I've decided to celebrate Women's History Month by posting about women that you might not know about. Catherine Wiley was a local Knoxvillian and a major artist of American Impressionism. Her "breakdown" in 1925 and subsequent institutionalization are believed by some to be the response of her family to her independent personality, though suspicions have never been confirmed. If you want to see her work, you can go to the KMA!

Wow, it's been a looooong time.

So, I'm making an effort to start actually posting on this damn thing. I still have no earthly clue what it's about. I optimistically named the blog "Storming the castle," but the castle is still a little vague.

For now, I think I'll post about things that I like, so I'm going to start with the best movie I've seen in a while. The Artist which is the story of an actor who struggles to make the transition between silent films and the the "talkies." He doesn't make the transition gracefully. The movie made the film geek living inside me squee with delight. Everything about the movie was perfect. It really made me appreciate the use of sound in film, which is something that often goes unnoticed. The black and white film was a master choice and the cinematography was exquisite.

More than it's technical beauty, though, The Artist spoke of the world today. We're living in a time of sweeping change. Unrest and revolution in the "Arab World", global financial crisis, global protests, single issue politics (o.k. maybe that isn't so different), and major uncertainty about the future are all swirling in a vortex that spells Change. The biggest thing to take from The Artist is its message about change. It's better to be flexible, to bend when you need to so that you don't break when the going gets worse than it already is. I wish that the politicians and leaders of the world (both right and left) would wake up to that fact. It isn't about who wins or loses elections, it's about the people whose lives we touch and the people who touch our lives.




Next time I'll post something lighter, like a craft.

Dragon*Con 2010

I remember a CNN article that featured Dragon*Con. I was at Dragon*Con at the time it was published, and I was soooo excited that my con of choice was going to be read about by news junkies everywhere. That is until I read the article.

It was a piece in which the "journalist" asked the natives and tourists what they thought of the con. The answer was unanimous. We were "freaks." To me the article immediately became a virtual version of a carnival sideshow. All these people in downtown Atlanta became the gawkers who stare in fascinated horror at the unfortunate people who had been put on display. To say I felt insulted is an understatement.

Why did they call us by this completely politically incorrect name? They called us "freaks" because so many of us were in costume. For those who don't know, Dragon*Con is the largest science-fiction/fantasy/comic/gamer convention in the southeast. It is our version of, say ComicCon. Dragon*Con is an Experience. If you don't go in costume, you really don't fit in. It's a way for thousands (yes, thousands) of people to show their appreciation for the things that they love. Star Wars, Dr. Who, comic books, anime/manga, and even skeptics all have a place in the con. Unlike many of the people out there who pride themselves on the fact that they're "normal," we aren't afraid to show the world that we love.

We not only recognize the personal journey of Han Solo from out-for-what-he-can-get to galactic hero, we obsess over the obscure characters who only show up in episode five for a total of two seconds. We take changes to our favorite hero's costume personally. We play the beta versions of video games, and we put the science in science-fiction. We are students, parents, friends, doctors, lawyers, and engineers. We are not 30 year old overweight men who don't have real lives. For most of the year we live among you undetected. We are your friends and your neighbors. We break out the costumes for one weekend a year, drive, fly and bus to Atlanta, GA, to have a good time with people who think like we do. Isn't the goal of every person - to make a personal connection with someone else? To share their likes and dislikes? To be? We are not freaks. We are brave men and women who do not fear jeering catcalls and funny looks. Dragon*Con 2010 is only a month away. I will be my wearing my costume with pride and, hey, maybe I'll see you there.