Fabulist!

Plant A Vacation

Thu, 29 Jul 2010 00:19:36 -0800

you've always wanted, and the life you've always wanted includes spending the month in a museum indulging in poetry readings, musical performances, and historical accounts of botanical exploration, today is your lucky, lucky day.

July 31st is the drop-off date for your plant to spend a fun-filled month of vacation time at the Hammer Museum consorting with other houseplants and generally making merry while you take the long, sad journey back home, alone. But you'll have a special portrait memento of you and your plant (taken by Lisa Anne Auerbach!) clutched in your lonesome ol' hand to get you through your next few weeks sans houseplant. See? The folks at Machine Project are thinking of your needs, too.

(link) : (via)]]>

Get Around Town

Wed, 28 Jul 2010 23:18:46 -0800

Revolver - Get Around Town (official video).

When I was a teenager, I would participate in vocal competitions once a year at the insistence of my voice instructor. I think it gave her something to plan for -- a target our efforts were aimed at -- and she would let me spend the night in her home the night before. I remember the Land of Spare Bedroom where I felt like a princess once a year, in cozy, clean sheets, not even thinking of what the next day would hold for me.

And then, in the early wee hours of the morning, when the light was much like it is in this video, we would pile into the car and begin our two-hour-long trek to the competition. She would have me practice my aria in the backseat of the car while she drove, much like these fellows seem to be practicing, practicing, practicing here. Only when I finally arrived, there were no cancan girls, no feathers, no inexplicable police officers dancing. No, there was just me, in my plain, black dress, singing "Già il sole dal Gange" locked in a room with several sour-faced and unfriendly judges.

What I'm saying is, I assume the boys from Revolver are indulging in some wish-fulfillment in this video, based on past experiences. I heartily applaud wish-fulfillment, in music videos and in life.

Revolver - Get Around Town

Little Drifters

Wed, 28 Jul 2010 21:23:37 -0800

Booooooom!, partnered with The Vancouver Sun, had a beautiful miniature shipbuilding project "open to people of all ages, students, lawyers, professional craft boat designers, “totally unartistic people”, bass-guitarists, wizards, cat-people, anyone who likes to have fun!" and the glorious fruits of so many peoples' efforts are now online.

So go! Observe all of the stately fairy barques, and imagine the grand fairy lives that must surely take place on each and every one.

(link)

Never Fear, the Skeletto Is Here!

Wed, 28 Jul 2010 20:54:59 -0800

If you're feeling like you've got no backbone, or you're worried about the future health of your spine but you just can't resist the siren call of wearing a stiletto heel while you're out dancing, now you can bring a spare. Or two. DSquared2 has got your, er, back.

(I'm sorry, I'm fascinated both by the existence of these shoes and by puns.)

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Origami City

Fri, 23 Jul 2010 09:25:51 -0800

"When the exhibition is over I will burn the castle. I thought I could see it rising up from the ashes if I took a video and played it backwards," said Wataru Ito, the man who sculpted this entire city from paper over the course of four years.

Which means this city now no longer exists except on film, where it burns to the ground and reassembles itself at the touch of a button.

(Isn't it funny, living a world where even burning something doesn't mean it's completely lost?)

(photo gallery) : (via)

Sing Along

Fri, 23 Jul 2010 08:45:26 -0800

Múm "Sing Along" from Team G on Vimeo.

I once had a boyfriend who, after I broke up with him, told me he wanted to keep me tied up in a pit under his house so he could be with me always (Don't fret! All is well!). This video reminds me of that. Unfortunately. But I still think it's serenely, hauntingly beautiful.

Women Are Heroes

Thu, 22 Jul 2010 13:55:27 -0800

JR / Exposition Paris 2009 - Ile Saint Louis
by JR

Here's a video of JR's "Women Are Heroes" installation at the Paris Expo 2009. It is absolutely glorious, and any video that begins with an older gentleman saying "I would like to know who is the idiot who allowed all that's happening" in French (or any other language, for that matter) is worth watching at least twice.

Lost and Found Things

Thu, 22 Jul 2010 07:33:21 -0800

During the eleventy years since I've updated, a lot has happened. Empires have crumbled, new nations have been formed, new cultures have arisen, and much, much art has been made. So I thought while I'm getting all my duckies in a row for the site, I'd sort of eeeease back into things by posting some of the art, music, and assorted other gems I would have posted over the past year. All the little wonders that you may or may not have seen, but they're so lovely, I don't think you'll mind too much that they're not all shiny and brand new. A little patina does life good, sometimes.

So here's "Lost Things", a (very) short stop-motion film written and directed by Angela Kohler and Ithyle Griffiths and starring Alison Sudol from A Fine Frenzy. The song is A Fine Frenzy's "Sleepwalking."

(My favorite bit's the part with the whale and the ship. Or the rose and the teacup. Why don't you tell me yours?)

(via)

Uproot the Trees, Make the Grasses Shine

Mon, 19 Jul 2010 13:01:37 -0800

I know. I haven't written, I haven't called. I've fallen off the face of the earth after filling your heads with all sorts of grandiose promises. And all I can say is, I know. I'm sorry. To all of you (if there ARE any of you) who still have The Fabulist on your RSS feeds or Twitter or whatever new-fangled internet following devices have been invented since last I wrote -- and I am certain that technology has taken vast leaps forward in that enormous span of time -- I thank you. And now, a brief rundown of What Is Up.

Sometimes, it's hard to admit that an era is over. That it was fun while it lasted -- in fact, it was VERY fun -- but everyone's heads and hearts are in different places and the thing just isn't sustainable anymore. Elaine and Olga and I, I think, didn't want to admit that to each other. But I got to feeling nostalgic and visited the site again a few weeks ago, and I read some of the comments. It was Becca's comment on "Checking In" that really got me:
I really hope this comes back. if it doesn't, you should hand it off to someone! I'm sure anyone (including myself) would love to take over fabulist and bring it back with a vengeance!
Reading that -- reading that people, however many, still care -- made me think. It made me think a lot. And I realized, I want to do this. I want to come back and put some love into this site again. Olga and Elaine are focusing their energies on their own projects right now, but that doesn't mean I can't still bring it back myself, with a vengeance. And I'd like to try, if you'll have me, with my lovable overuse of italics and all. (Seriously, three italicized words in this tiny paragraph alone?! Oops, make that four.)

So that's the scoop! I'll be updating irregularly for the next week or two as I get familiar with this whole system again. But take my hand and we'll make it, I swear.

( Photo taken by me in the mural paradise that is Clarion Alley, San Francisco, in 2008.)

Checking In

Sat, 12 Sep 2009 09:11:50 -0800

I peeped in on the Fabulist the other day, eyes shining with nostalgia, wiping the windows and blowing the dust off the furniture. And look! You guys are lovely! People are still leaving comments, and saying nice things. We have the nicest readers *ever* :D

Our hiatus is nearing an end, and soon we shall break free with song! and art! and as much brightness and light as we can grab by the armful. We'll gather back at this point, and tumble forth for a Brand New Adventure, and we can't wait for you guys to come with us. New site ahoy!

In the meantime, though, things are awfully quiet around here. It seems that the mailing list got broken (sorry Roger!), and it seems sensible that we should wave, and let you know where to find us (and where we'll post updates along the way).

We each have Twitter accounts, which is where we hang out during the day and shoot the breeze. Do come and say hello! There's also a direct Fabulist Twitter all of its own, which we'll use as a de facto mailing list (mailing lists are so Web 1.0, dahlink). We love hearing from you, and if you've ideas or suggestions for the new site, do send them in. We're friendly folk, and we like to natter. Olga can also be found at her music website here.

Thanks for being awesome, and patient, and understanding that we needed to reshape things. We'd much rather take six months off, and reimagine what we're doing (and why we're doing it), then let things fizzle out ignominiously. Things that should fizzle include: rock shandy floats (when the ice cream hisses against glass), sparklers and the tail end of a rockets, pushing against the sky. Websites, we felt, most definitely should not.

So we got out our clay (and our mála) and we're building a better home for our art. It feels very, very good :)

This is to say: thank you. Thank you for being awesome, and for sending us emails and comments. Thank you for understanding. Thank you for sending us beautiful things. We'll be back soon :)

(linkity) : (linkity) : (linkity) : (linkity) : (link)

Photograph by Connieth, published under a Creative Commons licence.

happy little trees

Sat, 11 Apr 2009 20:22:46 -0800

Walking around my neighborhood a couple of months ago, I saw the tree pictured here, with a little smiling paper face on it. It had nothing to do with its surroundings, which were decidedly not whimsical, but it seemed to look at me with such friendliness and reassurance. Just the fact of its being there, of knowing that someone went out of their way to design a face, pick the right tree on the right street, and climb up there and add a touch of joy to the world, filled me with a sense of wonder.

And I thought to myself, I'd love to share this on the Fabulist. I'd love to talk about how this made me feel, and ask everyone what everyday surprises fill them with wonder. I'd love to have an ongoing dialogue about wonder and everyday magic and creativity and surprises and little things that bring us joy.

But I felt restricted by the current mission of the site. And I talked to the other contributors, and realized they've been feeling similarly. We've all had a nagging, subconscious feeling that this site, in its current incarnation, isn't an accurate picture of what we're truly passionate about.

So we're going to design a site that is. And it might take a little bit, and we hope you'll be patient, because we think you'll like it. And we hope you'll have a part in it, too. And when it's ready, you'll be the first to know. Just sign up for the mailing list. And keep an eye out for friendly trees. ]]>

The Other Davey Jones

Thu, 26 Feb 2009 15:18:34 -0800

Listen to David Bowie, kids. Even at 17, he knew how to stick it to the MAN.

Hello Kitty, Hello World

Tue, 24 Feb 2009 15:17:55 -0800

It's true. I haven't posted in a while. I was just lounging around in my backyard on my giant bed of pink fluffy cotton candy, when...well, you'll have to watch the video to understand the rest.

NSFW due to masked gimp Hello Kitties and mild BDSM-themed kitty business.

(via)

Your Smile Makes Me Want to Misbehave

Wed, 18 Feb 2009 08:22:51 -0800

And here's a special Valentine's Day installment of PostSecret. Because you can never get enough secrets, or enough joys (and sorrows) of love.

Lots more PostSecret valentines -- just follow the link at the bottom!

(link)

Be Mine

Wed, 18 Feb 2009 08:14:02 -0800
here's the love story of Tim and his wife Claire, in pictures, as he's made a beautiful photo card for her each Valentine's Day for the past ten years. And they're each uniquely lovely.

What a sweetheart!

(link)

(Thanks, Hazel!) ]]>