The imagined reinvention of the self!

An impressive group of female artists were drawn to Carmel, Pacific Grove, and Monterey around the turn of the last century. M. Evelyn McCormick (1862-1948) was a major talent and a leader among them. These painters came primarily because of the striking beauty of the area, but the local welcoming attitude toward women had a lot to do with it as well. The Spanish culture, still strong in California, allowed women to own property, helping women feel more secure here. Also, at this time there was not an elite layer of society setting the rules, thus leaving the artists free to create their own lifestyle.

In 1892 when McCormick first ventured to the Peninsula, Monterey was a sleepy old Spanish town where one could work hard, enjoy the quaint adobe architecture, and sip sangria on cool evenings by the Pacific Ocean. Gnarled cypress trees on white beaches with a backdrop of hills brightened by lupine and California poppies, tempted writers as well as artists to the Bay Area. The tight-knit community quickly became a bohemian haven.

Socially: I assume this is possible? You hear things. And if you’ve ever been to a bar, you’ve seen them: groups of charming, attractive people, mingling together with cocktails in hand, laughing with their whole faces. Sometimes there’s touching. They order strange drinks. They are always friends with the band, and no one minds when they dance during the slow slongs. We hate them. We hate their comfortable ease, their conversation, and their eyes and noses and mouths which align with a vicious, pleasing symmetry. We’ve talked about getting together just to exchange notes on how much we hate them, maybe going for coffee later, but our schedules never line up right, and it’s just so hard to find the time. But we hate them.

Public Events: Auditions are tonight. You should come. It will be an empowering experience, provided you are willing to change everything about yourself. Change is good. You’re always saying how you want to get back into it. Remember how you were in college? So full of energy and possibilities and not too much vomit. Here’s your chance. Here’s your chance to get back out there. You look fine. You’ve matured, and that’s great. No one cares about your ankles. You can always wear a hat. Talent doesn’t atrophy. It just waits, lingering. It hungers. It needs to be fed. Think of all the new friends who will drop their cues. Think of the laughs you’ll miss. Think of the awkward possibilities of that kissing scene. I mean, how long has it been, really? You should relax. The roles have already been assigned. Your lines are being prepared. It’s not a bad part, if you like that sort of thing. It could’ve been worse. Some of them don’t even have names. Wear comfortable clothes. Be prepared to move.

A comic about the signs of the Neighborhood Watch from Daniel Mallory Ortberg and Matt Lubchansky.