On Location: Prom Night in Mississippi

Just a few days ago someone (who shall remain nameless but has the initials QB) reminded me that I hadn't written about my adventures as a Production Assistant, April 20-21. If you can't tell by the pictures and the consistent grin wouldn't wipe off my face, I had a great time!

Southland in the Springtime

Southland in the Springtime is one of my favorite songs by the Indigo Girls. It makes my heart swell for my home. The song is especially poignant right now during the heart of the spring season. The flowers are blooming, the bird chorus is outside singing, the earthy-smell at the sign of rain and these lovely, perfect-weather days full of sunshine.

Everywhere I go there is a thick, delicious, flowery scent on the breeze. Whether I'm driving down the highway with my windows rolled down, making my way into work or walking down the sidewalk and through our screen door.

{Does it happen every year? Why haven't I noticed before? Am I more present this time around? Well, thank God for that!}

Earlier in the month when QB and I went walking around the neighborhood, the wisteria was hanging off of every tree branch each turn we took. I had to breathe it in. We put our noses in the air and started sniffin'.

There is some sort of flowering shrub nestled in among the trees and bushes that is currently blooming everywhere. Not sure what it is, but its scent is pure yummy goodness. And I don't use that term unless it's absolutely necessary!

QB is currently out on the porch reading. I'm going to brave the mosquitos and join him. Hold his hand. Sniff up the air. Enjoy being in love.

Monday: On Location

A few weeks ago at the Crossroads Film Festival, I ran into Thabi Moyo, Associate Producer of Prom Night in Mississippi. (She and I are both past Festival Coordinators) She mentioned there might be a small crew heading to North Mississippi to interview the documentary participants a year later. She asked if I was interested. Yes, was the answer to that.

Late this past week, she asked if I was still interested, I said Yes, and my boss was extremely kind to agree to two days off work.

We will head to Grenada Monday morning.

From my understanding, this follow up will be added onto what will be broadcast on HBO in June.

I'm excited about the opportunity to be a PA with Thabi and Don Warren. I will post updates on everything when I get back!

Happy Birthday, Miss Eudora!

April 13 was Eudora Welty's 100th birthday.
(She passed away in 2001 at the age of 92.)

The birthday party was at her home on Pinehurst Street in Belhaven.

Camera crews, reporters and others were there

to help celebrate and commemorate the occasion.

(Welty's Niece, Mary Alice White being interviewed)

It was a beautiful day that had been threatened with rain,
but the sun shone brightly all day long.

(The bottom fell out of the sky that very night.

QB & I got caught out in it during our walk around the neighborhood.

Were properly soaked.)

They served guests cake and lemonade.

There was even a speech by the Guv'nuh.

Two pretty little girls in matching pink dresses
were floating around the yard.

Bright pink and white striped camillia bushes on the side of her house.

Tours of her home and the gardens were given on the half hour.

A documentary film can be seen in the house
next door (which is also a part of the museum),
which I highly recommend.
I wasn't able to see all of it.
The tour of the house started at 1:30 p.m.
It was hard to pull myself away!

She donated her home
to the Mississippi Department of Archives
in 1985-6.
After her death they took pictures of everything
just as she had left it.
After the renovations
everything was lovingly restored
to its proper place.

Central heat and air was installed in the house.
Miss Welty abhorred air conditioning
and never used it.

I, personally, praise the name
of whoever invented CH/A.

Only a handful of objects are reproductions.
Everything else is original.
Books are stacked everywhere
just like she had it
and copies of manuscripts pages
that sat on the dining room table
for us to look at and touch.

I made a mental note of the P.G. Wodehouse book in her den.
The World of Jeeves.

Memorable quotes as we made our way through the house:

"I've only seen three books I've actually read!"
"Are you the last two [in the group]? The caboose?"

We saw the set of Charles Dickens books upstairs
that her mother
famously saved
during an apartment fire.

The bathroom at the top of the stairs was where she developed her photographs.

Copies of her first edition books
she gave to her mother
were kept in a secretary in the den.

Fans would knock on her door
to ask for autographs
which she gladly gave.

One fan went so far as
to send money
and asked if she would please
buy her books,
autograph them
and "Send them back to me."
And she did.

All of the prizes she won,
including her Pulitzer,
were found after her death
in the living room closet.
The one prize she did display
was a porcelain Raven statue
she received in 1995
for being the top Mystery book reader of the year.

When we were being shown through the house,
a lady named Eddie Polk spoke up.
She worked for the Weltys for 36 years.
Eddie came every morning to cook
Miss Eudora and her Mama breakfast.
Sometimes she would drive Eudora to the bank.
Other days Eudora would say,
"Eddie, let's not do anything today. It's just too hot."

It doesn't get better than that.

Supa Staah!

I'm currently participating in the I Thought It Was Just Me read a-long on Brene Brown's website. She's an incredible woman who has been researching shame and its affects on women and on our culture for close to 10 years now. Her story and blog amaze me!

So, for the 2nd read along post, she asked us to talk about one of our (potential) superpowers and the thing that acts like kryptonite to our superpower. Then she asked us to describe what we would wear and drive.

Posting this compels to repeat part of Marianne Williamson's poem:

And as we let our own light shine,
we unconsciously give other
people permission to do the same.
As we are liberated from our own fear,
our presence automatically
liberates others.

That is my hope as I continue to write this here blogspace on the intrawebs.

Here's what I wrote in response to the "Superpower Challenge":

My Superpower:
Resilience against all those Jokers out there
that try to pull a woman down!
Can't do this: Let me show you I CAN!
Shouldn't do that: Let me show you I WILLl!
You're not good enough: Honey, I'll prove I AM!
I reserve the non-exclusive right
to prove you wrong in Perpetuity.
Says who? Says ME!
You better be ready to duke it out if you dial my name and number.

My Kryptonite:
Good ol' boys who think
women are only good for two things:
being a secretary and ... (you know);
competitive, critical, dispassionate people
who are insecure & hurting
and go out of their way
to bring you down and purposely hurt you.
The biggest chunk of Kryptonite
is when I have allowed myself to entertain
what they say and
begin to think maybe I'm really not good enough. :(
Boo Hiss!

My Outfit:
Eartha Kitt's/Julie Newmar's
plunging leather (or pleather) cat suit!
Reow!
Red nails,
Cole Haan Nike Air Black stiletto peep-toes
with rhinestones on the heels
and a black silk cape (tied with a red ribbon)
to flow beautifully behind me
as I run, jump and fly!
My hair stays perfectly coifed
at all times and
I don't even break a sweat.My SupaSetOWheels:
A 1963 1/2 cherry red Mercury Meteor with Chrome accents.
0-100 in 60 seconds.
You can hear it coming a mile away
and it's runnin' on a full tank of whoop ass!
Watch out!
Flames shoot out of the exhaust pipes,
it's got high tech aviation bells & whistles
as well as the latest sound system
to blast some tunes
during my supa-cool "foiled you again suckas" get away!!
License plate
#2Cool2BeForgotten

Weekend Rambles

I have a special spot in my heart for Arkansas. As a child, my family took trips predominately into the Ozarks. We weren't a Disney World seeking family. We explored a lot of the state, scouting out trees, flowers and birds. I have an affinity for huge chunks of rocks that line the interstate, streams full of moss and cold spring water and hawks perched in trees.

My niece, Anna Kate, turned 6 years old March 19. To mark the special occasion, QB and I took a weekender trip to Pine Bluff where my sister and her family live. So began our vision quest for Chuck E. Cheese. Her party was at 10 a.m. on Saturday morning in Little Rock. In an effort to save time, I decided it was best to head to Arkansas after work and make the drive on Friday night.

We hit the road, traveling up I-55 to Winona and cutting across on 82. I enjoy driving this stretch of country. It is hilly with kudzu spreading across most every inch of ground between all sides of the highway, lush and green. The hills then slope down and level out into Delta farmlands and roll on past.

We passed through the outskirts of Carrollton, and I wondered who would be playing at the Carroll County Market on Saturday night.

It soon became dark. One of the aspects I love about night driving is the quiet. The stars are out and light the way because the fields stretch for miles into the darkness. It’s a peaceful, thinking sort of time. If there’s somebody with you, it always seems like the best conversations ever take place in those late hours of the night.

We drove into the Delta and made our way through Greenwood, Indianola and Greenville. Watching the towns buzz with Friday night excitement was fun. Folks were dressed up and ready to let off some steam. The local car washes were packed with people polishing their rides, so they could take a lap or two around the main drag in town. People stopped in the gravel parking lot of a roadside bar leaning against their cars, talking and laughing. The roadside bars were decorated with colored Christmas lights and a yellow, hazy glow shining through its doors.

In between those places, I stared out into the darkness searching for the outlines and shadows of the green fields I knew were there.

(Another route to Pine Bluff that I like to take is to head on I-220 to Vicksburg and into Louisiana. Take the Monroe exit and keep going on 65 through little towns and more fields that take you into the South side of Lake Providence, Arkansas. Once in Louisiana, you’ll pass The Dutch Oven, a Mennonite Bakery. I always have to stop and get warm cinnamon rolls and poppy seed bread. Divine!)

As we headed past the casinos, we started across the seemingly rickety, two lane ascent of the Mississippi River bridge. It made me wonder when it was built. QB was nervous driving across but I sort of liked it although going across a narrow two-laner bridge is a little daunting! The entire experience felt like the first big hill of a roller coaster – more like The Pippin for those who remember Libertyland in Memphis – with the clackity clack noise of the tires rolling over the metal brackets of the road during the ascent up the narrow, almost winding path to the top of the bridge. Then, we are up in the air, gliding over the water and see its shining, steely darkness, speckled with lights along the winding riverside.

QB honked the horn for me (my prerequisite any time I drive across a Mississippi River bridge) and we plunged back into the night, passing through the wide open spaces of Arkansas.

After you cross the River, Lake Providence, Arkansas is one of the first places you hit. It’s fun driving through at Christmastime when every dock and boat are decorated with twinkle lights as far as you can see across the lake.

With no lights lining the side of the road, the nighttime darkness was thick. We spent the time by turning off the radio and getting a chance to talk about various subjects other than how our day is going.

On the other side of Dumas, the speed limits slowed us down as we made our way through various whistle stop towns on the outskirts of Pine Bluff. We got close to the state penitentiary area and heard a train horn blowing. It was an eerie experience, given the circumstances. As we looked next to us, our car was side-by-side with the train. Our speed soon overcame it and we left it behind, its lone headlight reaching into the darkness.

After what seemed like a huge amount of time, we made it into Pine Bluff, found our motel and snuggled in for the night. The next morning, we had to be up, ready and willing for Chuck E. Cheese.

Consequently, neither I nor QB had been to Chuck E. Cheese since our pre-teens, so we were not sure what to expect. Despite ourselves, we had a good time. Our two hours of hard labor and game time to get Anna Kate an ungodly amount of tickets, our stomachs were full of soda and pizza and we decided to do a little sightseeing in Little Rock.

QB had never been to The River Market District and I wanted to show him a few choice spots. I love that particular area of Downtown Little Rock and was glad to see several new additions to the revitalization.

Brightly-colored, vintage trolley cars were a common site. What fun! Its route lines (the Blue and Green, respectively) travel throughout the Downtown area and also over the bridge that goes across the Arkansas River. The cars were similar to the ones that travel up and down Market Street in San Francisco, running from the Castro to Fisherman’s Wharf. The River Rail System also lets corporate sponsors name a car!

We walked down President Clinton Avenue, past several restaurants. One bar in particular caught my eye. Its windows were lined with silver beads and I'd bet $10 there is a disco ball inside. It looked like a fun place. On its outside window, there was a John Lennon quote. It made me wonder if they paid for the use. Probably not.

We walked into the lovely Ottenheimer Market Hall. On one end of the hall, there are artists several different local artists selling jewelry and on the other side of the hall is the Boulevard Bread Company (specialty coffees, paninis and other sandwiches). In the middle of the hall is a bevy of food vendors: Thai, Chinese, Middle Eastern foods and sundries and a Bavarian deli. I was sorry we had already filled up on pizza.

One aspect of the Market Hall that captured my interest is that the windows lining the sides could be opened during nice weather and sell from there as well. I can only imagine the sights and smells!

Along with regular food vendors, there were several dessert stops: Cocoa Belle, which had the most amazing array of truffles!

Coast Cafe/Pie Heaven with homemade pies and my personal favorite stop, Brown Sugar.

They bake cupcakes and other confections there on the spot. I must confess, we made room in our stomachs for cupcakes.

I decided on the Birthday cupcake: Vanilla cake with icing and sprinkles. QB chose the German Chocolate cupcake. It came with a glazed topping with coconut and pecans.

Yummy goodness is what that was!

I decided to get cupcakes for the trip home and I couldn’t pass up the chocolate truffles either. We made the decision to take it home with us and share it with the family. Decadence like that should not be kept to yourself!

After the sugar overdose, we walked around outside, passed the farmer’s market, a wedding being set up in the Pavillion, through the Amphitheater and down near the river.

QB wanted to visit the Clinton Presidential Library and Museum, so we drove down the street to the Library. It is an impressive structure, full of light and windows. What an absolutely gorgeous building.

Here are a few shots of the Arkansas River and old bridge that are outside and next to the museum. Look at all that fragrant jasmine in the second picture!

We toured the library, stopping first at an art exhibit by Peter Max. I didn’t necessarily care for the modern painted photographs of Presidents and other figures because it seemed a little too much like a page out of Andy Warhol’s book and wasn’t too astonishing, really. However, his other original art is bright and almost cartoon-like and I much preferred it that style.

Two canvases caught my attention: one for the GRAMMYs and another that was a colorful jukebox. It reminded me of a piece of art in the Attic Gallery in Vicksburg, which was a piece of wood shaped and painted like a jukebox. (I drooled over it at the time although I didn’t have the funds to buy it. Maybe someday soon!)

We took the goodies back to the family in Pine Bluff. They perked up when we told them what we brought and everyone had a bite of a thing or two!

We ate supper, visited and then set off again on Saturday night riding on the high of having such a good time filled with memories and family smiles and hugs.

As we drove back to Jackson, we watched as the towns came alive again on a Saturday night. People making the most of their weekend by taking a lap along the main drag of the town.

It’s a blissful experience to travel through the Delta listening to Paul Simon’s Graceland. I’d never heard it all the way through, in one listen. That's one of the best ways to listen to a good album. You witness its magic, verse by verse - Diamonds on the soles of my shoes and other gems (no pun intended) - hear his thoughts as he makes his way along an identical highway. The rhythm of the songwriter's mind echoing in the chorus of voices and beats of the drum.

Roadtrip Tunes:
Paul Simon: Graceland
Raphael Saddiq: The Way I See It
James Brown: Box Set

More on "Prom Night"

Last night was my first time to see "Prom Night." I am blown away by this film. It is funny, touching, heartbreaking and ground-breaking.

It was a special night for several reasons. Many of the points of the story touch home for me in a big way. It also marked the point at which I have officially received my first film credit!!!

Another exciting tidbit is that it's going to be airing on HBO in June!

Right now, I've got so many irons in the firemy clothes are smokin'. I couldn't be more excited about the possibilities that are before me!

Pictures from Crossroads will surface in the next couple of weeks. Will post them soon.

Crossroads Film Festival

This weekend is the 10th Anniversary Crossroads Film Festival, April 2 - 5.

Last year I was the Coordinator, so I didn't get to really enjoy the festival as a movie fan. Don't get me wrong - I loved being the Coordinator and participating in a Music in Film workshop panel - with film producer Orian Williams, no less!

However, this year, I decided to be involved on the committee as one of the Hospitality Coordinators. My work was done last week, after the last guest bag was stuffed with goodies. And, now I get to be a spectator - at least more so than last year, since I do keep getting roped into helping when people see my face! That's ok with me. I like being able to help out and miss "the action" a little.

Last night I saw Medicine for Melancholy, which was directed by Barry Jenkins. It was well shot and looked incredible. The story, to me, was a little on the slow side sometimes and not exactly well-developed - but that also, was sort of the point of "a day in the life" kind of story. The actors did a great job. It was set in San Francisco so it was fun for me to see if I could recognize any areas that we visited during our trip in December.

Today are two workshops with the Memphis chapter of NARAS. It's a collaboration that I helped get into motion with my friends at the Grammy office. I volunteered with them for several years while I was a Music Business student at the University of Memphis. NARAS is stretching their outreach into Mississippi, which is very exciting. Great to be involved with that!

Tonight, I'm especially excited about Prom Night in Mississippi. This film has gotten quite a bit of buzz all across the U.S. and at every festival it has premiered.

Excerpt from NPR:

Mississippi integrated its public schools in 1970, but segregation still haunts parts of the culture. One example of this could be found at Charleston High School. The Delta town had maintained a system of separate proms — organized privately — for black and white students.

As far back as 1997, actor Morgan Freeman, a Charleston local, offered to pay for the dance if everyone could go. This year, officials finally accepted the offer. A Canadian film crew led by Paul Saltzman documented the event for the upcoming Prom Night in Mississippi.

The past festival Coordinator, Thabi Moyo, has a producer credit on this film and she recruited me to help with music research. I found and compiled local music that would fit the film's sound design. So, it's an exciting night for everyone as the director, Paul Salzman, is here to introduce it, along with other local cast and crew members. It's exciting for me because it is my first film credit!

Thabi mentioned last night at the Shimmel's reception that they will need PAs for another similar film that Paul is doing and I told her to put me on the list!

I'm also very excited to be handing out my new business cards during the festival! Things are moving along quite nicely!
Click on the picture and it goes straight to my website. Have I mentioned how excited I am?! We're almost done with the content, so please come back in the next couple of weeks!

There are going to be a lot of new developments in the next few months and I can't wait.

Work Space

QB and I began renting a lovely house in January. It is similar to the ones we both grew up in: older, drafty, hard wood floors and high ceilings. (Picture, at left, taken by QB)

Before this house, I was in a small garage apartment just three houses down from where we are now. So, imagine my delight at the prospect of having my very own room to decorate for creative/office space! Although boxes are still piled on the floors - my friends have said it usually takes a year to really settled in to a space and we're going on 4 months - I have put a few prints on the walls.

There are two prints I bought from a seller on Etsy, badbird, that appeal to my whimsy but still convey my journey into my own strength. (They would also make lovely prints for a child's room as well)

The other print I bought was from a seller named Geninne who lives in Mexico City. I fell in love with "Don Matias," who has since been christened "Hugo." Hugo is my wise owlie friend that has visited me several times in my neighborhood. I found the print during a frenzied online search for owl prints and instantly fell in love with him! He had already been sold by the time I found him in Geninne's Etsy shop. I got in touch with her and asked if there would be any chance that she would print more. She told me that she decided to do second editions of several of her lovely birdie prints - they are SO cool - and I got the first of 50 of the second helping of these fellows:

When we get around to painting the rooms, mine will be green. My mantra lately has been "Green for Growth!" My friend and old landlady (makes her sound ancient! she's not) down the street has a terrific green on the walls of a room which has been stuck in my head for months now. It's very bright but also deep and rich and changes in the light depending on the time of day. I will have to get some color samples and experiment for a while before I commit.

My new (ad)venture

Looking back to a few posts that sit here on this my intrawebs space, I find myself still asking the same questions from time to time; but my headspace has a completely new outlook from these eyes.

To give the reader a bit of perspective, I moved to Jackson from Memphis in September of 2004 for my dream job in the music business. It brought my music education full circle. The moved included my new husband of 9 months and three cats. Five months after the move, my marriage ended. We separated and soon thereafter divorced. My mind reeled from the shock and pain, though meanwhile, my professional life was getting off the ground and doors began opening up in quick succession. It was at this point I realized I had a pair of wings. It was a strange paradox in which to exist - the contradiction of events brought both immense pain and incredible joy. I had quite a few things to work out in my life. My emotional skin had been stretched to what I thought was its breaking point but only at that point did everything in my life begin to come together.

I began to put the pieces of my true self back together. There was no denying my creative self any longer - she wouldn't be still and had a lot to say; and, with excitement I began to learn how to joyously embrace my gifts along with the ebb and flow of these new growing pains. Everything was new, different, awkward. After pushing through the awkwardness, I found my strength and was discovering my true and authentic self.

Julia Cameron's books became a main-stay in my life. With journaling and writing, with guidance from The Artist's Way and its "sequel" Walking Through This World, they provided a pivotal point in my creative discovery.

In 2006, I began writing music and art articles for the Jackson Free Press. I also began pre-production on my first short film, which filmed in spring of 2007 and brought its own set of joys and struggles.

2008 brought with its own dizzying transition.

S-t-r-e-t-c-h-i-n-g began in a new directions. In January of 2008, my mother was in the hospital with complications from a knee replacement surgery. At the same time, I began a second job and was the Coordinator of the 2008 Crossroads Film Festival. Through the festival committee I found a new set of friends. I met a wonderful friend, dear QB, through Crossroads. We began a slow, healthy and fulfilling dating relationship. To think, both of us had sworn "love" off for good and thought it might not be in the cards for either of us. We began attending church together and enjoying each day more than the one before with each other.

By the summertime, though, I was burned out, worn out and fighting against the good ol' boy caste. My strength was waning after, many times over, being told and shown that as a woman, I was irrelevant (to them, anyway). It felt like I was at loose ends and was frazzled about decisions. Moving out of state seemed to be my salvation, so that I could find a more fulfilling job in the music industry, but once the economic woes hit the U.S., it didn't happen for me. So, I felt very stuck.

In October I began seeing a life coach, Beverly Keaton Smith. It is a more proactive approach than therapy, for me, anyway, and I began to blossom. You should see my wingspan! I found my strength and my voice. At last!

Beverly encouraged me to start singing again. She was (and IS) an objective, encouraging presence when my battered spirit desperately needed it. Those voices that told me "You can't do this," "You shouldn't do that" were dispelled and disproved right and left. It's fascinating how quickly those little nasties scatter when held up to the light!

She has helped me listen to what my body is telling me and respond to my own needs. She has helped me realize what my words, thoughts and actions are saying and help guide me to act positively and intentionally. Through her guidance I discovered a new level of strength that surprised me. It was almost unbelievable. The world opened up to me in a big way. This quote hits the nail on the head:

"When you finally expose yourself
and let yourself be known,
the sky does not fall.
Instead, things begin to unfold;
miracles happen."

~ Suzanne Falter-Barns

December brought a new job opportunity that I had been praying so hard for! I made the decision to switch gears and extricated myself out of an unhealthy work environment.

For Christmas, Bev gave me a very special candle.

This is its message:

Our Deepest Fear is not that we are inadequate.
Our Deepest Fear is that
we are powerful beyond measure.
It is our Light, not our Darkness, that most
frightens us.
We ask ourselves, who am I to be brilliant,
gorgeous, talented, fabulous?
Actually, who are you NOT to be?
You are a child of God.
Your playing small does not serve the world.
There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that
other people won’t feel insecure around you.
We were born to make manifest the glory
of God that is within us.
It is not just in some of us; it is in everyone.
And as we let our own light shine,
we unconsciously give other
people permission to do the same.
As we are liberated from our own fear,
our presence automatically
liberates others.

~ Marianne Williamson

I gave my notice at work and a week later was on a plane to San Francisco to meet with my dearest QB! (It must be said that his parents, who are the sweetest people in the world, gave me their frequent flyer miles so that I could take the trip with him!!) We had such a fantastic trip. It was my first time on the West coast and I almost pulled a Mary Ann Singleton!

We came back from our trip, I started my new job (complete with a huge window office), we moved into a new house, where Ellen Douglas spent the better part writing for 50 years (talk about some major creative energy), and settling in with our 2 cats in tow. QB is frittering away on a children's novel. I love watching him work! My projects are a monthly Songwriters In the Round showcase, a monthly Celtic song circle, music research on a film called Prom Night in Mississippi, trying to finally finish up my own short film and get my music licensing business up and going.

I've left so much baggage behind in the Pearl River! I'm speaking figuratively, of course, not actual bodies...! (duh!)

The moral of this story is...my life is moving forward, getting better by the day and I am joyously becoming...me.