Not · Yet · Dead · and · Apparently · Still · Writing

Wow it's been ages since I logged on here!  Hi guys! :D

I've been doing a lot of of writing, drawing, schmoozing with Portlandites, and reading this Summer; just generally chilling and letting the horrors of last semester wash out of my system and trying to get my creative muse back. I knowingly and willingly let myself get soul-sapped in order to finish all my classes last year with (mostly) decent grades... and NEVER AGAIN, FOLKS. @__@;; I was not born to be that responsible!

Anyway-
I just wanted to pop in and announce the existence of Le Grande Fanfique that I am writing along with my sweetyowl; "Chains of Command" --- brokencitydream.livejournal.com/
It's a Gundam Wing/Final Fantasy 7 crossover, mostly to do with the interactions of Rufus Shinra and Treize Khushrenada, and if you are still reading this and are thinking "Hmm, that could be interesting", then I guess you should check it out. :)
It's heavy on the politics, corporate shenanigans, high-altitude-Gentleman'sQuarterly-chic-meets-urban-grunge, aesthetic and philosophical tension, and hatesex. Still here? Awesome. Go forth and peruse. There's five chapters already finished, and 16 planned total. Lots of original art as well.

On a side note, how the fuck does this new LJ work now? Why can't I copy-paste anything and retain the formatting? Do I really have to sacrifice all my italics and page layouts and PARAGRAPH INDENTS (for goodness' sake) in order to copy and paste anything? This is madness! D:< 

Recently I dipped my toes into the political scene here in Idaho and was surprised by the sorts of changes that are going on around here. Some very interesting and competent people just showed up on the Democratic ticket, and for the first time in 20 years it looks like they may have a chance and actually coordinating with both political parties and getting elected. Go Allred and Olsen! Please give this state a decent education system again! :'(  
So- how's everyone doing? Do you have any suggestions for a post-grad art school on the west coast that would be interested in a creative-writing major with not a singe credit of art classes to their name? no? ...anyone? *sigh*

Loves and kisses-

Yr.Obdnt.Srvnt.,
~Exiled Prince Wesley 

Welp, I'm off!
Nervous as hell and traversing the Portland airport, on my way to Zurich and then Vienna.
more news when I regain use of my brains and have something to report.

Wish me luck! <3

~Yr.Obdnt.Srvnt.,
Prince Rivka

I have a feeling a divine hand was guiding me today in Barnse and Noble. Having browsed through my usual sections and come up empty handed, I drifted towards the children's section.
Up in a corner of picture books, I discovered the Caldecott Prize winning tome "The Invention of Hugo Cabret" by Brian Selznick. I picked it up, and flipped it open to a random page: An beautiful charcoal pencil illustration of a boy. Another page: Harold Lloyd's classic photograph of him hanging off of giant clock hands. Another page: A clock work automaton. Another Page: Full spread reproductions of George Melies's drawings and movie stills.
I haven't mentioned my recent obsession with George Melies, one of the first French cinematographers, artist, painter, magician and creative genius. I found out about him while I was perusing my college library's collection of early film and jazz history. I watched a lengthy French documentary on him, and promptly fell in love. And there he was, in this charming children's book that I had picked up at random that was filled with basically everything on earth that I love. It was fate I tell you. This book and I were meant to be together.

And then it got better/stranger. The next item I stumbled upon in the nature section was called "Wesley the Owl". For the last three years I've referred to my male personage as Prince Wesley and my darling girl as my royal owl. We even have matching heart-shaped dog tags that identify us as such.
...Really? I mean really?? What is the universe trying to tell me today??!?

Somewhere along the way I ordered Hollow Kingdom and purchased a delicious feather quill pen and Silence of the Lambs, but left Wesley and a drool-inducing leather bound sketchbook on the shelves for later consideration. -A morning well spent, I feel. :)

The state of Idaho has been making a very bad impression lately.
I don't know how many of you heard about Mr. James von Brunn, the 88 year old white supremacist bigot who shot and killed a guard working at the Holocaust Museum before being killed himself. He was one of our local Idahoans apparently.
In an unrelated incident, some asshat at Lava Hotsprings denied a married lesbian couple with children the "family rate" because, the asshat quoted "Idaho law states that marriage is between a man and a woman."
I hope he realizes that aside from that being total idiocy and a hate crime, that policy also denies the concept of "family" to divorced couples, widows/ers, single parents, and anyone else whose family situation does not include strictly male and female spouses. If my aunt and my mother wanted to take me in for a family vacation, we wouldn't qualify for this rate. Likewise an unmarried couple with a mutually supported child would be denied the more economical rate. Money isn't the issue, obviously. The issue is that this sort of grade A bullshit is still being shat in this part of the country.
I am sick to death of waiting for people to look around and realize its the twenty-first goddamn century. I am outraged and disgusted and pained by news of friends, acquaintances, or complete strangers being harmed by other people's willing ignorance and hatred.

In better news, tomorrow in my town there is a sort of picnic/celebration called Loving Day, named after (appropriately) the Loving family:
" 'Loving Day' is celebrated in honor of the supreme Court’s decision in 1967 which declared that laws to prevent marriages between whites and African Americans, “miscegenation laws,” were unconstitutional. In 2007 Mildred Loving, the surviving partner from her marriage to her beloved husband Richard, declared that she believed all persons should be free to marry whomever they choose! In honor of Mildred Loving and all who work for the causes of freedom and equality this day is set aside here in Idaho Falls.
It will be lovely time for socializing and honoring those in this town who support social justice causes. Please consider yourselves invited! "

What better way to help make the future more livable than to celebrate and remember a past victory over Injustice? Everybody- Play some jazz, dance with someone who doesn't speak the same language as you, work with someone who doesn't look like you, pray to whatever god you want or don't as you so desire, read or write about indecent and kinky, and think about what it means to be an American. Despite a lot of evidence to the contrary there's something there worth saving, damnit.

In other news: My sweety owl is coming to visit at the end of the month! We are going to watch patriotic fireworks, eat some barbecues, cross the shit out of the Delaware, and have crazy weird boylesbian sex in top hats.

Prince Wesley, out.

So apparently my girl is the most fabulous fucking person on earth.
She graduates magna cum laude from art school and what does she do the day after? Fricken' tears up the New Orleans French Quarter, that's what. http://thecuriocabinets.blogspot.com/
So far her exploits in the last --TWO DAYS-- include buying an actualforrealnotpretendlengerie corset, a hoop skirt, masks/fans/etc., meeting a wandering WWII veteran secret chess master and was initiated into the secret underground society of chess champions, getting fussed over by professionally fabulous drag queens ("Honey, you need yourself a fan like THIS"), being invited to the Miss New Orleans drag contest, becoming a tourist attraction in her new hoop skirt and southern belle getup, touring the fetish club scene, waltzing into a classy Gentlemen's Club and getting petted by all the laydeez and eventually escorted by a cute tux-wearing politically conscious Swedish lad.

......... Aiighrhahhhhaahrg It is like she creates her own goddamn Magical Adventure Forcefield.
Meanwhile I've been at home knitting and reading up on women dandies of the 1920's and learning how to be worthy of the awesomeness of such a laydee. I don't know what I did to even show up on her radar- I'm the most inhibited, socially inept creature that ever crawled out of eastern Idaho. Oy.

Speaking of; I've been rather absorbed in my own independent studies lately. I spend my afternoons in the campus library with a cup of coffee, note book, sketchpad, and a stack of books on opium and gypsies and turn of the century American history and victorian architecture and director's manuals and biographies of gay jews in nazi Berlin- feeling quintessentially collegiate but very boring.

Most of this is research for Six Penny Opera and Paradise and other projects, with a bit of personal soul searching thrown in.
I'm trying to find out what the philosophy is behind this business of anachronistic dandyism, why I have a burning desire to wear dressy men's clothing and be a gentleman rather than a lady, what elements I'm comprised of, why I've been so overwhelmed with nostalgia for an era I never lived in, where I want to take my art and writing and where I want my art and writing to take me. I'm also rediscovering what attracted me to the German language and culture, and thinking about the what hell I'm going to do in Vienna next year.

Actually, I'm pleasantly surprised each time I put down a book and discover that I have the initiative and endurance to do this at all; a year ago I would have thought about doing heavyduty research for my own enlightenment, bought a bunch of books, and then I've forgotten about the whole thing in a week. These days I'm feeling more like a capable independent human with a place in the world and less like a manipulative, shy jewish princess who lives in an oyster- but oh my god, I've got a long way to go. I am so not yet emancipated of my oysterness.
Nevertheless, it's a glowy sort of feeling knowing that I'm capable of getting my shit together when I'm of a mind. Having only been alive for not-quite-two decades, I'm still not sure what kind of a person I am, how I fare in bad weather and how far I can go with favorable winds.

Anyway-
School's out in three weeks or so! Summer is going to be a whirlwind of travel and craziness and then Europe! Birthday in Dorfgastein, WOO HOO. :D imma be twenty.

I love you all so dearly,
~Prince

Your children are adorable. Thank you for letting them provide commentary on your birdwatching videos.
Sincerely,
me. "

Got this off of the wonderful Neil Gaiman's Blog: http://www.wired.com/entertainment/hollywood/magazine/17-03/ff_moore_qa?currentPage=all

I don't know about you, but the prospect of Alan Moore doing the Three Penny Opera in his next League of Extraordinary Gentlemen book...project..musical..thing makes me blissfully incontinent and faint with joy.

In other news: I am coughing as gently and carefully as I can while waiting for the diabolical alien pustule at the back of my throat to hatch and/or heal. Please send the maid up with my tea before the bell-pull breaks from overuse. I swear that poor girl's going deaf.

Luv,
Rivvykins

Installed back in the college dorm today. Feeling ill and getting over a head cold. Must battle administrative dragon tomorrow. Polishing armor.

In other news: Owls rock. <3 Will report back as soon as something interesting happens.

luvluv,
RZ

I just spent my first night sleeping in an airport in Salt Lake City, on some commandeered bench-chairs without dividers between them, using my overstuffed rock hard backpack as a pillow, dressed rather smashingly but not very warmly without a blanket or coat, underneath the inescapable blaring TV's playing CNN at full volume that no one could turn off, waiting for dawn.

Goddamn you, Utah snow! I am coming for you and your kin! AND YOU, Airlines! WHY THE FUCK do you have NOTHING flying EAST after FIVE P.M.?????
I have feasted upon your most horrendous airport fare and expensive coffee, my girlfriend was left waiting yesterday, my lovely, uncomplicated one connection flight was replaced by a triple plane changing affair- And I have CARVED YOUR NAME INTO MY BARE ARMS SO THAT I WILL ALWAYS REMEMBER YOUR CRIME. It reads: Delta Airlines. And I will come. >(

Brrrrr. *bags under eyes, in fraying pinstripes and an off kilter top hat and the remnants of attractively combed hair, nursing a starbucks latte.*

omg guy in camouflage jacket watching me sleep ._.