WeJetSet - Our Favorite New Client

I'll be doing weekly blog entries for travel website WeJetSet, as well as one video piece at the beginning of each month. Check out the St. Petersburg video and my review of The Crosby in Santa Ana, California. 

Be sure to visit www.wejetset.com daily for all your travel news, needs and inspiration.

Weekend Fun - Old Faithful of California

The Old Faithful Geyser of California is one of three geysers in the world with the designation "old faithful." These are the geysers that perform at regular intervals. A geyser exists only where conditions are right. These conditions include a natural deep subterranean supply of water, a source of heat and a series of fissures, fractures and cavities that provide a path to the surface of the earth. Surrounding rock formations must be strong enough to maintain continual onslaughts of the intense pressure of steam and water explosions.

HIJACKED Volume One: launch and exhibition

Opens today in NYC, featuring Megawords photographers/associates Angela Boatwright (www.angelaboatwright.com) and Todd Fisher (www.toddfisher.net)

Opening reception: The Arm, 281 N. 7th Street, Brooklyn, NY

Friday,June 6th
7pm-11pm

Music by DJ Rev McFly and DJ Teenwolf


HIJACKED:VOLUME ONE
Features the work of 44 photographers from the USA and Australia


Timothy Archibald | Angela Boatwright | Alana Celii | Nick Chatfield-Taylor | Brian
Cross | Todd Fisher | Jonathan Gitelson | Dean Karr | Lisa Kereszi | Jason Lazarus | Suzy Poling | Robin Schwartz | Tod Seelie | Sarah Small | Amy Stein | Jennifer Juniper Stratford | Bill Sullivan | Shen Wei | Grant Willing | Ed Zipco | Greta Anderson | Duncan Barnes | Karron Bridges | Sean Cordeiro and Claire Healy | Michael Gray | David Griggs | Caitlin Harrison | Nathalie Latham | Mark McPherson | James Mellon | Graham Miller | Martin Mischkulnig | Fiona Morris | Tony Nathan | Jack Pam | Emily Portmann | Brad Rimmer | Janelle Ryan | Flavia Schuster | Juha Tolonen | Joshua Webb | Toni Wilkinson | Gareth Willis


About The Arm: The Arm is a small-scale goods factory and gallery located on 281 North 7th Street between Havemeyer and Meeker in Williamsburg, Brooklyn.





Smyrski Creative Updates

www.smyrskicreative.com

Two new projects on the site:

Swindle #16
For #16, SWINDLE embarked on an ambitious project. For the first time, we created a themed issue on a single geographic location: London.

Megawords #8
This 64 page over-sized black and white issue with a full color cover features photography from Zoe Strauss, Todd Fisher, Peter Dean Rickards, Rebekah Maysles, Dan Murphy, Melissa Farley, Natasha Gudermane, and many more.

More updates soon!

Amish on Amtrak

Three weeks ago I boarded a westbound Amtrak train in Philadelphia. I was headed for Los Angeles with two stopovers; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and Chicago, Illinois. This photo was taken during my first stop, a bit before 11PM EST time on the platform of Pittsburgh's Union Station.

The Amish family looks on anxiously as the Capitol Limited approaches; they have come from the suburbs of Philadelphia and are going to Kansas to visit distant loved ones. The platforms strange lighting, the rumble of the steel train, and the archaic dress of the Amish family set create an interesting moment.

Larry Davis at Maysles Cinema

From Phillip Maysles at Maysles Films:

The Maysles Institute is housing two nights of film and conversation about the controversial New York legend, Larry Davis/Adam Abdul Akeem (1966-2008). Different films and material will be presented each night, so they are both sure to be worth your while. Please contact me for advance ticket sales and as always, pass it along.

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Friday, May 30th: MEMORIAL TRIBUTE TO LARRY DAVIS 6:00 pm to midnight
Larrima Davis is hosting a memorial tribute to her father Larry Davis, who was murdered in Shawangunk Correction Facility on February 20th, 2008. Larry Davis gained notoriety at the age of 19 when he wounded six officers in a shoot out on November 19th, 1986. He evaded a police manhunt for 17 days before surrendering to the FBI. Arguing self-defense, Davis was acquitted of the charges lodged against him. Davis became a hip-hop hero and is referred to in over 30 raps and was a hip hop artist in his own right. We will be showing a documentary film about Larry Davis from 6:30 to 9:30. Friends, family, supporters and hip-hop artists will speak about Larry Davis' legacy. Reception and music to follow.
Open to the public. 10.00 in advance, 15.00 at the door.

Saturday, May 31st: LARRY DAVIS: HERO, VICTIM or VILLAIN? 6:15 pm to 9
Larry Davis was a folk hero to many in the context of police brutality towards African-Americans, widespread corruption and racial polarization. To others his story embodied the moral depravity of the crack epidemic and the greed of the 1980’s. Because of the media’s limited portrayal of Larry Davis, many are unaware of his musical aspirations and the support he had in his community. We will try to fairly assess the ethics of a man faced with difficult choices that were overlooked in the mainstream media’s characterization of him.
Follow up screening and audience discussion. Friends, journalists, lawyers and activists familiar with Larry's case will be in attendance.
7.00 admission. Free to those who attend Memorial on Friday.

@ The Maysles Institute, 343 Lenox Ave/Malcolm X Blvd. between 127th and 128th. New York, NY 10027. 2/3, 4,5,6, A,B,C,D to 125th street.

For more info or to purchase tickets:
cinema@mayslesfilms.com, 212-5826050 ext. 218

Heartworm #20 on YouTube

Wes and Eric read from their recent books Deathbeds and I Offered Myself as the Sea.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4RlG5_HDjKc

From Philadelphia to Los Angeles via Amtrak

This past Monday I arrived in Los Angeles after the 3500 mile journey cross country from Philadelphia.

I had a 4 hour stopover in Pittsburgh before switching to a train would take me to Chicago. This photo was taken in the lobby of the Omni William Penn Hotel, where I ate a late dinner before boarding the overnight train. The rest of the story and more photos will be up soon.