Fireworks! Aboard the Matthew Turner

To celebrate the Fourth of July this year, I took a moonlight sail aboard the brigantine Matthew Turner, berthed near the Bay Model in Sausalito. The MT is an historic replica that teaches participants the ropes (literally) of sailing.

Introvert vs. ElectroPromo

Yes, I'm aware that's not a word, but it's my blanket term for what the publishing industry refers to when they expect writers to have a "platform". Broadly, this means frequent exposure on Facebook, a blog, twitter, TikTok, podcasts and other social media.

I just finished yet another Zoom class on promotion for creatives. I admit, I'm hoping for a silver bullet and not the same old dreary message about frequency, choosing the outlet that is the most "fun", building connections etc. It's just not me. I find all this difficult, time-consuming and annoying. Do other writers feel the same way? I'll bet JK Rowling never had to post inane comments on four media platforms every week. Of course, she, Geraldine Brooks, Stephen King and Isabel Allende - and other favorite writers of mine - got their start in the "golden age" of publishing, when a publisher actually promoted their books. I know Amy Tan keeps up a FB page, but I wonder: does she really write it or does she hire someone? Do other professions require this kind of continual self-exposure? 

OK, done carping, will get back to finding an agent for Power Lessons and hoping he/she doesn't expect a newsletter subscription list of 1,000 (minimum).

The Shirt has Found its Family!

In my prior post (Joanne Orion Miller: Strange and Wonderful Coincidences 1 (1woman1world1year.blogspot.com)) I told the story of a beautiful embroidered shirt my daughter found at the Dance Sister clothes swap, and how we stumbled upon the exact shirt in a book published in 1974. Thanks to LinkedIn, I found the son of the woman who made the shirt. He told me that the family home had been vandalized during the Covid years; the shirt must have been taken, used, and thrown away in Bernal Heights, where my friend found it during a walk. Michael and I are in touch, and soon the shirt will be winging its way back to its proper family.

Bold and Beautiful

Just to give you an idea of Wiley's scale...

Kihinde Wiley's paintings at the DeYoung ("The Archeology of Silence", until Oct. 15) are stunning, not just for the immense size of the works (sculptures included), but for the execution. He is a master painter and sculptor, and for that, the impact of his message is even stronger. The idea behind the paintings is to pose his models in classic settings (recalling renaissance works of figures wounded, dead, or struck down in iconic paintings of mythical heroes, martyrs and saints), but to show his modern black models as they are, right down to ankle bracelets and Adidas. The DeYoung frames the show in a political light, confronting the silence about systemic violence against Black people through art. Whatever your take-away from this show, see it. The impact of his work is indescribable and
must be seen to really be appreciated. 

 Detail from picture above

If Wiley's name rings a bell, it might be because he painted the presidential portrait of Barak Obama, which was on display at the museum recently, and is now home in the National Portrait Gallery, Washington D,C,

This sculpture is nearly as tall as a two-story building.

 Detail from Sculpture above

All pictures by Joanne Orion Miller 2023

Strange and Wonderful Coincidences 2

Joanna in 1974

 

Joanna Droeger - she of the fabulous embroidered shirt found half-buried in Bernal Heights (May 16 post) - was a well-known figure in hip circles during San Francisco's 60s-80s renaissance. More than a craft artist, she holds a place in San Francisco history as one of the City's famous and unique characters. With her husband, she operated a restaurant on Pacific Avenue, a hangout for William Saroyan, Janis Joplin, Lenny Bruce, the Smothers Brothers, Imogene Cunninham, Woody Allen and Mr. San Francisco himself, Herb Caen. 

A Chronicle "Night Life" column by Grover Sales paid tribute in 1962: "Among North Beach restaurateurs, Joanna is regarded as a gifted and highly creative cook; in ready agreement are the inhabitants of the Brighton Express, an eatery in the old International Settlement on Pacific near Kearny that is truly beyond category. Owned and most feverishly operated by egg-shaped Joanna and her 6-foot-6 husband John Droeger, the Brighton Express serves as dining room, orphanage and social clinic for a strictly non-tourist clientele of entertainers, artists, writers and unclassifiables who subsist on Joanna's Daily Special, topped off with one of her unbelievable hand-crafted desserts --usually a rhapsodic coffee ice cream and fudge delicacy misleadingly titled 'Mud Pie'."

Joanna Droeger died in 2004. My daughter and I love heirlooms; we hope to send the marvelous shirt Joanna embroidered to her children, Michael Droeger, and his sister Gillian Droeger (both in San Fracisco as of 2004), if we can locate them. Any leads to their whereabouts are welcome! You can reach me directly by signing in on my contact form to the right of this column; leave a message and I'll be in touch.