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1. Totes are Back!
Exclusive Digest Discount! At long last, our totes have returned and they're fabulous! HML totes featuring the iconic "Where Nothing Happens" artwork of Santa Cruz's resident conjurer of tall tales, Stacie Willoughby (aka Notes from Below!)
Made locally at Seaside's Silkscreen Express, these 10-ounce, 100% cotton twill totes can fit 588 cubic inches-worth of stuff (for those of you who excelled in high school math.) Support Silkscreen Express! Support the Library! Get hit on at Whole Foods!
Better yet, you, dear Digest member, can get one at a 30% discount! Simply order one here, and when you check out, write us a note saying "Digest member." We'll issue you a refund of the difference!
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3. Selling out the Movies: A ‘success’ story.
In the movie "Some Kind of Monster," former Metallica bassist Jason Newsted was asked if Metallica were "sell-outs." "Yeah, we sell out," he pithily responded, "Every night we play."
Consider the Big Sur International Short Film Screening Series the Metallica of the international short film circuit. Monterey County recently mandated that we have to limit our capacity to 120 people due to parking and other access-related considerations. And so, rather than run the risk of a weekly stampede, we asked folks to RSVP for the upcoming events. And guess what? Every week has sold out!
In a sense, it's good news, but it's also unfortunate because, unlike previous years, we'll have less people in attendance and fever people who just stumble upon us from far away! Nonetheless, we wanted to thank the Big Sur and short film community for your support and understanding as we navigate these uncharted waters!
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8. Big Sur Land Use Plan:
Part 3.
2.1 PHILOSOPHY & GOALS
The scenic beauty of the Big Sur Coast, and the opportunity to escape urban patterns, are prime attractions for residents and visitors alike. Man-made improvements detract from the near-wilderness attributes of the area if not individually, then collectively. (LUP, 2.1, pg.5)
Quality should have precedence over quantity of any permitted uses, whether residential, recreational, or commercial. Any new development should remain within the small-scale, traditional and rural values of the area, rather than to introduce new or conflicting uses. (LUP, 2.1, pg.5)
Land use planning and management policies should be directed towards maintenance and restoration of Big Sur's remaining rural and wilderness character. Without compromising its character or depleting its resources, the area should be accessible to as many as can be accommodated. (LUP, 2.1, pg.5)
The special cultural characteristics of the Big Sur Coast should also be recognized as a primary resource. Man's presence along this coast continues to reflect a pioneering attitude of independence and resourcefulness; the environment has been a special nurturing ground for individual and creative fulfillment. The community itself and its traditional way of life are resources that can help to protect the environment and enhance the visitor experience. (LUP, 2.1, pg.5)
From these philosophic concerns the following basic goal was defined by the Citizens Advisory Committee:
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| 6. ARTNews in our neighborhood: Tim Youd!
Salinas | Southern California artist Tim Youd is taking a page from the life of the Central Coast’s most famous author by not only relocating to Pacific Grove but by typing a seminal piece of work by John Steinbeck — page by page. Continued...
Monterey | How many performance artists does it take to screw in a lightbulb?
A: I don't know. I left after six hours.
That's just one of many jokes that sling arrows at performance artists. Maybe because performance art can be complex, obscure, oblique and unexpected, it allows us to interpret it as we see fit. Or not. Performance art has been a punching bag, an effigy for the most challenging, goofy or indulgent regions of Art.
Marina Abramovic is probably the most famous performance artist alive thanks to her collaborations with Jay-Zat Pace Gallery and Lady Gaga (and Ms. Gaga's 45 million social media followers). But most people probably couldn't name another performance artist, alive or dead.
Maybe Tim Youd will change that. He is a self-described performance artist. And for even stepping up to that label, he merits attention. But his performance is easy to understand. He's re-typing 100 published novels, on the kind of typewriters their original authors used, in locations relevant to that novel or author. Continue here...
See newsreel to the right...
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| Hey!
It's us! The Henry Miller Memorial Library! Remember us? Well, we remember you. In fact, you've been particularly on our mind as of late. It's weird. It was kinda hard to sleep last night, actually. Then again, we also drank a macchiato while updating our Instagram account before bedtime, and then there was a fire (!) so who can say really?
But we digress.
It's another day at the office here in Big Sur. A few scattered tourists perusing the shop. Nico on the hi-fi. Volunteers-for-Life Maddie and CK chillin' on the deck. Thompson, Sarah's black lab, just raided Theo's dry cat food and got scolded for it. (He's incorrigible!) And we're here to present you this month's Digest. Late, yes, but better!
(But before we do, some housekeeping. The Library is a 501 (c) 3 nonprofit arts center. We exist thanks to your support. And given the fact that we're facing new capacity limitations [see below] that will affect our bottom line, that support is more vital than ever. If you have any friends who may be interested in subscribing to the digest, please let them know! Thanks!]
OK. Let's do this.
Contents:
1. Totes are Back!
FIRE
2. Henry and Abe: Finding America 3. Selling out the Movies: A ‘success’ story. 4. Miller was not a Geologist nor was he the ‘last invader.’ 5. Father John and Sven is moving towards 20K hits! 6. ARTNews in our neighborhood: Tim Youd!
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| FIRE.
On Stone Ridge, the ridge to the south of us, late afternoon June 30, a tree falls, a fire starts, Sarah, at the Library, calls 911, fire crews, Big Sur volunteer, CAL Fire and Forest Service, arrive, fire is contained within two hours, two hectic hours, two hours that could have turned into a different kind of two hours had Sarah not made that phonecall, had the crews been occupied elsewhere; the heat & the dryness in the Big Sur landscape right now is making it extremely prone to fire. Phew!
So Thanks to All who came to put out the fire. Thanks to those who helped in preparing for a quick evacuation of the Library and to Sarah for calling it in! Donate to the Big Sur Volunteer Firebrigade HERE!
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| 2. Henry and Abe: Finding America
Before Jack and Neal there was Abe and Henry. In 1939, Henry and his fellow Parisian ex-pat, Abraham Rattner, reconvened in New York City and embarked on a trip to understand the spirit of their native land. With a $500 advance from Miller's publisher, he bought a second-hand 1932 Buick roadster. Neither knew how to drive so Miller took a few lessons. During their three-month trek in 1940, Rattner created more than 500 sketches and chronicled the adventure in notebooks. Dozens of them are displayed and show the range of their discoveries. Miller, of course, documented the trip in "The Air Conditioned Nightmare."
The scope and legacy of this journey is currently being celebrated in "Henry and Abe: Finding America," an exhibition at the Leepa-Rattner Museum of Art in Tarponn Springs, FL that will run until August 23rd.
Magnus flew out to speak for the symposium that was arranged to be part of the exhibition. Below he is with Miller scholar, and publisher of 'Nexus', James Decker. The 1932 Buick was just one of the many wonderful things on display. If you have a chance to see this exhibit before it closes at the end of August we recommend it! Below also see a photo, by James Decker, of some of the portraits of Henry that Abe did during their trip.
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|  | James Decker and Magnus Toren in front of the 1932 Buick. The same car
that is pictured above with the two actors expertly playing
Henry and Abe at the symposium! | |
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4. Miller was not a Geologist nor was he the ‘last invader.’
We love Henry for his boisterous irrepressible spirit and frequent forays into optimistic thinking, but while he may have been a Bohemian/Metaphysicalist/etc. bar none, he, alas, wasn't much of a geologist. Confused? Intrigued? Hungry? Click here and find out what we mean!
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| 5. Father John and Sven is moving towards 20K hits!
We're not ones for following the latest technology fad. For example, Mike is still fervently holding on hope that people will connect with him on his admittedly-mothballed Friendster account.
Nonetheless, we're enamored by the symbolism of having one of our videos reach 20,000 hits on YouTube.
That video, of course, would be the now-iconic "Father John Misty Meets Hippie Sven." It doesn't need much of an introduction. All we ask is that you watch it here and share it with your friends! Next stop: 200,000,000 hits! Watch out Beyonce, here we come!
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