NOLOSE

[susanstinson]

There's a great new NOLOSE web site...

And they're taking registrations for the conference in July...

I'm excited about the programming!

Here's a description of the featured performer: Dynamic Boston area performance artist Gabrie'l J Atchison fuses visionary choreography with personal narrative and the healing arts. Her work is transformative, powerful, and deeply moving. Don't miss her!

The keynote speaker is the ever fabulous charlottecooper! That is just too, too great. You probably already know that Charlotte is smart, rowdy, funny, independent-minded, sharp, incisive. Her work has qualities of courage and willingness to express fears, vulnerabilities and embarrassment. And, I don't know, but this might be the first time she's been a featured speaker at a conference in the US -- she lives in the UK. Exciting stuff. I hadn't been planning to go to Nolose this year, but that's a really hard choice to make when there's a rare opportunity to hear Charlotte.

And she's also a wearer of swim caps who has just posted a bunch of fine writing about pools. Riches! Check it out.

Comments

[charlottecooper.livejournal.com]

You!

If I ever need a cheerleading team, I'll give you a call. xxx

[susanstinson.livejournal.com]

Impossible to resist spreading the word -- this is great news!

[charlottecooper.livejournal.com]

SQUEALY SQUEAL SQUEAL!

This is my attempt to articulate my excitement.

[susanstinson.livejournal.com]

Much deserved, hon.

[francita.livejournal.com]

I think you should go if you can. And to Julie Wyman's film. You sounded so excited about it!

[susanstinson.livejournal.com]

Thanks, francita. I'm too sick (and probably contagious) for standing in the cold waiting for the bus for Buoyant, which is sad. And Nolose -- I'll have to see. I'm already committed to a bunch of other travel, and money is always an issue, but Charlotte is bound to be provocative and interesting and wonderful -- people should go, for sure.

What a tender icon -- good to see.

[lovelikeyeast.livejournal.com]

Oh say it isn't so, nolose w/o susan... *sob*. Please consider it, and please consider applying for financial assistance if that will make a difference. That's exactly why it's there! To help bring everyone possible. Also, I roomed w/2 others last year and it made it only $30-35 a night each (with tax), much less daunting. xoxo

[susanstinson.livejournal.com]

Thanks. Great work on the website. And have a spectacular trip.

[lovelikeyeast.livejournal.com]

Thank you, hon. And... I want to say that in re-reading that, I'm cringing--how pushy and obnoxious (who am I to say that $35 is less daunting, just because it was for me?? grr!). Sometimes, in my zealousness, I am stupid.

Anyway, it just was so great to get to see you again after so many years. I totally understand having other travel priorities, and hope I have not overwhelmed you with pushiness. xoxo

[susanstinson.livejournal.com]

Oh no, hon, not obnoxious or stupid at all -- it's lovely to know that you'd like me to be there -- and yeah, it was great to get to see you, too -- and it's so important that so many people who are a part of Nolose work so hard (really, really hard, I know -- the Fat Girl Flea being a big case in point) to make the conference accessible with financial aid. I just have to figure out whether it makes sense for me to try to go this year -- money's part of it, but not all of it -- I had decided no, but the chance to hear Charlotte's keynote is a pull in the other direction. Maybe I can come up with a compromise thing, like one day (if that's an option -- don't know if it is), especially if I can maybe stay with friends in NYC and get to the hotel by public transportation.

Hey, did you see the Lambda Book Report article on Fat and the Word? I quoted Charlotte saying something beautiful and tender about you and Max and FaT GiRL zine (forgive me if I got the CaPs wrong!) -- and one of the really exciting things about the website and Nolose at the moment is that it looks from the outside to be building and drawing on some of those earlier wild and amazing efforts -- I love that!

[lovelikeyeast.livejournal.com]

Oh, sob. I have not seen this article yet, and can't wait (saw your post last week and started biting at my fist). That is very moving.

To be honest, there is a little bit of the old fg momentum going. Charlotte was really a presence then and I credit her with a lot of the momentum happening now. I mean, different time-place-people, a lot is really very different. And yet at last nolose, in the chubsters workshop, the brilliant sleep dep inspiration of it all... new and familiar! the energy flying in the room! pushing the envelope! I love plotting with fattest, and we were recently kvelling at how well we work together. Sitting next to her as she took photos of the chubs, it felt so inspirational, seeing everyone through her lens, as it were. I remember asking g. to kick for the camera, and what fattest captured was so much better than what I had envisioned, "inspired" is really the word. There was just a synchronicity happening. My god, my evil twin! kayisgay's drawings! That tattoo (http://homepage.ntlworld.com/charlottecooper/chubster/docs/chublife/signofchub.htm) that J. and C. created! Everyone so wild and feral! Charlotte really brought us all together. It really pushed something along, I think.

So, the ball keeps rolling. amarama is curating an arts space and hopefully film/video! I really think the hard workers of nolose creating this forum, venue, etc. has made this possible.

I am so moved right now, I can't stop babbling, have to get back to the dayjob stuff, which is far less inspirational. ;-)

[lovelikeyeast.livejournal.com]

Mission accomplished! *sniff* *blub* *sob*

It makes me miss Barb, too. She was so much of FG's twisted sensibility. Makes me sad she's not a part of it now.

Thanks for the kind words and for continuing to inspire us all yourself with your presence and writing and and and and!

[susanstinson.livejournal.com]

Yay! (Barb -- talk about an unforgettable fashion sense...)

[susanstinson.livejournal.com]

In hopes of more sobbing, here's what she said:

Charlotte Cooper credits them among her influences, along with, among others, "the dykes at FaT GiRL [published in the 1990s in the San Francisco Bay area], a zine that truly changed my life, a completely radical publication. MA and DP remain friends and influences because of their lawless and liberatory approach to fat."

So so so cool that you're feeling some of the old momentum... Seeing the website with that great kicking photo (and remembering the Chubsters workshop), really did take me back to the great look of the zine, which was a big part of what I always loved about it -- along with the palpable sense of community that seemed to be part of its production (not always a smooth path. I'm sure -- I know enough about working in collectives to know that), the risks it took, the honesty, and the inventive, bold sexuality. And all.

[lovelikeyeast.livejournal.com]

Oh, and quick p.s.: I know folks worked out a day rate last year as an exception, so I'm sure that can be worked out again. Whatever it takes to get you there. ;-)

The location should make pub transit from the city do-able, depending on where you're staying. I'm guessing you may even be able to get a ride w/someone?

[susanstinson.livejournal.com]

:) I'll check it out.