Work in the studio

It may sound pretentious to call my basement corner room a "studio." 

Words create reality though. In my masters degree studies, so long ago, I was tasked with seeing the concept of transubstantiation as a philosophical notion. So, I will call this dinky space a "studio" because that is "what it does."

Lately though, I've been noticing that the studio has aspects of a "three-ring circus." I continually move from project to project, while I feel like, even in my absence, the creation of that project continues. 

Stuck on some point in writing a story? Maybe paint a little to nudge the synapses. Paint needs to dry? This papier mache mask needs a little help with the nose. Back to writing. Oh there is that video to edit, and the sound files...

All I need is some circus peanuts between acts. Here's something you may not know about circus peanuts and Lucky Charms. 

Haiku Friday - May 30, 2025

 

He’s the Taco King: 

An empty shell of a man, 

Soulless and hateful. 

 

Max Q

A smile on a face

It's like a piece of the sun

It lights up the day

Bill

Crowded streets in dreams 

Like being invisible 

All voices silenced 

Rikosan

VIrtue’s seed will sprout

Unless the soil’s been poisoned 

White House pharmacy

Maeve 

Here's the link to bid on the painting: https://givebutter.com/c/brushonthebluff2025/auction/items/1026131  

 

Yesterday's Out and About - SFCC's production of Reefer Madness!

Yesterday I talked with actors from Spokane Falls Community College’s production of Reefer Madness - Zeke Cox, Zach Billingsley, Ruby Petrie and Canaan Barbery, and we had way too much fun. This show sounds like a blast and I can barely wait to see it. If you missed Out and About, you can check out the archived episode at https://archive.kyrs.org/mp3/kyrs_250527_160000b.mp3 

And, as always, thanks to Out and About's underwriters: Boots Bakery and Lounge, The Museum of Arts and Culture, Eastern Washington University and the United Church of Christ. 

Tune into Out and About every Tuesday at 4 pm on KYRS at 88.1 and 92.3 fm. Also streaming at KYRS.org.  You can also subscribe to it as a podcast. Thanks for listening! Maeve

Today's Out and About - Reefer Madness, the musical!

Today on Out and About, I'll be talking with costume designer par-excellence Patty Garegnani, actors Ruby Petrie and Canaan Barbery, and, possibly, director Hazel Bean from Spokane Falls Community College’s production of Reefer Madness. The show runs this Thursday, Friday and Saturday at SFCC. This musical is based on the 1936 propaganda film which turned into a cult classic comedy in the 1970s.  From what I’ve seen, it looks like it will be a bang-up show. 

Tune into Out and About every Tuesday at 4 pm on KYRS at 88.1 and 92.3 fm. Also streaming at KYRS.org.  You can also subscribe to it as a podcast. Thanks for listening! Maeve 

Haiku Friday May 23, 2025

 

Haiku Friday May 23, 2025 

Women, young and old

Walkers, runners, and racers

All wearing big smiles 

Bill

School’s out for summer. 

What will all those idlers do

In Teenage Wasteland? 

Max Q

Velvet guardians 

Blue tongues hewn by secrets kept

Indigo silence 

Laurel

As the wall brightens

Obscured images revealed 

A type of timepiece 

Rikosan

Hate and destruction 

Starts inside and grows to kill 

Look at his people

Maeve

Bill's photo:

Yesterday's Out and About - Matt Danielson - Executive Director of Spokane Pride

Yesterday, I talked with the Executive Director of Spokane Pride - Matt Danielson. As usual, our conversation touched a lot of subjects - love, kindness, truth, honesty and activism - to name a few. 

People like Matt are such a gift to Spokane and to our world - creative, loving and willing to roll up their sleeves to do the work. The Pride Festival (June 14th) epitomizes all those values and standards - a family-friendly "kindnessfest" that brings out the best in Spokane. With a best guess of 40,000 people in attendance, it is also a demonstration of what a wonderful community we have here. 

One piece of news that I really loved is that one entity stepped up to fill the gap in funding caused by corporations bending to the will of our fascist government. Who was this organization? The Episcopal Diocese of Spokane! 

It frustrates me that the media continually labels hate organizations, actually anti—Christ organizations as “Christian,” when their beliefs are demonstrably contrary to the teachings of Jesus. The Episcopal Diocese is the model of a true Christian Church, in my opinion.   

If you missed the show, you can check it out at:

https://archive.kyrs.org/mp3/kyrs_250520_160000b.mp3

Tune into Out and About every Tuesday at 4 pm on KYRS at 88.1 and 92.3 fm. Also streaming at KYRS.org.  You can also subscribe to it as a podcast on the KYRS website. Thanks for listening! Maeve 

 

Today on Out and About - Matt Danielson - Spokane Pride Executive Director

Today, I will be talking with my buddy who also happens to be the Executive Director of Spokane Pride - Matt Danielson. The Pride Festival is coming up fast - June 14th. It probably is an understatement to say that the political landscape has changed somewhat since last year. 

The Pride Festival in Spokane is always a demonstration of kindness and love.There are tens of thousands who show up. I would guess that the LGBT folks are outnumbered ten to one by their non-LGBTQ friends, family members and people in the community who are just decent human beings. They are there to have a good time, show their support and exercise their human decency. 

Of course, these values are under attack by the current national administration and the MAGA cultists who are unable or unwilling to escape the death cult. Gospel values, humanitarian values, moral values and good-old-fashioned decency and patriotism are derided as "woke" by these pathetic folks. If you walk the walk as a decent human being, your efforts are derided as "virtue signaling" by these unfortunate, frightened Trump cultists. 

If you have never been to the Pride festival, take a listen today and hear more about what goes on. For those who have been, tune in to hear what's in store this year. 

Tune into Out and About every Tuesday at 4 pm on KYRS at 88.1 and 92.3 fm. Also streaming at KYRS.org.  Show notes and playlist at https://kyrs.org/show/out-and-about/ . As always, you can find the latest episodes there or stream them as a podcast. Thanks for listening these last four years! Maeve 

Brush on the Bluff painting so far...

 

Great fun at Brush on the Bluff yesterday. I will keep working on this painting over the next few days. Here's what I have so far... If you are interested in bidding on it, here's the link. It's going to get cooler and cooler! Thanks! Maeve

Haiku Friday May 16 2025

 

Heat-blasted roses,

Tender petals seared and crisp:

Summer’s comin’ in. 

Max Q

As the next new state

Canada would be blue as

California

Bill

Elvis’s last words

“Just takin care of business“

Yelled from the toilet 

Rikosan

The decay has life

More of it than the killers 

Pity their failure 

Maeve 

Stop by!

Stop by and see me tomorrow, May 17. I’m number 38. Sarah will be hanging out for a while too. Brush on the Bluff is a blast - cool art, great food and lots of activities.

Yesterday's show - Ava Barany, Brush on the Bluff, Bernard the aerodynamic elder and Billy the sometimes street urchin...

I talked with Ava Barany who is one-half of the dynamic artist duo known as the Botanical Alchemists. We talked about Brush on the Bluff, an event that the Botanical Alchemists organize every year. This is an outdoor art show where the artists are working on their pieces which will be auctioned off. Passersby talk to the artists while they work. Plus there are a lot of other fun events too, especially for kids, and great food. The auction proceeds are split between the artists and Friends of the Bluff. 

An elderly accident-prone "Bernard" and a young person (and erstwhile urchin) "Billy" "accidentally called-in" to ask questions about the event and to add an element of drama, danger and excitement to this rollicking 55 minutes. All in all, I would say the show was madcap, yet endearing. 

Brush on the Bluff is this Saturday at Polly Judd Park (hang a right off of High Drive and keep driving straight until you can't) and the surrounding bluff trails from 9 until 4. 

Tune into Out and About every Tuesday at 4 pm on KYRS at 88.1 and 92.3 fm. Also streaming at KYRS.org.  You can listen to this show at https://archive.kyrs.org/mp3/kyrs_250513_160000b.mp3.Thanks for supporting your Spokane community radio station!  Maeve 

Out and About May 13th 2025 - Brush on the Bluff 2025

 

We are back from a trip to Chicago, just in time for today's show! 

I will be talking with Ava Barany who is one of the dynamic duo known as the Botanical Alchemists. We're going to be talking about Brush on the Bluff, an event that the Botanical Alchemists organize every year. This is an outdoor art show where the artists are working on their pieces which will be auctioned off. You can talk to them while they work. Plus there are a lot of other fun events too, and great food. The auction proceeds are split between the artists and Friends of the Bluff. 

I am really happy to be participating in this event again. Arrived home late last night, so fingers crossed that nothing weird happens during today's broadcast. I am beat! 

Brush on the Bluff is this Saturday at Polly Judd Park and the surrounding  bluff trails from 9 until 4. 

Tune into Out and About every Tuesday at 4 pm on KYRS at 88.1 and 92.3 fm. Also streaming at KYRS.org.  Show notes and playlist at https://kyrs.org/show/out-and-about/  Thanks for listening! Maeve 

Haiku Friday May 9 1960

Haiku Friday on location!

Talking with Dahveed!

As always, I have such a great time hanging out with Dahveed Bullis. 

His take on theater, Spokane, and the arts in general, is something I really enjoy. The transformational nature of live theater is palpable, especially today. The current ugly destruction of our nation is on everyone's mind, and it is easy to feel powerless. If you want to fight this destruction, embrace creation. Dahveed is going to bring some beautiful theatrical creation - live, human, face-to-face truth - to Spokane, in his new role as national-award-winning Stage Left Theater's Artistic Director.

If you missed the conversation you can check it out here: https://archive.kyrs.org/mp3/kyrs_250506_160000b.mp3

Today on Out and About!

On today's Out and About, I'll be talking with Dahveed Bullis. Dahveed is the new artistic director for Stage Left Theater. He's also the first African-American artistic director of Stage Left. I am really excited to hear about Dahveed’s vision for the theater. I hope you are too! If you’ve never heard Dahveed before, you are in for a treat. His talent and skillset is amazing and he is just a darn lovely human being.

Tune into Out and About every Tuesday at 4 pm on KYRS at 88.1 and 92.3 fm. Also streaming at KYRS.org.  Show notes and playlist at https://kyrs.org/show/out-and-about/  Thanks for listening! Maeve  

Haiku Friday May 2, 2025

 

Haiku Friday May 2, 2025

“Watershed moment:

“Anger, grief, and disbelief.”

Vancouver, B.C. 

Max Q

They’re finally here! 

The first maggots of the year:

Warm weather coming.

Max Q

Electricity

It is taken for granted

Until it's not there

Bill

Woman weepily 

Helping another weepy

Help you helping me

Laurel

Liquor of lilacs

Spring yawns her fragrant welcome

And begins anew 

Laurel

 He was a hobo

 With plastic bags on his feet

 On the frozen path

Rikosan

Noises in my head

distractingly pleasant din

New kind of hearing

Maeve