10 Quotes From Steve Martin’s Born Standing Up

Steve Martin’s career has been long and varied from his start in stand-up comedy to acting and writing screenplays and books. In his memoir Born Standing Up, Martin recounts his early life and the beginning and end of his stand-up career. More than just an autobiography, the anecdotes in Martin’s book illustrate what it takes to get from performing stand-up in a tiny club to an empty room to selling out large concert halls. Read more

Animal, Vegetable, Miracle — Video Short

Raise your hand if you have read Barbara Kingsolver’s Animal, Vegetable, Miracle. For those of you who did not raise your hand, never fear. Just watch this video and Emmett Montgomery will drop a Barbara Kingsolver sized nugget of knowledge on you  — which will quickly bring you up to speed on the happenings of the book.

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The Poster for Bushwick’s Animal, Vegetable, Miracle Inspired Event

The next Bushwick event is happening soon. Very very soon.

On May 3rd at Town Hall Seattle we are proud to present original music inspired by Barbara Kingsolver’s Animal Vegetable Miracle.

Feast your eyes on the official poster for the event, designed by Travis Young.

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The Weddellecaster: An Epic DIY Guitar Project

Growing up, my family promoted a certain DIY aesthetic, particularly as a workaround in situations where the alternative was simply not having a desired thing (clever parenting, no?). Halloween costumes, for instance, were often whatever I could throw together out of paper sacks and tinfoil. My high school bandmates and their families still recall with fondness my first microphone stand (what teenager has the discipline to save $25?): a small birch log glued to a plywood base, hole drilled in the log, broomstick lodged in the hole, piece of pipe duct-taped to the broomstick, mic-clip fitted onto the pipe: voila.

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The 3 Best and Worst Book to Movie Adaptations

A good story is a good story whether it’s told in print or on the big screen. Having been a lifelong fanatic of both books and movies, I spent a little time thinking about what makes movie adaptations successful or what makes them fail at the page to screen transition. When you are reading a book, it often seems unlikely a filmmaker can manage to put on screen what you are picturing in your head. It’s got to be a daunting task, trying to give life to words that so many people have already formed mental images for. A film can be enjoyable as a stand alone medium, but still objectively fail at the interpretation of the book.

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A Poem Inspired by Brokeback Mountain: Everybody Needs A Buddy

When I first read Annie Proulx’s Brokeback Mountain, it was for The Bushwick Book Club Seattle. How did I avoid reading it for so long? Her prose sings like poetry. My own offering below is nothing compared to her craft. On one level, her style is eminently readable. On another, the story itself is unlike anything I’ve read.

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Bookshelf Report: No Bookshelf Necessary

The Bookshelf Report is an ongoing series where a Bushwick reader invites us into their home and shares a little bit about the books that occupy their shelves.

Today’s bookshelf comes from Seattle writer / film maker / sketch comedian Travis Vogt.  His written work has appeared in many well know publications including City Arts, Wonder and Risk, and Encore Arts Seattle.  Travis also makes up one half of the popular sketch comedy duo Travis and Kevin (guess which half he is).

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The Poster for Our Steve Martin’s Born Standing Up Inspired Event

Ladies and gentleman, on Friday April 3rd at Dusty Strings Bushwick will be presenting original music inspired by Steve Martin’s Born Standing Up — and here is the poster to prove it!

I can’t wait for this show, hope to see you there. It will be super fun.

Poster design by Travis Young.

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Bookshelf Report: Your Books are Making Me Nervous

The Bookshelf Report is an ongoing series where a Bushwick reader invites us into their home and shares a little bit about the books that occupy their shelves.

Today’s bookshelf belongs to comedian / music maker Chad Opitz. His one man band Nervous Energy is an entertaining tornado of awesomeness with hit songs that include I Married a Necro,  BeardoBecause He’s An Asian, and everyone’s favorite Lord of Flatulation — also known as the best god damn Louie Anderson tribute song ever written.

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5 Facts About Cheryl Strayed and Wild

Although Bushwick’s Wild inspired event has come and gone, I still find myself thinking about both the book and the movie often. These nagging thoughts caused me to go on an all-out Google blitz to find out more about Wild, its author Cheryl Strayed and the Pacific Coast Trail. Here are five facts I learned during my investigation. Read more