Public Libraries

            There is an absolutely fantastic advertisement put out by Barnes and Noble. It presents a variety of slightly humorous, and extremely accurate, information about book lovers. One piece of information is about how we like to hoard books. It does not matter how many books we already have (not enough) or how many books we have that we have not read yet (also not enough). We need to buy more!! And the advertisement produces the perfect name for people like me, we who require large quantities of books with which to fill our homes and compulsively acquire them even when we lack reasonable financial means to do so: book dragons.

            I am a book dragon.

            I will likely never read all of the books that I want to, but I will continue to accumulate them, like a dragon lying on a mound of gold and jewels. I try to read them all by consuming multiple books at a time (currently reading: Hemingway’s Green Hills of Africa, Catton’s This Hallowed Ground, and Crichton’s Congo), as though that will somehow help.

            As a book dragon, I am sometimes wary of libraries, because I know that they will make me return any gold I take. But there is something quite pleasant about working at a desk amidst the vast wealth of the public library. So recently I have begun utilizing the many desks and couches of the Lafayette and West Lafayette Public Libraries. They are a fantastic place to work, read, relax, and admire the shelves of books. They are also, as it turns out, an excellent place from which to acquire books.

            No, I am not stealing books from the public library.

            The West Lafayette Public Library is currently having a book sale. It will run through this Friday (for any fellow book dragons who wish to make purchases). Currently it costs $3 for a bag of books and on Thursday and Friday it will cost $1 for a bag of books.

            As a book dragon, I could not wait until the books’ prices lowered, and attended the book sale this past Saturday when the books were still “full” price ($2 for hard cover and $1 for paperback). I had an absolutely lovely time with my fellow book dragons and book lovers (namely Elaine, Michael, and Jessica). We all emerged with several more volumes to add to our respective hoards.

            In addition to the books, they also had a variety of plants, baked goods, DVDs, VHS tapes (I know!) and fabulous cider. 

           The books themselves ranged from gorgeous copies of Hemingway’s For Whom the Bell Tolls to almost new Tom Clancy books, to Nancy Drew, to Twilight (seriously, most of the teen section was very Twilight) to books detailing the dimensions of the Enterprise.

            In the end, I emerged quite happy, although I do plan to return once more before the sale ends. The people at the library are quite pleasant and wonderful. I did smile when the woman at the counter asked if I was just buying the three books in my hand…there were many more in the bag I had brought with me.

All told, I purchased nine books. It was a very good day to be a book dragon.

The Library's website: http://www.westlafayettepubliclibrary.org/

The Barnes and Noble ad: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EsI1Oxbmmv8&feature=youtu.be&adbsc=social_20150811_50586596&adbid=10153383213980020&adbpl=fb&adbpr=9122810019

Global Fest

Belly dancing. Bonsai trees. Origami. Celtic dancing. Afro-Cuban music.

And root beer floats.    

These were just a few of the attractions at Global Fest last Saturday.

It was (for a woman from the Upper Peninsula of Michigan) a boiling 90+ degrees. It was about a mile walk from my apartment to the festival, and I am fairly certain if it had been a bit farther my skin would have burned. But despite the heat, it was a great day to be out in West Lafayette. That was where the festival was, in the Morton Community Center (222 North Chauncey).

I also did not have to experience the high temperatures alone. To commiserate in the heat and co-enjoy the festival, I had a friend with me. This was particularly advantageous because it turns out that Devika is better at asking questions than I am. Because of that we got to learn a bit about the dolls at the I Love Taiwan Club table, which, as it turns out, were actually puppets whose facial colorings and clothing held special significance. (Unfortunately none of them were for sale).

The food was also a highlight. We selected to get the chicken kabob combo meal from the ‘Oriental Grill’ that included (along with the chicken kabob) fried rice, iced tea, and an egg roll. We finished the meal off with a delicious root beer float. While we ate under a big tent outside of the community center, we got to watch and listen to Yaz Bang, an Afro-Cuban music group.

Although I did not purchase anything, I enjoyed looking at the various displays of scarves, fans, jewelry, and pottery.

I think the sole disappointment of the day was that we missed the International Petting Zoo. I am still very curious about what sort of animals may have been there. (I would be more than happy if anyone could tell me that information). 

Uptown Jazz & Blues Festival

Festivals.

I must confess that, as much as I absolutely love people and their stories and just generally being around friends, I am a true introvert. I also hate imposing things on others, like asking them to go somewhere with me they might not be interested in going. The latter issue placed me this past Saturday in a particularly problematic situation as an introvert.

Going alone to a festival.

In my endeavor to try out new things and truly experience Lafayette, I decided weeks ago that I would attend the Uptown Jazz and Blues Festival in Lafayette. But when the night came to wander off from my apartment alone to downtown with my camera, I was more than a little timorous. I almost convinced myself that I did not have to go, despite the fact that I love jazz music and had made this commitment.

Still, I went. It was a breathtaking evening for a walk. The sky was a mixture of pinks and purples and blazing gold. The fresh warm air renewed my resolve. And soon enough I could hear the music emanating from Fifth Street.

It cost me $20 and a bit of courage to get in, but it was worth it.

The space blocked off from Main to Columbia was lit up with colorful lights that, instead of seeming artificial and forced, added to the magic of an already lovely night.

There were many excellent performers that evening, but two in particular stayed with me. I am no music critic, but Condition Blue engaged me with their fast pace and energy. It was easy to see the joy that playing gave them. One of the group’s co-leaders, Randy Salman, is pictured below on saxophone as is Jeff Helgesen on trumpet.

Melvin Taylor & the Taylor Made Band were striking with the passion behind their sound, led, not surprisingly, by Melvin Taylor on guitar and vocals. The crowd was absolutely enthralled by this particular group. It took some effort to get near the stage.

As exceptional as the music was, it was the people that truly made the evening. I have only lived in Indiana for a couple of years, but its residents do not strike me in general as the type of people who dance often. But no one could sit still once the festival got underway. Some couples did swing dancing (which I was jealous of) while others just moved freely in groups off to the side of the stages. Even the people sitting down were moving. And I guess so was I.

Some wandered around with cameras, like me, or with friends or just enjoyed the music on their own. I was by no means uncomfortable or out of place.

I suppose this means that I do enjoy Lafayette festivals and that two Saturdays from now I will be attending either Global Fest or Mosey Down Main Street. If anyone wants to join me, all you have to do is ask!

One Size Fits All Improv

I have never been big on comedy, which perhaps could be a flaw of mine. I often am drawn to things that are serious or that have at least a hint of sadness in them. My favorite books are things like David Copperfield, the Brothers Karamavoz, and For Whom the Bell Tolls. Many of my favorite movies, like Gladiator, the Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, and the Way We Were, follow the same theme. There is something that tells me that serious things are deeper or more important. (Which, all things considered, really isn’t true).

But none of this stopped me from laughing along with a roaring crowd this past Friday night at the One Size Fits All improv comedy show.

The performance was held above the Lafayette Brewing Company on Main Street in Downtown Lafayette. To get to the actual performance, we had to walk through a special door in the restaurant, down a moderately sketchy narrow hallway and up a steep flight of stairs. The journey added a hint of exclusivity and intrigue to the event. But, despite the pleasure the individual gets from feeling like she is a part of something selective (which was somewhat countered anyway by the packed room), more people really should be aware of this troupe’s performances.

To quote Colette (a French writer and Nobel Prize nominee), ‘You will do foolish things, but do them with enthusiasm.’ This more or less sums up the experience of the One Size Fits All improv comedy show.

As can be expected in an improv show, there were many absurd and hysterical games and skits throughout such as ‘fortune telling’ pictured below, miming guessing games, and CSI puns.

           What was especially entertaining was the inclusion of audience members throughout the show. Sometimes, audience members were asked to give suggestions, themes, etc. or to volunteer to participate. At other times, like in the ‘town hall meeting’ (when the players went out into the crowd and pretended to be concerned citizens about a very ‘important’ town issue), audience members who happened to be in close proximity to the players ended up in the show. I am by no means a performer myself, but perhaps in future I will be gutsier about volunteering.

One Size Fits All also claims the title of the longest running comedy show in Lafayette, IN and for good reason. The audience involvement and the variety of players in the troupe will no doubt make each show a unique experience. In addition to the more adult-oriented shows at the Lafayette Brewing Company, the troupe also performs family shows at the Civic Theater once a month. You can find out more about them and when their shows will be at their website: http://www.onesizefitsallimprov.com/index.htm or their Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/OneSizeFitsAllImprov. 

As much as I would like to just leave this post as is, simply discussing how enjoyable seeing the show was, I cannot help but add a more ‘serious’ remark. Another thing that made this experience great, was the fact that one of the players, Doug Pruim, is part of the same graduate program at Purdue University as I am. In support of Doug a large number of Purdue’s communication graduate students came out to enjoy the event. I will refrain from being too long-winded about this point, but I think that engaging in groups and events like these is a great way to build and foster community and to meet people who aren’t doing the exact same thing as you are. It was great for all of us to be pulled out of the world of graduate school for an evening.

If you didn’t make it to last night’s show, I highly recommend that you go next month!

All Fired Up!

“Every child is an artist. The problem is how to remain an artist once we grow up.” – Pablo Picasso

These are the words written boldly upon the walls of All Fired Up!, a paint-your-own pottery studio at 310 East State St. on Wabash Landing just over the river into West Lafayette. Admittedly this is a location that I have been to many times already, but I think it is a highly valuable place for Lafayette area residents and Purdue students alike to know exists.

I think one of the most damaging ideas in the adult life is the belief that in order to do something or to call ourselves something we must be considered good at that thing by others. If my watercolor painting wouldn’t merit entrance into an art exhibit, I am not an artist and should not do art. If my poem would be met with condescension or distain at a poetry reading, I am not a poet and should not do poetry. If I would get laughed off of American Idol, I am not a singer and I should not sing. If I am not good at it or I cannot profit from it, than it is not worth doing. Something like that would be considered play, and adults don’t play (another idea on my list of most damaging ideas for adults).

If you suffer from either of these ‘damaging’ ideas, I challenge you to go to All Fired Up!. If not, I also challenge (or invite, which sounds less threatening) you to go.

Upon entering, you are immediately accosted (but in a good way) by bright oranges and greens and purples and a wall lined with not-yet-painted pottery. This is a place to socialize, to relax, and to find sanctuary. Here there are no deadlines, grades, or inspections. Here you can play.

Art has always had an important place in my life, although I am not necessarily ‘good’ at it. I was what one might consider a nerd in high school, taking joy in math classes and attending a math and science summer camp four years in a row. But Mrs. Lindberg’s art class was my sanctuary. Even when I wasn’t enrolled in an art class, she still let me go there to make pottery and to paint.

Mrs. Lindberg was the type of teacher who, for me at least, found the perfect balance between being a mentor while still making me feel like an equal. Even when you made what you might consider to be a mistake, she always had a word of encouragement. She often said that a so-called mistake ‘added character’ to the piece. (This included the time I was painting a watercolor landscape to sell at our class trip fundraiser and a first grader decided to help me by painting a streak of brown paint all across the bottom of it). I still remember that she used to play the same CD over and over again in the background, and it never got old. I can’t hear Dreams by Fleetwood Mac (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mrZRURcb1cM&noredirect=1) without looking around for a set of paints.

Being in her classroom taught me one of the most important lessons I have yet learned: Art and creativity are essential to a fully, and perhaps sanely, lived life. All Fired Up! provides the perfect opportunity to begin or continue a life of creativity.

They have so many options of what to paint: mugs, figurines, plates, and even full chess sets on occasion. My favorite is what is called the “sushi bowl” which I have a couple of now and use to eat stir-fry. Once you pick a piece to paint, it is time to choose your colors.

The tricky thing about choosing colors is that the paint, or more accurately ‘glaze,’ is not the same color in the bottle or when you put it on the pottery as it is when the process is completed. The pottery, once painted, is fired in a kiln which alters the colors and seals in your work.

So, it is very important to look at the samples they have on the wall of what the colors will look like as you make your decision.

Once that decision is made, all you have to do is paint.

They have fabulous deals each day and some classes that you can find on their website: http://www.allfiredupwestlafayette.com/. I went to Midnight Madness this past Friday and painted the sushi bowl pictured above. Midnight Madness happens from nine to midnight about one Friday per month and includes 20% off of your purchase.

I encourage you all to try out All Fired Up!: make a gift, take a friend, take your family, take some time for yourself, and maybe even post some pictures of what you end up painting! It doesn’t matter if you aren’t a ‘good’ painter. Make a little time for play.

Learning to Pay Attention

I cannot count the number of times I have heard someone say that there is nothing to do in the Lafayette area that doesn’t involve eating food or consuming a beverage. I admittedly subscribed to this theory for the last several years as a master’s student at Purdue University, often complaining that there was nothing to do. But as any resident of Lafayette probably knows, this theory is laughably inaccurate.

In Julia Cameron’s book the Artist’s Way, she claims that the trick to getting through a difficult time or leading a creative life in general is to pay attention. And that is exactly what I had not been doing.

A few days ago I took a walk from my new apartment in Lafayette (where I am settling in for the next four years that will hopefully end with me exchanging the Ms. Lillie for Dr. Lillie). I removed the headphones I usually wear when in transit and dropped the brisk from my walking pace.

And I took the trouble of looking around.

I came across a group of people playing dulcimer music in Centennial Park. They are apparently there every Tuesday night. I noticed a bookstore I had not been to, the Civic Theater I knew existed but had never bothered to locate, and countless murals. I saw posters for festivals I had previously avoided and intriguing storefronts for artists and antique dealers. I even saw a tree that looked a bit like a skinny dragon. And I saw possibility.

It wasn’t the town that was lacking in creativity or excitement. It was me.

I want to know more about this area, try new things, and show just how beautiful this place actually is. But most importantly, I want to learn to pay attention.

To that end, I have set a challenge for myself. That challenge is this blog.

I intend to post every one or two weeks, highlighting a new facet of the greater Lafayette area. There will be pictures (I have been woefully ignoring my camera) and the details of my experiences. Anything from theater performances to dragon trees to maybe someday trying to play with the dulcimer group is fair game. Suggestions are welcome.

I have never successfully maintained a blog and I know graduate school is indescribably time consuming, but a year from now I intend to have written upwards of 26 posts. If anyone wants to join me in whatever exploration/adventure/activity I am planning or berate me if I fail to make a post, you are more than welcome do so. 

It's time I started paying attention.