Learning to Love you More

Welcome to Willow’s Celebrity Weekend, featuring Sarah Vowell and Miranda July. That’s right folks, Willow can be found rubbing elbows, hob-nobbing, and making casual conversation with these dazzling starlets all weekend long.
Okay, that’s a lie. I did go to the Oregon Convention Center for WordStock, a mega-event featuring over 200 writers ranging from Norman Mailer right on down to the girls scribbling poetry beside you at the bus stop. I planned on seeing Sarah Vowell, Charles D’Ambrosia, and Ursula LeGuin read. I lost my enthusiasm when I showed up at the Convention Center yesterday fully caffinated, fed, and ready to rock, only to realize that I had misread the website, and all of the authors I wished to see were in fact reading today. Balls. Luckily my friend Shannon, who had generously agreed to accompany me, despite a moderate hangover, forgave my flakiness, and came with me again today for Take Two. This time I was less than jazzed about being in the giant, flourescent, cement exhibition hall for six hours, so we decided to just listen to Sarah Vowell and split.
Folks, she was radical. Most recently famous for being the voice of Violet in The Incredibles, Vowell has been a favorite This American Life personality for years. She read from her new book “Assasination Vacation,” which is all about the strange coincidences surrounding presidential assasinations, and her epic pilgramages to all places relating to murdered presidents. The reading was free, crowded, and rivetting. Vowell seemed less than impressed with the Convention Center, comparing it at various times to a reading she did long ago in a food court, and an imagined reading at a monster truck rally. But she was a good sport, and recieved a standing ovation. She spoke very admiringly of Abraham Lincoln, and I was actually touched to hear someone so dry and ironic speak so sincerely about a former American President. How long has it been since even the cynics among us could rally behind a great leader? Or more aptly, when did our leaders stop being great? In any case, she made me proud to be a nerdy girl.
Tonight I am going to see a sneak preview of Miranda July’s first feature film. That’s right, July is staying true to her North West roots, and premiering her film here in Portland before even New York and LA. Miranda July is this amazing feminist artist, who works in nearly every medium, but is most acclaimed for her film and video work. This new film won “Best Original Film” or something at Sundance, and I’m pee-my-pants excited to see it. NIcole and I are going an hour early to get tickets. Hopefully we’ll get in!
Miranda July has a great web-based art installation called Learning to Love you More. Basically she and another artist give you assignments like “Take a photo of strangers holding hands,” and as long as you follow the directions, they post your submission on the site. Then July uses parts of it for other art installations, and people all over the world participate. I don’t know if I’m doing this project justice here, so just check out the site yourself dudes, and see if you get as hooked as I am.
I’ll report tomorrow on the opening.
As ever, etc..
Willow Wonder