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The Journey of an Aesthete Podcast Team

From Mitch’s Notebook on the episode:

 “I aim to have guests of every stripe on my show. The reasons are many. Part of it is my conviction that the arts come in different mediums - visual and aural, for example. One of the other reasons (I am sure I will leave out or forget some reasons - there are many) is actually more idealistic. I actually think that people different from one another. even to a degree that we can say is profound, should have a seat at the same table, so to speak, in order to actually, well, speak.

 Some of my guests I know personally, others I have never met. My interest in alternative art spaces in general, particularly those spaces unafraid to mix sometimes radical politics and aesthetics, brought me into contact with Jane LeCroy, I believe, if memory serves, because we shared the bill on one event or another in Manhattan. I have always enjoyed collaborating with her because I am able to have a maximum of musical freedom, especially improvisation, while being able to honor the words she both writes and performs.  Jane, true to the spirt of our podcast, is many things, never content to stay with a single medium. 

She is a poet who also is part of a postpunk rock band as part of her poetic practice, She is also involved in avant-garde sound performance which is different from her rock music project. She is a political activist, a mother, freethinker and atheist, vegetarian and many other things. And being a native New Yorker, has has also been a teacher of poetry in the New York City public school system, which if she did nothing else, would alone certainly qualify her to be a notable guest on our show.

 Jane LeCroy's poetry engages with large ideas, stemming from her interest in both philosophy and science, including physics and cosmology, and she is unafraid to write and perform poetry on some fairly universal subjects - love and justice are two favorites - and to do so in a way that can communicate so effectively with a wide audience. 

Jane LeCroy embodies the spirit of Journey Of An Aesthete. “ 

Jane’s Bio 

Jane LeCroy is a New York based poet, singer and performance artist, home-birthing mother of 3, teacher, atheist, vegetarian, hedonist.  She serves the poetry gods.  By day she surfs the subway lines from one borough to the next, teaching kids creative writing, and publishing their work.  By night, she writes porn under a pseudonym, or you might find her seducing patrons as a feature character in The Poetry Brothel. Three Rooms Press published, “Signature Play” a multimedia collection of her lyric poems. 

Her writing is in the Smithsonian, Brooklyn Museum of Art, Poets House, Yale Library, and you can find her DNA in the Library of Congress, where her hair binds one of her poetry chapbooks, “Names” published by Booklyn’s award winning ABC chapbook series that is part of the institution’s collection.  

Jane’s recording career began in the early 90’s with the punk label, Bloodlink Records, release of her spoken-word vinyl 7inch titled “Guilty”.  

Since then she has made over a dozen recordings, with various projects, including the feminist poetry collective, Sister Spit and the 90’s major label punk outfit, Vitapup. 

For more info, a sampling if her gorgeous poems and more of  Jane's links, visit our show podcast page for an extended look here: https://www.facebook.com/journeyofanaesthetepodcast/

In this episode I discuss with Mike White his movie podcast The Projection Booth, the movies he loves, his approach to interviews and podcasting and all matters of cinephilia." 

"Movie Talk with Mike White” 

From Mitch’s notebook on the episode:

 “I first discovered Mike White through his wonderful cinema podcast, The Projection Booth. There are two reasons I love it, and I am speaking as a cinephile, I hasten to say. 

One is that he has really long form explorations of single films, thus treating the films as artistic texts to be taken seriously, in terms of analysis. There is no cute thumbs up.thumbs down brevity.

Secondly, he does this from the perspective of a regular guy/gal. 

That is, he exhibits the joy and love for cinema of people who are not necessarily academic experts while at the same time delving deep into film as an art. Thus, he achieves a balance rarely found in discussions of this kind. 

Also I really appreciate his civility. He always talks with guests in the most gracious and respectful manner, never lording it over anybody or indulging in overwrought pretensions.   

Listening to his podcast gave me inspiration for my own podcast, actually even though our sensibilities are different in certain respects. his relation with discussion gave me one model for how to behave on a podcast. And, last but not least, I like the way he themes his show, centered around a single film.

 This goes back to turning attention to the text itself  which is also one of my guiding principles on my show. 

I learned a lot on this episode. 

We discussed the zine culture of the 90s, his background in the American Midwest, and much more. 

He was every bit the gracious conversationalist I knew he would be. "

Mike White’s Bio: 

Often mistaken for the ginger screenwriter/actor of the same name, Mike White began publishing the film fanzine Cashiers du Cinemart in 1994 and has been a contributor to publications such as Cinema-Scope, Paracinema , Detroit's Metro Times, and Detour-Mag.com.

 He's served on juries at the Slamdance , Cinekink , MicroCineFest , Blue Water, and Kansas City film festivals. Additionally, he's been featured in the documentaries David Goodis: To a Pulp and The People Vs. George Lucas. In 2010, BearManor Media published Impossibly Funky: A Cashiers du Cinemart Collection. 

Mike’s wonderful podcast link is here: http://www.projectionboothpodcast.com 

Inside the Episode with Mitch Hampton

 From Mitch’s Notebook about the episode:

Later I was to discover that he was a visual artist in all sorts of media and was quite eloquent in expressing what it means for him to do his art. It is true that many artists are not always the most articulate on such matters perhaps for reasons of psychological introversion as much as the strength that visual artists have which, of course is not the same as prose of speech of course.

One my cardinal rules on Journey Of An Aesthete is that if you can and are willing to talk about your artistic practice you are most welcome to do so and I'd love to have you as a guest.

For me there is an inherent interest and value in having a oral record of the artist in their own voice.

And the proof has been in the listening on my show since everybody on my show, no matter their personality style or what kind of artistic medium they practices has been most interesting to listen to.

It makes it all the better, of course is they are as versed in the art of conversation as is Jon which one of the reasons, among others, of course,

I loved having him on my show.

Links to check out more of Jon’s beautiful handcrafted work:

https://www.bluemountainpizza.com

A comprehensive look at the career of filmmaker Andrew Bujalski, including detailed discussion of how his films up to now were made, especially the originality of their style, his educational background at Harvard with Chantal Akerman, working with both professional and nonprofessional actors, issues of reception and distribution, films both of us have loved, and much more. 

Inside the Episode with Mitch Hampton

“Back in the period around 2001 or thereabouts I was fortunate to have been an early viewer of Andrew Bujalski's Funny HaHa. This low budget character centered comedy of manners set in the Boston area was destined to change the course of American cinema forever. In a very real sense, though Bujalksi being ever humble among other qualities would not give assent to this, had Bujalski not made that first feature, you could argue there might not have ever been Lena Dunham's Girls. Bujalksi made it okay for filmmakers to make extremely awkward and naturalistic movies primarily about relationships but completely outside of all of the conventions of studio filmmaking. Bujalski's films are as complex emotionally as anything from Harold Pinter, and by design they use ellipsis to keep viewers on the edges of their seat as to what is going on between the characters.

I actually did not know at the time that he was or had been ensconced at Harvard and had studied with the likes of Chantal Akerman. I also had not idea that his work would have the large effect that it has. At the time it was extraordinarily divisive and I could count among my friends both those who hated the films, considering them meandering and plots or overtly consumed with the whining of relatively privileged characters, as well as those like myself who though that Bujalksi was one of the precious few people expressing what was actually going on in human relationships in the contemporary world, warts and all.

Bujalski, like most good filmmakers, knows his cinema history and our conversation proved wide ranging as we talked about everything from Francois Truffaut to the Rocky movie franchise all off which made for a one of a kind conversation, as one of a kind as his movies. His latest Support The Girls should be seen wherever you can.” 

Andrew’s Bio

"Andrew Bujalski has written and directed six feature films. He types 89 wpm."

Some website links to his works:

Support the Girls | Magnolia Pictures

RESULTS: http://www.magpictures.com/results/

Computer Chess: http://www.computerchessmovie.com

Beeswax: http://www.cinemaguild.com/theatrical/beeswax.html

FunnyHaHa : http://www.funnyhahafilm.com

From Mitch's Notebook: 

"I have an archivist’s passion for things past and largely for aesthetic rather than political or sociological reasons - and the fact that it is aesthetic makes all the difference. I suspect that my psychological state is really about the same as the Thora Birch character’s response to the old artifacts she discovers from her friendship with the Steve Buscemi/Seymour character in the wonderful film version of Ghost World.

She instantly falls in love with the objective beauty of the old blues vinyl record as well as animations and illustrations from the thirties to which she is exposed. Her curiosity and openness is essentially the aesthetic capacity of the human being and it is not coincidental that her character is someone in her late teens.

The film Ghost World is discussing the first time you experience a work of art as much as it is discussing first friendships and loves. (The main reason I am taking this time to emphasize it in this context). There is a special understanding that you can have for something by it being completely new to you while you are also aware that what happens to be new to you in particular is in actuality old to many more other people and and is not tied to your actual lived experience.

This is how I suspect historians and anthropologists must feel towards some things, as well as art preservationists. Conversely, there is a way to know something by virtue of having directly experienced it that is superior in ways to not having experienced it. But my main point is that you need both, contrary kinds of responses and reasons in your interaction with the culture. You need both the observer distance and participant closeness, not necessarily at the same time or for same things of course, but in the fullness of lived experience over a lifespan. 

Thus when Laurie Jill Strickland gave me this wonderful present of the original artwork for the poster of Martha Coolidge’s Valley Girl a powerfully similar state as in Proust’s Madeline took hold of me - because the dress the illustration depicts being worn by Deborah Foreman was identical to the one worn by a girl I had loved in my teenage years. I always have reservations about discussing the subjects of both love and sex, not out of any coyness on my part: to put it bluntly I am about as opposite a prude as you can imagine a human can be. I am not much less reserved when it comes to the subject of my personal life in general. 

You could chalk it up to my Libran sense of diplomacy. Or you could say it is my (inordinate) need to be loved, much like the part of me who plays piano. It is also most curious, even ironic, that something so universal as love can also be so controversial. Then again, universal things involve the most people which increases the chance of disagreement. I am anxious about all of these things.

And yet….On the other hand, here we are in February and both love and sex are inevitably on everybody’s mind at this time. As well as movies of course, surely one of the most romantic of art forms. What I am really saying is that this movie Valley Girl is a beautiful and fun movie; it is as much entertaining as it is edifying in about equal measure. "

For more information and for all those many links we mention in episode , visit our show Facebook page here: https://www.facebook.com/journeyofanaesthetepodcast/

Mitch talks with Daniel Kremer about both his cinema scholarship as well as prolific filmmaking on the occasion of the release of his Overwhelm The Sky.

 “I guess I first became acquainted with Daniel Kremer before actually seeing any of his films because the man has an encyclopedic knowledge of film history; he knows as much if not more about cinema than anybody I have ever met. But being an expert on film doesn't necessarily mean you can make good or great ones. In Kremer's case I have to say that all of that knowledge has more than paid off. In terms of his output of movies since he is quite prolific, patterning his production procedures on the Zoetrope model of  Francis Ford Coppola in the 1970s. Region is also important, in terms of connecting the art to a unique place and the people within it, in Kremer's case, San Francisco. Kremer's beat is the power and centrality of the actors. In his films this approaches the quality of Cassavetes, or Rivette or Pialat. Kremer's films do have structures and plot, in some cases quite intriguing, even suspenseful ones, but he is also committed to the art of improvisation within that narrative structure and what it cam do for a narrative film. In a Daniel Kremer film there are never overlooked characters and everyone matters and has "their say". His current film Overwhelm The Sky is becoming something of a hit and I have to say that every positive review is well deserved. The film has an epic feeling and is visually beautiful while holding to Kremer's commitment to respecting the actor. His Raise Your Kids On Seltzer is one of 4th most interesting films I have ever seen on the subject of fundamentalism and the effects of cults on family life. Kremer is also a film archivist, working with the celluloid itself as well as a writer and critic. His book on film director Sidney Furie is highly recommended, and I eagerly await his forthcoming book on one of my favorite film directors , Joan Micklin Silver. "

IMDb Bio: Filmmaker, film historian, biographer, and professional film archivist Daniel Kremer grew up in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He graduated Temple University's film program and now lives in San Francisco. In 2007, while living in Philadelphia, he directed his first feature Sophisticated Acquaintance (2007) and was presented with four Best Documentary prizes for Yarns to Be Spun on the Way to the Happy Home (2007), a personal essay film about having grown up with a severe stutter. His second feature A Trip to Swadades (2008), which was shot on black-and-white super-16mm film, won three Best Feature Film awards. Following that film's international festival tour (which included Rotterdam), he moved to New York City, where he lived for nearly seven years. At one point, he studied to be an Orthodox rabbi, but gave it up to continue pursuing film. In 2011, he completed his acclaimed follow-up feature, The Idiotmaker's Gravity Tour (2011). The film was lensed predominantly in India and is distributed on Fandor. Subsequent to that, he directed Raise Your Kids on Seltzer (2015), Ezer Kenegdo (2017), Overwhelm the Sky (2018), and Even Just (2019).

www.bricolagefilms.com

www.confluencefilm.com

Trailer for Overwhelm the Sky: https://vimeo.com/305461750

Check Journey of an Aesthete Facebook for more details.

Ring in the New Year with us with this inspirational episode as we sit down with Olympic Marathon Runner, Doug Kurtis , about what is possible!

From Mitch's Notebook on the episode:

"If you will recall if you have heard our Smriti Shankar episode . I say early on that I dreamed of being able to talk with an athlete on our show under the principle that it is a very good idea to explore ideas with people who have lived a life very different than one's own.

 Though the example I used was of an anonymous football quarterback, I finally did get to speak with an athlete, in this case Olympic Marathon runner Doug Kurtis.

Doug is a phenomenal runner but of course he is much more. 

He has been a sportswriter in Michigan, worked in the auto industry in Detori and continues to be a motivational speaker. What better way to bring in 2020 with a conversation with him! We certainly enjoyed having him on the show."

More on Doug’s “runnography” and his body of work:

Doug is currently the director of the Corktown Races - www.corktownrace.comHe’s easy to find on Facebook.  People just need to remember my last name starts with a K !There are a lot of articles and video of him through Google and www.runmichigan.com

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Your monthly subscription helps us continue to bring you our very best content and one of kind guests.

Link to subscribe here:

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Inside the Episode with Mitch “ The Holiday Show” With special guest, Laurie Jill Strickland creator of Everyone’s Carol From Mitch’s Notebook on the episode: “ Back in the (Analog) day everybody and everyone would do a Christmas timed and themed show of some kind. One of the joys of growing up when I did is seeing what The White Shadow or Eight Is Enough or The Waltons and Family would do for a Christmas show. 

Then there were the sometimes outrageous comedy and variety shows of the time with those start studded lineups. 

Many artists have been inspired by Christmas and, invariably, have brought their unique concerns and interpretations to the season in their own ways, whether these be an action thriller or family comedy for the big screen or unorthodox reflections on the Life of Jesus on the avant-garde stage. I'd like to think I can be able to gleam something from all of it. Journey Of An Aesthete is a show for our digital age of course, but some things should never change and I can't see why we shouldn't continue to honor this time as always has been done. 

For this particular show I am blessed to have a producer who is, among other things, a Charles Dickens scholar and interpreter. Laurie Jill Strickland developed over many years her version of Charles Dicken's , A Christmas Carol in Prose ; being a Ghost Story of Christmas Carol, called Everyone’s Carol.

 One of the things you can truly say about it is that it as close as is possible to the heart of Dickens' original text. We are happy to have had her on the show to discuss this in what is a most spontaneous, all but live, Holiday episode of our podcast. And as our podcast is always about what it means to be human, this episode is intended for everybody.” 

A little more about Laurie and her body of work: Laurie is an award winning writer, producer , director who creates shows across genres and mediums. 

Her production, mentioned in this episode, Everyone’s Carol is a culturally diverse, modern production that has performed all over the globe. Everyone’s Carol also includes a pre show Dickens holiday lobby festival with food, drink, bespoke holiday items, community tables where are all welcome, no matter what they celebrate and a Dickens education unit that serves children in shelters and title one schools with limited artistic opportunities. Everyone’s Carol will next be in Denmark in 2020. 

Laurie is the recent recipient of the Jean Louis and Louise Bourgeois artistic grant, Macy’s arts & humanities award, Michelle Obama Arts award and Dickens writing fellowship in France. Some of her recent projects include: Journey of an Aesthete Podcast, Urania, Everyone’s Carol, and Something Higher: The incredible story of Dr. Alice Bunker Stockham. 

Laurie coaches and teaches folks about creating their own writing projects, writing for businesses, entrepreneurs and consults on numerous stories in development in film, theatre and television through her company, Laurie’s Stories. 

Creating shows, listening to and telling stories is her passion. 

Links to a sampling of her work: www.grayceproductions.com www.everyonescarol.com Journey an Aesthete Podcast

Inside the Episode with Mitch Episode 9 : “Music with Mitch, Second Edition” 

For this special episode of  Journey Of An Aesthete Podcast , your host, Mitch Hampton, records live at his Steinway piano.  

 An Alumni of New England Conservatory of Music , Mitch discusses his process of creating original music. Mitch is a world renown musician and composer who has scored for many major films, toured the world playing piano , and has produced many albums.

 This is the second segment in an ongoing series for Journey of an Aesthete Podcast , where from time to time, in between hosting other artists and guests, our host, Mitch Hampton, takes us up close and personal, into his own creative process as a musician and podcaster. We here at Journey of an Aesthete Podcast see our show as a story quilt, each interview and guest a quilt square, an exploration, a door Mitch opens for us into new worlds, exploring the creative process for all artists of all kinds, across mediums and genres…. Always our compass being the value of the arts and the creative journey of any kind, and, “ What it means to be human”……. 

These more personal episodes from Mitch’s interior process and world, are the “threads” if you will, the binding of the quilt into a whole. Enjoy and find more links to Mitch’s body of work below! 

From Mitch’s notebook about this episode:

"I should say that I originally came up with the idea of an ongoing series where I sit at the piano and simply talk about music in general, and how I compose in particular, when I realized that my YouTube feed was filled with hundreds of instructional how-to music videos, some of them by rather prominent names in music. I was struck of course by the sheer volume of information being offered at a mere click, and sometimes I would watch and say are they going to mention this or that and the other thing, and invariably they always did mention the thing in question. 

Consequently I knew that if ever I did anything with me talking at the piano I would vow to do something completely unlike all of those videos that are out there. Rather than have a goal of teaching music per se I would reflect philosophically how I actually compose music in real time and I would do so in non-technical language with an eye, or ear, towards art and aesthetics in general rather than simply music. 

I have no idea if my idea is enjoyable, or interesting, or not. In this particular episode I talked mainly about how some music can have many chord changes or few and use as a test case a piece I am working on that is self consciously minimal in its harmonic density.” 

For more information about Mitch's body of work, links to Mitch's albums, click here and enjoy! 

https://itunes.apple.com/us/artist/mitch-hampton/434517595 

https://mitchhampton.bandcamp.com 

https://vimeo.com/123552097 

Please consider becoming a monthly subscriber to Journey of an Aesthete Podcast here on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/journeyofanaesthete 

Thank you to everyone for being on the journey!!! 

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