On the eve of a snowstorm, with the milk and bread all gone from the area's grocery stores, I've gotten to thinking about emergency plans. I mean, sure, we TALK about making plans for an emergency all the time, but have we ever really sat down and done it? Drawn up a plan with family and friends?

Do YOU know what you're doing during the Zombie Apocalypse?

Jared and I are equiped with a lot of leather outfits that will be great for avoiding zombie bites and a fantastic amount of weaponry, but our house is just NOT the place to hole up when the Zombie Horde starts walking. For one, it's in the middle of a freakin' city, and for two, we have a lot of ground floor windows and doors - which we all know is no good.

So, where are you going when the undead walk? Can I come?

Jared has a webcomic! Awesome! Awesome! 

Jared and Natalie Metzger's first comic for their new strip "All Write!" is up today on Mur Lafferty's "I Should Be Writing" site. It's gonna come out every Monday at noon. I identify with this first strip so much it's almost embarrassing.

This is lunch for your eyes! 

READ IT!: http://isbw.murlafferty.com/2010/02/01/all-write-1-the-process/

Yesterday I e-mailed Jared to tell him about this project I read about called the 24-Cram. It’s where a group of people, who are clearly and wonderfully insane, write and perform a 10 minute play in the space of 24-Hours. I noted that the very idea was insane, but provocative. I already had the weekend mapped out in front of me. I was going to do some laundry and maybe get started on my taxes, the “pens and pencils of existence” as my friend Tom Devaney would say.

Jared wrote me back to tell me that he’d signed up. This was like a challenge. A glove-slap before a duel. No way was Jared going to sign up and get his play performed while I stayed at home and did laundry. I signed up too. Who cares if we don’t have pants to wear on Monday morning? We will have PLAYS, damn it, PLAYS!

Last night, we prepared ourselves for the fight. This was going to be a marathon, and we needed a warm up. So, last night, Jared and I read Mamet to each other and then both of us sat down at 9:00pm to write a ten minute play. After an hour, we both had rough drafts. Jared describes them thusly:

Mine, a Mamet-ian exploration of the pros and cons of the iPad, took about an hour. JR’s, an examination of the pitfall of modern supernatural romance via speed dating, took about the same time, but was, as you might imagine, a little more deep. After that rush job, 12 hours aught to be a luxury.

I’m not sure if I was deeper. Hard to say. Subjective. I’m sure scholars will argue about it for years to come. Jared’s play had this amazing rhythm that I think actors would adore. I did have a few scenes that I enjoyed, my favorite one was when one woman chews the main character out about hating on her fetish. I hated the ending on my script, but then again, I wrote it in an hour, so I’m not going to be too hard on myself.

Tonight 8pm, I meet the actors and the director and we all get to learn what we’re working with. I have to assume that the earliest I’ll get home is 9pm – but more likely it will be about 10pm. Then I write. Now, I know I can write a ten minute play in an hour, but there is also a statute of limitations on my ability to function after 1am. After 1am, my ability to function is reduced by about 1 shot-glass of scotch per hour. Since I’m a lightweight, by 4am, I am pretty fucking useless at any intellectual or physical pursuit. It really is like being drunk – I get so tired that I think that certain things are funny that really are not, and I feel nauseous and then I pass out. So really, I only have about 6 good cognitive hours.

Fortunately, since I live with Jared, and both of us will be engaged in the same enterprise I like to imagine that this gives us an edge. We’ll be able to review and edit our work, get feedback, and rework what doesn’t work. In 12 hours. I will write a script tonight, and it will be in the hands of the director at 8am sharp. This, I swear.

The play goes up at 8pm on Saturday. Yes, this Saturday. Tomorrow. Plays and Players. I would love to see folks come out! All proceeds benefit the theater.

Plays & Players
1714 Delancy street
Philadelphia, PA

I took this photo over the Winter Break. It's one of my favorites that I've taken all year - those lines between water, earth and sky, man between them all, seem like are a story in themselves. This was taken on one of my favorite places in the world to shoot - a place that seems to look different every time I go there.

This is just to say that even if it looks like I have a bottle of human blood on my desk, I do not. I won it in a contest on Geekadelphia. The bottle, that is. Not the blood. Of which there is none.

No, you may not look inside. It's water, okay? Water.

WATER.

Go away, I must play my organ music in my cape now.

At the beginning of the month, I set out to write a short bit of fiction every day.

I've utterly failed in this. Here's how it went:

Day one, I wrote a story. Day two, I wrote a story and a little bit of another story. Day three, I wrote a story and went back to that second story on day two and added a little more. Day four, and I wrote about four pages of the second story from day two.

Now, on Day 19, I am 23 pages into what's starting to look like a novel. I can't stop writing this thing. When I have a minute, I sit down, pick up the laptop, and type. Bam. Bam. Bam. Scene. Character Development. Action. Drama. Scene.

I had three glasses of wine last night and all I wanted to do while I was tipsy was write. That's it. I wrote and wrote.

I have been trying to work at work today, but all I can think of is this scene I'm writing right now: there is this truck, and a mall, and these guys - damn it - it's even getting into my blog post.

So, I set out to do one thing, but now I'm doing something that's even more fulfilling. I feel like I'm stretching, opening, all this space for characters to breathe in, pages and pages. It's glorious.

I've submitted these three photos to a self portrait contest that is sponsored by "Artist's Wanted". I love each of these photos, and I could talk about them for days. I wanted to choose photos that went together - like a designer that chooses what garments to include in her fall line - I wanted photos that would make sense with one another, that would have a theme. I had some conversations with some wonderful artists about a bunch of my photos before settling on these three as my final choice.

In these photos, the theme is about transformation, but it's also about the photos having an interaction with the audience. In each photo, I'm either reaching directly towards the viewer or making eye contact. It's about making a connection between myself and the viewer.

These are the kinds of self portraits that I love doing the most - I like to do something that doesn't always make me look pretty, but does make me look different, alien. It's me but not me. It's a version of me, it's a me I could become, it's a sliver of me, but not the whole of me.

Although, now that I'm mulling all of this over, I realize that when I took these photos, I was alone. Jared helped me set up the middle one, but other than that, when I take self portraits, it's usually me, alone, in a room. I take a photo, look at the result, adjust the lights, makeup, pose, and take another until I get what I want. Perhaps I'm not speaking to the viewer at all - maybe I'm having a conversation with myself. Maybe I'm meditating on what I could be, or expressing some small part of who I am.

Or maybe I want to show you that I'm not the woman you think I am.

You can vote for my portfolio here: http://www.artistswanted.org/jrblackwell
There is no need to sign up for anything or give anyone your e-mail, you just go to the page and click on the stars.

An auction has been set up for the daughter of Tee Morris, who lost her mother suddenly and tragically last week. Tee's friends have set up a trust fund to go towards her education and her future. You can read more about that here: http://www.theboomeffect.org/

Tee Morris has been a wonderful friend to me, and I'd like to contribute something to the auction. However, I want to contribute something that someone will pay for - and that's where you come in. I'd like your input on what you would find valuable. If you don't have a lot of money right now, just check what you'd buy for if you did have plenty of money.

I want to give Tee and his daughter what I can, so please give me your input and let me know what you'd like best. If it's not on the list, please comment and share your ideas. Thanks everyone!

Poll #1510753 What Would YOU Buy?
Open to: All, detailed results viewable to: All, participants: 28

What Services Would You Bid On For A Charity Auction?

What Things Would You Buy?

The suns rotate around each other, red over yellow, yellow over red, and Sharra’s skin sheds again. Yet again, she had refused to mate. He hasn’t had a single sexual encounter during the last sun rotation and her body knows. It thinks it has failed her. So she molts her body trying another shape to attract mates. The process is painful. She stays at home for days, picking at her skin, nursing new limbs out of their hard shells. When it’s over, her sweat glands open and her scent hangs heavy in the hot air. Males sniff in the streets, noses veiled, but twitching as she walks by. She smells like copulation, like love.

This is the opening of my story "Molt" , which is live today on 365 Tomorrows. You can read the whole thing here: http://www.365tomorrows.com/01/11/molt/

moar funny pictures

Dear Internet,

I'm always hanging around, telling you projects I'm going to do for you. Well, dearest internet, today, I'm turning the tables. I'd like to share MY thoughts on the top ten projects YOU should get working on for ME.

Let's begin.

1. Monster Fighting Workout Video Series:
This is what I want - a four video series detailing fighting techniques and workout routines to get you into the best shape possible to fight specific monsters. In particular, I'd like to see workouts for wolfmen and zombies.

2. A fan-made Dr. Who music video (with costumed fans, not clips) featuring the song "Common People" as covered by Ben Folds and Shatner.

3. A way to make photos of Trolls who comment on the physical attractiveness of celebrities appear next to their comments.

4. A way to slap people through Flickr when they tell Katie West where to crop her photos. I don't think this actually bothers her, she's kind of cool and awesome, but it does bother me.

5. More lady comedians who put videos out for free. (Okay, they don't have to be ladies. They can just be awesome women)

6. A photo-shoot of Jonathan Coulton on a bearskin run wearing nothing but a coonskin cap as shot by Kyle Cassidy.

7. More photos of people dressing up as Discworld characters, especially The Watch.

8. More converts to the Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster who would create statues of all the prophets of the FSM (aka writers who were published in the holy book).

9. A cartoon video detailing exactly what would happen to you, in what order, if you were launched into the vacuum of space.

10. Free online fiction from (cough) J.C. Hutchins, Tee Morris, Kyle Cassidy, Mur Lafferty, Steve Eley, Cory Doctorow, Neil Gaiman, Jared Axelrod (though that will probabbly happen anyway through non-internet means) Katie West (though it doesn't have to be fiction on her count), Filamena Young, David Hill and all the writers of 365 tomorrows (though they'll do that anyway, if I ask or not).

On New Year's Eve, Kyle Cassidy took this bitchin' photo of Jared and I. Before Kyle called us, Jared and I were snuggled up in bed watching Battlestar Galactica and eating homemade popcorn. Then Kyle called us and I lept out of bed (because you leap out bed when Fate calls you) and put on my wedding dress and walked in the snow to Kyle's house, where he took these amazing photos.

The thing about Kyles photos is that every single one of his photos in his shoots would be a winner in any other photographers shoot. All the photos he took were great, but Kyle doesn't settle for great anymore - he skips right on to freakin' awesome.

So here we have it, the awesome:



You can read Kyle's take on the photo at his awesome blog: kylecassidy.livejournal.com/573993.html

Andrea made the skirt of the dress. She's a fantastic vintage seamstress and an amazing hairdresser. Anyone who is interested can read about her work sewing vintage clothing here: http://newvintage.wordpress.com/

The corset top (which is the most comfortable corset I have ever worn in my life) was handmade for me at Delicious Corsets in Philadelphia. They can be found on the web here: http://www.deliciouscorsets.com/

Recently I've been involved in a bunch of in-progress projects that I can't talk about until they go live. (I've decided that all the work I've done in 2009 that I can't talk about is going to make me look amazingly productive in 2010.) The cover I did for Cybrosis is an example of just such a project and I'm happy to say that it is now live! Cybrosis is a podcast novel by P.C. Haring and I'm pleased to say that the cover photo is mine!

I took the photograph for the cover working with Rae Winters, who is the amazing model gracing the cover. Jared Axelrod did the graphic design that makes it look so sci-fitastic. P.C. is releasing episodes now along with some of the voice best talent out there. I am so happy that he asked me to help create the cover for his novel. Thanks, P.C.!

You can download the first episode of Cybrosis here: www.cybrosisnovel.com/

Photo by Rae Winters

In April, Jared jumped off of a six foot wall and broke his ankle in three places. With his remarkable tolerance for pain and his sweet demeanor, Jared manages to make this photo, where he is showing clinical signs of shock, appear like it could be a fine, relaxing photo of two lovers on a spring day.

After this, Jared had a three day hospital stay. I have pictures of him during this time, pale and drugged against pain. It was scarier than I like to admit. A broken ankle isn't a life threatening injury, and it was one that Jared healed quickly from. He learned to walk again faster than his doctors or physical therapist predicted. But I had seen my husband in a hospital bed, breathing tube in his nose, bundled and halfway concious. My world all wrapped up in starched sheets.

It was then that I wrote this story, called "Flipped to the Sky" about a man who finds himself in the hospital after a bad injury. I think that some of my experience of the hospital is in there, and some of my worry and frustration, but it's also about the future of aging and death. The story can be read here: http://www.365tomorrows.com/12/22/flipped-to-the-sky/

In November, Jared created some costumes for a live comic reading by Plays and Players in Philadelphia. The performance was totally sold out, and it was fantastic.


(Light up green lantern ring! How cool is that!)

I took some photos of the actors in their costumes during a rehearsal and I was struck by how fun it is to take photos of actors. Actors are so expressive, so good at changing into their characters with a fluidity that I find impressive. There is such understanding of the body and the face that actors seem to change shape in front of my eyes.

They also really know how to make themselves look good on camera. I would love to do more promotional shots for theater, it was great fun to take photos of the Plays and Players. I hope I get a chance to do it again.

( Plays and Players )

On the one hand, this photo speaks for itself. It's a dapper young man with vegetables - what else really needs telling here?

On the other hand, Jared is holding a stalk (bushel, tree, mound?) of brussel sprouts, the vegetable with perhaps the worst rap of all time. On one hand, I can understand their reputation. If overcooked, they are awful. Also, they can be little bitter, so I can also see how a lot of children might be turned off by them.

But if you like cabbage and dark leafy greens, they are fabulous. They are like little baby cabbages! I can eat piles of them. Sauteed up -served with butter - delicious. Add some bacon - mmmm. Jared has magnificent ways of serving them that bring them to a level of good that makes them dangerous.

When we were buying vegetables a few weekends ago at the farmers market (like all east coast liberal elites are required to do by law) we saw the farmer take out this gigantic stalk and we just had to have it. The sprouts pictured were roasted and then sauteed, on the advice of our friend, Chef Kate. Delicious!

I'll tell you what it's for. It's to talk about my beard.

I use twitter to talk about the location and status of my beard. Which is missing, so, mostly it's a lot of me lamenting about the fact that I can't find my beard.

It's just that my beard was so fucking sweet. It was the best beard ever. When I found it, well, it was like MAGIC. It was in a corner all alone and there was this beautiful lady and it was at DragonCon and then I had it and it was love at first fiscal exchange. It was fucking meant to be!

My beard was the color of a dirty squirrel and had the texture of pubic hair. It was fucking beautiful.

Okay, yeah, fine, it's just an accessory, sure. Like shoes, or a bracelet or whatever. But I've never seen it's like before. Or since! Like, when I put it on, it blended into my face perfectly. Other beards look stuck on, totally fake, like a tupee. But this beard was perfect. When I put on the beard with a little makeup and the fat suit, I was completely transformed.

I mean look at this:



You cannot get that kind of beard in a Halloween store - I've looked! This beard is a specialty item!

Yeah, I miss my beard. Those were the days. Salad and glory.

If you follow me on twitter, you'll likely hear a lot about it. Because that's what twitter is for, social media gurus. Twitter is for my beard.

Next yp? I'm joining minitrue to speakwrite for the prolefeed. I have this plusgood idea for the prolefeed about a pornosec on artsem. Now I doubleplus know that this might sound like duckspeak as we all know that goodsex that results in issue is just about the only pornosec that makes in onto the prolefeed. But during Hate Week I was at a goodParty event when I saw a Junior Anti-Sex League rep who told me that they want to promote artsem to the Proles.

What gooder way than a pornosec! She said she worked for the FicDep and they are looking for good ideas for the versificator that will help steer the proles away from sexcrime. This could be it! My chance to speakwrite for the FicDep! So plusgood. I'm going to use the speakwrite to get my ideas down tonight.

It's that or join the thinkpol to help bb stop crimethink. Gotta get those facecrimeful Proles into the joycamps. I see em' everywhere. Plusungood, you know?