Just got back from a trip to the big nowhere, West Texas, and now I can't shut up about how much fun it was. I hadn't been out there since 1991, when I visited with a friend and stayed at her aunt's ranch. We tried (& failed) to see the Marfa Lights, and went to the Saddest Circus In The World. (it featured a very, very old elephant with one tusk, and bleachers full of high schoolers in letter jackets you just knew were fixin' to go knock each other up in their cars after the show...)
This time around, Marfa had definitely changed. Art Gentrification, for better or worse, is in full swing. And even though I have mixed feelings about it, I can't deny that it's boosted the local economy. Hopefully, things won't get to the point where employees of the Dollar General Store and the Dairy Queen (the two franchises in town, besides gas stations) can't afford rent.
We stayed at the Holiday Capri Inn, an early-60s cinderblock motel -- it was sleazy but clean, begging for a makeover to emphasize its kitschy charm... I fantasized about repainting in Mid-Century Martha colors and refurnishing with IKEA and Design Within Reach goodies. (Got money? This is an investment waiting to happen, and I'll be happy to hire on as the aesthetic coordinator for you...)
Here's the report I sent to my friend Tiina:
"The whole art boom in Marfa happened because of Donald Judd, who went out there in the early 70s and started buying up parts of the town for permanent art installations. His estate and The Chinati Foundation (which he founded) are the center of it all. People are moving there; things are happening. They have eight or so artists-in-residence every year, from all over the world. On my first visit, I was unimpressed by Judd's work, and pretty cynical about his barns full of aluminum cubes... but I have to eat my words. This time, the work got to me, or I "got it" -- somehow, what seems pretentious and boring in a museum setting is transformed by the location... gotta reconsider my view, ack, you know how I hate that!
The big yearly event is the open house at Chinati -- people come from everywhere, all the buildings at the foundation are open to the public, there's a big free dinner and a benefit ($$$) dinner at one of Judd's ranches.
There's a hip bookstore/coffee and wine bar downtown now -- it's a trip to sit in this chic space and look at all the grizzled old ranchers going past in their trucks... I spent a morning hanging out there drinking coffee and reading, and talked to the local girl (24 yrs old) working there, so cute with her pierced eyebrows. She said that last year, "Chinati weekend", it was 90 degrees on Thursday, and all these New York folks were there in shorts and sandals... (the population of the town is about 2,500 -- it almost doubled for this event; people were staying hundreds of miles away, locals were renting out their houses to make $$$, people who didn't realize they needed reservations were sleeping in their cars) ... then Friday, a norther came through, and there was an ICE STORM.
There are no stores in Marfa; even the closest WalMart is 100 or so miles away. She said the Dollar General store sold out of socks; people were showing up at the free dinner wrapped in the blankets from their hotels... they made 1,500 coffees in the first two days & the espresso machine disintegrated. I think a lot of merchants (the few there are) make all their money for the year that weekend...
So, yeah, I think that buying the Holiday Capri would be a good investment! What would be really cool is to turn some of the rooms into lodging/studios, so artists could come to visit and have studio space at the same time; rent space to them on a monthly basis during the "down" months... get to live in the middle of nowhere and still meet artists! This is my dream."
Some of you probably know a lot more than I do about Judd. I've been reading some of his writing since our trip, and it's pretty amusing. (See what he's talking about here.) My overall impression is that he pissed off enough people in the New York art scene to make a move to "nowhere" inevitable... he was quite irascible (read: an asshole), and a major control freak to boot. In Marfa, complete control wasn't a problem. Kinda fascist(ic?), yeah, but the results are still cool.
So go and check it out, if you could use a refreshing dose of nothing. I recommend the coffee at the bookstore, Chinati, the thrift store, red enchiladas at Mike's Place, a late-afternoon drive down Pinto Canyon Road (a 4WD would help), and side trips to the McDonald Observatory for stargazing and to Balmorhea for swimming. There's the Hotel Paisano, for a more luxurious stay (it was headquarters for the filming of Giant, although the stars stayed in private homes), and Maiya's, a new "nice" restaurant. Still haven't seen those Mystery Lights.... but there's a fancy "viewing platform" for them east of town, courtesy of TxDOT. (Gotta love spending those tax dollars to support x-file tourism...)
To return to one of the original reasons for this site, film recommendation, let me be the first to predict the success of Moonlight Mile, due out later this year. I saw an extended trailer for this little gem of a film, which stars Jake Gyllenhall, Dustin Hoffman, Holly Hunter and Susan Sarandon and fell in love with it. This is unusual for me--over a trailer at least.
The relationship dynamics really struck me--the actors are outstanding favorites (if you haven't seen the charismatic young Gyllenhall in Donnie Darko, by all means rent it! Just do it.) and something about the mood of the trailer grabbed me. I can't wait to see it.
Seen Any Good Noir Lately?
Lori and Pete and Kinuthia and I were talking last night about great dark, noir-ish double-cross type films, and I bet we 'Fuzzers could make a good list. I'm fond of Blood Simple, Red Rock West, The Last Seduction, Shallow Grave, Double Indemnity, and the film noir classic "Touch of Evil."
What are your fave dark films in this vein? Add a comment!
Hello to all! I haven't published to the fuzz in months, so it's possible that this has already been covered. MSNBC has joined the blog craze, which is a little weird. It looks like the started doing it with Chris Matthews in May.
The name might be a giveaway: The 1759 Society takes its name from the year that Sir Arthur Guinness signed a 9,000-year lease for the property at St. James's Gate, Dublin on which the Guinness Brewery still stands. The group has drinking at its very core. If you haven't heard, the Austin Chapter of the Guinness 1759 Society held an alternative to a pub crawl last weekend--a Pub Waddle, involving two pubs, a WW II British amphibious watercraft, Town Lake and a bunch of loud lousy drunks. Photos of the event can be seen here on my pretty lame web page, and info on joining the Society is available online as well.
It's a great deal: for $17.59 (get it?) you are a lifetime member, and get a high-quality Guinness 1759-logoed polo shirt in black or white, a club keychain and a certificate suitable for framing if you are a huge loser.
The "meetings" (and I use that term very loosely) are on the second Monday of each month at our Official Home Pub, B.D. Riley's where the sign pictured above is now well-hung in the back corner. They involve 15 minutes of discussing what fun things we might do next, followed by some drinking, of course. Guinness is delighted with our chapter, and often throws in some free beer or food for meeting nights. Drinking Guinness is encouraged, but not required. Favorite items from the Guinness FAQ page: Guinness is lower in alcohol than many beers (4.2%) and only10 calories per ounce, or just a bit less than skim milk. Got Guinness?
Would the Honorable Lloyd Doggett ever pulling a stunt like this?
I lifted the following verbatim from WAGA-TV in Atlanta. I would have linked to it, but they've already bumped it off their news page. And they don't archive! Shame on them! But kudos to them for digging up this bit of news:
Congressman Could Face Fine for Delta Incident
Georgia congressional representative Sanford Bishop could face federal charges for urinating in a cup while on a Delta flight. The congressman was on his way back to Georgia from Washington D.C. As a matter of security, Reagan National Airport requires everyone to remain seated for at least the first 30 minutes of the flight. Once the time limit was up, a line to the bathroom quickly formed. The congressman couldn't wait so he asked a flight attendant for a cup. The FAA is now considering either an unruly passenger charge or interfering with a flight crew. He could be fined up to $1,100. (06/15/02 11:00pm)
Here's a lengthier item on the incident from ABCNews.com. If I lived in his district, I'd send his office a nice care package full of dixie cups.
And actually, after reading ABCNews' bit on the congressional leak, I have to admit I've found myself in similar situations on occasion. While out late one night in Paris this past April, I couldn't find any pay toilets that weren't shut down for the night. I finally let loose standing between a couple of big cylindrical structures in the square adjacent to the Pompidou Museum. Thankfully, only a few people walking by on the other side of the square noticed me, and they quickly shuffled along on their way to wherever.
