March 2008 Archives
An old friend of mine died in his sleep this weekend. I just found out.
I haven't spoken to him in years. To tell you the truth, I don't even remember his last name. But my memory of him just cuts and cuts. I can touch it. He was insultingly tall and foolishly skinny; I remember the way his waist felt when we hugged, and the way he smelled. He owned more gray clothing than anyone I'd ever met.
He would get drunk (I wouldn't) and we'd argue about queer theory. I would chastize him for not identifying as bisexual, even though that's what he was. He would chastize me for fetishizing labels, even though I needed them to survive. We'd both let rhetoric overwhelm ideology, each of us more ridiculous than we were intelligent. We would just scream at each other, until it became clear that we were only arguing because we couldn't make out. Then we would laugh.
One time I didn't laugh, and he was afraid that he had gone to far, that he had offended me deeply, so he grabbed my forearms and said, "You know I don't want to upset you. You know I think you're beautiful, and sexy, and smart. Don't hate me, please, you're beautiful." Our friends burst into hysterics. It was the funniest thing they'd ever seen. I laughed too. Then he threw up in an elevator. I walked to my room and cried.
It was the first time in my whole life that a boy called me beautiful.
I loved that kid, and (is this unseemly to say of the dead?) always imagined that, if he and his girlfriend hadn't been madly in love, we would have grabbed onto each other and spent a few good years arguing and laughing together. I think that's the reason we never became better friends.
I can't believe how much I don't know about this person, and how remarkably tiny my perspective on his life must be.
I can't believe how many people die every day.
My comprehension of it all is so puny.
I wish this person could have become old. The world would be so wonderful with an old version of this person in it.
Love
Dan
I haven't spoken to him in years. To tell you the truth, I don't even remember his last name. But my memory of him just cuts and cuts. I can touch it. He was insultingly tall and foolishly skinny; I remember the way his waist felt when we hugged, and the way he smelled. He owned more gray clothing than anyone I'd ever met.
He would get drunk (I wouldn't) and we'd argue about queer theory. I would chastize him for not identifying as bisexual, even though that's what he was. He would chastize me for fetishizing labels, even though I needed them to survive. We'd both let rhetoric overwhelm ideology, each of us more ridiculous than we were intelligent. We would just scream at each other, until it became clear that we were only arguing because we couldn't make out. Then we would laugh.
One time I didn't laugh, and he was afraid that he had gone to far, that he had offended me deeply, so he grabbed my forearms and said, "You know I don't want to upset you. You know I think you're beautiful, and sexy, and smart. Don't hate me, please, you're beautiful." Our friends burst into hysterics. It was the funniest thing they'd ever seen. I laughed too. Then he threw up in an elevator. I walked to my room and cried.
It was the first time in my whole life that a boy called me beautiful.
I loved that kid, and (is this unseemly to say of the dead?) always imagined that, if he and his girlfriend hadn't been madly in love, we would have grabbed onto each other and spent a few good years arguing and laughing together. I think that's the reason we never became better friends.
I can't believe how much I don't know about this person, and how remarkably tiny my perspective on his life must be.
I can't believe how many people die every day.
My comprehension of it all is so puny.
I wish this person could have become old. The world would be so wonderful with an old version of this person in it.
Love
Dan
This is really moving. To protest Chinese support for the Darfur militias, this group is holding an alternative Olympic Torch Relay that only goes through places that have been devastated by genocide. Here is a video from when they were in Bosnia:
Does anyone want to do any anti-Olympics stuff in NYC this summer? It's in August, when I'll be traveling to England and Israel (whole 'nother can of worms!), so I can't do much organizing, but maybe we can skeer up some kind of public fake-Olympics event? Ideas? Anyone?
Meanwhile, do visit Olympic Dream for Darfur.
Love,
Dan
Does anyone want to do any anti-Olympics stuff in NYC this summer? It's in August, when I'll be traveling to England and Israel (whole 'nother can of worms!), so I can't do much organizing, but maybe we can skeer up some kind of public fake-Olympics event? Ideas? Anyone?
Meanwhile, do visit Olympic Dream for Darfur.
Love,
Dan
Everyone's talking about Obama's big speech, and about the imminent recession...
But I'm preoccupied with the riots in Tibet.
Things seem really terrible.
I have no real comment, other than:
Why aren't more powerful people condemning the Chinese occupation of Tibet?
Why aren't more powerful people condemning their brutal responses to these riots?
Why aren't more powerful people engaging in an intelligent debate about the merits of violent protest?
Is anyone else going to protest the Beijing Olympics this year?
Love
Dan
ps: You can get informed here, here, here and probably a lot of other places too.
But I'm preoccupied with the riots in Tibet.
Things seem really terrible.
I have no real comment, other than:
Why aren't more powerful people condemning the Chinese occupation of Tibet?
Why aren't more powerful people condemning their brutal responses to these riots?
Why aren't more powerful people engaging in an intelligent debate about the merits of violent protest?
Is anyone else going to protest the Beijing Olympics this year?
Love
Dan
ps: You can get informed here, here, here and probably a lot of other places too.
Oh Jeez. It's coming....
***************************************************
Wednesday, March 26th
THE LAST CHANUKAH: a reading of a new draft of a play-like thing
Written by Dan Fishback, Directed by Michael Silverstone
Performed by Dan Fishback and Joseph Keckler
The Center for Jewish History, 15 West 16th Street, NYC
Followed by a discussion with Dr. David Shneer, sexy Queer Theory / Jewish History professor.
7:00pm, $10, free wine (I know!)
The Last Chanukah presents one morning in the life of a lapsed activist. From the moment he wakes up, he is so crippled by his over-active empathy with the oppressed peoples of the world that he can barely get dressed and go to work. As he tries to leave his apartment, he struggles with his place in history: his own history, Jewish history, and the history of everything bad that has ever happened, ever.
Dan Fishback is a performance artist type of person, and a nerdy gay Jew. The Last Chanukah is the latest in a series of Fishback's surreal, comedic, political performances, including the Michael Jackson-themed Please Let Me Love You, and, most recently, Waiting For Barbara, a play about coked-up gay Yale students toasting the bombing of Baghdad. Fishback's band, Cheese On Bread, has toured Europe and North America, and has released two critically acclaimed albums. In 2007, Fishback was awarded the Six Points Fellowship for Emerging Jewish Artists. Six Points is partnership of Avoda Arts, JDub Records, and the National Foundation for Jewish Culture, and is made possible with major funding from UJA-Federation of New York.
Fishback blogs at: http://www.danfishback.com
Six Points exists at: http://www.sixpointsfellowship.org
******************************
"...Ya know, being Jewish is a lot like having an internet boyfriend..."
Wednesday, March 26th
THE LAST CHANUKAH: a reading of a new draft of a play-like thing
Written by Dan Fishback, Directed by Michael Silverstone
Performed by Dan Fishback and Joseph Keckler
The Center for Jewish History, 15 West 16th Street, NYC
Followed by a discussion with Dr. David Shneer, sexy Queer Theory / Jewish History professor.
7:00pm, $10, free wine (I know!)
The Last Chanukah presents one morning in the life of a lapsed activist. From the moment he wakes up, he is so crippled by his over-active empathy with the oppressed peoples of the world that he can barely get dressed and go to work. As he tries to leave his apartment, he struggles with his place in history: his own history, Jewish history, and the history of everything bad that has ever happened, ever.
Dan Fishback is a performance artist type of person, and a nerdy gay Jew. The Last Chanukah is the latest in a series of Fishback's surreal, comedic, political performances, including the Michael Jackson-themed Please Let Me Love You, and, most recently, Waiting For Barbara, a play about coked-up gay Yale students toasting the bombing of Baghdad. Fishback's band, Cheese On Bread, has toured Europe and North America, and has released two critically acclaimed albums. In 2007, Fishback was awarded the Six Points Fellowship for Emerging Jewish Artists. Six Points is partnership of Avoda Arts, JDub Records, and the National Foundation for Jewish Culture, and is made possible with major funding from UJA-Federation of New York.
Fishback blogs at: http://www.danfishback.com
Six Points exists at: http://www.sixpointsfellowship
I get totally inspired watching queer kids on TV, but this is a little much!
Scan to 00.23 and watch the gayest interaction I've ever seen in my entire life.
Love
Dan
Scan to 00.23 and watch the gayest interaction I've ever seen in my entire life.
Love
Dan
1. A 19-year-old gay Iranian boy was denied asylum by the Netherlands. Now he's getting shipped to the UK, which will probably send him back to Iran, where he will probably be killed. Way to go, Europe. I think I'm gonna throw up.
2. La John Joseph posted a link to this intensely necessary blog: IRAQI LGBT UK. Sexual minoritarians in Iraq (as in Iran) are being systematically harassed and killed. The only big difference is that the United States is directly responsible for the Iraqi government, and has done nothing to prevent these anti-gay pogroms. Yes, pogroms - I'm not afraid to use the word.
3. A family member, as a joke, sent us a link to the "Hillary Nutcracker," which looks like this:
I am angry. I don't support Clinton's candidacy, but I'm amazed at how casually people resort to this kind of misogynistic attack.
The Obama vs. Clinton phenomenon has a lot of people arguing about racism and sexism, and "which is worse." Comparing the isms on a "better/worse" level will never be productive. But it's worth pointing out the various differences between them.
For instance, I'd wager to say that overt racism has always been a very public affair. The major circumstances and events in the history of American racism have been right out there in the open: slavery, Jim Crow, the civil rights movement, race riots, Rodney King, etc. The history of sexism, however, has been largely private. Violence against women happens behind closed doors. It's not so much in the streets, but in bedrooms and kitchens where women are beaten, raped, robbed of their agency, treated as vessels for sex and childbirth.
And so it's perhaps unsurprising that people don't take sexism so seriously. It's because they so rarely have to face its demons. They so rarely have to confront the brutal realities of this kind of violence.
And so Hillary Clinton becomes a "nut-cracker" - a threat to the testicles of men everywhere. People forward the image to their friends and family. They laugh. I am told, in defense, that many "liberal-leaning women think it's funny."
Can you imagine the racial equivalent? Can you even imagine the queer equivalent? People would be outraged! It might even be LESS ACCEPTABLE to say homophobic things in the United States than it is to spew misogyny. Even as a very paranoid queer person, I am willing to consider this possibility.
Anyway. Back to work.
Love
Dan
2. La John Joseph posted a link to this intensely necessary blog: IRAQI LGBT UK. Sexual minoritarians in Iraq (as in Iran) are being systematically harassed and killed. The only big difference is that the United States is directly responsible for the Iraqi government, and has done nothing to prevent these anti-gay pogroms. Yes, pogroms - I'm not afraid to use the word.
3. A family member, as a joke, sent us a link to the "Hillary Nutcracker," which looks like this:
I am angry. I don't support Clinton's candidacy, but I'm amazed at how casually people resort to this kind of misogynistic attack.
The Obama vs. Clinton phenomenon has a lot of people arguing about racism and sexism, and "which is worse." Comparing the isms on a "better/worse" level will never be productive. But it's worth pointing out the various differences between them.
For instance, I'd wager to say that overt racism has always been a very public affair. The major circumstances and events in the history of American racism have been right out there in the open: slavery, Jim Crow, the civil rights movement, race riots, Rodney King, etc. The history of sexism, however, has been largely private. Violence against women happens behind closed doors. It's not so much in the streets, but in bedrooms and kitchens where women are beaten, raped, robbed of their agency, treated as vessels for sex and childbirth.
And so it's perhaps unsurprising that people don't take sexism so seriously. It's because they so rarely have to face its demons. They so rarely have to confront the brutal realities of this kind of violence.
And so Hillary Clinton becomes a "nut-cracker" - a threat to the testicles of men everywhere. People forward the image to their friends and family. They laugh. I am told, in defense, that many "liberal-leaning women think it's funny."
Can you imagine the racial equivalent? Can you even imagine the queer equivalent? People would be outraged! It might even be LESS ACCEPTABLE to say homophobic things in the United States than it is to spew misogyny. Even as a very paranoid queer person, I am willing to consider this possibility.
Anyway. Back to work.
Love
Dan
I don't have time to post an update about my computer fiasco (Rest assured, I'm fine.), but I wanted to alert everyone to this article about a Palestinian drag queen called...wait for it...
...........THE BRIDE OF PALESTINE.
wow...
i mean...
....I know! When I go to Israel in the fall, I WANT TO MEET THIS GUY.
Love
Dan
...........THE BRIDE OF PALESTINE.
wow...
i mean...
....I know! When I go to Israel in the fall, I WANT TO MEET THIS GUY.
Love
Dan
Water.
Spilled.
Laptop.
Sizzle.
Brought to Tekserve.
Diagnosis in a week.
Script lost, maybe forever.
On rental, at Rapture Cafe, piecing it together.
This + swastikas + gay people getting killed everywhere =
....no breakdown yet.
What's wrong with me, that I'm still happy and affable?
Someone punch me in the face.
Love
Dan
Spilled.
Laptop.
Sizzle.
Brought to Tekserve.
Diagnosis in a week.
Script lost, maybe forever.
On rental, at Rapture Cafe, piecing it together.
This + swastikas + gay people getting killed everywhere =
....no breakdown yet.
What's wrong with me, that I'm still happy and affable?
Someone punch me in the face.
Love
Dan
Meanwhile, in the world of Other Things That Bum Me Out, foreign policy expert Samantha Power just resigned from the Obama campaign because she stupidly called Hillary Clinton a "monster" in public. I'm really angry at her for jeopardizing her role in this presidency, because I was hoping she'd be a big part of the Obama Administration. She is fierce and has the moves.
Check her out on Charlie Rose. And note the hair!
Those, my friends, are The Moves.
Love
Dan
Check her out on Charlie Rose. And note the hair!
Those, my friends, are The Moves.
Love
Dan
We found a new swastika in the hallway today. The station sent two new police officers, and we filed a new report. According to Preston, swastika vandalism is actually a felony, which feels odd, considering yesterday's police report listed the crime as simply, "Making Grafitti [sic]."
When I told one of my bosses about the new development, he said, "Well, I guess the only option is to fire all the Jews in the office." I haven't laughed that hard in a while. It made the whole thing a lot easier, oddly enough.
I almost hope that the person doing this is an actual Nazi, and not just some punk kid who doesn't get it. Nihilism scares me more than Nazism, though I feel confident that we can defeat both.
Love
Dan
When I told one of my bosses about the new development, he said, "Well, I guess the only option is to fire all the Jews in the office." I haven't laughed that hard in a while. It made the whole thing a lot easier, oddly enough.
I almost hope that the person doing this is an actual Nazi, and not just some punk kid who doesn't get it. Nihilism scares me more than Nazism, though I feel confident that we can defeat both.
Love
Dan
In case you want to re-live the worst moment of my life, here's the clip:
Love,
Dan
Love,
Dan
Bjork has been dedicating "Declare Independence" to Kosovo and Tibet while on tour. She was recently in Shanghai and incorporated the word "Tibet" into the song itself.
In response, China's Culture Ministry announced that her performance "broke Chinese law and hurt Chinese people's feelings." Bjork should really be ashamed of herself, hurting the feelings of Chinese people like that. She made the following statement on her website:
Ah, the words of a scoundrel.
Love,
Dan
In response, China's Culture Ministry announced that her performance "broke Chinese law and hurt Chinese people's feelings." Bjork should really be ashamed of herself, hurting the feelings of Chinese people like that. She made the following statement on her website:i have been asked by many for a statement after dedicating my song "declare independence" to both kosovo and tibet ( amongst others ) on different occasions.
i would like to put importance on that i am not a politician, i am first and last a musician and as such i feel my duty to try to express the whole range of human emotions. the urge for declaring independence is just one of them but an important one that we all feel at some times in our lives. this song was written more with the personal in mind but the fact that it has translated to its broadest meaning, the struggle of a suppressed nation, gives me much pleasure .i would like to wish all individuals and nations good luck in their battle for independence.justice !
warmth , björk.
Ah, the words of a scoundrel.
Love,
Dan
Noooooo! What is wrong with this country that Danny Noriega was just voted off American Idol!?!?
I don't want to live in an America where that happens! I want to live in an America where you can turn on network television and see fierce gay teenagers say sassy things to older men, and people PICK UP THEIR PHONES AND CALL IN AND VOTE FOR HIM AND SAY, "I WANT TO SEE THIS HAPPEN CONSTANTLY! I WANT TO SEE FIERCE GAY TEENAGERS SAY SASSY THINGS!"
I've been really depressed about queer people getting killed lately. Especially that 14 year old kid who was shot by the boy he had a crush on. Silly as it sounds, Danny Noriega made me feel a lot better.
Danny, if you don't stay famous, I'ma cut you! I'll write you some songs! Let's get to work!
Love
Dan
I don't want to live in an America where that happens! I want to live in an America where you can turn on network television and see fierce gay teenagers say sassy things to older men, and people PICK UP THEIR PHONES AND CALL IN AND VOTE FOR HIM AND SAY, "I WANT TO SEE THIS HAPPEN CONSTANTLY! I WANT TO SEE FIERCE GAY TEENAGERS SAY SASSY THINGS!"
I've been really depressed about queer people getting killed lately. Especially that 14 year old kid who was shot by the boy he had a crush on. Silly as it sounds, Danny Noriega made me feel a lot better.
Danny, if you don't stay famous, I'ma cut you! I'll write you some songs! Let's get to work!
Love
Dan
Someone has been etching swastikas into the hallway at work.
I'm waiting to hear back from the police.
I'm waiting to hear back from the police.
Five thousand mix CDs later, I got my first gig as a DJ! I'll be playing riot grrl and anti-folk at Victoria this Saturday! Come dance with me!
Shut up, I know, I know - I should be spending my time finishing the new draft of "The Last Chanukah," not playing CDs for a bunch of gays... But...but...
Love,
Dan
Shut up, I know, I know - I should be spending my time finishing the new draft of "The Last Chanukah," not playing CDs for a bunch of gays... But...but...
Love,
Dan
Listen, I really am paying a lot of attention to politics or whatever, and I was so outraged by this article about how the Bush administration secretly (and stupidly) caused the ascension of Hamas. HOWEVER, is anyone else completely preoccupied with the two cutie-pie gay teenage boys on American Idol?
I mean...do you think they're dating?
What a world we live in!
Love
Dan
What a world we live in!
Love
Dan
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Dan Fishback is a sponsored project of Fractured Atlas, a non-profit arts service organization. Contributions in behalf of Dan Fishback may be made payable to Fractured Atlas and are tax-deductible to the extent permitted by law.
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