“Love can be a very frightening thing.’ ‘That is why most great love stories are tragedies.”
-Agatha Christie, Death on the Nile
To love is to risk. There are no two ways about it. When we pour ourselves, heart and soul, into another being, no matter what kind of love – romantic, platonic, familial – we open ourselves up to possible pain. And it is this that keeps some from giving themselves completely. For some, the fear of loss or complication is too great to open up to. For some, it feels safer to remain closed. But by doing this, perhaps opportunities are missed – while pain is often part of love, so is joy and fulfillment and all manner of things.
Jerri Allyn joined us to discuss Sx Celebrated: Expanding Erotic Power, a recent popup at DoLA, among other things. The title of the popup was written to get around online community standards that often don’t allow the word “sex” to appear in advertising copy. The project brings Allyn full circle from the co-founding of The Waitresses 30 years ago. To learn more, listen to the complete interview.
Jim Osman spoke about his recent show, Walnut 3, which ran until December 21 at McKenzie Fine Art. The exhibition includes Osman’s sculptural works created in walnut, the medium he has used almost exclusively for about five to eight years. He discovered walnut by chance in scrap bins where he used to teach and was immediately drawn to its look. To learn more about Osman’s work, listen to the complete interview.
A few words to keep in your pocket
Are you brave enough to love?
Outings.
Join me in in Northampton, MA for HELICES.
Interviews are available on iTunes as podcasts, and for Android, please click here. All weekly essay pieces are here in a shareable format. The full archive of interviews is here.
More books to read
Ours is a community of readers. Tell us what books you’re reading now by adding your titles to our reading list here. Praxis user Ann-Marie Stillion recommends M Train by Patti Smith.
Opportunities
Jentel Residency provides artists a serene space for creativity, reflection, and inspiration near Bighorn Mountains. Applications for the summer/fall Jentel Artist Residency are currently open. Visit the website to learn more, including eligibility, details, and FAQs. Deadline is January 15.