“I have always wanted to write a book that ended with the word ‘mayonnaise.”
-Richard Brautigan, author of Trout Fishing in America, which does, indeed (spoiler alert), end with the word “mayonnaise.”
If you were to write your life story up to this point, what might you say? What are the things that define your journey and have shaped you into the person you are today? Would your story be one of hardship? Would it be the arc of someone who has overcome great obstacles, or perhaps you’ve been fortune-favored for much of your life, and things have simply come easy. We move through our lives so often unaware of our own narrative. And that’s OK. It wouldn’t do for us to be constantly distracted by our own storyline while we are in the midst of living it. But once in a while, isn’t it interesting to reflect on where we’ve been, how we got here and who we have become?
Julie Severino talked to us about her show, Turn on, Tune in, Drop out, which ran until October 14 at Anna Zorina Gallery. The title originates with Timothy Leary, a clarion call for people to drop out of mainstream consumerism and turn toward introspection and solutions. When Severino learned of this phrase, it resonated with her as someone who has always been somewhat defiant and questioning. To learn more about this exhibition of paintings and other aspects of Severino’s work, listen to the complete interview.
Sarah Lubin joined us to discuss her show, Frames, on view until December 2 at Nancy Margolis Gallery. The title of the show came to her early on in the process of creating the works as she found new ways to contain certain parts of the compositions, whether that was illuminating colors or patterns or focusing on some specificity of the figures in the paintings. To learn more, listen to the complete interview.
A few words to keep in your pocket
No two stories are alike. What’s yours?
Interviews are available on iTunes as podcasts, and for Android, please click here. All weekly essay pieces in a shareable format are here. The full archive of interviews is here.
More Books to Read
Ours is a community of readers. Add your titles to our reading list here. Explore the writing of Timothy Leary, inspiration for Julie Severino’s Turn on, Tune in, Drop out. Praxis user Virginia Bryant was delighted to discover, after believing she’d read his complete works already, short essays by James Baldwin, which shape into a bio of sorts and are filled with pearls of wisdom.
Opportunities
Foundation House is accepting applications for residency in back country Greenwich, CT. For 10 days (January 26, 2024 – February 4, 2023), six residents will have time and space for concentrated creation among inspiring surroundings. Residents receive a stipend, room and board and have 75 private acres to explore. For more information and to apply, visit the website. Deadline for applications is December 3.
Brainard Carey is an author, artist and educator. He is the director of Praxis for Aesthetics. He has written six books for artists, most recently Making it in the Art World.