CricketToes

The New School Of Old School Printing

In our ultramodern, digitize-everything-in-sight age, it's tough for the modest ink-stained page to get much attention. And for those who labor at the craft, well, let's just say the days have become longer and the pickings slimmer over the last decade, with printing companies of all sizes shuttering their doors and leaving the hulking mechanical beasts of creation mute.

And though this tale of a once giant medium humbled is not new by any means—and I swear this isn't yet another whiny lament for the old-timey days—there does exist a new generation of brave souls ready and able to take on the art of the printed word, and pictures, and all kinds of other stuff, too. See, this is a hap-hap-happy post!

Gretchen Kletzien, owner of Milwaukee Printing Press, is just one of these new gutsy go-getters, and today we're gonna talk about how and why-oh-why she decided to take a life-altering, fairly scary swim in the blackest of black ink.

So, as with most this-could-be-nuts-but-I-just-gotta-try stories, this yarn begins with art. Gretchen earned her BA at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee in—wait for it—Fine Arts! Oh, and also got herself a Minor in Art History. And what do you do with that combo? Why prepress, of course!

As she tells it:

"I got interested in design in college and Prepress seemed like the logical direction to go in to get use out of my degree. Before starting my business, I worked in Prepress and Design for about 5 years until that printing business closed and I decided I would have a go at opening my own business."

Did ya catch that? That little "have a go" buried in the last sentence? Such nonchalance makes my heart ache with pride. Indeed, why don't more of us "have a go" at something we wanna do, eh? Beautiful.

And so she went, opening Milwaukee Printing Press in February of 2009 in downtown Miltown at the corner of Broadway and Michigan. Today she does 90% of the work in-house—farming out only when the jobs are comin' in fast and furious—including the usual suspects—ya know, business cards, invitations, brochures, etc.—but also design and layout, typesetting and bindery work. Twas that last one that led me to contact her for a quote to print and bind my novel Artifacts, and the results are quite simply stunning.

But owning your own business ain't no joy ride, and much kudos and gratitude must be given to those who help you along:

"Even though I am a sole owner, I could not have opened by own business without the support of my family: Husband, Parents, & Siblings. They support me immensely in my life and business! Starting a business in not easy on any level, as you know. It takes it's toll on your stress level and relationships. It is a major commitment that, looking back at who I was before, I am glad I didn't know how hard it would be and how much work and sweat it would take to succeed. If I had known, I may not have chosen to proceed, and that would have been a mistake because I now that I am into it am so very happy I did. There is a certain pride unlike any other that comes with the success of something huge that you work so hard at."

And work hard she does, folks, so let's hear it for having a go, go and go! You may also show your support and enthusiasm by flowing some jobs Milwaukee Printing Press' way 'cause keeping good people who do good work in business is what good towns do.

Link (Thanks, Gretchen!)

Related:
Publisher Proves Genius by Stating the Obvious
The Hypnotic Process of Printing Cartoons

The Art Tim Hetherington & Chris Hondros Left Behind

Very few of us in the industrialized western world know or understand what it's actually like to live day to day in a war zone, and even fewer of us can truly comprehend the courage it takes to leave our loved ones and creature comforts to head straight into the deadly conflicts of foreign, often poverty stricken lands. Sadly, those who do gain that knowledge sometimes pay for it with their lives.

Such was the case for photographer/filmmaker Tim Hetherington and photographer Chris Hondros, who were killed on April 20, 2011, while covering the upheaval in Libya. In the wake of their tragic deaths, both men have left stirring and evocative images that reach beyond journalism and come to rest within the realm of art.

In 2010 Hetherington made an experimental short film entitled Diary, an extraordinary examination of the physiological turmoil he experienced as he moved from peace to war to peace and back again to war:

 

For Hondros' part, his photography speaks powerfully of the human condition that we all share and we all suffer.

While we should never hold the value of the lives of some over others, for the people who die everyday around the globe without recognition deserve our full and deepest respect, the art Hetherington and Hondros left behind serves as much as a legacy for those they encountered as it does for them.

How To Make Writers/Poets (Temporarily) Less Cynical: Pay Them!

There's an old joke that ya know you're dealing with a real writer when the first question that comes out of his/her mouth is, "When do I get paid?" Haha, yeah! The cynicism embedded in that chuckle inducer--effectively perpetuated by us wordsmiths 'cause we're nothin' if not lovably pessimistic good sports--emanates from a sad truth that the fine art of letters is highly under-appreciated and undervalued. I mean, anybody can write, right? Wrong.

Given this reality, it is indeed a great joy to have an opportunity come around every single year that offers writers a chance to score some actual, beg-free dough and respectful recognition. For those of us living and working in the fair state of Wisco, the big break arrives in the form of the annual Wisconsin People & Ideas/Wisconsin Book Festival Short Story and Poetry Contests, which are now accepting submissions. Whoozzah!

Okay, so let's avoid the proverbial beating 'round the bush and send ya directly to the guidelines.

Did ya digest 'em all? Good. Now for the prizes:

Giddy winners of the Short Story Contest will receive cash--yes, cash!--prizes of $500 for first place, $250 for second place, and $100 for third place. They'll also get to read their award-winning stories during the 2011 Wisconsin Book Festival in Madison to their adoring fans, all three of which will appear in the print and online issues of the Wisconsin People & Ideas quarterly magazine. The Number 1 manuscript will have a detailed, no-punches-pulled going-over by a national publisher.

In the Poetry Contest, the top three award takers will be lavished with money prizes of $500 for first place--a.k.a. the John Lehman Poetry Award--$100 for second place, and $50 for third place. Like the fiction writers, Best Poets 1/2/3 will have their work published in the print and online issues of Wisconsin People & Ideas. A special gift designed just for the first-prize poet is a three-hour CD recording/editing session at Abella Studios.

Deadline for both contests is December 15, 2010, so jump on it, kids!

Link (Thanks, Jason!)

Related:
Finally, Kudos & Cash for Writers

Theatre Editor Turns Prophet Of The Coming Apocalypse

David Cote, theatre editor for Time Out New York and well known critic, posted a nearly hysterical item at the Guardian yesterday, bemoaning the slash-n-burn techniques US publishers are employing to hand out pink slips to longtime, established critics. And when I say hysterical, I mean both in his delivery and in my own response of uncontrollable laughter.

Citing Variety's decision to cut loose chief film critic Todd McCarthy and chief theatre critic David Rooney on Monday--which is indeed sad--Cote's piece quickly spirals out of the realm of logic and into a diatribe of civilization-ending consequences should this trend continue.

He actually compares it with Alan Weisman's book The World without Us, stating, "You've seen the books speculating on what our cities would look like if humans vanished and nature were allowed to spread unchecked. Let's imagine a world without critics (please indulge my paranoid prognostication)." Well, yes, by all means, let's indulge him, shall we? Ha!

Combine that with his own less than stellar use of the English language--example: "... a parade of jobbing freelancers with little experience and even littler clout." Littler? Are you serious? Yes, it's a word, but that doesn't mean you have to use it. Sheesh!--and his analogy that "critics, reviewers, consumer reporters – call us what you will – are the dung beetles of culture. We consume excrement, enriching the soil and protecting livestock from bacterial infection in the process," and you've got the makings for a very public display of the crazies.

Now, don't get me wrong, kids, I do believe that critics play an important, if sometimes irritating, role in the health of the artistic community, but let's have a bit of perspective here. And for Pete's sake, whatever it is you're ingesting that makes you think it's an awesome idea to call the work that artists do "excrement"--the sole reason you have a job, btw--I suggest you put it down and phone a medical professional immediately. Be sure to ask for a lollipop on your way out.

Link (via Thomas Cott's "You've Cott Mail")

Article On New NEA Chair Makes Old-Timey Mag Temporarily Relevant

Raise your hand if you remember Newsweek. Hmm, not many of ya do, I see, meaning you were either born after 1980 and too wrapped up in the riveting dramas unfolding in the Barbies vs Transformers saga to take notice or your birth occurred before 1980 but the magazine's precipitous slide toward blisteringly boring and hackneyed content was seared from your memory in an effort to save the rest of your gray matter.

Well, kids, it seems that salvation has finally come to Newsweek's beleaguered editors--at least for now--in the form of Jeremy McCarter's piece on the new chairman of the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA), Rocco Landesman, due out in print next Monday. Ink on paper gods be praised!

Available online now, the article bucks the mag's trademark milquetoasty tone, presenting a refreshing mix of the factual and the anecdotal. It could very well be that the energetic, outspoken Landesman is truly what makes this piece move, but I for one think McCarter did one hell of a good job.

To be honest, I didn't know Newsweek still existed until I stumbled across this article. Maybe if they can keep it up they can expand on their ginormous subscription base of just over 4 million--haha!

Link (via Thomas Cott's "You've Cott Mail")

The Ultimate Wisco Art & Craft Fair Directory Has Arrived

There's no denying that one of the best ways for many artisans to get their work noticed by members of the general population is through annual fairs. Whether fine art or DIY craft, jewelry or handmade furniture, a large percentage of folks who attend each individual fair are not just there to browse, they're lookin' to slap down some serious dough for the one, two, maybe even three things that serenade them with the irresistible "Love Me, Buy Me" siren song.

The sheer number of these potentially profitable events scheduled throughout the year makes it a daunting, mind-exploding task for any artsy and/or craftsy type to keep track of 'em all. Luckily the Wisconsin Arts Board (WAB) has got your back with its 2010 Wisconsin Art & Craft Fair Directory, saving you a messy braincase cleanup job.

Since 1976, WAB has been publishing this statewide directory for the consumption and edification of artists, arts organizations and art/craft loving peeps. The 2010 edition is now available to all via download or upon snail mail request. Featured on this year's cover is an acrylic on canvas work by Milwaukee's stunningly prolific Reginald Baylor, a WAB Artist Fellowship Award recipient.

The directory is organized chronologically, and by city and county, offering a list of close to 250 fairs held around the state, complete with submission deadlines and contact info. It's the ultimate resource for Wisco-based artisans seeking strut-your-stuff opportunities!

Best of all, WAB has managed to do what other governmental entities can only dream of: Pulling off a project that pays for itself. That's right, kids, WAB produced this directory at absolutootly, posilootly no cost to you, the Wisconsin taxpayer, covering it all through listing fees. Now that's an accomplishment truly deserving of a resounding Whoozzah!

Download the 2010 Wisconsin Art & Craft Fair Directory here, or call the Wisconsin Department of Tourism at 1-800-432-TRIP (8747) to request a printed copy.

(Thanks, Jeri!)

Modern Male Writers--Epic Failures At Epic Sex?

Here's a subject I'd wager ya haven't had much cause to ponder lately or ever: The steam index of sex scenes in contemporary literature penned by male writers. Well, Katie Roiphe has and, as GalleyCat informs us, she saw fit to write a lengthy essay all about it for the New York Times Sunday Book Review. Hurray for hot, wordy sex! Um, actually, according to her, not so much hot as booooooring.

In her piece entitled "The Naked and the Conflicted", the author/journalist makes the argument that the young male scribes of today have thus far proved themselves incapable of writing the types of explicit, carnal, gasp-inducing scenes found in the works of such luminaries as Philip Roth, John Updike, Saul Bellow and Norman Mailer. It's the new guard vs the old guard!

Why anyone would want to compare heavy-breathing excerpts from break-the-silence novels written when the word was uttered in hushed tones as if it were some hideous disease--she's got s-e-x--to those published during our current it's-everywhere-but-we're-still-clueless time is, quite frankly, beyond me. But, hey, somebody's got to keep the literary criticism flame burning and why not do it by angerin' up some blood, eh?

Roiphe takes no prisoners, stating:

"The younger writers are so self-conscious, so steeped in a certain kind of liberal education, that their characters can’t condone even their own sexual impulses; they are, in short, too cool for sex."

Also:

"It means that we are simply witnessing the flowering of a new narcissism: boys too busy gazing at themselves in the mirror to think much about girls, boys lost in the beautiful vanity of 'I was warm and wanted her to be warm,' or the noble purity of being just a tiny bit repelled by the crude advances of the desiring world."

Huh, ya may just be on to something there--it's called navel-gazing and it's the number one activity of both genders these days.

Still, I think her analysis rings a tad hollow. If the criticism is that today's male novelists are drafting male protagonists that are flat, shallow and uninteresting, then, yes, the sex/near-sex scenes will be flat, shallow and uninteresting--not to mention irritating--as well. Believe you me, I get bored too when an artist is lazy about his/her craft and doesn't push the work. But if, on the other hand, they're depicting fairly well-developed, honest characters with conflicted emotions, unsteady thoughts, mental libido checks, and general uncertainty when it comes to sex, aren't they at least attempting to present the reader with a more accurate portrayal of the internal workings of the male mind and heart than the screw-anything-that-moves, though admittedly complex men created by Roth, Updike, Bellow and Mailer? I'm not defending the youngins or demonizing the elders, I'm just asking if that may be the intent.

Anyhoo, what filled me with utter giggles is that right above the GalleyCat post pointing us to the article bemoaning the impotent efforts--couldn't resist--and sexual malaise of modern-day writers of the male persuasion was another post about The Most Pirated Digital Books of 2009. Of the ten, four are about sex, with the classic Indian bestseller of all time, Kamasutra, comin' in on top. Take heart, Ms. Roiphe. Seems the kids are still as curious and imaginative as they've always been, they just haven't figured out how to write about it to your taste yet.

Krazy Kat Hits The Amazon!

As you may or may not be aware, there's a little retailer on The Internets™ called Amazon and they sell all kinds of stuff to peeps who wanna buy stuff. One of their most popular items happens to be compact stacks of paper with words and pictures on 'em all bound together. In the Lit Biz, we call these items "books" and we think they're the best thing to ever hit humanity on the noodle.

In order for each book to become a cohesive whole, someone called an "editor" is needed to corral and sometimes shove everything where it should be so readers don't screw up their faces and murmur, "I'm lost. Can't make heads or tails of this thing. Think I'll donate it to the Home for the Terminally Confused." And so they do.

A good editor, as they rightly say, is hard to come by, but when ya do find yourself saddled up next to one, boy, you know it. Just such a talent emerged recently in the comics genre and that man's name in Dan Schierl, one of our bestest friends in whole wide world!

As we informed y'all in June, Dan worked tirelessly tracking down each and every one of George Herriman's public domain Krazy Kat Sunday strips dated from 1916-1922--that's seven full years!--sacrificing precious electronic sound gadget making time. This daunting task took him to the dark and dusty corners of libraries, where he strained his eyes and got the dizzies while flipping through endless pages of old newspapers on microfilm--'member microfilm, kids? He then had to weed out the badly printed copies, eliminate the repeats, figure out the correct chronological order, scan 'em, clean 'em up in Photoshop, and all for the love of the comic.

By the time he was finished, he had accomplished what no editor of Krazy Kat ever had: Compiling the entire collection of the public domain, full page Sunday strips from 1916-1922 into one HIlarious book! That's right, folks, while other editors at publishing houses had merely cobbled together strips of one or two years per single volume, Dan showed these "professionals" what a conscientious editor should do, and that is to maintain the integrity of a collection by keeping it together.

Anxious to share Herriman's outstanding comics with others, he began selling the book as a paperback and download through Lulu, giving it the honorable title Peregrinating the Highway of Dreams. But bigger things were yet to come, and just days ago Amazon jumped at the chance to become one of the distributors, adding the book to their modest yet ever growing roster--Whoozzah!

So now you can purchase this remarkable collection at both Lulu and Amazon. When you do, you'll be making a strong statement in favor of principled editing that is respectful to the work, to the author and to the reader.

(Thanks, Dan!)

Related:
New Collection Gives Krazy Kat Lovers Seven Years

Strini Hits ThirdCoast

In a turn of journalistic events we probably should have foreseen but were too busy enjoying our weekend to ponder, Milwaukee's ThirdCoast Digest announced the arrival of Tom Strini on its virtual shore early--and I mean early--this morning through an email press release.

After taking leave of the S.S. Milwaukee Journal Sentinel last Friday, the music and dance critic has planted his fingers squarely on TCD's online terra firma and will apparently be broadening his writerly horizons by including coverage not only of performance art but of "those activities that enrich life. The symphony and the ballet do that, but so do cooking, interior design and making music at home." All righty.

Strini's new TCD digs, dubbed Culture Desk, will house himself and some other arts writers as well--just hope he was quick enough to shout, "I call top bunk!"--and he's posted a welcome for all to read and comment on.

Related:
The Fading Ink II: An Apology, A Clarification, An Opinion, An Addition & An Idea
The Fading Ink of Miltown's Arts and Culture Coverage

The Fading Ink II: An Apology, A Clarification, An Opinion, An Addition & An Idea

Okay, people, we've gotten some very interesting comments, emails and phone calls regarding Wednesday's post about the contract buyouts taken by most of the arts and culture staff at Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, and we thank you heartily for all your input and reasoned criticism. Democracy lives on The Mighty Internets™!

As has been pointed out, I did fail to note in my post that theater critic Damien Jaques and books editor Geeta Sharma-Jensen will still have a voice at MJS as freelancers and music/dance writer Tom Strini will continue on with his work, though where has not yet been determined, and for these omissions of fact I humbly apologize. It does happen on rare occasion that--surprise!--mistakes are made and I am more than willing to live up to them when they do. If you'd like to confirm the accuracy of what I've just stated, check out MJS art and architecture writer Mary Louise Schumacher's post and this Milwaukee Business Journal item.

On the other hand, the notion that freelancers are able or willing to take on the same amount of work at a single publisher as they would as full-time employees is simply not realistic, so my call for The Shepherd Express to expand its print coverage of arts and culture stands unchanged.

To the issue that The Shepherd is not exactly beloved by many artsy types in the community, I wholeheartedly agree, but it is still another print outlet that could take up some of the slack.

Also, while I have my own opinions regarding the quality of work produced by the writers/critics who took the buyout, that was not the main thrust of the post, so there was no reason to include it. If you're dying to know what I think of the skills displayed by these writers/critics, well, let's just say I don't.

Ben Turk mentioned in the comments that The Onion's Decider Milwaukee has been covering more arts and culture in its printed format, and to that I say, "Wow, why the hell didn't I think of mentioning them?" So thanks, Ben!

In the interest of broadening the discussion, I had a chat with a friend today who suggested the brilliant idea that MJS put out its feelers and contact other arts/culture writers to increase its pool of freelancers and open up its print and online publications to more voices, particularly for reviews. Mary Louise Schumacher has already wisely done this by inviting guest bloggers onto Art City, so why not for theatre, dance, music, TV, radio, and books? Seems like a no-brainer to me.

That's what I've got on this subject for now. What else you kids got?

Related:
The Fading Ink of Miltown's Arts and Culture Coverage