The story of Marwencol is absolutely fascinating in every way:
None of the acclaim has enriched Hogancamp’s life in the slightest. In fact, I think he is a little annoyed that I am here today. He tells me that a muddy day like today is the perfect terrain for creating Marwencol dramas. A muddy landscape makes the photographs look more realistic, plus it’s easier to prop the figures up when the ground is soft.
“One time, a van filled with twenty-something kids came to the door,” he tells me. “‘Are you Mark Hogancamp?’ They sat here, a couple of chicks and a dude, and looked at me like I was a guru.” He shudders. “I’m a private person. I mow my lawn. I mow my late neighbour’s lawn. I’ve spent 13 years alone. No girlfriend, no social life. I still have no social life, I have no car.”
His life may be small and secluded but his photographs are leading amazing lives. A couple of days before I drive up here, in fact, the strangest thing happened. Bruce Jenner had just come out as Caitlyn Jenner and amid the celebrations a grumpy Facebook user named Terry Coffey wrote: “As I see post after post about Bruce Jenner’s transition to a woman, and I hear words like bravery, heroism and courage, just thought I’d remind all of us what real courage, heroism and bravery looks like!” He linked to a photograph – a powerful second world war image of a US soldier carrying an injured comrade through the mud while the latter points his gun at an unseen foe.
A deep dive into whatever the hell is going on with Bridget Jones:
That Daniel Cleaver is the baby’s father may be confusing for some. Many American readers, I imagine, are probably unaware of the series of columns in the British paper The Independent for which Fielding revived her character in 2005 and 2006. The storyline started out well within the Bridget Jonesbooks’ canonical boundaries. Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason ends with Bridget and Mark Darcy together again after various mix-ups and miscommunications.
At the beginning of the Independent columns, however, Mark and Bridget have broken up again, and Bridget is at sea. Things get even more complicated after a one-night stand with Daniel, when Bridget falls pregnant (as the Brits would say). It is not immediately clear whether Mark or Daniel is the father, but, by the time the final column in the series ran, all the characters seem to have accepted that Daniel is the father of Bridget’s bouncing baby boy.
I’ve been watching Black-ish (Steve calls it “Black Dharma and Greg”) and I like it! It’s like Modern Family but pretty good instead of a trash fire. The church episode was A+++. I am also obsessed with Bow. Let’s discuss.
At this point in the compilation of my link roundup, I had to leave to take my daughter to an appointment, and then got sick, and came home and read part of a book about The Eagles and started to try to fall asleep at 6pm and then remembered I still had to finish the link roundup, so please know that every word that follows is from a sick and diseased woman who loves you.
OH, YOU KNOW I’LL BE WATCHING THIS
BIG roundtable on diversity in publishing:
MORGAN PARKER: More than once, editors have asked me to guest-curate issues of their magazines, and more than once, these editors have cited my connection to “communities” as their reason for approaching me. “We’re trying to be more diverse,” they’ve said. “You seem to be more plugged in than us,” they’ve said. “We don’t know where to start.” “Only white writers submit to us.” I’m a bit tired of hearing the word “trying.” It’s one of those words you hear so much it loses its meaning. I’m not at all surprised that Alexander’s been asked the same kind of questions, but I don’t applaud these editors in the way they, I think, expect to be applauded for this “effort” of outsourcing editorial responsibility. They’ve identified a problem, which is great, but it isn’t nearly enough. They want to be validated (“I’m doing the right thing, right Morgan?” “You know I’m a white person who means well, right?” “I’m trying.”), which, while understandable in the current climate of call-out culture wherein the very basis and structure of the publishing world is finally being loudly shaken, isn’t my job.
An epic thread on this labiaplasty Jez piece revealed to me that MANY women do not wear underwear under yoga pants and that surprised me a BUNCH.
Nikki sent this to me in preparation for my son’s first birthday, and I feel very inspired. However, my Halloween plans just got thrown a real curveball.
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