hopeful musings on speculative relationships

When I received the hardcopy of the book, I also received this print.
I immediately hung it on my kickstarter wall.
Mike Manomivibul's oh-so-romantic image strikes a chord deep within my being, the need of a living creature to connect with another.
(swoon)
I wish I could say my reaction to his story, "Made 2 Be 2gether", was as strong. Sadly, I found the imagery to be confusing, even though the page layouts clearly speak of his poetic heart. I fear the loss of understanding is certainly mine.
I do pledge to continue to strive to understand this tale of two robots, separated by man's greed and war. His is the only one that I cannot quite "get." Perhaps you could read it and let me know your take on it?
Here's the link to the store. Trust me, the pittance asked for this anthology, with art inked by six different artists, will be money well spent.
Not yet convinced? Let's see if I can convince your head that this is deserving of your heart and your wallet.
Tyrell Cannon and Scott Kroll are the men behind the concept. Each have two contributions which serve to bookend the tales in this kickstarter-funded anthology. Cannon's "Burning Heart" would have been right at home in the mid 1900's with the science fiction romances of that period. He presents a husband and wife scientific team, trying to save a dying planet... and their dying relationship. Very nicely done!
His other tale, a sweet one at the end of the book, has two astronauts who used to pass each other in "Corridor-C", secretly attracted but silent. Suddenly, circumstances shift and they discover each other. But is their discovery too late?
Kroll's two pieces are very different from each other, with only one containing humans. "This Thing Called Love" features an automaton which feigns ignorance while acting as a matchmaker for two human coworkers. Nice grokspanner, there!
(smile!)
"4 Out Of 5" is a distinctly different tale, not only from Kroll's other piece, but from every other tale in the book. It poses the query of what to do when you have only four of the five genders needed for gratification. Interesting, right? The starfish-like pentopuses are distinguishable by their upper markings, so pay attention... or purchase the "Making Love" zine for the key. (You can even read this tale on his tumblr site.)
The last of the male writers, Daniel Warren Johnson, is another "Calvin And Hobbes" fan, like Tyrell Cannon... and me! Not that Watterson's work has anything in common with Johnson's tale, "The Purest Form". No, look more to the futuristic Marines of Space-Mullet to find out what drives this warrior to success on the battlefield.
Of the two entries by female artists, I have already waxed rhapsodic about the beautiful tale of love by Rinko Endo. "The Same Moon" remains my favorite in this anthology, with its fabulous ink work and wistful tone. (She's an art therapist, by the way, so she has experience at opening herself up, through drawing, and encourages others to also do so.)
Isabella Rotman is a talented young woman, too, using her art as self-therapy. Brava! "The Dream Program" considers the case of a machine which falls in love with one of the humans in its charge. Beautifully inked, floral and lush... with a nice twist in the tale itself.
So, you see, there is an excellent variety of stories here, just as love has many sides to consider, whether one is human, alien, or machine. I highly recommend the book.
Highly.
I am so proud of these writers! Bravo to all!

speculative relationships at the broken hearts table

I really needed this today.
The finished products are not yet on their way, but I received two emails from kickstarter projects I've backed.
The second arrived this afternoon, from Scott Kroll, of "Speculative Relationships: A SciFi Romance Comics Anthology". As part of the rewards for my support, I have been granted early access to the finished product, via weblink. I was also sent the weblink for the backstory on the making of the anthology.
(If you want them, just click here for the anthology and here for the "Making Love" ezine. Well worth the sawbuck for the pair!)
Beautiful! Just the thing I needed to help clear my mind from the great loss I have felt for the past two days.
The story I chose to read first was Rinko Endo's, "The Same Moon". Anyone who knows me will affirm that I have an attraction to the moon, whether beneficial or maddening depends on the day.
(smile)
Her tale was just the therapy I needed. Such a sweet story about a thug and her healer! I don't know why, but I could totally relate to the thug. Perhaps it's from my recently dregged memories of my days as a sailor in Panama, when I had weapons practice every month for proficiency with 45's and M-16's. That was necessary in case the secured facility where I worked was ever overrun by terrorists.
I was very skilled with those weapons.
I really loved her story.
I'm going to ration out the stories, maybe read just one a day for the next week or so, make them last a bit longer. That will allow me to get the full benefit of each, to better appreciate both the artistry of the work and the tale itself.
I've skimmed through the "Making Love" 'zine. Nice little tidbits in there for each artist - very nicely arranged! I look forward to taking my time and perusing every page, at a leisurely pace, perhaps while sipping a cup of hot tea and periodically glancing out at a weeping sky...
The other reward actually arrived by email on Wednesday, but I was a bit swamped at the time. You see, I teach and I had scheduled a test for my students that day. Then, last Friday, I had diddybopped off to Atlanta for Dragon*Con, test unwritten. I ended up spending most of Tuesday and Wednesday making up for my fun weekend.
(Still worth it!)
This afternoon, while awaiting the last inning and a half of a championship playoff game, i was taking care of a backlog of emails. Fortunately, a soundtrack was awaiting me, buried in the forwarded jokes and transferred photos and fb messages.
Those hard-working Titshaw brothers, whilst making their next film, "The Broken Hearts Table", had taken a time-out to compile a songlist.
No, the movie is not a musical.
These "Monthly Music Mixes (lasting one-year) that inspired The Broken Hearts Table" began this month. Woohoo! Fourteen songs, all by different artists, some remakes of old favorites, some new tunes, most absolutely without equal. "Sad, Sad City", by Ghostland Observatory, and Mayer Hawthorne's "A Long Time" were especially welcomed by my exhausted brain.
Actually, their September Music Mix is quite good for reading about Speculative Relationships. Seriously. That Ghostland Observatory tune is especially, and incredibly, appropriate.
I'll have to check and see if the brothers will allow me to release their playlist, so you can judge the truth of my words.

chalk talk, ditdahing in the house

(poster by Wyatt Ramsey)

It's almost musical, isn't it? All percussive, but that's what draws you in.
dit dah dit dah, ditditdit, dit dah, dit dah ditdit, dah dit dah,
dah, dit dah, dit dah ditdit, dah dit dah
Chalk Talk.
As a professor, I am quite familiar with the sounds of chalk striking a slate.
As a former member of the US Navy, I am also familiar with the sounds of Morse code. I used to even play around with it a bit, and one of my favorite expressions whilst stationed in Okinawa was "4 dits, 3 dits, 2 dits, a dah"!
I'll leave you to decipher that one.
When I first found this kickstarter project, I had thought support of it would be a fitting memorial for my recently deceased stepdad, who served this country during World War II. After all, the film was to feature a man from that long-past era, at an elementary school in the company of his young grandson for show-and-tell.
In late May of 2012, I saw the film at the Trustees Theatre, part of those screened for the "16 x 9 Revealed" showcase of senior films. What a treat to see it on the big screen! Even better, the film won two awards: Best Narrative Undergraduate Film, and Best Short Film Screenplay for an Undergraduate Film. Good work, Chris Durenberger!
I was able to see the film larger-than-life one more time, on October 29th, during the 2012 Savannah Film Festival, as one of the student films entered into the competition. How very sweet to see this tale of love lost and found gracing the silver screen once more! And to have that viewing in one of my favorite venues, the beautiful Lucas Theatre!
Soon, I thought, I shall have my reward and have the dvd in my very own home!
Time passed, people graduated and moved on, other film festivals (with other wins!) intervened. You know how life is, right?
In truth, I forgot to keep looking in the mail for it. I would let it be a pleasant surprise one fine day, I must have thought.
Recently, I have been reminded that the responsibility of making sure rewards are sent is partly mine.
When I contacted Chris, he responded right away. Yeah! He assured me he would locate the disks and speed one on its way from his left coast city by the sea to my right coast city by the sea.
Cool beans!
And today I arrived home to find it already in my mailbox!!! Not even a week has elapsed!
What a special pick-me-upper on this rainy, drear day, the second such in a row this week. How wonderful to watch, again, as the old man takes pause when he stumbles upon the faded photo in his box of medals, the photo of his love long lost. The film was as bright and fresh as my memory of the story still was.
Thanks, Chris, for brightening my day yet again!
I wish you much future success!

assisted loving - complete!

Wow! This is the second time for such a fast turnaround, from dream to polished product!
Good work, Sam Queen!
Today, I received my reward for being one of his forty-three backers. (He may have set a record on kickstarter for surpassing his funding goal by 260%. Perhaps that is a reflection of the belief in his dream.)
I am so very pleased! And since Google allows Bloggers to attach photos to their posts, I can show you what a professional job the writer-director has done on the finished work. Very nice!
The film itself tells a beautiful story of love found, love lost, and love regained - for two residents of an assisted living home. Yeah!!! Not two PYT's, no sirreebob! That places the story heads above a lot of the so-called romances on the big screen. it's so very easy to have a love story between pretty young things, especially as they have the physical lust to drive it along. But, for folks of age and very faded looks, there has to be respect as the driving influence. These characters in this romance far outshine the glossy stereotypes in the mainstream flicks.
I am so very honored to have my name in the closing credits.
So very honored to be part of this venture.
Thanks, Sam, for providing the opportunity to me.

Oh, and before I forget, here's the link to his video for all to enjoy:
http://vimeo.com/35191718

And here is what he wrote in his note to me:
Faustina,
Enclosed is your Kickstarter reward for helping to fund my thesis film, Assisted Loving. I sincerely appreciate your generosity and hope that you enjoy the finished product! May the new year bring you many new adventures and buckets full of laughter!
Cheers,
Sam Queen

I do believe he is one of the most gracious folks I have not yet had the pleasure to meet.
Maybe I'll have the chance to rectify that omission one fine day.
Keep up the good work, Sam J. Queen!

assisted loving

I think Sam Queen may be on to something here. He must have some beloved elderly folks in his world to dream up this story.
It's about taking a chance on love, even when you're elderly and in an assisted living environment. Knowing there is a risk of someone saying "no" and asking anyway. After all, no one ever died from being told "no", right?
As he describes the film, it has everything he likes in movies: "action, comedy, suspense, and romance." Coincidentally, those are also the things I like in movies!
I do enjoy backing these student shorts! They are not afraid to try any idea, and the more innovative, the better. That's the way I cook, too. Throw some odd items together and see how it turns out! Sometimes, it's a fabulous new dish to add to the repertoire; other times, it's best not repeated.
I look forward to seeing how this dish will taste.
Especially as my name will be in the credits!