Little Brooklyn Blizzard

Manohla Dargis on Women Film Directors

Here’s a little history: Only three women have been nominated as directors by the academy in 81 years: Lina Wertmüller for “Seven Beauties” in 1976; Jane Campion for “The Piano” in 1993; and Sofia Coppola for “Lost in Translation” in 2003. None won. At a glance this year looks promising, with high-profile titles like Kathryn Bigelow’s “Hurt Locker,” Nora Ephron’s “Julie & Julia,” Lone Scherfig’s “Education” and Ms. Campion’s “Bright Star,” all of which have been too successful, critically and commercially, to dismiss.

[...]

It’s hard to know why women have fared so badly in Hollywood in the last few decades, though any business that refers to its creations as product cannot, by definition, have much imagination. The vogue for comics and superheroes has generally forced women to sigh and squeal on the sidelines. Even the so-called independent sector, with its ostensibly different players and values, hasn’t been much better, as we know from all the female directors who have made a splash at the Sundance Film Festival only to disappear. New digital technologies and the Internet have leveled the field — though usually it seems as if it’s sheer grit that pushes filmmakers like Kelly Reichardt (“Wendy and Lucy”) along the hard road from idea to distribution. [emphasis courtesy d'me]

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See also Guerrilla Girls (get yourself some sticker paper for Crimbo)

Sneak Preview of Our Next Switchback Book!

Marisa Crawford's The Haunted House

Winner of the Gatewood Prize

Selected by Denise Duhamel

Coming from Switchback on April 1, 2010

Requited #2!

C. L. BLEDSOE

JASON BREDLE

ELIZABETH CROSS

LAURA GOLDSTEIN

BECCA KLAVER

LIVE CAPTURE REMIX

KRISTI MAXWELL

AARON PLASEK

NATE PRITTS

ALBERTO RIOS

& MORE

Sometimes I Get Criticized for "Just" Reading the Signs

but now I can claim a lineage:

In the 1930s, Gertrude Stein and Alice Toklas, on their American lecture tour, were driving in the country in Western Massachusetts. Toklas pointed out a batch of clouds. Stein replied, “Fresh eggs.” Toklas insisted that Stein look at the clouds. Stein replied again, “Fresh eggs.” Then Toklas asked, “Are you making symbolical language?” “No,” Stein answered, “I’m reading the signs. I love to read the signs.”

—Catherine R. Stimpson, “Stein and the Transposition of Gender,” in The Poetics of Gender, ed. Nancy K. Miller

Things You Learn on Wikipedia While Researching Sadomasochism in Literature

Sacher-Masoch [whence "masochism"] is the great-great-uncle to the British singer and actress Marianne Faithfull on her mother's side, the Viennese Baroness Eva Erisso.

One more time, that scary/awesome Marianne Faithfull version of Neko Case's "Hold On, Hold On":

Charlotte Gainsbourg, "Heaven Can Wait"

Here's what you sing about if you are lucky enough to be the daughter of Serge Gainsbourg and Jane Birkin but unlucky enough to have a water-skiing-accident-induced brain hemorrhage:

Fam portrait:

Found Poem (Sony Cybershot)

Smile Shutter Technology

The popular Smile Shutter technology
automatically detects and captures a smiling face.
Simply activate
by pressing the Smile Shutter button
and the camera will capture a smile
the moment it happens.

You can also select subject priority
(Adult or Child Priority
or using the cross key buttons on the camera)
and indicate the degree of
Smile Detection Sensitivity
to high (small smile),
medium (laugh)
or low (grin).
Great substitute of self timer,
smile once all are ready
and the camera will capture the smile.

Happy December!

The Delirious Hem Advent Calendar is back, this year featuring audio!

Sawbuck 3.4

Allan Peterson
Becca Klaver
Daniel Borzutsky
George Kalamaras
Ian Ganassi
Kathleen Rooney
Lisa Ciccarello
Martha Silano
Robert Lietz
Sandy Longhorn

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5 poems from LA Liminal.

Does Anyone Watch TV on TVs Anymore

Have you seen these Walt Whitman Levi's commercials?



Whatever I love them.



They are the pomo expo!

Text of poems: ["Pioneers! O Pioneers!"] ["America"]

HILARITAS

Define it.