. 1 album on the Top Black Albums chart, eventually selling over six million copies worldwide, three million alone in the U.S.

I don't make records for pleasure. I did when I was a younger artist, but I don't today. I record so that I can feed people what they need, what they feel. Hopefully, I record so that I can help someone overcome a bad time.

On February 13, 1983, Gaye sang "The Star-Spangled Banner" at the NBA All-Star Game at The Forum in Inglewood, California—accompanied by Gordon Banks, who played the studio tape from the stands. The following month, Gaye performed at the Motown 25: Yesterday, Today, Forever special. This and a May appearance on Soul Train (his third appearance on the show) became Gaye's final television performances. Gaye embarked on his final concert tour, titled the Sexual Healing Tour, on April 18, 1983, in San Diego. The tour ended on August 14, 1983 at the Pacific Amphitheatre in Costa Mesa, California but was plagued by cocaine-triggered paranoia and illness. Following the concert's end, he moved into his parents' house in Los Angeles. In early 1984, Midnight Love was nominated for a Grammy in the Best Male R&B Vocal Performance category, his 12th and final nomination.

Death

On the afternoon of April 1, 1984, in the family house in the West Adams district of Los Angeles, Gaye intervened in a fight between his parents and became involved in a physical altercation with his father, Marvin Gay Sr. In Gaye's bedroom minutes later, at 12:38 p.m. (PST), Gay Sr. shot Gaye in the heart and then, at point-blank range, his left shoulder. The first shot proved fatal. Gaye was pronounced dead at 1:01 p.m. (PST) after his body arrived at California Hospital Medical Center, one day short of his 45th birthday.

After Gaye's funeral, his body was cremated at Forest Lawn Memorial Park at the Hollywood Hills; his ashes were scattered into the Pacific Ocean. Initially charged with first-degree murder, Gay Sr.'s charges were dropped to voluntary manslaughter following a diagnosis of a brain tumor. Marvin Gay Sr. was later sentenced to a suspended six-year sentence and probation. He died at a nursing home in 1998.

Personal life

Gaye married Berry Gordy's sister, Anna Gordy, in June 1963. The couple separated in 1973, and Anna filed for divorce in November 1975. The couple were officially divorced in 1977. Gaye later married Janis Hunter in October 1977. The couple separated in 1979, and were officially divorced in February 1981.

Gaye was the father of three children, Marvin III (adopted with Anna; Marvin III was the son of Denise Gordy, Anna's niece), and Nona and Frankie, whom he had with his second wife, Janis. At the time of his death, he was survived by his three children, parents, and five siblings.

Musicianship

Equipment

Starting off his musicianship as a drummer doing session work during his tenure with Harvey Fuqua, and his early Motown years, Gaye's musicianship evolved to include pianos, keyboards, synthesizers, organs, bells, and finger cymbals. Gaye also utilized percussion instruments, such as box drums, glockenspiels, vibraphones, bongos, congas, and cabasas. This became evident when he was given creative control in his later years with Motown, to produce his own albums. In addition to his talent as a drummer, Gaye also embraced the TR-808, a drum machine that became prominent in the early 80's, making use of its sounds for production of his Midnight Love album. Despite his vast knowledge of instruments, the piano was his primary instrument when performing on stage, with occasional drumming.

Influences

As a child, Gaye's main influence was his minister father, something he later acknowledged to biographer David Ritz, and also in interviews, often mentioning that his father's sermons greatly impressed him. His first major musical influences were doo-wop groups such as The Moonglows and The Capris. Gaye's Rock & Roll Hall of Fame page lists the Capris' song, "God Only Knows" as "critical to his musical awakening." Of the Capris' song, Gaye said, "It fell from the heavens and hit me between the eyes. So much soul, so much hurt. I related to the story, to the way that no one except the Lord really can read the heart of lonely kids in love." Gaye's main musical influences were Rudy West of The Five Keys, Clyde McPhatter, Ray Charles and Little Willie John. Gaye considered Frank Sinatra a major influence in what he wanted to be. He also was influenced by the vocal styles of Billy Eckstine and Nat King Cole.

Later on as his Motown career developed, Gaye would seek inspiration in fellow label mates such as David Ruffin of The Temptations and Levi Stubbs of the Four Tops as their grittier voices led to Gaye and his producer seeking a similar sound in recordings such as "I Heard It Through the Grapevine" and "That's the Way Love Is". Later in his life, Gaye reflected on the influence of Ruffin and Stubbs stating, "I had heard something in their voices something my own voice lacked". He further explained, "the Tempts and Tops' music made me remember that when a lot of women listen to music, they want to feel the power of a real man."

Vocal style

Gaye had a four-octave vocal range. From his earlier recordings as member of the Marquees and Harvey and the New Moonglows, and in his first several recordings with Motown, Gaye recorded mainly in the baritone and tenor ranges. He changed his tone to a rasp for his gospel-inspired early hits such as "Stubborn Kind of Fellow" and "Hitch Hike". As writer Eddie Holland explained, "He was the only singer I have ever heard known to take a song of that nature, that was so far removed from his natural voice where he liked singing, and do whatever it took to sell that song."

In songs such as "Pride and Joy", Gaye used three different vocal ranges—singing in his baritone range at the beginning, bringing a lighter tenor in the verses before reaching a gospel mode in the chorus. Holland further stated of Gaye's voice that it was "...one of the sweetest and prettiest voices you ever wanted to hear." And while he noted that ballads and jazz was "his basic soul", he stated Gaye "...had the ability to take a roughhouse, rock and roll, blues, R&B, any kind of song and make it his own", later saying that Gaye was the most versatile vocalist he had ever worked with.

Gaye changed his vocal style in the late 1960s, when he was advised to use a sharper, raspy voice—especially in Norman Whitfield's recordings. Gaye initially disliked the new style, considering it out of his range, but said he was "into being produce-able." After listening to David Ruffin and Levi Stubbs, Gaye said he started to develop what he called his "tough man voice"—saying, "I developed a growl." In the liner notes of his DVD set, Marvin Gaye: The Real Thing in Performance 1964–1981, Rob Bowman said that by the early 1970s, Gaye had developed "three distinct voices: his smooth, sweet tenor; a growling rasp; and an unreal falsetto." Bowman further wrote that the recording of the What's Going On single was "...the first single to utilize all three as Marvin developed a radical approach to constructing his recordings by layering a series of contrapuntal background vocal lines on different tracks, each one conceived and sung in isolation by Marvin himself." Bowman found that Gaye's multi-tracking of his tenor voice and other vocal styles "summon[ed] up what might be termed the ancient art of weaving".

Social commentary and concept albums

Prior to recording the What's Going On album, Gaye recorded a cover of the song, "Abraham, Martin & John", which became a UK hit in 1970. Only a handful of artists of various genres had recorded albums that focused on social commentary, including Curtis Mayfield. Despite some politically conscious material recorded by The Temptations in the late 1960s, Motown artists were often told to not delve into political and social commentary, fearing alienation from pop audiences. Early in his career, Gaye was affected by social events such as the 1965 Watts riots and once asked himself, "with the world exploding around me, how am I supposed to keep singing love songs?" When the singer called Gordy in the Bahamas about wanting to do protest music, Gordy cautioned him, "Marvin, don't be ridiculous. That's taking things too far."

Gaye was inspired by the Black Panther Party and supported the efforts they put forth like giving free meals to poor families door to door. However, he did not support the violent tactics the Panthers used to fight oppression, as Gaye's messages in many of his political songs were nonviolent. The lyrics and music of What's Going On discuss and illustrate issues during the 1960s/1970s such as police brutality, drug abuse, environmental issues, anti-war, and black power issues. Gaye was inspired to make this album because of events such as the Vietnam War, the 1967 race riots in Detroit, and the Kent State shootings.

Once Gaye presented Gordy with the What's Going On album, Gordy feared Gaye was risking the ruination of his image as a sex symbol. Following the album's success, Gaye tried a follow-up album that he would label You're the Man. The title track only produced modest success, however, and Gaye and Motown shelved the album. Later on, several of Gaye's unreleased songs of social commentary, including "The World Is Rated X", would be issued on posthumous compilation albums. What's Going On would later be described by an AllMusic writer as an album that "not only redefined soul music as a creative force but also expanded its impact as an agent for social change". You're the Man was finally released on March 29, 2019, through Motown, Universal Music Enterprises, and Universal Music Group.

The What's Going On album also provided another first in both Motown and R&B music: Gaye and his engineers had composed the album in a song cycle, segueing previous songs into other songs giving the album a more cohesive feel as opposed to R&B albums that traditionally included filler tracks to complete the album. This style of music would influence recordings by artists such as Stevie Wonder and Barry White making the concept album format a part of 1970s R&B music. Concept albums are usually based on either one theme or a series of themes in connection to the original thesis of the album's concept. Let's Get It On repeated the suite-form arrangement of What's Going On, as would Gaye's later albums such as I Want You, Here, My Dear and In Our Lifetime.

Although Marvin Gaye was not politically active outside of his music, he became a public figure for social change and inspired/educated many people through his work.

Legacy

Marvin Gaye has been called "the number-one purveyor of soul music". In his book Mercy Mercy Me: The Art, Loves and Demons of Marvin Gaye, Michael Eric Dyson described Gaye as someone "...who transcended the boundaries of rhythm and blues as no other performer had done before." Following his death, The New York Times described Gaye as someone who "blended the soul music of the urban scene with the beat of the old-time gospel singer and became an influential force in pop music". Further in the article, Gaye was also credited with combining "the soulful directness of gospel music, the sweetness of soft-soul and pop, and the vocal musicianship of a jazz singer." His recordings for Motown in the 1960s and 1970s shaped that label's signature sound. His work with Motown gave him the titles Prince of Soul and Prince of Motown. Critics stated that Gaye's music "...signified the development of black music from raw rhythm and blues, through sophisticated soul to the political awareness of the 1970s and increased concentration on personal and sexual politics thereafter." As a Motown artist, Gaye was among the first to break from the reins of its production system, paving the way for Stevie Wonder. Gaye's late 1970s and early 1980s recordings influenced contemporary forms of R&B predating the subgenres quiet storm and neo-soul.

Artists from many genres have covered Gaye's music, including James Taylor, Brian McKnight, Kate Bush, Cyndi Lauper, Chico DeBarge, Michael McDonald, Aretha Franklin, Diana Ross, Aaliyah, Christina Aguilera, Phish, A Perfect Circle, The Strokes and Gil Scott-Heron. Other artists such as D'Angelo, Common, Nas, Erick Sermon, and Maxwell interpolated parts of Gaye's clothing from the singer's mid-1970s period. Gaye's clothing style was later appropriated by Eddie Murphy in his role as James "Thunder" Early in Dreamgirls. According to David Ritz, "Since 1983, Marvin's name has been mentioned—in reverential tones—on no less than seven top-ten hit records." Later performers such as Kanye West and Mary J. Blige sampled Gaye's work for their recordings.

Awards and honors

The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inducted him in 1987, declaring that Gaye "...made a huge contribution to soul music in general and the Motown Sound in particular." The page stated that Gaye "...possessed a classic R&B voice that was edged with grit yet tempered with sweetness." The page further states that Gaye "...projected an air of soulful authority driven by fervid conviction and heartbroken vulnerability." A year after his death, then-mayor of D.C., Marion Barry declared April 2 as "Marvin Gaye Jr. Memorial Scholarship Fund Day" in the city. Since then, a non-profit organization has helped to organize annual Marvin Gaye Day Celebrations in the city of Washington.

A year later, Gaye's mother founded the Marvin P. Gaye Jr. Memorial Foundation in dedication to her son to help those suffering from drug abuse and alcoholism; however she died a day before the memorial was set to open in 1987. Gaye's sister Jeanne once served as the foundation's chairperson. In 1990, Gaye received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. In 1996, Gaye posthumously received the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award. The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame listed three Gaye recordings, "I Heard It Through the Grapevine", "What's Going On" and "Sexual Healing", among its list of the 500 Songs That Shaped Rock and Roll. American music magazine Rolling Stone ranked Gaye No. 18 on their list of the "100 Greatest Artists of All Time", sixth on their list of "100 Greatest Singers of All Time" and number 82 on their list of the "100 Greatest Songwriters of All Time". Q magazine ranked Gaye sixth on their list of the "100 Greatest Singers".

Three of Gaye's albums – What's Going On (1971), Let's Get It On (1973), and Here, My Dear (1978) – were ranked by Rolling Stone on their list of the 500 Greatest Albums of All Time. What's Going On remains his largest-ranked album, reaching No. 6 on the Rolling Stone list and topped the NME list of the Top 100 Albums of All Time in 1985 and was later chosen in 2003 for inclusion by the Library of Congress to its National Recording Registry. In addition, four of his songs – "I Heard It Through the Grapevine", "What's Going On", "Let's Get It On" and "Sexual Healing" – made it on the Rolling Stone list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.

In 2005, Marvin Gaye was voted into the Michigan Rock and Roll Legends Hall of Fame.

In 2006, Watts Branch Park, a park in Washington that Gaye frequented as a teenager, was renamed Marvin Gaye Park. Three years later, the 5200 block of Foote Street NE in Deanwood, Washington, D.C., was renamed Marvin Gaye Way. In August 2014, Gaye was inducted to the official Rhythm and Blues Music Hall of Fame in its second class. In October 2015, the Songwriters Hall of Fame announced Gaye as a nominee for induction to the Hall's 2016 class after posthumous nominations were included. Gaye was named as a posthumous inductee to that hall on March 2, 2016. Gaye was subsequently inducted to the Songwriters Hall on June 9, 2016. In July 2018, a bill by California politician Karen Bass to rename a post office in South Los Angeles after Gaye was signed into law by President Donald Trump.

In popular culture

His 1983 NBA All-Star performance of the national anthem was used in a Nike commercial featuring the 2008 U.S. Olympic basketball team. Also, on CBS Sports' final NBA telecast to date (before the contract moved to NBC) at the conclusion of Game 5 of the 1990 Finals, they used Gaye's 1983 All-Star Game performance over the closing credits. When VH1 launched on January 1, 1985, Gaye's 1983 rendition of the national anthem was the very first video they aired. In 2010, it was used in the intro to Ken Burns' Tenth Inning documentary on the game of baseball.

"I Heard It Through the Grapevine" was played in a Levi's ad in 1985. The result of the commercial's success led to the original song finding renewed success in Europe after Tamla-Motown re-released it in the United Kingdom, Germany and the Netherlands. In 1986, the song was covered by Buddy Miles as part of a California Raisins ad campaign. The song was later used for chewing gum commercials in Finland and to promote a brand of Lucky Strike cigarettes in Germany.

Gaye's music has also been used in numerous film soundtracks including Four Brothers and Captain America: The Winter Soldier, both of which featured Gaye's music from his Trouble Man soundtrack. "I Heard It Through the Grapevine" was used in the opening credits of the film, The Big Chill.

In 2007, his song "A Funky Space Reincarnation" was used in the Charlize Theron–starred ad for Dior J'Adore perfume. A documentary about Gaye—What's Going On: The Marvin Gaye Story—was a UK/PBS co-production, directed by Jeremy Marre and was first broadcast in 2006. Two years later, the special re-aired with a different production and newer interviews after it was re-broadcast as an American Masters special. Another documentary, focusing on his 1981 documentary, Transit Ostend, titled Remember Marvin, aired in 2006.

Earnings

In 2008, Gaye's estate earned $3.5 million (US$4,156,182 in 2019 dollars). As a result, Gaye took 13th place in "Top-Earning Dead Celebrities" in Forbes magazine.

On March 11, 2015, Gaye's family was awarded $7.4 million in damages following a decision by an eight-member jury in Los Angeles that Robin Thicke and Pharrell Williams had breached copyright by incorporating part of Gaye's song "Got to Give It Up" into their hit "Blurred Lines". In January 2016, the Gaye family requested a California judge give $2.66 million in attorneys' fees and $777,000 in legal expenses.

Gaye's estate is currently managed by Geffen Management Group and his legacy is protected through Creative Rights Group, both founded by talent manager Jeremy Geffen.

Attempted biopics

There have been several attempts to adapt Gaye's life story into a feature film. In February 2006, it was reported that Jesse L. Martin was to portray Gaye in a biopic titled Sexual Healing, named after Gaye's 1982 song of the same name. The film was to have been directed by Lauren Goodman and produced by James Gandolfini and Alexandra Ryan. The film was to depict the final three years of Gaye's life. Years later, other producers such as Jean-Luc Van Damme, Frederick Bestall and Jimmy De Brabant, came aboard and Goodman was replaced by Julien Temple. Lenny Kravitz was almost slated to playing Gaye. The script was to be written by Matthew Broughton. The film was to have been distributed by Focus Features and released on April 1, 2014, the thirtieth anniversary of Gaye's death. This never came to fruition and it was announced that Focus Features no longer has involvement with the Gaye biopic as of June 2013.

In June 2008, it was announced that F. Gary Gray was going to direct a biopic titled Marvin. The script was to be written by C. Gaby Mitchell and the film was to be produced by David Foster and Duncan McGillivray and co-produced by Ryan Heppe. According to Gray, the film would cover Gaye's entire life, from his emergence at Motown through his defiance of Berry Gordy to record What's Going On and on up to his death.

Cameron Crowe had also been working on a biopic titled My Name Is Marvin. The film was to have been a Sony presentation with Scott Rudin as producer. Both Will Smith and Terrence Howard were considered for the role of Gaye. Crowe later confirmed in August 2011 that he abandoned the project: "We were working on the Marvin Gaye movie which is called My Name is Marvin, but the time just wasn't right for that movie."

Members of Gaye's family, such as his ex-wife Janis and his son Marvin III, have expressed opposition to a biopic.

On December 9, 2015, Roger Friedman spoke of a biopic to be directed by F. Gary Gray that was approved by Berry Gordy and Suzanne de Passe as well as Gaye's family, following the success of Gray's Straight Outta Compton biopic based on the hip-hop act N.W.A.

In July 2016, it was announced that a feature film documentary on Gaye would be released the following year delving into the life of the musician and the making of his 1971 album, What's Going On. The film would be developed by Noah Media Group and Greenlight and is quoted to be "the defining portrait of this visionary artist and his impeccable album" by the film's producers Gabriel Clarke and Torquil Jones. The film will include "unseen footage" of the singer. Gaye's family approved of the documentary. In November 2016, it was announced that actor Jamie Foxx was billed to produce a limited biopic series on the singer's life. The series was approved by Gaye's family, including son Marvin III, who will serve as executive producer, and Berry Gordy, Jr..

On June 18, 2018, it was reported that American rapper Dr. Dre was in talks to produce a biopic about the singer.

Tributes

Acting

Gaye acted in two movies, both having to do with Vietnam veterans. One was in 1969 in the George McCowan-directed film, The Ballad of Andy Crocker which starred Lee Majors. The film was about a war veteran returning to find that his expectations have not been met and he feels betrayed. Gaye had a prominent role in the film as David Owens. The other was in 1971. He had a role in the Lee Frost-directed biker-exploitation film, Chrome and Hot Leather, a film about a group of Vietnam veterans taking on a bike gang. The film starred William Smith and Gaye played the part of Jim, one of the veterans. Gaye did have acting aspirations and had signed with the William Morris Agency but that only lasted a year as Gaye wasn't satisfied with the support he was getting from the agency.

Discography

Studio albums

The Soulful Moods of Marvin Gaye (1961)

That Stubborn Kinda Fellow (1963)

When I'm Alone I Cry (1964)

Hello Broadway (1964)

How Sweet It Is to Be Loved by You (1965)

A Tribute to the Great Nat "King" Cole (1965)

Moods of Marvin Gaye (1966)

I Heard It Through the Grapevine (1968)

M.P.G. (1969)

That's the Way Love Is (1970)

What's Going On (1971)

Trouble Man (1972)

Let's Get It On (1973)

I Want You (1976)

Here, My Dear (1978)

In Our Lifetime (1981)

Midnight Love (1982)

Collaborative albums

Together (with Mary Wells) (1964)

Take Two (with Kim Weston) (1966)

United (with Tammi Terrell) (1967)

You're All I Need (with Tammi Terrell) (1968)

Easy (with Tammi Terrell) (1969)

Diana & Marvin (with Diana Ross) (1973)

Filmography

1965: T.A.M.I. Show (documentary)

1969: The Ballad of Andy Crocker (television movie)

1971: Chrome and Hot Leather (television movie)

1973: Save the Children (documentary)

Videography

Marvin Gaye: Live in Montreux 1980 (2003)

The Real Thing: In Performance (1964–1981) (2006)

[j-itose]

A Turning Point - BGR Fest 2020 Concert Review

March 6, 2020

Friday evening was a night well lived. I went with my mother and my cousin to go see Lauryn Hill in concert at the Kennedy Center in Washington DC. It was quite the spontaneous decision by my mother, but we all went along with it because legends like Lauryn don’t come around every lifetime let alone to your area 20 years after their “prime”. So, we decided to break the monotony of our weekend rituals and make it a girl's night. I had no idea that coming to this concert that I would leave feeling so stirred in my spirit, so filled with conviction to pursue passion and purpose, and in the same breath boldly claim every note, inflection, melody, and tempo of my life story. Watching both Alice Smith and Ms. Legendary Hill I saw black womanhood in its organic most blossomed form.

Ms. Smith sang every single song with such compelling velvety vocal range it called every goosebump forward. Her sharp yet soothing falsettos and moody full base notes sweetly communicated the honesty behind her soul-bearing lyrics. Smith and her harmonious band had delivered a sound I didn’t know I was longing to hear again. The artistry and musicianship displayed in her set, made my heart swell with gladness, reminiscing on a time in my life when all I could imagine was a life consumed by creating and vocalizing music. Listening to her made me remember that I once had dreams; dreams I abandoned out fear and doubt. Looking towards that at that stage and gazing upon Alice Smith’s elegantly clothed in a black ruffled gown that seemed to declare her black pride louder than some of us have the confidence to do daily, all I saw was a strong black woman embracing the fullness of her artistry. Reveling in every single piece of emotion embedded in the song’s composition, unbothered by the audience’s perceptions she was her own audience, her own champion, her own woman – She took up space according to her desired comfort.

It was in these moments that I was randomly confronted with such a heavy reflective question – “who told you that you were incapable of being the girl you dreamed of becoming?”. Stunned by the weight of this question amid this gripping performance I glanced down at my hands ashamed…slowly coming to the realization that for years now I had subconsciously been accepting ceilings. I wasn't able to say where or when it started but sitting there in that illustrious theater listening to melodies of R&B it dawned on me; my love for music and performing arts had been oppressed and masked by the whispers of other’s doubts and expectations. I’ve been putting caps and limitations on myself based on boxes and ceiling others have created to keep black girls like me in a specific place. To think that I sacrificed performing arts, my most cherished way of articulating my human experience, for the status quo is saddening. But when I looked back up at the center stage, eyes fixed on Alice Smith…I saw the effortless elegance in her stride. The fluidity - freedom of sorts in her movements and posture as she sang. It was as if each note resonated with her entire body flowing through her like melodic vessels, I was charged with confidence. Viewing her performance, the little black girl inside of me felt welcomed to dream again…and to do so with unapologetic force.

Passion and well-crafted artistry materialized through Alice Smith’s entire set; perfectly lacing her performance with the next experience. Foretelling the enchanting momentum that is Lauryn Hill.

The most dynamic artist of my lifetime, with one of the greatest most potent and impactful albums in this history of R&B, Soul, Rap & Hip-hop sauntered onto the stage in a mauve sequenced suit and boldness to match. As people’s cameras went up and cheers roared in the theater, Ms. Lauryn Hill gracefully stepped up to the mic and greeted the elated people of DC. I’m not sure if I was in such disbelief that I was getting this opportunity to see her in concert or something else but hearing her just talk unleashed fireworks in my vocal cords. She was real. Her distinguished and down to earth tone that consoled me to sleep on many bad days and emboldened me to face life with power other days was no longer a mere recording but an actual reality. Starstruck was an understatement.

Too excited to begin this musical journey, I immediately tried to identify what song she was performing first so that I could sing along. Her band immediately played with fervor, not waiting a moment to set the tone for the evening. Although I heard familiar lyrics instantaneously, I, unfortunately, couldn’t catch the beat enough to vocally interact because she had virtually recomposed all the melodies to her hit songs. She revamped the miseducation of Lauryn hill. What we all heard that night were reinterpreted versions of songs we’ve all grown to love for the past 20+ years. The audience was visibly disappointed the sound had evolved into unfamiliar musical territory.

However, despite my subtle personal disappointment as well, I was drawn back into excitement seeing the authenticity that still heavily encompassed her music. Between the raw gritty rasp in her voice, the gospel-like runs, and the directive conductor signals she gave her band, Lauryn Hill the multi-faceted artist was more than present tonight. She refused to be merely a gimmick on stage singing songs of her past. Tonight we got to see her actively reinventing herself as an artist, while in the same token allowing herself to revisit the soul behind her old lyrics and singing them from a new place - from a place of healing, maturity, and wisdom – The same classic elements that refine us and make Black Girls Rock. Rocks that stand the test of adversity, that lay the foundation for new realities to be built, and that allow younger generations to stand firm and be supported.  Today, seeing Lauryn perform and incorporate modern musical influences into her 98’ album hits was not just a personal achievement, but I feel a victory for the culture. Lauryn Hill is proof that when a black woman steps whole-heartedly into her purpose and passion she declares freedom for herself that causes a positive impact for generations to come.

Lauryn Hill and Alice Smith completely embodied black girl magic in that concert hall. The inspiration they imparted on the women, ladies, and girls is a gift that must be acknowledged. It was a blessing to be in the company of powerful black women, and I’m extremely grateful for the founder and CEO Beverly Bond who paves the way for us daily to have platforms like Black Girls Rock Fest. Thank you for all that you all have done.

Happy Women’s History Month!

J. Itosé

[whyctt-blog]

[ jung yoonoh, cis male, he/him, twenty-four ] KING CITY by SWIM DEEP? whenever i hear that song, it reminds me of WOOJIN “WYATT” HWAN. maybe because they’re RESOLUTE but also EGOCENTRIC. they’ve been living at mulberry apartments since MARCH of 2015 in APARTMENT 213 and have 1 ROOMMATE.

Hi friends. I’m Hazel, I’m twenty-four, and I go by they/them pronouns. I was in Soundscape a loooong time ago and I’m stoked to be back for this reincarnation! I write too much, ramble too much, and just generally am too much. Hitting me up through dis/cord is probably the easiest way to plot and chat; you can find me in the GC if you’re involved in it!

Background

Wyatt was born in Spain. Madrid, to be exact; a city that his parents had immigrated to ten years before he was even a thought in their minds. They left behind family and friends in favor of starting a new life, a job opportunity presented to his mother — a renowned curator who is now known world-wide in the art community for her prowess in her field — having been the thing that prompted the relocation in the first place. They settled into their new country, taking time to learn the language fluently, and building a home and life for them and their future children. A more permanent one than what they had already made back in Incheon.

His father works as an architect and was able to find a job in his field relatively easily following the initial transition. The work both of his parents have put into getting to where they are is something that Wyatt has always admired, and something he took inspiration from growing up, cultivating his own work ethic despite his oft times unruly nature beneath it all.

Growing up, Wyatt’s interests were fleeting. To describe him as ‘fickle’ may not be entire accurate, but he came close to it nonetheless. He would fixate on one thing for a certain period of time, and then he would move on to the next, constantly looking, looking, and looking for that one passion. Perhaps in a way he was attempting to emulate his parents in this as well, and the idealized version of his own path in his head involved an absolute certainty that it took him some years to find.

When he was around his early teens, he finally began to learn a thing or two about himself. He’d always been exposed to a lot of different forms of art, from both the forms his parents practiced, and the ones that they took the time to teach him as well. He took violin lessons from the time he was old enough to, and he went to plays, attended events at art galleries, and even would sit with his dad while he would draw up plans for his next big project. It was none of these things, however, that spoke to him the way that the performing arts did.

Music and dance was what finally captivated him. Asking his parents to get him dance lessons wasn’t something he hesitated to do, and neither did they hesitate in giving that to him (under the condition that he kept up with his schooling, of course). Once he started, he didn’t stop. Vocal training came next, though he was perhaps a bit more challenged in that category; still, he pushed himself, and he worked hard, and he knew he was going to get somewhere. Everyone knew that he was going to get somewhere. At least everyone that knew him well enough to understand his drive, his determination.

Getting involved with the theater in his school was simple enough. He did a lot of stage managing as well as acting, singing, anything that he possibly could do in order to be as involved as possible. It was incredible, and it made him so happy just to be there. He performed in talent shows, at local coffee shops, for anybody who would listen, busking in the streets.

When he was fifteen, all of that changed.

It was January, and it was cold at the ski resort his family went to each and every year, a sort of traditional holiday for them that had begun before Wyatt was even old enough to remember. He stuck to skiing, mostly, and he was fairly good at it, albeit he certainly could’ve used some improvement. Unfortunately, that opportunity never came. There was an accident when he was navigating one of the trails, and he ended up damaging his right knee rather severely as a result of it.

Several surgeries later, and there was no way Wyatt was ever going to dance like he used to. He’s walked with a limp ever since, and he will live with chronic pain in that knee for the rest of his life. On his particularly bad days, he often walks with a cane.

Times were dark for a while. He slipped into a really bad head-space, his motivation and his previous ambition having been drained out of him in his misery at no longer being able to do what he loves. There seemed to always be a rain cloud hanging over his head.

It was at age sixteen that his parents decided to move again. His mother had been offered yet another job, something that paid a little more, and that offered their family a new setting. It was her thought that perhaps her son would do better in a new city, would find something fresh to pull his focus, to reignite his passion. His father agreed, and so they went. Baltimore is a beautiful place full of life, full of opportunities. Sadly, a move didn’t fix everything. At first, it didn’t fix anything at all.

Part of Wyatt was angry that he had to leave his friends behind, that he had to leave everything behind; part of him was almost relieved. Most of him was still stuck in that murky place of indifference, of perpetual irritation at everyone and everything. He became a bit reclusive when they first arrived, staying in the house for weeks aside from going to school, and then months.

Light drug mentions/alcohol mentions TW.

Then things changed. Again. It was almost like he had flipped a switch, going from hiding himself, to never wanting to be at home. His parents became worried when he started staying out late, going to parties that the new crowd he’d managed to integrate himself into at his high school invited him to, and using substances he very much should not have been using. Mostly it was alcohol, which wasn’t as bad as the other, but was still not good either. H e got lost in it, and he got lost in his own head in a different way than he had been before, but still just as dangerously.

A wake-up call wasn’t something that necessarily happened. Healing is a gradual process. Understanding one’s own pain is a gradual process. When it hit him, it wasn’t an all-at-once thing, but a thing that had been creeping up at him for a long time. He was eighteen and he was graduating, and he was desperate. So desperate tohave something, to not feel so fucking lost.

It was that year that his mother had another baby. They had been trying for a long time, and with the help of a fertility specialist, they finally managed. Wyatt had a little sister.

To this day, he’d attribute his own introspection and inevitable growth to thoughts of her, and to the desire to be a good example for her, an older brother that could take care of her and give her everything that she needs. Of course, he’d already begun taking those steps even if he didn’t give himself credit for it; it’s easier for him to reconcile it with doing it for somebody else, somebody far more precious than he is in his opinion.

When he first signed up for university, he had no idea what he was going to do. He took classes in the arts and the humanities, doing what interested him without much of a direction otherwise. His management skills began to develop once again through becoming involved in his university’s theater program, where he helped pull the productions together in any form possible. It was bittersweet, getting back into it, but it also fanned the embers inside of him into the smallest of flames. It was a step. A hard-earned, painful step, but a step nonetheless.

Realizing what he wanted to do only came through the help of friends and family. They bounced ideas back and forth, tackled his insecurities and his objections, and eventually he saw it. Saw what he wanted, and maybe even what he needed. The skills he’d accumulated over the years and the fact he still desperately wanted to be involved in the entertainment industry lead him, and through a lot of failures and a series of small, small movements, he started to make it.

Building a career from the ground up, particularly in music and in film, is the most difficult thing he’s ever done. He stumbles a lot, and he’s not exactly in the position he wants to be in, even two years out of school. He’s stuck as a low level personal assistant at an entertainment firm that isn’t exactly in the top twenty of all time, that’s for sure, and his boss leaves a lot to be desired. She runs him ragged, and still manages to find a way to pick at his failures and insecurities at the end of the day. Still, it seems to not just be his best shot, but his only one. 

“Quick” Facts

Twenty-four year old Virgo born on September tenth, 1994.

Born and raised in Madrid, Spain, and grew up in a bi-lingual household. He learned a third language, beginning just before their move to America, and continuing on through the first few months of being there. Wyatt knows Spanish, Korean, and English.

Mostly dresses to impress, favoring formal wear for his job more often than not. He wears dark colors, neutrals, mostly blacks and grays. He feels like outward appearances are important, particularly in the field that he works in.

Uses a cane semi-regularly, depending on how his knee is feeling on any given day.

Has a quick wit and a biting sense of humor, and isn’t afraid to speak his mind when he feels that it’s needed. That being said, he shows restraint when his input is not needed, and even if he struggles with it sometimes, he tries to be aware of when it’s time to shut the whole fuck up (emphasis on ‘tries’).

Adores his family, and in particular his younger sister, who is around six years old now. She’s pretty much his world, and he would do anything for any of them, including his extended family back in his parents’ home city of Incheon, South Korea. They return there for a holiday every year, funded by his parents. Their former tradition of going to a ski resort yearly was abandoned following Wyatt’s injury.

Bisexual and has known so since he was young. He doesn’t particularly feel the need to share this with anybody, but neither does he hide it, with the exception of when it comes to his extended family. His mindset is more along the lines of ‘it’s, like, nobody’s fucking business’.

Despite his disillusionment about the world — or the appearance of it, at any rate — he still spends far too much time in dreams. There’s a lot of idealism hidden beneath that cynical outer shell, and it shows in ways that are subtle, but consistently present.

Doesn’t share information about his personal life or feelings very readily, and has a sort of persona that he adapts to whenever he is around strangers. Most would call it being ‘polite’, but for him, it’s a bit different from that. He’s a touch fake at times. At least he knows it.

A serial monogamist. He dates people and then drops them like there’s no tomorrow, and hasn’t had but one relationship that has lasted longer than six months.

Judgmental, to a degree, though he doesn’t mean to be.

His parents give him a monthly allowance to help with expenses, as well as anything else he might need. He wasn’t precisely spoiled growing up, but ever since that fateful ski trip, they’ve become not only more lenient with him, but downright too lenient. He accepts it because his job simply doesn’t pay well, and he’s reckless with it, choosing to blow it on things that aren’t necessary --- and other people.

Lol pls give me attention!

[chicagoindiecritics]

New from Every Movie Has a Lesson by Don Shanahan: MOVIE REVIEW: Marriage Story

(Image courtesy of Netflix via EPK.tv)

Special Presentation of the 55th Chicago International Film Festival

MARRIAGE STORY— 5 STARS

There is an old adage used by married people, kind of passive-aggressive burn really, that says “you can’t tie your shoes without me.” In a pithy way, the saying speaks to the symbiotic relationship between the partners for even the smallest things. While it may not always come down to shoelaces, there is a given and even understood level of dependency in marriage. That is until such dependency becomes harmful. In one of the finest films ever on the matter of divorce, Noah Baumbach’s Marriage Story challenges the breakdowns of resiliency and vulnerability that push this painful process.

A kinetic seven-minute montage opens the film to prove there is love in the hearts of Nicole and Charlie Barber, played by Scarlett Johansson and Adam Driver. In lively voiceover, each actor takes a turn explaining traits they love about their spouse while sequences play matching visual examples from their history. Backed by a pair of linked musical motifs, a french horn for him and a piano for her, the two have wonderful things to say about each other and the way they parent their son Henry (newcomer Azhy Robertson). It is a rapturous piece of economical filmmaking and instant engagement showcasing the artistry merging with the authenticity.

All that affinity ends when the opening gives way to the present jaded state Charlie and Nicole find themselves in with their scribbled personalized lists fulfilling an assignment for their counseling mediator (Robert Smigel). We got to hear and see the parade of compliments, but, sadly, the real recipient will not. This contentious meeting, its uncomfortable communication, and the gut-punching exit outburst are the first of many swings between wishful hope and pensive despondency involving the married theater director and his actress muse. When Nicole and Charlie are away from each other, they’re open but broken. When they’re together, affection is forced, muted, or worse.

LESSON #1: THE BALANCE OF DEPENDENCY IN A MARRIAGE — Calling back to the notion of dependency, the key is the balance between comfort and control. No matter big or small, what aspect of life and its purpose are being entrusted matters, as well as by whom and for whom this reliance is happening. Synergistic comfort equals compromise. Suffocating control equals dissension. Too much of the latter is happening with the Barbers.

LESSON #2: THE NEED FOR PERSONAL FULFILLMENT — Nicole is the instigator of this excising life decision and her goal is personal fulfillment. In her eyes, she got “smaller” with Charlie, who was unsupportive of her wants, becoming more of an extension of him than a person for herself. She wanted something of her own and not a temporary pipe dream. There is an important distinction made in Marriage Story between being alone and being alive that plays out in many inspiring ways for both former lovers.

Nicole has departed New York with Henry to return to her native Los Angeles to live with her spastic mother (Julie Hagerty) while Charlie’s latest avante garde play has been promoted to Broadway. This return home for Nicole to take a shot at a TV pilot represents the woman seeing freeing catharsis to do something personal and professional for herself after years taking the stage for her husband. The courting and hiring L.A. lawyers between the two ends Charlie’s selfish optimism of completing this separation without the burden of financial and custodial combat. The wish was to stay friends, or at the very least parents for their distant son, without putting the kid into the crossfire with words and misunderstandings used against each other.

LESSON #3: LEGAL DIVORCE IS A HORRIBLE PROCESS — The is an enormous valley between the “ugly” and “amicable” adjective labels for divorce. A trio of lawyers in this movie humanize this maddening, expensive, sad, and embarrassing process in very distinct ways. Laura Dern is the privileged seller of vindictive success with a smile to Nicole. On the other wide Charlie has a choice between a slimy Ray Liotta as the brutal earth scorcher or the soothing Alan Alda (acting like a champ through Parkinson’s Disease) and his blunt sympathy and pathos. All the legal routes suck, so watch as the absurdity that rewards bad behavior when negotiations sour and the counter-offensives go too far.

Marriage Story is a fountainhead of creative brilliance behind the camera. You have likely read about little focused pieces of the artistic ingredients throughout this review. Oscar-nominated The Favourite cinematographer Robbie Ryan captures the faces and places where forlorning meets fizzles of frolic. The deft editing of Jennifer Lame (Hereditary, Manchester by the Sea) expertly measures both the quick shifts of tone in the conversational activity with the smooth passage of time to cover this year of tumultuous and wearisome change. All the while, the wealth of the film’s warmth and compassion comes from the music of two-time Toy Story winner Randy Newman, a most unexpected source until you remember his non-Pixar routes.

Other films on this topic would wallow constantly in over-obvious dark gloom, complete with cliched rain in some key scene. Not a drop of that unsophistication is present in the mostly California-set Marriage Story. Even the worst moments carry a shimmer of hopeful sunlight and releasing level of healing to follow all the hurt. It’s a compliment to those production choices for that tone to succeed. The actors follow suit with their own proper showcase.

The striking central performances from Scarlett Johansson and Adam Driver will floor you. You can measure their commitment to the material by creating convincing highs and equally compelling lows. Watch where her tears come out and when. Do the same with him. Echo that with when they let loose with anger. So often, especially in one especially heavy climactic confrontation, the camera gets closer towards each of them the worse their words get. Explosion pushes the observatory eye back out to exhale only to know that intimacy is forever gone. Marvel at how shattered bonds can be built and then destroyed by these two in the same scenes. It’s high time the Academy recognize that as well.

The most persuasive force of Marriage Story is Noah Baumbach. In a day and age where improvisation chips muddies good material, the majority of even the longest monologues in Marriage Story are completed scripted to the letter. For 136 breathtaking minutes, he works to shatter us, reform us, and then repeat that crushing cycle again and again until his two characters come out better. The prolific indie filmmaker researched the legal sides and pulled from his own divorce experience, as well as those of many peers. By going personal in telling something sobering and straight, Baumbach found an avenue that subdued his peculiar and capricious tendencies without sacrificing his strength of wit. Most always, the best results come from such passion projects. This may very well go down someday as Baumbach’s masterpiece when his career is all said and done.

LESSON #4: WHAT WOULD YOU DO? — It is impossible to watch this movie and not have it be a barometer check towards your own relationship status and integrity. Regardless how much yearning desire floats every now and then in Marriage Story, this trauma recovery. Normally in movies like this, we see the indiscretion itself, then the collapse, ink hitting paper, and maybe a gavel banging for a suspenseful decision. Few films go in between and beyond those decision points to show the fractured orbits and restarts of continuing life with heart and honesty. There is blame to be shared, but you feel for both leads and wonder about yourself externally. That is a substantially powerful effect of this film.

LOGO DESIGNED BY MEENTS ILLUSTRATED (#842)

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[adastraradionews]

HutchCF announces Fund for Hutchinson grants

The Hutchinson Community Foundation announced award of 209 thousand dollars in grants from the Fund for Hutchinson this morning. The Fund for Hutchinson was establshed by HutchCF's founding board of directors in 1990 as a permanent resource for changing needs of Reno County, and since it's inception 3.7 million dollars in grants have been awarded to more than 170 area organizations. The grants were awarded in the areas of Arts and Culture, Civic Improvement, Health and Human Services, and Early Childhood and Youth Development.

These grants were awarded

Arts & Culture – $25,997

Family Community Theatre, $10,000 – Lift the Flag: Upgrade and remodel the Flag Theatre lobby, making the theater more pleasant and inviting for community members, whether participating as part of the cast and crew or attending performances for personal enjoyment. Funding will also cover the installation of a restroom in the men’s dressing room.

Family Community Theatre, $1,475 – Strategic Planning: Support for a facilitator to lead a strategic-planning retreat for the board of directors and develop a draft of a strategic plan. (Made from the Fund for Hutchinson – Community Leadership.

Hutchinson Symphony Association, $5,522 – Our Message is in the Music: Celebrate America’s positive spirit through an entire series of concerts and community collaborations featuring the different periods and genres of American music. Collaborations with Stage 9, Hutchinson Community College’s Badinage, Fox Theatre performers Sons of Serendip, and area high schools are among the highlights of the series. 

Hutchinson Theatre Guild (Stage 9), $9,000 – The Foundry: Provide students ages 12 to 18 an opportunity to produce and perform an original work of theater. Over the course of two weeks, middle-school students will work alongside high school mentors and adult instructors developing skills in all aspects of a theatrical production. Stage 9 will collaborate with the Hutchinson High School drama instructor and Hutchinson Middle School vocal music instructor for this theater lab.

Civic Improvement – $54,621    

Cosmosphere, $10,000 – Accessible Low Ropes Course: Transform a vacant lot at 11th Avenue and Ford Street in Hutchinson into a low ropes course that can serve people of all ages and abilities as they experience team building, develop leadership and problem-solving skills, and gain personal confidence. The Cosmosphere will partner with Disability Supports of the Great Plains on this project that will benefit not only the organizations’ camp programs and clients but also be available to the neighborhood and entire Reno County community.

Haven Gathering Place, $14,621 – Haven Gathering Place: Promote social and emotional health by creating a safe place where community members can connect with each other and learn about local resources. Funds will allow construction of an ADA-compliant restroom in the downtown Haven building being renovated for this project, which is a collaboration among Haven High School, Haven Chamber of Commerce and the city of Haven.

Hutch Rec, $15,000 x 3 years – Neighborhood Development: Final year of a three-year grant to support collaborative work with residents and community partners, including the city of Hutchinson and the Hutchinson/Reno County Chamber of Commerce, on innovative neighborhood development strategies with the overarching goal of ensuring Hutchinson has safe neighborhoods and is an attractive place to live, work, play and raise an active family.

Interfaith Housing and Community Services, $15,000 – A Server to Continue Serving: Replace the organization’s outdated 2008 server with a new server that will provide the capacity and longevity necessary for continued operations. An updated server will ensure clients’ access to the phone system, computerized application processes, program information and payment services will be uninterrupted and that the organization’s staff can provide the effective service the clients deserve.

Health & Human Services – $37,335

BrightHouse, Inc., $15,000 – From Adequate to Exemplary: Updating the BrightHouse Child Visitation and Exchange Center: Increase BrightHouse’s capacity to provide high quality supervised child visitation and monitored exchange services by investing in technological and environmental upgrades, including visitation management software and furniture that will help create a more comfortable and welcoming experience for the children and families served.

Circles of Hope Reno County, $13,995 x 3 years – Bridge Funding for New Circles Director Position: First year of a three-year grant to create a part-time director position that will provide focus, structure and supervision for the program’s staff and volunteers. Having a director in place will also increase Circle’s capacity to recruit volunteers and develop and carry out fundraising efforts in order to sustain the initiative and grow its impact.

Poverty Collaborative Task Force, $2,500 – Capacity Building: Group coaching to strengthen collaborative relationships among people, churches, and organizations concerned about poverty, as well as costs associated with convening partners to better understand the emergency referral system and consider potential interventions for increased efficiency and empathy. (Made from the Fund for Hutchinson – Community Leadership)

Resilience Reno County, $5,840 x 3 years – Resilience Reno County 3.0: First year of a three-year grant for an AmeriCorps Volunteers In Service to America (VISTA) position to strengthen this collaborative effort to equip community members and organizations with resources on healing from Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs). Ultimately, Resilience Reno County aims to create a trauma-informed community that is more empathetic and able to connect individuals and families who have experienced trauma to organizations offering supportive relationships and resilience-building tools. Partial match by the Davis Foundation.

Early Childhood & Youth Development – $45,396

Big Brothers Big Sisters of Reno County, $2,500 – Diversity and Inclusion for All: Support a marketing and media campaign, along with after-hours events, Lunch and Learns, and Coffee and Conversation opportunities designed to recruit a diverse population of professional and retired community members throughout Reno County to serve as adult mentors for youth who are a minority or who identify as LGBTQ.

Big Brothers Big Sisters of Reno County, $1,700 – Catching up with Technology: Update aging office equipment with the purchase of two new laptops, which will allow the organization to be more efficient when serving clients and volunteers.

Boys & Girls Clubs of Hutchinson, Inc., $12,000 x 3 years – Hawk Huddle: Final year of a three-year grant for an after-school program providing seventh- and eighth-grade students at Hutchinson Middle School with homework help and opportunities to become involved in school events, allowing for continuous academic assistance while a sustainable funding source is built.

Circles of Hope Reno County, $3,696 x 2 years – Hutchinson High School Project-Building Capacity of Youth Who Are Living in Poverty: Final year of a two-year grant to increase the resilience of Hutchinson High School students from unstable homes by building their capacity to stabilize their lives and create their future stories.

Girls on the Run Heart of Kansas, $7,500 over 3 years – Program Expansion to New Sites & New Program Scholarships: Second year of a three-year grant to ensure that girls who would not typically have access to quality youth programming have the opportunity to participate in Girls on the Run (third- through fifth-graders) or Heart & Sole (sixth- through eighth-graders) programs that inspire girls to be joyful, healthy and confident through experienced-based curriculum that creatively integrates running.

Hutchinson/Reno County Chamber of Commerce, $4,000 – Youth Entrepreneur Event: Host an event for Reno County high school students who are involved in entrepreneurship and journalism programs with the goal of providing practical experience in business and entrepreneurship, creating awareness of the opportunities available in Reno County, and providing tools and inspiring confidence to go after those opportunities. Annual Meeting speaker and editor-in-chief of Entrepreneur Magazine Jason Feifer will share experiences and knowledge with students during the event in February.

Hutchinson Public Schools, $4,000 – Expanding the IB Career-Related Programme: Provide support for scholarships and some of the necessary materials for the International Baccalaureate (IB) Career-Related Programme at Hutchinson High School, making rigorous college-preparatory courses more accessible and ensuring more students are college- and career-ready upon graduation. Matched by the Davis Foundation.

Kansas Children’s Service League, $5,000 – Healthy Families-Reno County: Increase the caseload capacity and community awareness for this program, which provides primary child abuse and neglect prevention services to Reno County families. Matched 1:1 by Medicaid.

Salthawk Community Support, $10,000 x 3 years – Removing Barriers to Education: Final year of a three-year grant providing students in need at Hutchinson High School with basic necessities and access to academic tutoring, financial education and self-esteem-building activities coordinated by emotionally encouraging staff and volunteers.

Helen Adams Hamilton Children and Education Fund – $24,888

To foster the growth, education and development of young people who are 18 years of age and younger, with a preference for funding activities that result in an early intervention in an at-risk child’s life.

Boys & Girls Clubs of Hutchinson and Big Brothers Big Sisters of Reno County, $11,200 – Collective Impact Collaboration: Provide leaders of multiple agencies the time and resources to work toward developing a collective impact strategy for at-risk Reno County youth ages 14 to 21, with the ultimate goal of bringing together organizations and resources across the community to help youth overcome adversities, build relationships, develop work-ready skills and create a positive future story that they will be able to fully achieve.

Hadley Day Care Center, $13,688 – Countertops, Cabinets & Cubbies: Replace countertops and cabinets in six classrooms, ensuring safe storage of cleaning products and supplies. The grant will also fund construction of individual cubbies for the 70 children using the classrooms, allowing each child his/her own space for personal items, such as jackets, backpacks and an extra change of clothes.

Kansas Health Foundation Public Health Endowment Fund – $21,748

Supporting health and well-being through healthy lifestyles, behaviors and environments.

City of Hutchinson, $7,500 – Phase Zero Hutch: Experiment with a series of placemaking and tactical urbanism projects to help the community reimagine several of our public places. Community members will have the opportunity to experience short-term, low-cost demonstration projects in Midtown, the State Fair/Main Street area, and Farmington Park and offer feedback based on their personal interactions with the projects prior to a commitment of major public financing for permanent features.

Girl Scouts of Kansas Heartland, $1,941 – Community Based Programs: Creating Tomorrow’s Leaders: Provide financial assistance for Reno County girls to participate in the Girl Scouts’ skill-building Community Based Program, attend summer camp and help with costs, such as uniforms and curriculum materials.

Headquarters, Inc., $2,158 – Collaborating to Prevent Suicide: Provide suicide prevention expertise to the Reno County Suicide Prevention Coalition as they select evidence-based suicide prevention strategies. Headquarters, Inc. will help identify public education, awareness campaigns and school-based suicide prevention initiatives that best fit the particular needs of the Reno County community.

Kansas Food Bank Warehouse, $5,000 – Food 4 Kids Backpack Program 2020: Provide volunteer-assembled, weekend food packets to children in Reno County who are experiencing food insecurity, allowing them to return to school on Monday mornings feeling less anxious, healthier and better prepared to learn.

Reno County Health Department, $1,400 – Creating New Connections: Welcome new people to the community by coordinating a quarterly potluck dinner and information-sharing session with the goals of raising awareness about community resources, encouraging attendees to become more vested in their new community, and providing a space and opportunity for social connections.

Rise Up Reno – Prevention Network, $3,749 – A Platform for Progress: Purchase a software platform that will allow the organization to more effectively manage contact with and service to stakeholders, helping to better match partners and participants with their specific interests among the many programs Rise Up Reno – Prevention Network (formerly Reno County Communities That Care) implements. The software platform will also increase staff efficiency, resulting in more time for direct contact with students and families.

[fabulizemag]

Reel Sisters of the Diaspora Film Festival

New Post has been published on https://fabulizemag.com/reel-sisters-of-the-diaspora-film-festival/

Reel Sisters of the Diaspora Film Festival

Reel Sisters of the Diaspora Film Festival is a two-day annual film festival that is founded by African Voices magazine and Long Island’s University Media Arts Department at the Brooklyn Campus. The two-day festival highlights Black women filmmakers and this year’s theme is #IGotYourBack. More than 40 films will be screened throughout the weekend for the public and tastemakers to view.

The Reel Sisters of the Diaspora Film Festival & Lecture Series is a two-day annual film festival founded by African Voices magazine and Long Island University’s Media Arts Dept., Brooklyn Campus.

Established in 1997, Reel Sisters continues to being dedicated to providing opportunities for women of color filmmakers to advance their careers in the film industry. It is also the first Academy Award qualifying film festival dedicated to women of color.

The theme for this year’s festival is #IGotYourBack: A Time for Holding Space & Healing, which showcases films dedicated to looking out for one another made for and by women with over 40 films being screened during the season. Reel Sisters 22nd Anniversary event will take place from Oct. 19 & 20th, 2019 at Alamo Draft House in Brooklyn.

Here are some of the featured films:

Skin Skin is a feature documentary about exploring through identity the meaning of beauty in all the different shades of black. It is set in present-day Lagos, where Nollywood actress Beverly Naya goes on a journey to learn about contrasting perceptions of beauty. She speaks to school children, traders, artists, beauty entrepreneurs, and sex workers. This narrative is interwoven by poignant personal accounts of individuals who have dealt with the pressure to conform to certain standards of beauty, revealing how colorism continues to shape the face of the entertainment industry in Africa. Beverly concludes her journey with a trip to her hometown exploring her rich cultural heritage with her mother and grandmother.

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POCCON POCCON stands for P.O.C con (people of color). POCCON is a short documentary film that explores the world of anime conventions through the eyes of POC (people of color) cosplayers. The film will explore some of the issues they face as cosplayers of color. It will follow a few cosplayers as they attend Katsucon, a local anime convention that takes place at the Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center in Maryland. The cosplayers will give the personal accounts of issues they have faced within the cosplay community.

Black Girls Guide to Fertility Black Girls Guide to Fertility tackles infertility in a profoundly intimate way that’s both dramatic and comedic without ever feeling rigid. It focuses on Ava, a 37-year-old romance novelist, who faded into obscurity after finding love-and now finds herself on the rise again after self-publishing a diary detailing her fertility woes. Each episode is a recreation of Ava’s diary entry, adding a unique and compelling touch to the everyday struggle of infertility.

And Nothing Happened Director/Writer/Producer: Naima Ramos Chapman In the aftermath of an assault, a woman tries to come to terms with the violation, or just get through her day. Director Naima Ramos-Chapman uses an unexpected dose of magical realism to express a poetic response to a loss of dignity.

Paper Boats Why can’t Rahel bring herself to sign her artwork? The visit of her high school academic triggers memories of why she is haunted by her surname, yet would not consider changing it.

"Paper Boats" (2019) – Trailer from Gonzalo Guajardo on Vimeo.

Brooklyn to Benin Régine Romain, Haitian-American artist, educator and visual anthropologist, completes a three-year spiritual pilgrimage traveling from Brooklyn, NY, southern United States, Central America, Haiti to Benin, West Africa — the birthplace of Vodou. Her journey crosses the turbulent TransAtlantic Slave Trade history and delves into an ancient cascade of memory, myth and magic.

THE APOLLO The HBO documentary THE APOLLO, helmed by Oscar- and Emmy-winning director Roger Ross Williams, chronicles the unique history and contemporary legacy of New York City’s landmark Apollo Theater. The feature-length film weaves together archival clips of music, comedy and dance performances; behind-the-scenes verité footage of the team that makes the theater run; and interviews with such artists as Jamie Foxx, Angela Bassett, Pharrell Williams, Common, Patti LaBelle and Smokey Robinson. While uncovering the rich history of the internationally renowned theater that has influenced American music and culture for 85 years, Williams also examines the current state of race in America, following a new multi-media adaptation of Ta-Nehisi Coates’ best-selling book “Between the World and Me” as it comes together on the theater’s grand stage. It will take place at LIU at 6pm on October 19th.

Tattoo The young Iranian woman had not been expecting this kind of examination. She only wanted to renew her driver’s license, but when the officials noticed a scar on her wrist and her tattoo, they began looking at her with suspicion. Suddenly she is trapped, forced to answer personal questions and exposed to insinuations. The camera captures the growing uneasiness with clinical precision.

TATTOO from Dena Rassam on Vimeo.

Ballet After Dark Ballet After Dark tells the story a young woman who found the strength to survive after an attack. She created an organization that is helping sexual abuse and domestic violence survivors find healing after trauma through dance therapy.

Detained Two Syrian refugee siblings receive official legal documents to permanently join their father in the United States. However, when the plane lands in JFK, they are taken into custody for interrogation by Custom and Border Police.

Wash Day (animated film) A young black girl spends the day washing, styling, and sometimes fighting with her hair.

Plant the Seed Directed by Taína Asili, tells the story of a Black farmer’s journey to creating Soul Fire Farm, an organization dedicated to the food justice movement

The Jessicas Are Turning 30 “The Jessicas are turning 30” weaves together six compelling narratives of people who were born Jessica in 1989. The film captures what it’s like to be 30 in America today. For millennial women, the milestone has become aging heavy with expectation.

Today is the last day to catch all of these Black women centering films and lectures. You can still get a pass for today.

[noramoya]

LIFE LESSONS FROM MICHAEL JACKSON

by ALICIA WALLACE

“Singer, songwriter, producer, dancer, and innovator, Michael Jackson became a pop cultural icon, and maintained the “King of Pop” title throughout and beyond his life. Many credit him with revolutionizing the music video, combining drama and dance to create a theater experience. Through his entertainment and the way he lived, Michael Jackson spread the message of peace and love, and taught the world many lessons applicable to our personal lives and careers.

#1 - START WITH YOURSELF:

“Man in the Mirror” is introspective, and seems to tell of a personal experience Michael had, and encourages us to start with ourselves. It’s easy to look at the world and point out the injustices and deficiencies, but more challenging to sit down, soul search, and find ways to be better versions of ourselves.

#2-BILD COMMUNITY AND COLLABORATE :

He took his social responsibility seriously, and used his platform to share messages of positivity and hope. “Heal the World” and “We Are the World” showed his willingness -even as a powerhouse in his own right - to work as a part of a team, and bring others together to envision and work toward a better world. The popularity of these songs and their use - from social campaigns to graduation ceremonies - prove the power of collaboration, and what we can achieve by pooling our resources and talent.

#3- BILD YOUR BRAND :

To be the king or queen of anything, you need a strong brand. Michael Jackson had a distinct style, signature moves, and an unchanging demeanor. His tricks were so unique to him that he could do them over and over again, and elicit the same response. Even performed by others, they were - and still are - easily and quickly recognized as his own. This allowed him to stand on a stage and make a 90 degree turn of the head in exchange for the cheers a last second 3-pointer from half court to tie the game would get in any basketball stadium. When your brand is strong, it becomes synonymous with you and cannot be stolen.

#4- PERFECTION HAS ITS PLACE :

p>There are a variety of opinions on perfection. Is it realistic? Is it a fair bar? Michael Jackson always aimed for perfection, both from himself and from his team. Rather than burdening others with abstract ideas of perfection, he participated in every aspect of his performance and career, from choreography to lighting. Video footage of his rehearsals reveal his involvement in every area of production. He was determined to deliver beyond anyone’s expectation.

“Seeing the show does the talking. The show speaks for itself.”

#5- EVEN IN LEADERSHIP, BE GENTLE:

Though his goals were high, he valued people. He engaged his team with kindness. In This Is It, he gave instructions during rehearsal without aggression and punctuated by “with love.” He showed understanding to fan who followed him, almost to the point of torment. He recognized that some things - including paparazzi - came along with his success, and did his best to preserve himself without harming anyone in the process.

#6- BRING PASSION, AND SHARE IT:

Michael Jackson’s passion was evident in everything he did. His music videos show his creativity and dedication, and his live performances shared his energy with audiences. It was clear that he wasn’t following choreography or going through the motions. He felt the music, and it literally moved him. The energy he brought with him was infectious, and shows that when you believe and invest in something enough, sharing it the world means sharing that passion, using one candle to light many more.

#7- TIMING IS EVERYTHING :

From record releases and tour dates to the turn of his head in sync with the clash of symbols, he understood the importance of timing. In This Is It, someone is heard off stage telling Michael that he missed a cue and should be moving on to the next step, but Michael tells him it’s not time yet. “We’re sizzling,” Michael said. He knew that, at that point in the show, he would take a moment. He had learned from decades of performing, and didn’t allow convention or scripts stand in the way of what he knew to be right for him and his audience, even before they were in the room.

Michael Jackson knew his audience, but more importantly, he knew himself. He had a head start, but he found what he loved and was good at, and used it as a vehicle for sharing his passion - Peace and Love. He used his music to wake the social consciousness of his fans. Nothing he did was by chance, but was well-crafted and executed. He started with himself, built a team, treated them with kindness, and developed the brand that powered his message, and it lives on in his music and our memory of him. (x) ”