Archive for the ‘Celebrities’ Category

Best of the Salem blogs, August 2010

Thursday, August 26th, 2010

Sometimes, other people get there faster. They do it quicker. They say it better.

So I’m starting a new feature on DSS. Once a month, I’ll feature the best of the Salem blogs.

The BEST:

1. LOVESalem.

That’s the thought I had while reading LoveSalem’s recent post on backyard chickens. If you’ve been consuming news media, you know half a billion industrially-produced eggs have been recalled this month after an alarming salmonella outbreak. What hasn’t been reported as frequently is that controlling the environment that your own chickens live in can significantly reduce the risk of your eggs being infected with the salmonella bacteria.

If you’ve been out of the loop on Salem’s backyard chicken debate, you should know that the issue will be discussed at its own public hearing on September 20.  Don’t be an egghead. This isn’t some twee agri-fad that has temporarily captured the heart of Depression 2.0 urban homesteaders. If you believe in controlling the safety of your own food, be there.

2. Poetry and Popular Culture.

Local poet Mike Chasar has illuminated, in a simple blog post, the things that I love about Oregon. Here, everyone is an artist/barista/biker/rock-climber/inventor/farmer/mom. Or, in this case, a biking viking/master baker/ physicist. Full disclosure: I know the Biking Viking. My husband gave him his nickname. But I think we can all agree that there is nothing hotter than split personalities of talented Oregonians. I think we must drive ourselves crazy with all of our separate passions, but personally, I don’t know any other way to live.

3. Capital Taps.

Zombies. Monks. Beer. Enough said.

4. Farmer Brewing. (not actually a Salem blog…)

This blog posed the questions that has been on everybody’s mind since Gilgamesh Brewing announced plans for Salem’s — shock and awe! — first beer and cider festival of its own (and you thought what everybody wanted was a room…).  Yes… it is by now a running gag of a meme that has attached itself to Salem. Is Salem really ready for a [insert already trendy event/product/place here]? In this case, the answer is yes, by biblical proportions.

5. EatSalem.

Screw you all. I have tried to find this godforsaken waffle stand on three separate occasions in the past week. Sell me a freakin’ waffle! From the picture, it sure doesn’t look like it’s hiding in plain view. But I have yet to dip my lips in the hot pockets of these waffles, despite following this waffle stand on Twitter and setting out with it as my destination. Waffle stand, please take your cues from Woody Allen and keep showing up.

Posted in Celebrities, Food, Media, There's something about Salem | 5 Comments »

Next session of free classes at Clockworks

Tuesday, August 24th, 2010

Clockworks has announced its next session of free classes, including my Blogging Basics class. UPDATE! You can read the full description of classes right here: c4 September class program for web.

This class has been generating some nice discussions about the blogging form, which I’ve been happy to recount, naturally, here on this blog. It’s also been a great way to meet some already and would-be bloggers here in town.

Here are my lessons learned from the first free class (the diplomatic dance of digital capture) and the second free class (the problem with anonymity).

If you  have been to this class before, don’t bother coming unless, like Rob McGuire, you are attending to lend your vast expertise and participate in the discussion. Be forewarned, though that the presentation will be the same (with minor variations of nervousness and stuttering).

Here is some info about the class. Pop me an email at emilygrosvenor [at] gmail.com if you have any questions.

We’ll be meeting at 6 p.m. on Monday September 27. Mark your calendars! It’s open enrollment and the class has been full every time, so get there early for a good seat!

I’d also like to give a shout out to Ms. K. Williams Brown, who is giving a class on Southern Charm and Manners on Wed. September 1. If you’ve ever had the pleasure of eating one of Ms. Brown’s pimento cheese sandwiches, you’d know that charm is something well worth cultivating in your free time — and learning from the master.

I’m also kind of fascinated by “Writing for the Soul,” “Vegan Cooking,” and the “Be Sweet Project.” I have no idea what that means, but I try to be sweet every day and usually end up being sweet and sour, so anything that can help me strike the right balance must be good.

Here’s the full roster of classes:

Mon.  Aug 30 – 6pm – Writing For The Soul – Marcella Swatzendruber
Mon. Aug 30 – 7pm – Intro to Financial Planning – Steven Goto
Tues. Aug 31 – 6pm – Beginning Zumba – Brittany Mcbee
Tues. Aug 31 – 7pm – Fingerstyle Guitar Techniques – Randy Hartley
Tues. Aug 31 – 7pm – Thriller Dance Lesson – First Half
Wed. Sept 1 – 6pm – Fitness for Everyone – Andy Bolliger
Wed Sept 1 – 7pm – Southern Charm & Manners – Kelly Williams Brown
Thurs. Sept 2 – 6pm – Intro to Balloon Sculpting – Tom White
Thurs. Sept 2 – 7pm – Beginning Yoga – Mary Collins
Thurs. Sept 2 – 7pm – Thriller Dance Lesson -  Second Half

Tues. Sept 7 – 6pm – Intro to Home Gardening – Megan Crandall
Tues. Sept 7 – 7pm – Fingerstyle Guitar Techniques – Randy Hartley
Tues. Sept 7 – 7pm – Thriller Dance Lesson – First Half
Wed. Sept 8 – 6pm – Artist Trading Cards: Make & Trade – Ronda Wymore
Wed. Sept 8 – 7pm – Vegan Cooking – Summer Keightley
Thurs. Sept 9 – 6pm –The Be Sweet Project– Austin Rowlader
Thurs. Sept 9 – 7pm –  How to Solve a Rubix Cube – Kelly Williams Brown
Thurs. Sept 9 – 7pm – Thriller Dance Lesson – Second Half
Fri. Sept 10 – 6pm – Guitar Circle – Mandi Welch
Sat. Sept 11 – 2-5pm – Better Understanding Islam – Laurie Erikson

Mon. Sept 13 – 6pm – Intro to Financial Planning –Steven Goto
Mon. Sept 13 – 7pm – CranioSacral Therapy:  Migraines – Janette Warren
Tues. Sept 14 – 6pm – Basic Earrings – Alex Taylor
Tues . Sept 14 – 6pm – Beginning Zumba – Brittany Mcbee
Tues. Sept 14 – 7pm – Fingerstyle Guitar Techniques – Randy Hartley
Tues. Sept 14 – 7pm – Thriller Dance Lesson – First Half
Wed. Sept 15 – 6pm – Fitness for Everyone – Andy Bolliger
Thurs. Sept 16 – 6pm – The Be Sweet Project – Austin Rowlader
Thurs. Sept 16 – 7pm – Beginning Yoga – Mary Collins
Thurs.  Sept 16 -  7pm – Thriller Dance Lesson – Second Half
Fri. Sept 17 – 6pm – Life Shifting – Troy Wenning
Sat. Sept 18 – 3pm – Shamanic Journeys – Leslie Grasa

Mon. Sept 20 – 6pm – Writing for the Soul – Marcella Swatzendruber
Mon. Sept 20 – 7pm – Grassroots Marketing in Salem – Ryan Rogers
Tues. Sept 21 – 6pm – Beginning Zumba – Brittany Mcbee
Tues. Sept 21 – 7pm – Fingerstyle Guitar Techniques – Randy Hartley
Tues. Sept 21 – 7pm – Thriller Dance Lessons – Second Half
Wed. Sept 22 – 6pm – Artist Trading Cards: Make & Trade – Ronda Wymore
Wed. Sept 22 – 6pm – Music for Tots – Christy Hey
Thurs. Sept 23 – 6pm – Budget Event Planning – Dorri Wassom
Thurs. Sept 23 – 7pm – Thriller Dance Lessons – First Half
Fri.  Sept 24 – 6pm – Guitar Circle – Mandi Welch
Sat. Sept 25 – 3-6pm – DIY Filmmaking – Jason Gould

Mon. Sept 27 – 6pm – Blogging Basics – Emily Grosvenor
Mon. Sept 27 – 7pm – CranioSacral Therapy: Pregnancy
Tues. Sept 28 – 6pm –  – Intro to Home Gardening – Megan Crandall
Tues. Sept 28 – 7pm – Fingerstyle Guitar Basics – Randy Hartley
Tues. Sept 28 – 7pm – Thriller Dance Lessons – Second Half
Wed. Sept 29 – 6pm – Fitness for Everyone – Andy Bolliger
Wed. Sept 29 – 7pm – Vegan Cooking – Summer Keightley
Thurs. Sept 30 – 7 pm – Thriller Dance Lesson – First Half
Thurs. Sept 30 – 7pm – How to Solve a Rubix Cube – Kelly Williams Brown
Thurs. Sept 30 – 7pm – Beginning Yoga – Mary Collins
Fri. Oct 1 – SPECIAL EVENT @ CLOCKWORKS!!!
Sat. Oct 2 – 3pm – DIY Kids Portrait Photography – Anati Neiffer

Posted in Celebrities, Media, These are the people in my neighborhood | 9 Comments »

Salem creatives turning it up

Monday, August 16th, 2010

This has been the summer of many things. A summer of coconut ice cream obsessions. A summer of day’s without dishes (my favorite). A summer of creative production despite all of the distractions.

I’m seeing it all over town and in my conversations with Salem’s creative folk.

Salem’s very own Stephanie Lenox, poet and new mama has put together the brand-new issue of Blood Orange Review, a highly respected online literary journal, in-between her darling baby’s naps and working for A.C. Gilbert Discovery Village. It includes, among other strange, curious and beautiful things, an essay on roadkill that is something like a piece I once wrote after trailing around with the dude who picks it off Iowa highways for a living.

Hey, just cause I’m a mama doesn’t mean I can’t be interested in roadkill.

There is also a sweet poem about bees.

Will Bragg, all-around man-about-town these days, has opened up a downtown studio. He’s been photographing the people who work around him. Sure, this might seem like a routine and ordinary project, but look at this gorgeous woman who owns Glance Glasses! Hair, commence greyness!

All kinds of jealous of his recent photo shoot with Grand Duchy, Frank Black’s new project (you’ll remember they played their first show here in April of 2009).

Congrats to Will, for getting what all of us want. You know, a room of our own.

Jessica Ramey of Northwest Nest, a hero to mothers all who aspire to raise their kids and create their art at the same time (the impossibility of achieving flow — ask me about it sometime), launched a Salem Zine project that you may have heard about here, and here.

One quibble about the article about Jessica. She’s not one woman behind the trend in Salem. In this case, she IS the trend.

You can download her Salem zine here.

I don’t know about you, but I’m pooped from having just typed what other people are doing. But what about you? Have you managed to create something glorious in the scant idle hours of summer?

Posted in Books, Capital Shots, Celebrities, You are what you read | 6 Comments »

Welcome to the Secret Society

Friday, May 21st, 2010

I had to giggle a bit a while back when I got lumped into Salem’s new creative class, but that got me thinking. An influx of new creative folks into Salem’s affordable, sometimes charming, often grubby Northeast city section? Is there any legitimacy to that?

There is!

I’ve always held that stuff happens in Salem — it’s just laughlingly under-the-radar. Well… something is definitely afoot in the Northeast Salem neighborhoods.

All it took was one party at my friend the poet’s house (also in NE Salem) to determine that there are a lot of us small-housers out here milking the city for its historic properties and living large on a tiny footprint. In addition to me, my sculptor of a husband and my baby Dash, a.k.a. The Next Alexander Calder, we have:

Michael Chasar, a Poet with an Penchant for Pop

Stephanie Lenox, editor of Blood Orange Review, a well-received online literary mag

William Bragg, photographer - or you might know him as a champion for the underpriveleged

Jonathan Bucci, multimedia artist, and his writer wife, Rachel Bucci

Any more you can think of? Whom have I forgotten? Whom haven’t I met yet?

As far as I know, all of the people listed here have been in Salem for five years or less. Yay for new blood — and for E.B. White quotes that can lend themselves to cities other than New York.

Posted in Art, Celebrities, Home, Salem Mysteries: SOLVED!, There's something about Salem, These are the people in my neighborhood | 16 Comments »

January Salem Monthly out

Wednesday, January 6th, 2010

I’ve often wished that everyone I know in Salem could meet my neighbors, Keith and Sarah Chilcote. They have introduced us to some of the secret sides of the city (he’s my pick-your-own pinot hookup) and have overwhelmed us with their generosity and good natures.

Well, now you can! Salem Monthly just did a little story on them and their business, American Antique Hardware.

Keith is one of the most loquacious people I have ever known. I am consistently amazed that he can manage a dozen properties, run a business and be father to three darling children when he can barely remove himself from a good conversation. Adam and I both have dad crushes on him.

Sarah is a fabulous mom who has found a way to work from home and raise her kids there — a goal I’m striving for myself. All new parents need role models, and we seem to be surrounded by them.

They have built this mini-Eden in the middle of Northeast Salem, a secret city alcove the is all but overflowing with pears and apples and blueberries and plums in the summer.

Oh, and they sell awesome antique hardware at decent prices. Eat it, Hippo Hardware!

By the way, if you are one of the 2.3 people out there who are wondering why there is no Desperately Seeking Salem column in the January issue of Salem Monthly, I’ll enlighten you.

I totally dropped the ball!

Well, kind of. I’m generally gestating these pieces until about the 23rd of the month, when I write them out in a spontaneous burst of literary activity that lasts about an hour. I was working on such a piece when I went into labor.

Thankfully my editor gave me a reprieve for January. Thanks, Eric!

So sorry to my readers: grandma, Jan and my cat De Kooning. I’ll be back in business next month.

Posted in Celebrities, Home, These are the people in my neighborhood | 2 Comments »

Stu Sighting!

Tuesday, November 10th, 2009

StuPhoto2

I had my first Oregonian celebrity sighting last week.

And as with the time that I saw George Stephanopoulous walking down 28th Street in Georgetown, D.C., and the afternoon I ran into Thurston Moore on the main drag in State College, PA, the fact that this was a lesser celebrity — no motorcade, no paps, no Kevin Costner falling in love — didn’t prevent my sweet release of having witnessed, if only for a moment, what famous people do when they don’t know they are being watched.

And what a setting! Yes, folks, I saw Silverton Mayor Stu Rassmussen, the nation’s first transgendered mayor, shopping for shoes at DSW in Eugene.

This is where my friend Rachel would interject and say: “See! Even Stu has to go somewhere else to find good shoes!”

Well, yes, that’s why I was there too. But my mission quickly morphed from picking up a nice pair of pregnancy-friendly flats for a my sister’s wedding to flat-out stalking Stu as he perused the aisles of DSW.

I really wanted to say something. The journalist in me came up with all kinds of normal-sounding intros that would have brought me into conversation with The Mayor. The best I could come up with was: “I love your little town so much I’m giving birth there!”

Alas, my superpower, empathy, won out. I don’t like to be bothered while I’m shopping, and I couldn’t fathom doing it to him just to feed my interest.

So instead, I just followed him around like a spy, watching him shop for — ta da! — six-inch stilletto-heeled brown boots. Also, he was wearing four-inch heals while shopping.

It would seem that Stu makes a far greater woman than I. After I had my fill, I sighed and left, shuffling to my car, through the rain, my five year-old, moldering posture shoes squeezing a little tight against my toes.

No shoes that day. But still… Stu sighting!

Posted in Celebrities | 6 Comments »

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