Greetings one last time… from this site!
I’ve moved to: www.brookercalder.com
While the below blog and RE:PRINT ARCHIVE will stay up,
all updates will occur from there, and content will eventually be migrated.
A GINORMOUS THANKS again to each of you, and much gratitude
to the very talented Katie Kay for the Sunshine Award.
You can also visit me on:
www.patreon.com/brookercalder
Bright Blessings & Winter Wishes,
Brooke
Hello Stranger,
HAPPY NEW YEAR!
Hope this note finds you in bold spirits and good health! 2019 was an arduous year for many, and if our kick-off is any indication of things to come, this year will be INTENSE.
We’re only in our third week of 2020, but already: the poles are melting hard and fast; Australia’s burning; the Taal Volcano erupted in the Philippines; Puerto Rico endured a 5.9 Earthquake and Trump– who has been impeached— assassinated General Soleimani. Iran then struck back (and then some) and the head of Hezbollah is currently threatening the United States. No, this isn’t an episode of the Twilight Zone nor Season 16 of Stranger Things; this– my friend– is the world we live in.
Having survived a few political fiascos, on-going power outages as well as droughts in Zimbabwe, I have a checklist for us should things go askew. Many of these tips are common sense; others, not so much, but hope you’ll find them useful (or at least you’ll have a good belly laugh should our world <hopefully> remain at relative peace).
TRUMPOCALYPSE NOW SURVIVIAL CHECKLIST
1. PREP FINANCES, ID’S + IMPORTANT DOCUMENTS
a. Withdraw enough cash to be comfy for a couple weeks.
b. Print a weekly financial/bank statement (you’ll need proof if banks go down).
c. Photocopy your ID, Social Security card, Passport and car titles or deeds and hide them somewhere safe.
d. Keep originals, cash and financial statements in this $25 portable water and fireproof case, or simply slide the above in two XL size ziplock bags and store inside your jump bag (see below). This won’t protect them from fire, but will keep them pristine.
2. PACK A JUMP BAG/MEDIUM SUITCASE WITH…
a. 3 changes of clothes (include undergarmets, socks, etc.).
b. Pajamas.
c. Travel toiletries (toothbrushes, baby wipes, deoderant, hand sanitizer, etc.).
d. Small towel + facecloth.
e. Blanket.
f. Food bars, Beef (or meat substitute) Jerky, etc.
g. Small sewing + First Aid kits (if you don’t have one, you can make them from an old Altoids tin or glasses case).
h. A few feet of rope or bungee cables.
i. Refillable bottle of water.
j. Waterproof flash light with new batteries.
k. Waterproof matches and/or a lighter.
l. Multitool or Swiss Army knife.
m. Roll of toilet paper.
n. Plastic tarp (sounds ridiculous, but you never know- handy for fashioning a rain poncho or tent top; alt solution- pack a few heavy duty garbage bags.).
o. Cell phone power block/charger (make sure it’s pre-charged).
3. ADDITIONAL SUPPLIES TO CONSIDER
a. Candles.
b. 2 gallons of emergency water.
c. Back up set of traditional batteries for flashlight.
-Rechargables are great, but if electricity goes out, no blaming me for not reminding you!
d. Windable watch and compass.
4. IF DRIVING
a. Atlas or pre-printed road maps of your “escape” route.
b. Spare tire and/or tire patch kit.
c. Gasoline can, but read this article regarding safety:
www.autoblog.com/2016/01/04/is-it-safe-to-drive-with-a-gas-can-in-your-car/
d. Replace your wiper fluid, make sure oil, water and antifreeze are up to snuff.
e. Car jack.
With the above out of the way, let’s move on to something uplifting, like…
BOOK UPDATES
While waiting for the U.S. Census to provide updated statistics re: divorce in America, single fathers and more, I’ve been focusing on other projects (Poems About Boys, Conversations [see prior entry], as well as new musical works). My Twitter and Facebook have remained active, but I wanted to leave an update here for anyone who’s changed addresses or for “newbies” (welcome!) who might be curious.
Last year I…
1. Completed the expanded list of Magnificent Men for our print edition.
-Am pleased to report that we’ve hit 60! To avoid too many spoilers, I’ll only confirm a handful of candidates who made the final cut: Buckminster Fuller, Cooper Anderson, Dr. Denis Mukwege and Ronan Farrow. To peek at the original list: inpraiseofmen.com/2016/03/31
2. Authored an additional chapter analyzing #Metoo, Weinstein, Epstein, Trump and his administration’s unapologetic bromance with toxic masculinity. As a feminist, it is imperative that this book- while celebrating the good guys- also holds bad guys accountable.
Digging deep is each writer’s responsibility. It is my hope that– even if specific groups can’t grasp why I’d spend my life spying on the opposite sex– a few of my words will spark a larger debate. In the same way that we can’t continue cramming landfills with plastic or pouring toxic materials into our water supply, we can’t afford the war on one another anymore.
Assuming we survive this crazy period in American History, I look forward to seeing you on the pages next year. If you’d like to connect more directly in the meantime, find me on Patreon: patreon.com/brookercalder.
Wishing You Hope and Happiness,
Brooke
Evening All,
Here we are again- somewhere between waning Summer sunsets and the lingering, crisp kiss of Fall. Welcome to my new makeshift office; the book updates are…
REWRITES, CONVERSATIONS & POEMS ABOUT BOYS
While our editor is annotating away (we’re deliberating cuts as well as rewrites), I’ve continued work on the HELLO, MEN! follow up WELL, HELLO THERE! (CONVERSATIONS WITH MAGNIFICENT MEN) as well as the above pictured collection of prose, Poems About Boys. If you donated $5 or more to our Indiegogo to co-publish HELLO, MEN!, look for a free PDF copy in your inbox. I thank you again for your patience and support!
MEKYIA
Next- wherever you’re reading this right now- I’d like to share a moment of silence with you to salute #24 on our 50 Magnificent Men index. As someone who grew up in Africa, it was inspiring to see Kofi Annan– a neighbor from Ghana- help lead the U.N. He is truly gone too soon.
With BIG LOVE from the Wild MidWest,
Brooke
Well Hello!
Just a little wave from Minneapolis to wish you a New Year filled with joy, creativity, passion, wisdom and LOVE.
Also, a quick book check in: as several of you know, we’ve been in some pretty hardcore re-writes. Between Trump taking office, Women’s March and the advent of #metoo (pssst- we helped launch the #mentoo hashtag the afternoon the story broke; for anyone curious, the statistic for men being sexually assaulted is in 1:6.), much needs to be addressed and your patience is TRULY appreciated.
This year, I’m looking forward to doing more research, sharing a few excerpts from HELLO, MEN! and beginning work on its follow up, WELL, HELLO THERE! (CONVERSATIONS WITH MAGNIFICENT MEN).
Last but NEVER least, I must express my gratitude again: THANK YOU for caring about this book; for your patronage, feedback and cheerleading.
May 2018 be YOUR year-
Alla Prossima,
Brooke
Greetings from Book Editing Land!
Just dropped by to red alert you re: Mud Soldier, a kinetic sculpture conceived by Killian and Damian Van Der Velden. This extremely poignant (the mud was gathered from Flanders Field, where thousands fought and died) and creative (the rain melting away the mud mimics the rain which fell during battle) tribute to the men who lost their lives in World War I is so very worth seeing.
Currently on view in Trafalgar Square, this thought provoking piece was commissioned to commemorate the centenary of the Battle of Passchendaele. You can visit it on-line here:
www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-4733728/Melting-mud-soldier-sculpture-built-Trafalgar-Square.html
-File under #neverforget.
Yours,
Brooke
Mid-Summer Tidings to Ye!
Here (back in Minneapolis), am thrilled to announce we’re CLOSE TO THE EDIT! Thus, with the exception of intermittent check-ins, I’ll be off-line for the next 8 weeks.
And… What I haven’t yet revealed: I’ve been secretly working on its follow-up WELL, HELLO THERE! (CONVERSATIONS WITH MAGNIFICENT MEN) whilst our editor is hard at work. In the meantime, celebrate with us by enjoying this genius Art of Noise video: youtube.com/watch?v=UarXly9ezEk
See you this Fall!
❤
Salutations from sunny Santa Barbara, C.A. 🙂
Hope this note finds you enjoying the shifting seasons somewhere outside. I’m near the ocean, wrapping up loose ends- dotting our i’s and crossing our t’s as they say- as we approach publishing. It’s an exciting time!
While I don’t want to reveal *too* much, I can say:
1. We’ve re-written roughly 1/4 of the book.
2. I’m currently expanding the final chapter (see: Magnificent Men).
A tiny teaser: one of the amazing men being added to Chapter 9 is Rocky Marciano, the World’s ONLY undefeated Heavyweight Champion. As you’ve likely guessed, Rocky was a cyclopian component of the classic Stallone character Rocky Balboa, not to mention a committed community and family man, who retired in his prime to spend more time at home. Below are a few of my favorite photographs of Marciano.
In the first, Rock hugs the incredible Archie Moore, whom he beat in his final bout. Ever generous to those he fought, he publicly appreciated and applauded his opponents (watch the end of this aforementioned Marciano vs. Moore match). Hashtag: #trueclass.
The next image (Rocky in his robe, ‘Brockton’ blazed across the back) makes me smile so much! Growing up in this hard working, often struggling, blue collar suburb of Boston, he saw how many felt marginalized and made it a point to be loud-n-proud about his neighborhood. On the same terrain in 1976, just blocks from his boyhood home, I took my first steps at my Gran’s house. To this day, when life deals me blows, I think of the hard-hitting family man from down the way and know I *have* to get back up.
Finally, the picture of Rocky adoring his daughter (Mary Ann) melts my heart… And breaks it as well. Marciano died in a plane crash on the eve of his 46th birthday, leaving behind two beautiful children whose lives were inextricably altered by his loss. For all of you Dads out there: whether you’re a shoe shine man, a construction worker, a struggling artist, a small business owner or Elon Musk, PLEASE don’t underestimate how VERY important you are to your children and to YOUR neighborhood.
Love,
Brooke
**Season’s Greetings**
I sprinkled a lil snow here for you, no shovel required… 😛
The work continues- am currently working on a chapter called Magnificent Men. If you have a vote about who you’d like to see on that list, please email or text me!
Meanwhile, I’ve also done something slightly cheeky that might “jeopardize a future sales segment”, but for which I can’t apologize. In life, one must stand for what they believe in, and it is with firmly planted feet that I type these words:
I stand with Standing Rock.
And clearly, I am FAR from alone- have you seen this yet(?): Veterans At Standing Rock.
I am also deeply disturbed by the racist, unpatriotic acts that birthed BLM, and to put it plainly: Donald Trump is #notmypresident. If revealing these sentiments seems inappropriate, I understand. You’re entitled to your opinion, as well as a refund of your pre-order, which I shall courteously return should you request it.
Now, the big reveal. On election day, after anxiously casting my vote, I rushed off to see Suzanne Vega at a local record shop. With her was Bowie guitarist Gerry Leonard. I thought he seemed familiar (had last seen him on the Reality tour, but from nosebleed seats in a stadium), but couldn’t place from where. When it hit me hours later, I thought about how much had happened since I last saw Gerry; of how I no longer made music; and of course about how that other bright soul on stage (Bowie) was no longer with us.
Around midnight, final polls arriving, a group of us decided we needed a stiff drink. We wandered into legendary M/SP dive bar The CC Club, and just after clinking our glasses hopefully, I looked up and caught “Clinton Calls Trump To Concede…” silently scrolling across CNN. At that exact moment, Heresy by NIN randomly came on the overhead. During the first chorus, a drunk blonde climbed on top of a table and began screaming about our reproductive rights, and all across the bar, heads shook in disbelief. Was this our future? Had THIS happened? We were all terrified.
By the final chorus of Heresy, I knew what I had to do. I began silently humming the ONLY song I’d ever heard that could convey our mood at that moment, then messaged several of my former TC Electropunk compatriots and a few ex-band mates. In less than a week, we assembled en masse to cover the Bowie/NIN collab I’m Afraid of Americans. By week two, we’d organized a video; on week three, we shot and began editing, then recruited a handful remixers from different countries (Britain, France, Africa, Russia, etc.). Now, one month out… Gentlemen and Ladies, meet A*O*A:
Cover Art by Robertson, Whitlatch & Calder
Listen FREE (and if you dig it- own it FOREVER, with a portion of profits benefiting #NODAPL) here: a-o-a.bandcamp.com
Last, am pleased to announce that I just wrapped an on-air with Joe Kelley at WVOF, and while it was music-focused, we most certainly discussed the book and its’ forthcoming release. Will post the archive here soon, and hope you approve.
With Holiday Cheer,
Brooke
Salutations from the library of the St. James Hotel in Redwing, MN, where the banks of Mark Twain‘s Mississippi are littered with magnificent amber, ocher and rust colored leaves. While always a bit wistful about Summer’s sayonara, I’m ever enthralled by the falling fauna, crackling fires, long walks, hot apple cider and general ambience of Fall.
Halloween is certainly a glorious, creative thing, but having a full day to reflect on what we’re grateful for- i.e. Thanksgiving- is vital. This year, I have so much to be thankful for, so I thought I’d take this moment to say: THANK YOU. I appreciate each and every one of you, and the wonderful folks who- whether editing, re: art direction or providing feedback as a beta reader- are helping this book become a reality.
Wherever you are this weekend, please promise me that you’ll take a moment to stroll outside and take Fall in.
Happy Hallows-To-Be,
Brooke
A quick AHOY from Book Editing Land!
My dear friend Erin Carere found something that you might find of interest. Remember this chap, Ethan Hawke?
Many of my generation first met him as Todd Anderson in the film Dead Poets Society, in which he, Robin Williams, Robert Sean Leonard, Josh Charles and a cast of many made us laugh, smile, cry, and take classic literature a little more seriously. From Shakespeare to Dickens, 1990’s Seattle-tinged cinema to Sci-Fi, we’ve seen Hawke shapeshift through a slew of characters, but what many of us may not have caught: he’s been moonlighting as… an author!
Hawke’s most recent release, Rules For A Knight is a fascinating read. Here’s a small snippet from Geekdad: geekdad.com/2016/02/rules-for-a-knight-review, and an excellent interview with Jimmy Fallon:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=F5Fe2pHejSo
And here’s a link to preview/peruse the book:
www.amazon.com/dp/B00UEKBRUI/ref=dp-kindle-redirect?_encoding=UTF8&btkr=1
-Enjoy!
Regards,
Brooke
HELLO, MEN! 