END ON END ON END

look. out on our lawn back in PA, the elemental beings are pushing the crocus toward their lover the Sun to propitiate the god of spring. what goes around comes around.

#crocus #spring #rebirth

LE MAL DU PAYS

le mal du pays -

"a groundless sadness called forth in a person's heart by a pastoral landscape"

WINTER ENDS AND SPRING IS GOD

spring

is

 

coming

i worship the spring. spring is everything to me.

i was made for spring,

and to live in the worlds inside my head.

 ftw

CLICK THE ABOVE PHOTOS TO REALLY SEE THEM...

DUPLICATE. UNTIL RESPONSE

i'm in this show at hooloon gallery, curated by laris kreslins, with a lot of other good peeps.

its a cool concept on laris' part. 

my pieces are on their ways; one to a random person up in brattleboro picked blindly from a phone book, the other to the gallery itself. i'm currently living in greenpoint, brooklyn while working on The Knick again, and am not anywhere near my little studio back home, with all its familiar pens, brushes, smells and utensils. so it was a weird exercise to make any kind of art that wasnt for a movie or TV show while up here in a strange, sparse sublet.....

go to the opening on february 7th if yr near philly. i'll split brooklyn, drive down to philly and get wasted with you.

click this pic for more info!!!!!!!!

THE MOST EMO STORY IN THE HISTORY OF AMERICAN LITERATURE

i wrote this little story 7 years ago as the summer was ending. for my bud adam and his band INDIAN SUMMER's post humous discog on adagio recs.
i challenge you to name every emocore reference in the first few lines.

and btw, i still love INDIAN S, natch.
***

 

go here,

diekreideherzen

its the cool tumblr that thought well enough about it to post it: 

FUCT

no shit, this awesome image of jon arbegast was either the first or second slide i ever took. 1983 at the Trench in bethlehem PA. on my dad's ancient ziess ikon; 35mm ektachrome. its in the Erik Brunetti book out on Rizzoli. i used to hang out at the trench when i was young punker kid. luckily for me, my parents' house wasnt very far away. the Trench  was a magical mess.

SPRING

fall to winter 1985 while dying for the spring

R.O.S on a college radio show around the same time i got this

the AMERICAN TYPEWRITER PRESS

you should go over to EASY / AM.TYPEWRITER and pre-order this thing now. the Last Clean Dirty Shirt collection features writing (poems and long fiction) by me and some of today's finest writer heads, all affiliated with american typewriter through common cause, friendship and /or hang-outs and readings in Paris. click on dudes' names for more info. and these are just some of them. really though, we're hoping you would naturally support small presses and living/breathing writers... 

featuring:

Jon Vance (MOSS ICON), Matthew Wascovich (SCARCITY OF TANKS), David Barnes (SPOKEN WORD PARIS),  Colin Seven (UNIVERSAL ORDER OF ARMAGEDDON), Eric de Jesus (WE HAVE HEAVEN),  Tony Alberto Rigetinni (SPOKEN WORD PARIS), Jayne Amara Ross (FAREWELL POETRY) and more.

107 pages, perfect bound, wrapped in an obi, limited first edition. 100% excellent.

and after Last Clean Dirty Shirt we will be collaborating with Lisa Busby of goldsmith's college, university of london (as well as of SLEEPS IN OYSTERS and Editions Of You fame) to release a cool art book having to do with her Shit! I can DJ! project.
get stoked, she's rad.

Before this excellent 2013 year is over, we are hoping to publish a book of Mike Rimm's short stories and postcards. (you the kuztown legend is famous for his awesome postcards).
plus a collection of writing and photos from some of our young farmer friends.
and i we would love to reprint boxsets of CRAP RAP and CONFLICT fanzines one day but who knows....
wouldnt all those things be well worth reading?
yes you think so.

visit the am. type's new tmblr too!

KISS THE GOAT

drew this quick for my little sister's annual birthday party extravaganza. brush pens + ink on bristol.  ST. ANGELS feature  good old Brian Walker of MR YUK and LVHC fame btw....

kiss the goat

EPIC MOMENTS OF 2013

2013 was a good year. heres a list of some of the epic moments that went down. and some photos. and here's to 2014 being epic 24/7 365 all the way through to a year from now.....

(CLICK THE PICS TO ENLARGE)

2013 started correctly with a new years day hike to pulpit rock with kane and karen and ben

*****

heidi's stony run party was odd but warm. and then splitting that to do WHH live at WXLV (what a weird night!)

oh yeah, a few days after heidi's party, WHH was on Tripping Balls with Brother JT and that was definitely one of the epic nights of my year. how could it not be.

*****

getting up to  jones beach on long island on a winters day to start working on Amazing Spiderman  2

*****

then painting gigantic 4 or 5 story green screens high above a fake (and pretty imptressive) times square for spiderman. in freezing temps and through multiple windy snow squalls.

*****

WHH at the church with valgeir sigurosson
(was a sweet and holy night)

*****

tara's tree walk... with a bunch of us obsessing over our woodstoves & cutting firewood at every chance all winter (you know, free heat and all), tara decided to educate all of us on the trees that surround us. while she's not doing FURSAXA she's working at hawk mountain and living in the dark wood you know. it was a cool derive around her and cook's property, checking out trees and their bark and branches. and then cook broke out the whiskey snow shots.

*****

when spring hit, so did the kayaking!

*****

man, i realize, now that i'm thinking about it, that i spent a bunch of time on tara & cook's creek this summer. one of thee most epic evenings was when we tubed down and ended up getting caught in a gigantic scary thunderstorm. then we ran all the way back to their house hoping trees wouldnt fall on us.

and i caught the largest trout i ever caught, on the bend down cook and tara's long driveway. the thing was that right before i caught it i'd said to cook "watch. trout on first cast". i said it only half seriously. but upon landing it and measuring it against sean's arm (it went from his finger tips up to well past his elbow) i felt guilty and terrible and gently released her back into the creek.   

*****

the day & night before the virginvlle film fest is always a special time every year. 2013 was no exception. just look at this photo right after we got the screen erected.

and this is how Stinson de Jesus-Tinsman remembers his time at this year's fest:

 *****

july 4^th at Professor Longnair's (i mean  kristen's) roman baths in the woods. yes. roman baths deep in the woods on her 20+ acres, built by genius engineer PJ Macintosh, around a perfect and perfectly clean spring. epic moments late at night for sure.

*****

worked all fall on The Knick which is an upcoming HBO or Cinemax show by stephen soderbergh. seriously long days, but good times living and working round brooklyn and the east village. working with some solid peeps and good scenics. and living for a while in ernie sandidge's studio for super cheap (one of the benefits of working with him). definitely some epic sets and laughs on this job...

*****

picking up max and vicky. one of my big sisters and her son came back to the USA from australia for a thanksgiving  visit. its always epic seeing them after a few year's absence. but they had to split and  now i miss them again.

*****

oh yeah, i was chuffed to be published in issue #5 of Belleville Park Pages, that cool poetry journal from Paris. you should buy one or subscribe. theyre currently blowing up....

oh and the WE HAVE HEAVEN / 20 GUILDERS split LP came out on Nod and Smile records. it looks and sounds pretty epic, even if i do say so my own self. buy one. 

*****

a bunch of other epic things happened but i can't remember them right now. plus this is taking too long and the other wood stove out in the studio needs tending. but suffice to say that 2013 was a decent year. and 2014 promises to be even more decent. especially when the Last Clean Dirty Shirt collection of writing comes out. and Lisa Busby's book. and also the first collection of Mike Rimm's stories. i am very stoked to start assembling that one for publishing, on AMERICAN TYPEWRITER of course!

i hope we see each other around. be well 24/7 all year!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

(and now that you read all of this, why not read THIS old post recounting  20 YEARS OF NEW YEARS EVES)

the AMERICAN TYPEWRITER PRESS's 'commercial' (if you will)

books availale right now from American Typewriter (which is of course the publishing imprint of the easy subcult) include TULIP HAS A ROOM by Jon Vance, WE WONT BE HERE FOREVER by me, Eric de Jesus, LATE MALL BUILDER/NEW MIDDLE AGES from a gallery show i curated last year, featuring a nice long essay by Art DiFuria, and the RAW POGO ON THE SCAFFOLD BOXSET of course.

coming next is LAST CLEAN DIRTY SHIRT, a collection of writing by am typewriter affiliated authors from ohio (mathew wascovich), paris (jayne amara ross, david barnes, alberto tony rigetini, james jewell & antonia klimencho), pennsylvania (me, dave parise, dan sevem, mike rimm and annie ej ryan), baltimore (jon vance, collin seven) and more.

pre-orders start very soon

you know you'll wanna read one....

and after that we will  be collaborating with Lisa Busby of goldsmith's college, university of london (as well as of SLEEPS IN OYSTERS and Editions Of You fame) to release a cool art book having to do with her Shit! I can DJ! project.
get stoked, she's rad.

and before this excellent 2013 year is over, we are hoping to publish a book of mike rimm's short stories and a collection of writing and photos from some of our young farmer friends.
wouldnt those things be well worth reading?
yes you think so.

info and ordering here.

or just watch the video above a hundred times

......THE END IS NEAR......

SUMMER 2012 FOREVER (cuz it could be the last one ever)

dont let this summer die........

see also:


BLUES CONTROL

NOD AND SMILE

DEAD MAN DOWN

BETHLEHEM THIS SATURDAY / AUSTIN LAST SATURDAY

the reading in austin was fucking great. end of an ear is a cool shop. i read something from the record with DRAGON TURTLE, then jon vance read from Tulip Has A Room. and tonie played some drones during both our readings. met a bunch of cool people. (like colin seven who took that photo of me). and some kids drove 24 hours straight from california to make the reading ahead of the show. then MOSS ICON played like an american Joy Division. for the first time in years and years. and then those kids from cali got crushed by a kid from the upper balcony. 

see the kid jump:

~ ~ ~ : ~ ~ ~

but anyway, THIS SATURDAY night at Secret Art Space on the Southside of Bethlehem. you should come.

DRAGON TURTLE + ERIC de JESUS RECORD RELEASE. with JON VANCE / TONIE JOY of MOSS ICON and PLANETS AROUND THE SUN
{ this is an extremely rare and precious event }

Join us for the release of the Dragon Turtle and Eric de Jesus split 7" on La Société Expéditionnaire at Secret Art Space. Doors are at 6:30 and music will start by 7:30.

You can preview the 7" HERE

Jonathan Vance with Tonie Joy (both from Moss Icon) will be doing some sikodelic emo spoken word/guitar thing.

dont forget buy Jon's book on american type:writer. get him to sign it. you dont want to miss this.

PLANETS AROUND THE SUN (Herbcraft/Cursillistas/Tempera/White Light) are from Portland, Maine. They have been traveling around the country from nearly a year in their van. Their psychedelicly folky jams are not to be missed. They have a new tape out on Sloow Tapes (belgium).
http://planetsaroundthesun.bandcamp.com/

Secret Art Space

Bethlehem PA
All Ages / No Alcohol
email for directions to secret location

...AUSTIN TX THIS SATURDAY 06/02/12...

 me and johnathan vance (of MOSS ICON fame) are reading some of our writing down in austin texas at end of an ear this saturday at 6pm. if yr in austin for the big chaos in tejas fest stop in before that night's shows and listen to our stories and say hello. and buy jon's book, my book and the DRAGON TURTLE + me 7" before its officially released. get down to texas with us! and, after we read me and beth wanna high tail it to the deville to see our LV brother DAUGHN GIBSON. it'll be like a night at jeff the pigeon (i wish). but the next night is the big holy MOSS ICON reunion. oh man, where's my bead necklace and the post hardcore / grown-out-crewcut long hair of my yyyouth....

here's a photo of Vance and some info on the reading.

 JON VANCE & ERIC de JESUS reading at End of An Ear 2209 S.1st, Austin, TX 78704 6pm 06/02

jon vance wrote the coolest lyrics in the world while in the seminal MOSS ICON. and he is still kicking to this day. if yr in austin texas for MOSS ICON's big spiritual reunion communion at the Chaos in Tejas fest, please stop in the evening before their show at End Of An Ear and see him read from his book Tulip Has A Room. Tonie from MI will be doing the quiet-cool backing soundtrack.

eric de jesus from WHH wrote We Won't Be Here Forever (on Future Recordings label / soft cover edition on American Type:Writer). a new record of him reading 2 story/poems about the classic emo year of 1988, backed by DRAGON TURTLE, is soon out on La Societe Expeditionaire.

TULIP HAS A ROOM by Jon Vance:

WE WONT BE HERE FOREVER by Eric de Jesus:

MOSS ICON "gravity" (these have to be some of the best lyrics ever written by a young American male):

SPOKEN JAMS BY ERIC de JESUS

ERIC de JESUS w/ DRAGON TURTLE 7":


please come by and say hi! drink the red wine emo.........

STONY RUN

lots of interesting folks have lived in this house since 1841.

FROM THE LATE MALL BUILDER ERA TO THE NEW MIDDLE AGES

the art students who run the Eckhaus Gallery in kutztown pennsylvania asked me to curate a show. bless their little art student hearts. give them all A's. what with student loans and bleak job prospects in the new middle ages, theyre gonna need the blessings.

this is what i came up with, a group of creative folks, all of whom i admire. plus me....

old school LVHC thrashers BAD AMERICAN will be blowing out the opening on april 7th. try not to crash into any of the art while you slam dance the old fashioned way.
and there will be Black Flag wine by EASY for you to imbibe plus a new issue of SLEEP TIGHT commemorating the show for you to scarf up. it features a nice essay on all the artists by PHOTON BAND dude Arthur J. DiFuria, Ph.D, professor of art history at Savannah College of Art and Design.

its going to be a warm spring evening, come out.and buy a piece or 2.

2011 WAS A DECENT YEAR

THIS IS SOME OF WHAT HAPPENED THIS YEAR:

snowboarded lots of farm fields around kutztown with wayne miller.

went on a lot of hikes with beth and friends all year.

the WE HAVE HEAVEN record came out on caesar cuts and easy. and got nice reviews in vice and terrascope...

got to be included a cool exhibition at oxford, england. got to hang with lisa and john from SLEEPS IN OYSTERS who were the curators. and got to read from my book with john and ray playing the musical backdrop.

went to Paris again and read my writing at culture rapide for the 2nd time in 6 months. thats a nice high for any stupid american dude. and got to hang out with james and kara in the city of light!

was honored to help out with linda & rob's wedding! what a beautiful day and night that was, up on penny's hill in the magic realm of kempton, pa. as well as the next morning at robin hill campground.

so relieved and grateful that PJ let us hold the Virginville Film Fest at his place in 2011, after the original farm location fell through. and you know what, PJ's might be a superior spot!

was honored to be the bestest man at art & nancy's wedding. i got all teary and emo giving the speech. what a spaz...... but the choice of Glassbern was a sweet spot for a summer wedding for sure.

worked on some show for the NFL Channel. no one there even seems to like football....

swam in the creeks and went tubing a bunch, and picked a lot of tomatoes in the summer.

got to be in my brother's wedding too, and hang out with family on a perfect afternoon in early september. this was the summer of weddings.

got to hang out with my sister and her kids, all the way back in PA from australia. that was awesome.

worked on Silver Lining Playbook, another amazing cinematic creation starring de niro and cooper. got to spend a lot of time in the creepy norristown state mental hospital.

and to top it all off, my mom bailed and broke her collarbone so i've got to spend more time with her than i ever have. that put my excellent year in some sort of perspective.

and now today, the last day of the year, its like 55 degrees outside and beth and i are going hiking. before the big parties.....

.........................december 3 2011............................

12/3/11

BROTHER JT
PHOTON BAND

at
Independent Space Gallery


mod jams all night like this one

$5 dont be a tosser.

..............................F U R.......................................

furry friends.
Beth's is on the left, mine is on the right.
hanging at Blind Willow Books' gallery.
during the launch party for their press's newest issue of Fraktur.
Blind Willow is the coolest shop in Emmaus. go look and buy some books.