beasts linger in this haunted month, shadows release, dontgetmewrongiloveahaunting - many shadows are here without a place to call home or a body to trigger the motion detectors that signal the sliding glass doors of the mall of love. at least not til they found you, a bright and brave and busy mall rat, perfect they say, the way only a shadow can, as they piggy-back on the preinstalled shadow spilling out from your feet, and then the floor as you glide through the entrance and bring them along. somewhat shapeless now the shadows take a waterlike shape on the glossy tiled floor. heading to the kiosk i see. i also see - you see it too - 8x11-inch flyers erratically taped to the plexiglass that covers the map of the mall of love. draw a map to remember where you’ve been. what was that? shadow speak. but now that you mention it- nevermind - there are flyers smothering the kiosk, taped aggressively, and it looks like someone tried to use a staple gun before realizing the staples bounce off the plexi. bent staples stick into the sole of your (cute) shoes.
shadowspeak begins again and you wave your hand, as if a shadow lingers like a gnat rather than an installation. you read this yourself, not like it’s hard - there’s just a few notes written with a jumbo sharpie. The desperate heading cries ATTENTION ATTENTION! and below it:
IMWATCHING: DARIA
revisiting a teenage favorite and finding it’s aged well - oo! ahh!
if you’re unfamiliar, daria is a show that aired on MTV from 1997-2001, and follows sardonic teen daria (green jacket- deadpan stare) as she navigates archetypes of high school and suburban life. there’s an absurdist quality to the writing that circles back to reality, and i laugh laugh laugh through a beautifully brief, 22 minute episode. girls rejecting authority, teen existentialism, brutalizing family reunions, the kind of humor i like to see in an episode about teens getting plastic sugery, and this accurate depiction of female liberation in alternative communities. excellent stoner fair
you can watch here: https://www.wco.tv/anime/daria or on this facebook page (to search epidoes type season _ eps _)
scribbling “to watch:” munch, a 2023 film a bout edvard munch (you know him as the guy who painted ‘the scream’) navigating the loss of his sister. score by tim fain
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Hmmm, you hum, pulling a flyer from the kiosk and bringing it along as you wander about. As you and your shadows make your way to the escalator you continue reading:
IMREADING: ADMITTEDLY, NOT MUCH
so i didn’t read that much this month, but I loved Role Models by John Waters, especially his chapter Outsider Porn. You must see for yourself. Get to your local library. Check it out. John Waters interviews his favorite underground porn directors and you can’t imagine what a brew of filth and compassion this is. You’ll want your own copy. I still need to get mine. I’m going to Baltimore next week so who knows, maybe I’ll track down JW and beg him to sign my copy. Will report back.
scribbling “to read:” chromophobia and other books about color + color symbolism, » SEEKING SUGGESTIONS » » »
IMLISTENING: A LOT
I simply can’t get into more than collaging the following albums + bandcamp reviews down for for you:
WORD ON THE STREET / ELLE BARBARA
“Word on the Street is a victory against class struggle and nepotism, and is a brazen testament to how a low-income, welfare-assisted, middle-aged, Black male-to-female transsexual beat the odds, using all resources to make the music of her mind while ignoring music industry conventions.”
I remember I forget بنسى وبتذكر / Yasmine Hamdan
“For this record, I needed to ground myself in a specific place – and it had to be Lebanon,” explains Hamdan. “My connection to Lebanon, and what has happened to it, constituted the grounds from where I started writing and composing the album. However, gradually in the creative process, this place became a symbol, a metaphor, a catharsis for what is happening globally, and being experienced universally.”
the 8th cumming / cumgirl8
“Like a scantily clad Creature from the Black Lagoon, Manhattan four-piece cumgirl8 has emerged from their primordial goo, resurrecting in striking full colour with a highly- anticipated announcement of new music… Described as a utopian, chaotic ‘Greta Thunberg fever dream,’ the 8th cumming (recorded live, entirely on analog) is rooted in a philosophy close to the band’s heart: cyberfeminism, which addresses the relationship between human and machine, nature and technology.”
Mostly I seem to be reading bios of artists on Tidal or bandcamp.
——- And I remember now, this prophetic essay by Donna Haraway - A Cyborg Manifesto. ——
DREAMBOX FALL DREAMBOX FALL DREAMBOX
» » live wednesdays 1-3pm eastern » »
New shows for you to listen to - including a halloween special! A Lil update about the show: sets will be available to listen to live, then posted 2 weeks after the air date. If yr loving it and need to listen sooner than later, u can get the links weekly on patreon. If u subscribe here I’ll throw the links at the bottom of this email. Imeanflyertapedtoamallkiosk.
It is only in this moment, when your sensitivies are heightened, you notice that the backside of the flyer is completely covered with sun and moon stickers, a few clouds, bunnies, and what’s this? A coupon?
No - not a coupon - an endorsement.
The Mall of Love Endorses Propitious Mango as an Agent of Love and Healing
This is the best treat I’ve had in my october life. My shadow loves it, yours should do! Seeking the propitious mango (particularly when you’re in a bad mood) is now your quest. Don’t fail yourself. You deserve this. Seek out the vending machine down in the west wing of the mall. Go quickly now… and don’t look back.
From my shadows to yours, farewell - and watch your step.
