NEA National Heritage Fellowships

Last week, I had the extraordinary honor of participating in the celebration surrounding the National Endowment for the Arts National Heritage Fellowships, where eleven selected folk artists were honored for their contribution to our country's cultural heritage. There was an award ceremony on Tuesday evening, followed by a dinner in the Library of Congress. The honors continued Thursday, with a concert at Strathmore, hosted by NCTA friend Nick Spitzer, of NPR's American Routes. During Tuesday's dinner, each of the fellows stood up and spoke about their work and their heritage.
Every single one of them was incredibly thankful and gracious. A common thread throughout the evening was mention of what exceptional fortune they felt they have had, to come to be in America, be it through their ancestors or their own emigration; as our great country has given them the opportunity and freedom to practice their craft and carry on their tradition, as a true a receptacle for heritages and customs of all people who make this their home. Hearing them each speak was really a treat. Sophiline Cheam Shapiro came out of the Khmer Rouge holocaust to teach classical Cambodian dance to a new generation in California. Teri Rofkar continues a tradition of spruce root gathering and basket weaving from the Raven Clan in Alaska; she shared a story of a basket found recently in an archeological dig near her home that was dated at 5,000 years old, that bore the same pattern of weaving she uses and teaches today. Cowboy poet Joel Nelson stood up and said "This is the second greatest honor I have been given in my life. The first is sitting right over there," refering to his wife Sylvia who works side-by-side with him on their 24,000 acre ranch in Alpine, Texas.
LeRoy Graber was truly a delight, telling a story about two horses, to whom he felt he owed his life, that lead his grandfather through a blizzard to safety, over 80 years ago. His grandfather taught him to weave when he was ten years old. There are wonderful stories from each of the fellows, and I really encourage anyone to listen to their interviews posted on the NEA site. Another highlight for me was the chance to speak briefly to Rocco Landesman, newly appointed NEA chairman, near the end of the evening.

In the photo above, Rocco stands at the podium, the fellows to the left and right of him. The most prominent audience members sitting in front of me are Amma McKen's cheering section (she is on the far right). The second photo is inside the Library of Congress, a stunning backdrop for the evening, just as people come downstairs for dinner.

Banners!

I've been helping the University of Michigan Men's Glee Club, for the last few months, with their graphic design and brand image for their 150th year of existence. The most exciting pieces so far are these banners, currently hanging on 18 lamp posts on and around the campus in Ann Arbor, Michigan. I designed them and sent in the final digital drafts, but haven't made it back to see them in person yet. Fortunately, a photo found its way to my inbox! I'm thrilled - I think they look quite good! They'll be up all school year.


(Photo thanks to the Club, I did not take this one.)

Self Publishing

I came across this website: lulu.com where one can upload their writing, design a book cover, and start selling their own book instantly, without years of publishers reading manuscripts and saying "no thank you" before getting a break. I'm naturally skeptical, as this process bypasses the normal publishing and distribution system. I was taught that consumers view their time, not their money, as their most valuable resource - so they won't sit through the consumption of things they don't enjoy (movies, books, concerts). For this reason, we have gatekeepers - experts in respective fields that produce movies, books, etc, that say red light, green light, on projects depending on their quality and potential to sell well. (Though keeping in mind, "nobody knows," via Rushton and Caves, which is why we have flops sometimes.) Gatekeepers help weed out lesser quality projects from reaching the public, and make it easier for average consumers to find things they enjoy, without having to sort through every artist in a field themselves.

That said, gatekeepers became less important in the music industry, when homegrown bands started uploading their music on the web, sharing it, and experiencing success by the popularity democratically gained. Record labels are still useful, however, for marketing and distribution, and assumption of risk, but the way something becomes popular has definitely changed. I wonder if this could happen next with books. Lulu does rank top sellers right on their front page, so you can buy what other people buy - generally a good indicator you might like something. I guess the question would be, is are major book publishers paying attention? Are they cruising for their next bestselling author on these sites? (And if they bite, does it decrease their risk, because they have evidence this writer is already somewhat popular?) Or will they continue to read manuscripts and find their authors and take risk in the usual way?