The News of Liza Kate

Labels: music, photography

I have some ideas about where I've disappeared to and why. The following is a short list:

1. Winter left me sad and depressed.
2. This winter was sad and depressing.
3. Sadly, I was depressed this winter.
4. I was saddened with winter depression.
5. I was depressed by the sad winter.

I have a million things to share with both of you (as I'm sure my teeny-tiny readership may have jumped off of my sorry, little, dark ship of gloom a long time ago) but I will try to keep it brief.

1. I have not smoked in 72 days. This is huge.

I tried to quit smoking last May. I went through about one million nicotine patches, suffered through as many little circular rashes, and never really kicked the habit.

Then, smarty pants here decided to stop buying pouches of tobacco I rolled myself ($4.00/4 days) and start buying very fancy "natural" smokes ($6.00+/1.5 days) in order to teach myself some sort of lesson. I never learned it, but I did go kind of broke in the process. More on that later, though.

Finally, I said enough was enough (actually, I think it was more like "You know what? Fuck this shit!"), threw away a half a pack, searched for and destroyed any and all cigarette stuff, and that was that.

The first two weeks were weird: I was a jerk, my skin was crawling and my gums hurt, I had tunnel vision and could only think about smoking.

But now, I've got it pretty under control. No patches, no gum, no mystically magical tinctures from Ellwood's. I just really wanted to be done.

I was really ready.

Now, I'm only spending so much time on this quitting thing because it is the single most important thing I have ever and will ever do for myself. I'm not being preachy, I won't do that, but I know that for the first time ever that I can remember, I had an opportunity to improve my own lot, and I did it. I really did it and it's sticking.

I feel invincible and proud (which is something I do not throw around) and my whole life is possible.

Okay, moving on.

2. I'm writing songs again.

Some of you may remember me saying things like, "I HATE playing music!" or "I'm over this shit." It's true, I did and I was. I needed a break.

Now, I no longer say "yes" to every single show that is offered to me and it's catching on. I almost never get asked anymore.

I'm trying to play more and more infrequently - once a month tops - and lately, one of a couple of things have been happening:

- I open the show, which means that no one is really there yet (can the world have forgotten about me so soon? Jeez!)

- Or, the people putting the show on forget about it and leave town, or forget about it and give the night a pop guitarist who strums for the lord. Or is it "Lord?"

Anyhoo, that's all behind me now, kind of.

The next show will be on April 13th (Sunday) at The Camel, from 8pm-11pm with Charles Theodore and Mermaid Skeletons. It will rule you.

Oh, I'm opening so please, please come on time and show me that I'm not washed up or forgotten. It's kicking my ego in the groin, you know?

3. I got a photo studio.

Yup, for the next 4-5 months, I'll be subletting 1/2 of an amazing studio at a place that is quite coveted.

I'm very, very lucky and you will be hearing more about this later. Especially if you live in town and I like you. I'll probably want to make a picture with your face on it.

(a) I've been spending loads of time in the darkroom.

I really am very, very lucky. And grateful.

Somehow, just by knowing the right people(?), doing the right things(?), or some other reason I don't know about, I have almost endless access to probably one of the oldest darkrooms in Richmond.

It's dusty and chilly, a little bit creepy and probably home to several million crawling things, but I pretend it's mine when I'm down there. And I pretty much have it to myself. Lucky, lucky, lucky.

(b) I'm hoping to make the fruits of my labor visible to the rest of the world at a photo show sometime this summer. More about that later too.

4. I'm working on a screen play.

I know, what a dork, right?

Right. I am. But it is, kind of, all about dancing. And that makes it cool, right? eh.

That will be a summertime project, hopefully completed by the Fall.

These things are pretty slow moving, by the way - the photo show, the song writing, the script writing, the darkroom-ing.

For some really weird reason, I don't get paid to do the things I want to do just yet, so, unless I pick up an extra shift at work or find a second job, these projects are and will remain meagerly funded.

But jesus, I'm having the best time ever. Or is it "Jesus?" I never know.

I'll leave you now, with this:

Labels: friends, music, photography, smoking

In short, that isn't happening.

I was informed today by the Associate Director of the Center for Latin American Studies that the verdict is in - I won't be moving back to Gainesville this fall.

He encouraged me to try again next year and I'm sure I will.

So that's it. It's a little relieving because I can make more plans regarding my immediate future without wondering if I'll be here to follow through.

So far, those plans include:

1. A tour in August with these sweet people. It isn't clear yet whether I'll be touring as "Liza Kate The Folk Rock Icon and Legend" and a member of their band, or as JUST a member of their band.

I could care less either way - let's go now!

2. Studio photography. I've spent a little time learning how to be a studio photographer's assistant. Not necessarily an assistant in general, but a perfectly shaped and molded assistant to just one fella. As soon as he gets work that requires an assistant, I'll be that person.

Now that I'm staying in town, helping teach a class this fall at VCU is imminent.

Maybe.

3. Some photography of my own. I'm submitting about 1 million photographs to many different publications, galleries, and contests (see below). I would love to have a CV that is, if not impressive, then really, REALLY long.

Also, I'm completely interested in sharing a space big and cheap enough to set up a studio.

In Richmond, the "cheap" part alone files this under "yeah right!"

4. Amassing a nest egg. Not for forever, mind you - just for a trip that might take me and boo to Portugal and Spain? Mexico? Dominican Republic? Montana? Alabama?

I'll have to focus on the strength and girth of the nest egg first.

5. Recording. I have plans for this. It might even be available by the time number 1 happens. That's all I can say about it now.

6. Writing. Songs, stories, letters, thank you cards to people who never got them a year ago when they should have, apologies along with some presents to some other people who should have gotten those presents in February, etc.

Of course, that could have been happening all along - moving or not, but since I no longer have the "well, I was trying to figure out all this 'moving to Florida' stuff and blah" crap that I should be famous for, I figure I should hop to it.

So, friends - If you have any information regarding the whereabouts of quiet and nice places that could help make #1 a victory for our team, please let me know. We're thinking the East Coast and the Mid-West.

Also, if you read #6 while gritting your teeth and throwing darts at a picture of my face on your wall - I'm working on it, I promise! It's just, y'know, I was almost moving once.

Labels: "yeah right", music, photography

Okay, okay - if you know anything about FILE Magazine, you'll know that being added to their collection is a pretty exciting thing.

Everyday, I believe, they feature a new photo - apparently, today, they've featured two of mine.

I'm glowing.

Here they are:

Labels: photography

A photo by: the life of liza.

This photo was a dream to make.

In it, baby bear has grown up.

No longer drooling over strawberries, the kid has progressed and regressed in a million different ways.

Losing and gaining.

My nephew (shown above), is in the middle of this strange purgatory of adolescence.

He's being forced to grow up willingly.

It's a crazy game that I wouldn't wish on anyone, but he's accomplishing a seemingly impossible task with grace and character.

Labels: photography, stories

I received an email from the man in charge of creating a giant Journey Mural to be on permanent display at The New York Columbia Presbyterian Children’s Hospital.

He was asking permission to use this photo for the cause.

Of course, I said yes (even though he could not meet my $500,000 demand - I decided that I could really use the good press in light of my most recent unfortunate situation*).

It's purpose, as I was told, "is to create an environment for the children who will be treated in this facility to feel as if they have traveled to a special place. Our hope is that the imagery will inspire the imagination of children as they cope with an otherwise frightening experience."

Sounds good to me!

The opening is sometime in July.



*I'm trying to start a new blog genre called "Mystery Blogging."
I tell the truth and I also tell some lies and you have to uncover the mysteries of my forbidden past. Okay? Spread the word.

Labels: photography

Labels: photography

Rick and Courtney came by last night to act as my models.

You see, I have a kind of photo studio now - right where my living room used to be.

This is a thank you, to them, for letting me practice a bit.

Labels: friends, photography