Death Duet: Interview with Indiana's First Death Cafe (Hostesses)

Image via DeathCafe.com (Designed by Phil Cooper of Petit Mal)

Monica Doyle and Jennifer Vines were the gracious hostesses of Indiana's very first Death Cafe, "a place to eat cake, drink tea and discuss death". Death Cafes are being hosted across the globe, as individuals take the initiative to create a space and place to talk about a topic we rarely address and one that inevitably impacts us all.

Although, I was unable to attend the first event, luckily, both Jennifer and Monica took the time to tell me all about it. Included is an invitation to reserve a place at the next Death Cafe this March. Here we go:

What prompted you to host a Death Cafe in Indy?

Jennifer: "I’ve been fascinated with societal attitudes surrounding death since college. Growing up in the Deep South had some specific influence regarding my interest in the topic. Our family had a strange habit of headstone photo ops (posing my aunt and I beside our family members’ headstones). To this day, I have a love of cemetery photography and spend quite a bit of time at Crown Hill."

Monica: "When my father died and our family fell into dysfunction, I came to realize that part of the problem was that we never spoke about death, ever. It was taboo. And I didn’t want that to be the legacy that passed to my children. I want to talk about it."

Can you tell us what the event was like?

Jennifer: "It felt very natural and lacking in pretense or judgment. There was such openness on the part of the participants and some indicated that it’s easier to discuss these topics with strangers as compared to family members. One may wish to discuss various end of life issues with a family member and the family member in question isn’t ready for that conversation." 

Monica: "I was touched by the open hearts, and willingness to approach such a potentially challenging topic." 

Was there anything expected or surprising to you?

Jennifer: "When starting something new, one isn’t quite sure what to expect. However, I had a gut feeling that “our tribe” was out there and in need of a forum such as this one. Death Café has occasionally been characterized by the media as a “baby boomer” movement, but we had participants ranging in age from early 20s to mid 60s. We had about 13 RSVPs prior to the event and 25 people showed up."

Monica: "I suppose I expected a need for the forum, but you never know if anyone will actually decide to partake. And those who did were so lovely to each other, and willing to share."

Image via Death Cafe Indy

Why are these conversations so vital?

Jennifer: "Death is the one thing we will all face yet people are often very uncomfortable with the topic. I think Death Café is an attempt to reflect on the inevitability of death as a means of actualizing a better life. In other words, denial leads to fear and if we accept that our time here is finite, it may lead us to make better use of our time." 

Monica: "Yes, Jennifer is spot on. In past times folks died at home, surrounded by family, and family cared for the after death rituals. Since we have given it over to the funeral industry, death has become more of a stranger."

Could you share a moment or story that stood out as poignant during the event?

Jennifer: "In reflecting on the suicide of a family member, one participant talked about how we often describe the person as selfish for causing extreme pain to those left behind. However, we never think about our own selfishness in expecting a mentally or physically ill person burdened by pain to continue suffering. I’m certainly not condoning suicide, as I have a loved one who experienced a loss by suicide last year. However, it made me think about how that selfishness is a two way street." 
Monica: "One man spoke of his 90+ year old aunt as deciding to forgo food. She was not terminal, but she felt ready to be done. This, for me, opened a Pandora’s box of emotions, especially as regards assisted suicide, do not resuscitate orders, and death with dignity."

Will you host another Death Cafe in Indiana in the future, what can attendees expect?

Jennifer: "We will host the next Death Café on March 15th at the Indy Indie Artist Colony. I guess they can expect the unexpected. Since we don’t set any agenda, the participants drive the discussion. Of course, there will be delicious cake!"

Monica: "Yes!"

If able, could you recommend any resources people in Indiana (or anywhere for that matter) could seek out help or counseling on the subject?

Jennifer: "I would be hesitant to recommend anything in the counseling arena, as that isn’t my expertise. Certainly most attendees have lost someone they care about but Death Café isn’t intended to be a forum for grief counseling. There are many fine books on the topic of death and dying; the writings of Elisabeth Kubler-Ross are probably the best place to start. If anyone is interested in being a compassionate companion for those close to death, they may want to consider volunteering for the “No One Dies Alone” program at Eskenazi Health: Palliative Care Program (LINK)"

Monica: "Agreed."

Thank you Monica and Jennifer for engaging Hoosiers in a very important discussion, and thank you for being a part of the Local-Lady blog. 

<3

the Local Gal

PS

Death Cafe began in London, spread to Ohio and then became a worldwide phenomenon. It's very exciting for this to happen in Indiana. To learn more about Death Cafe, visit the official site and find a Death Cafe near you. 

Want to stay in the loop with the Local-Lady? Follow the Local-Lady on Twitter and/or Facebook.

Related Posts:

This Precious Life: Sunflowers and Moths

LINKS:

Facebook Death Cafe Indianapolis

Main Street by Sinclair Lewis Distilled by the Local-Lady

"a rebellious girl is the spirit of that bewildered empire called the American Middlewest"

~Main Street~

Sinclair Lewis 

(for all of the Carols of the world)

"Even when she was tired her dark eyes were observant. She did not yet know the immense ability of the world to be casually cruel and proudly dull, but if she should ever learn those dismaying powers, her eyes would never become sullen or heavy or rheumily amorous."

"She took walks, and was sensible about shoes and diet. And never did she feel that she was living."

"She slowly confessed that she was not visibly affecting lives." 

But

"Whatever she might become she would never be static."

"I think perhaps we want a more conscious life. We're tired of drudging and sleeping and dying. We're tired of seeing just a few people able to be individualists. We're tired of always deferring hope till the next generation. We're tired of hearing politicians and priests and cautious reformers... coax us, 'Be calm! Be patient! Wait! We have the plans for a Utopia already made; just wiser than you.' For ten thousand years they've said that. We want our Utopia now — and we're going to try our hands at it."

There is a passage in Main Street, that describes in a few words the sameness of America's small towns: the doctor could "wake up anywhere" stumble out of bed walk down Main Street towards his office and not realize he was in another city until he reached the door with another name above it. It's true that if you drive for long periods of time along an interstate today that you may find yourself turned around, discouraged by the sameness & the sprawl, or perhaps you are one of those comforted by the familiarity and you might see the brand logos as helpful angels along your way. Not only are our streets names the same in many cities, even the names of our cities are duplicated: Portland, Oregon, Portland, Maine, Portland, Indiana. Main Street, America. 

But while, Lewis wrote of human nature, exposing the worst of us, that lurks even in small towns, I also see Carol on Main Street, the heroine doing her best and never admitting defeat,

"I do not admit that Main Street is as beautiful as it should be! I do not admit that Gopher Prairie is greater or more generous than Europe! I do not admit that dish-washing is enough to satisfy all women! I may not have fought the good fight, but I have kept the faith."...

I see the name above the door and the implications of our individuality, our involvement and the fact that it is who we are and what we do in the towns where we live that potentially makes the difference, the impact. And if we never succeed in altering human nature or the dynamics of our Main Street, our existence and attitude runs through the fabric like a bright and lively thread, adding beauty to it. 

"But I have won in this: I've never excused my failures by sneering at my aspirations, by pretending to have gone beyond them."

It is your "name above the door" that signals the possibility of change. This was not Lewis's intent or point, but it's what I come away with from Main Street believing. 

It's autumn in Richmond, Indiana, and the colors of the foliage outside blaze against the gray sky. The ground this morning was covered in icy frosts. It's a perfect Sunday for reading cozily inside. What are you reading? 

Here are a few titles popular in Richmond, Indiana now:

I hope your Sunday is peaceful. 

<3 the Local Gal

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Local Lady Interview/Featured Event: Visiting Author & Illustrator Duncan Tonatiuh

Photo by Alma Ramos- McDermott via La Bloga

"At the end of the day, children are children and people are people. We are more alike than different" 

~Duncan Tonatiuh~

This October in honor of National Hispanic Heritage Month, Richmond Indiana will host acclaimed author and illustrator Duncan Tonatiuh. Duncan Tonatiuh will be visiting area schools to read and present his books. Duncan is an artist, storyteller & creator who is using his talents to advocate a better understanding of migration & primarily to celebrate Mexican heritage and art. When contacted by the Local-Lady for an interview, he was quick to respond! Here we go:

When did you decide to write children's books?

"I graduated from Parsons the New School for Design in 2008. My senior thesis was a short graphic novel called Journey of a Mixteco. It was based on the story of my friend Sergio, an undocumented worker who left his Mixtec village in the south of Mexico to find work in the US. 

A professor named Julia Gorton came to critique my work. She really liked my project. She had illustrated a few books for Abrams Books for Young Readers and introduced me to an editor named Howard,  who she had worked with and was friends with. Howard liked my illustrations. I told him I liked writing also. He said, great, and explained to me a few things about children's books like typical page count. If you write something you can send it to me, he said and gave me his email.

One day while I was still working on my senior thesis I had an idea for a book about two cousins, one that lived in a rural community in Mexico and one that lived in an urban center in the US, and even though they lived in different environments were more alike than different. That eventually became my first picture book Dear Primo; A Letter to My Cousin."

Audience & Fans: Image Source

Can you tell us about how Ancient Mexican art & culture have shaped your art? 

"I was born in Mexico City and I grew up in a town called San Miguel de Allende in central Mexico. When I was a kid I loved Japanese anime and comic books. I would draw my own superheroes and make small comics. I came to the US when I was 16. In high school I became interested in painting and liked painters like Van Gogh and Egon Schiele. After being away from my country of origin for a couple of years I began to miss the food, the music and traditions; things I took for granted when I lived there. I became extremely interested in Mexican art and culture when I was in college. 

When I decided to make the short graphic novel about Sergio I began to look for Mixtec artwork in the Parsons library. I was delighted when I found  books about the Mixtec codex of the fourteenth century. I decided that I would make a modern codex about Sergio's story. That is how I developed my current illustration style. I draw by hand, but then I collage my drawings in the computer. I've been working in that style for the last five  years. 

Image Source

My father is American and my mother is Mexican, therefore I have dual nationality. I am specially interested in making books that reflect the experiences of people of Mexican origin on both sides of the border. My second book Diego Rivera: His World and Ours is a simple biography of the famous Mexican muralist, but then the book tries to imagine what he would paint nowadays. My latest book Pancho Rabbit and the Coyote reads like a classic fable, a little bit like Little Red Riding Hood, but the book is also an allegory of the journey that undocumented immigrants go through to reach the US. Coyote is slang for a person that smuggles people across the US-Mexico border."


What can attendees expect at your upcoming presentations and readings?

"I will speak and read from my three books. I will also give attendees a sneak peak of a picture book I finished recently and that will be published next May. Its called Separate is Never Equal; Sylvia Mendez and her Family's Fight for Desegregation. The book is about a civil rights case that desegregated schools in California seven years before the landmark case Brown vs Board of Education took place. 

I try to tailor my readings according to who is in the room. Although my books are in English I "read" them in Spanish if the audience is predominantly Spanish speakers. If there are young kids at the event I usually do some drawings on a large pad of paper for them. I often stand on my head like the break dancers in a page from Dear Primo for them too. When the kids are older I connect my laptop to a projector and show them how I collage my illustrations in Photoshop. 

Hopefully my books and presentations are a way to introduce topics like immigration and Mexican art to children. I try to make books that are accessible and that can be enjoyed by all children, regardless of their background. One of my aims though is for Latino children to see themselves reflected in my books and feel proud of their roots and background. I hope my books will inspire them to read, draw and write their own stories."

Thank you for sharing your art & stories with us, Duncan, and thank you for your response to my questions! I hope you enjoy your visit to Richmond, Indiana! 

Visit Duncan's Blog HERE.

Watch: "Life on the other side / La vida en el otro lado: 

Duncan Tonatiuh at TEDxSanMigueldeAllende"

This Precious Life: Sunflowers & Moths

“Once you are real you can't become unreal again. It lasts for always.” 

~Margery Williams~ The Velveteen Rabbit

Gustav Klimt Sunflower

There aren't any words when someone dies. Words themselves, so useful in other situations seem suddenly clunky and empty next to grief or death. Meaning hangs in the air without a verbal net to catch it. It weighs the air down and takes your heart with it. Death has always made me uncomfortably speechless. I don't know what to do with social niceties or sympathy cards, although I'm sure there are well penned ones. Above all, I don't want to be the one who adds to the suffering. I don't want to say the wrong thing. Rather than choose imperfect words that could damage, I am silent and heartbroken. Which is worse?

I don't know what to do when the body of someone I love is displayed in a casket. The first and nearest death I experienced, was when my Old Opa was laid to rest. I built an imaginary wall between myself and the cold metal casket. I could not have been more than eight or nine. We stood in a line: his daughters, their daughters and their daughters. When I peeked in, the first thing I noticed was that his body was not his self. It was that moment that I realized the miracle and sheer fragility of life. I wandered away near a staircase and stared at the ground. Underneath the stair was the body of a white moth, its wings were folded. Since that moment I have associated death with moths. Animated, living moths versus the shell of what was a moth. There is no moth in a dead shell. If you reach for what was the moth, it crumbles. It is dry dust. Even though the animation has ceased, the moth was and is- not just the sum of its parts but its actions too, fluttering, striving, seeking light. The actions themselves have ceased, but they were real and they cannot be made unreal. Even without the moth, I can close my eyes and recall each motion. My Old Opa is gone but I can recall perfectly the way it felt to hold his hand. The way his old skin felt like soft thin paper, yet they were warm and strong. The way his eyes lit up when he quoted his sweet poetry to me.

Whenever I have cried over the loss of someone, I find myself crying most for the survivors. For after all, the dead are done. It's we the living who must keep on with life at its hardest. They say time heals all wounds, but the loss of someone is not exactly like a scar or even a rejection. It's an emptiness, a lack, a place that can't be filled perfectly. Time cannot exactly heal that. It doesn't hurt any less when death is expected, although it can be less jarring. Loss doesn't hurt anyone less if they have the maturity of years. I'm not convinced it hurts less tiny children who might seem unaware. Death has no regard for age and neither does grief, and you can go on missing someone for a hundred years, crying tears as fresh as the day you were born or the day they passed on.

Only privileged children believe adults are immune to life and death blows, and the moment you realize the equal plane of vulnerability on which we all stand, it's a moment you never forget. In my own experience, a very old man (he was in his nineties) confided in me just how much he missed his mother. You never know how missing someone or something will effect a person. Bereft sounds like what it means, and it's probably the most accurate verbal net for describing this feeling.

I miss certain people almost every day. The pain can surprise you like a reflex, like a sudden memory. When you love someone, it doesn't stop. It's a strangely comforting yearning, even if it makes you sad. There are so many things I would love to say or ask my people who have gone on. The hours spent together now seem so precious and few.

The only thing more surprising than death is how life keeps going after death and how you eventually laugh in spite of it. Unexpected joy springs even in the middle of grief. Always surprising and up like a banner of sunflowers over a thicket of thistles and thorns.

For everyone who is missing someone, words are inadequate, but you're not alone.

I wish that no matter how lonely or sad or distraught, that you find such a banner. No matter how your eyes brim with tears or your belly fills with undisclosed regrets, may you have memories and discoveries to smile over and to share. 

Comb My Hair by Hamed Saber

These flowers are for you: Photography Blogger's Beautiful Sunflowers

Read about the symbolic meaning of sunflowers here.

<3

Richmond, Indiana's 5th Annual Melodrama: A World Premiere!

Don Mellen, Dramatist: Playwright, Actor & Director, 

An amazing World Premiere is coming soon
to Richmond, Indiana this September! Get the details and read the exclusive interview with co-director and script author, Don Mellen, only on the Local-Lady.

Thank you, Don Mellen!

Here we go:

Don, what can viewers expect when they attend the World Premiere?


"The play is called...

Mayhem at Mad Dog Mulrooney's Sassafras Saloon

or

Know When to Hold 'em; When to Explode 'em.

It's in the vein of the old-fashioned melodramas where there is a villain in black, a hero in white, the pure and innocent heroine, and assorted other characters. The audience is expected to participate by booing and hissing at evil things, cheering for the heroic, sighing at the romantic, "aww"ing at the pitiful and any other noises appropriate to the moment.  Some people have been so distraught by the villainous proceedings that they throw popcorn at the villain (available before the show and at intermission).  It's family entertainment too. There is no foul language and the kids really enjoy being able to cheer and boo and react."


One of the first shows you put on centered around the founding of Wayne County. Besides a bit of local history, what other influences or inspirations can you name?

"Influences can come from anywhere. TV, movies, books, even random conversations. Last year we wanted to do something a little different for where it was set, so Jane Turner and I talked about it, and decided to do a melodrama that took place on a River Boat, so that's what I wrote. We like to try to do something different than before to keep them interesting."

How long have you been writing and directing original plays for the Heritage Festival?

"The first year we did an adaptation of an old melodrama. The second year was Wayne County's Bicentennial, so I wrote an original melodrama that was set during the founding of Wayne County. The third and fourth years were also originals, as is this one. Before the Heritage Festival, I had been doing melodramas with "The Great American Tent Show Company" for over 25 years and was deemed the "resident villain" of the company, so I know a little bit about melodramas."



You're a published playwright! Where can fans find your work?

Melodrama fans can find 

The Lost Treasure of Blackbeard

or

All That's Buried is not Gold

which is currently being published by Pioneer Drama Service known as "The House of Melodrama".  To avoid people thinking that the show had pirates in it, we discussed it and the title was changed to...

The Secret of Charity Teach

or

Tide to the Wharf

It should be listed on the Pioneer Drama Service website in the next few weeks. It is already in the most recent catalog they mailed out. They've already asked me to submit more, so the one from last year...

Cast of the Mighty Mississip (Image provided by D.M.)

Peril on the Mighty Mississip

or

A Disaster of Titanic Proportions

will be sent in shortly, and after we are done performing this years melodrama, I plan to submit it as well.








Visit Pioneer Drama to look for future melodrama publications. Until then, be sure to swing by Mad Dog Mulrooney's Sassafras Saloon for The World Premier on September 6th at 7:30 pm or September 7th, 8th at 2:00 pm at the Wayne County Historical Museum in Richmond, Indiana!

Donald Mellen works as a Senior Consultant at Incirrus. Among his many plays, he's also the author of the handy dandy SQR Programmer Reference a 2nd Edition.

Special thanks to Don Mellen the man of the Melodrama & Co-Director of The World Premiere for this interview!

<3 the Local Gal

Richmond: The Landscape & Thoughts

“Everyone thinks of changing the world, but no one thinks of changing himself.” 

~Leo Tolstoy~

I am not always 100% positive. True, I am more often than not defiantly not negative  (and yes, I mean defiantly, as when facing a barrage of negativity I refuse (within reason) to cave to it). I actively, consciously choose to cherish and value what is good and right here. It isn't always easy. Sometimes I look around my hometown and I see so much potential. Other days I look around and see only an insurmountable to-do list. There is a story about a beggar who asks passersby for pennies, all the while he does not realize that he is sitting on a pot of gold. Is our community like that beggar? When I do occasionally spiral into hopeless impatience, am I that beggar?

Here we are and where do we come from? 

A Local Lady Snap Shot

If I ask my children, they point to my belly. Our genetics shape us but they do not dictate our fortunes. There are more influences at work upon us than just our physical DNA, which is complicated enough. Environment affects us too: the earth and its make up, the shift of atmosphere and weather, the introduction of new substances. Each one and more are like a slight turn of a kaleidoscope. We are the beads that dance and fall into place.

Only the moves we make are our choice. Whether those movements are small or bold, they have the power to change the design and alter a pattern in our society.

Our parents raise us and as years pass, it becomes more apparent. Demographics and class, education, they are obvious, but there's always more at play. Not everyone who is unfortunate or even unloved becomes bitter or bad. Not everyone who is nurtured and cherished can be counted on for good.

How does the landscape affect our disposition?

We live in a valley, in a city where the electric hum and glow of lights offends the rest one can find only in the dark, obscuring the stars and enclosing the people in their narrowly lit perspective. Without a clear view of space, without openness and a broad view of heaven, how can any one be expected to think loftier thoughts? A gorge runs through town, carrying river water and ages old sediments and sewage and rain. My house is between two hills. There is security in this wedge. Storms pass around us above and below, but we remain sheltered more often than not by our geography. We do not flood as much as the south. We are not as cold as the north.

We live above what once was ocean floor hundreds and thousands of years ago. Limestone encases the creatures who came before us both giant and minuscule. The fossils lie calcified in our rocky yard borders. The ground is shifting from extremities of temperature and sudden dryness followed by even more sudden rains. Not even Hoosiers who are accustomed to switching summer and winter wardrobes in a day can ignore this new level of unpredictability. The borders tumble into the street. The cracks grow wider and we cringe at distant news stories of sinkholes swallowing streets, homes and even people. The soil is either cracked as desert or mush and marsh. Willfully at times, we ignore the faults beneath our feet, when they are not directly worrying us. When they worry us, we see only the faults and nothing else.

Our infrastructure is crumbling beneath our feet. The houses, the sidewalks, the clutter of modern necessities: pipes, tracks, lines, poles, pock marked streets, all serve to distract us from the real history of this place. What never goes away are the geological histories. The story that remains with or without people are the stories of water, its' presence and absences. The ocean receded and left thick limestone. The trees and plants that came and went left their deposits, enriching the soil.

There are different worlds even in a small town. Like small countries divided by what could be described as different realities, we exist together on this flat land, near the "highest point" of Indiana. To some of us, Richmond is a small kingdom. A small, cozy pond for big, comfy fish. To some of us, Richmond is a city of underdogs: under-educated or underemployed and only overwhelmed but not over.

That is not to say that there is a "they" or an "us", when we all live here, we are invested together in this place. Our successes and failures are shared, even if not consciously.

This city frets over its past, nursing its wounds and parading its pride and griefs in the streets. The busy generations of yesteryears built their industries that grew our population. They manufactured cars, mowers and more. They played their Jazz hits, planted roses, built monuments and survived disasters. They buried the waste of their industries, but at times the contaminants have haunted the soil and rise as dust to plague us.

We miss the glory of manufacturing, but times are changing. The ground is shifting, and we cannot keep pace by always looking backward. We cannot keep pace by being unrealistically hopeful, not either by wallowing in pessimism. There is a balance. May we find it.

We are Indiana. We are the norm. Our disparity is yours too. We are the voice of the nation's news. Our limestone is the Pentagon and the Empire State building. We are the “Corn Belt”. We are the Midwestern spine of the United States. We are at the crossroads of the nation, and if we are unaligned, then so is America. This matters. The choices we make, the aspirations we chase can change the world.

You can be sure that our future affects the rest of the nation. We are smack in the middle of it all. What kind of future is in store for our city? For Indiana, "the Crossroads of the Nation"?

A Local Lady Snap Shot

As one person, I may not leave a lasting mark on the landscape, but I will do my best to do the good that I am able. That effort is never wasted.

A wise woman told me that "change, real change begins in people's hearts. It can't happen through force or law. It's slow, but it's worth while." When I look around at all there is to accomplish, and when it seems daunting, I try to remember her words and I try to examine my own heart closely.

Just a thought.

<3 Your Local Gal

Interview with Ribbons & Robots

Image Source

Ribbons & Robots is a locally based, on-line storefront for hand crafted toys. I may be all grown up, but my heart still melts for dollies and stuffed animals, especially if they are made by hand! Ribbons & Robots is run by a Hip, Digitally Savvy Business Mama with a passion for crafting. Thank you R&R for taking time out of your hectic mommy/crafting/awesome lady schedule! 

Here we go:

What's the inspiration behind Robots & Ribbons? 

"One of my biggest inspirations is my own little family. Since having our first son, I have really noticed and been frustrated by the lack of fun toys geared towards boys! When they're still too little for Legos or action figures of things with a zillion little pieces, there really isn't a ton of exciting (and affordable) toys on the shelf to choose from. I want to have a shop that carries a good balance of things boys AND girls will like, beyond the typical puppy/kitten choices....

And my parents always encouraged my sister & me to be creative. My mom is this really incredibly talented seamstress, so we grew up with a love of sewing and appreciation of handmade in our house."

Why do you love to craft?  
"One thing I love about crafting, especially creating toys, is the idea that something I have loved and found so much joy while creating could also bring a big smile to some kid's face. It could be something they treasure forever & I just think that is so exciting! For me, creating and crafting has just always been part of my everyday life. I also love that crafting is a way to take a break for myself. Even if it’s just for 5 minutes at a time!"

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Can you tell me a bit about Storenvy, the site that hosts your on-line shop?

"StorEnvy is a bit newer online marketplace. It is growing and gaining attention really quickly. It’s got a social networking vibe, which is neat. Instead of having collections curated by editors front & center, your StorEnvy Feed is more tailored to you. It's based on items you’ve “envied” or stores you’ve followed. Also, when you’re browsing on StorEnvy the products are listed by popularity in real time, so there are constant updates & new things you may not have found on your own just by searching tags! 

One really useful aspect of StorEnvy, for both shoppers and shop owners alike, is that when you “watch” a store, StorEnvy notifies you whenever that shop’s stock is updated! They send fun emails with products you might like based on things you’ve “envied”…I like to read them during nap time, when I take a little break, so I can really enjoy them!"

What's your favorite project?

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"I especially love making dolls. Rag dolls are so fun because the possibilities for giving each doll its own personality are endless. Right now I have some really fun mermaid dolls posted for sale, but I have plans for more boy-style dolls to come and I am really, really excited to get started on some of those! I also have some play sets that I have been getting started on; they have folk tale & fairy tale themes and I think are going to be super fun toys."

What's your best Richmond memory?

"One of my favorite memories is walking downtown with my sister and our mom. We would walk to the library and Mom would make sure we really got to make a day out of it. We played word games or I Spy on the way and would get to go to Readmore & the other stores on our way there & back. Stopping in to get ice cream at The Circus Shoppe was REALLY a treat because we got to eat it in that zoo cage at the back of the shop! Remember that? But the best part was, hands down, the fountains in the summer time. I was heartbroken when they tore out the promenade to extend Main Street."

What kind of unique Richmond memories is your family making today?

"My husband is a bicycling enthusiast so we try and get the boys out for rides on the Cardinal Greenway on cooler evenings (because I am a total wimp about being out in the heat!!). We try to take advantage of our parks. We love the library, and my three year old absolutely LOVES going to the Wayne County Historical Museum. And I am really looking forward to the park the city is building in the city lot at North A street."

Thank you again for sharing with us. I wish you every success in your business venture!
 

You can find Ribbons & Robots on-line at Storenvy.com. Follow Ribbons & Robots on Facebook to stay updated with new items and specials.

Ribbons & Robots is your source for quality, hand made stuffed toys & dolls for children of all ages. Looking for something specific? Ribbons & Robots takes custom orders! You can contact Ribbons & Robots via e-mail at ribbonsandrobots@gmail.com.

Seriously, darling! Check them out & support a local business!
That's right, on-line shoppers- you can still shop local :)

<3 the Local Gal

Richmond Indiana's "Local Ladies"

A Local Lady Picture: Madonna of the Trail 

In my first reflective post on living in Richmond, Indiana, I included a photo of the Madonna of the Trail. The Madonna is a larger than life sculpture located at the entrance to Glen Miller Park. She is one of twelve "madonnas" in the United States. According to wikipedia, the sculpture was designed by August Leimbach and founded by the Daughters of the American Revolution in order to honor and remember the strength and courage of the women who traveled along the National Trails Old Road to establish their homes in the unfamilar terrain of the western United States.

Arlene B. Nichols Moss, chairwoman of the DAR committee in the 1920's was inspired to commission the Madonna of the Trail after seeing a sculpture in Portland, Oregon of Sacagawea, a Shoshone guide who aided Lewis and Clark in their famed expedition.

That inspirational sculpture (which you should click here to see (because it's beautiful!)) was designed by American sculptor Alice Cooper. She still stands in Washington Park, Portland. 

Leimbach wrote about his inspiration in designing the Madonna sculptures:

"When I was a schoolboy in the old country, the American History of the pioneer days made a deep impression on me. I thought often of those who had left the old home and all that was dear to them and had come to this country to find a field for their ambition...

When I came to America, I often saw these people of the pioneer type, strong and brave and always ready to protect themselves against any danger. Asked to make a sketch model for a monument of a woman of pioneer days, I was inspired by my own impression of these people I had met, and the Madonna of the Trail is the result."  (Source:Wikipedia)

Perhaps because Richmond's Madonna is part of a National series of sculptures and because of her location visible to Main Street traffic, she is the most well known sculptural representation of a woman in our city. Although women are often under represented in monuments on a large scale, there are more such sculptures right here in Richmond, Indiana. 

A Local Lady Picture: St. Elizabeth Ann Seton

 St. Elizabeth Ann Seton is considered the patron saint of all American catholic schools. Elizabeth is  memorialized in front of Seton Catholic School on the west side of town.  Elizabeth was also a pioneer of sorts. She established the first free catholic school and the first congregation of religious sisters in the United States. At least six existing congregations in the United States trace their root's to Elizabeth's  Sister's of Charity. St. Elizabeth was also the first native born American to be canonized.

A Local Lady: Mary Dyer

Another of Richmond's Local Ladies is located on Earlham College Campus. Nestled in the cool shade of trees at the entrance to Stout Meetinghouse is a monument designed by Sylvia Shaw Judson. Mary Dyer lived in the early 1600's, before Elizabeth Seton (1774-1821), and well before pioneer women made their journey west. Mary Dyer was one of the Boston Martyrs to die for her belief in religious freedom, in particular for her belief that God could communicate with any individual not only the appointed clergy. This faith ran against what was accepted by the Puritans of Massachusetts Bay Colony as religious truth and law. Mary could have lived her life and chosen to remain silent, or at least to remain banished from her home in Massachusetts...

"but her conscience led her to return to Massachusetts in April 1660 to "desire the repeal of that wicked law against God's people and offer up her life there." 

Despite the pleas of her husband and family, she refused to repent, and was again convicted and sentenced to death" 

(Source:Wikipedia)

Mary Dyer's hanging marked the end of Puritan theocracy. Her brave death and refusal to recant was not in vain. 

The Dyer Sculpture is also a part of a series. Two others exist one in front of the Massachusetts States House and the other at the Friends Center in Philly. It is appropriate that Mary Dyer and Anne Hutchinson, her spiritual mentor are remembered by the existence of an herbal garden in Portsmouth, Rhode Island created by their shared descendant Michael Steven Ford.

I am happy to call Richmond, Indiana home, and I'm happy to share my home with three very model "local ladies". 

<3 Your Local Gal

Tempest III Interview with the Director, Joshua Robinson

Studio 10 Site

  Our last installment of the III Part Tempest Series is an exclusive interview with the Director himself, Joshua Robinson! Thank you, Joshua for taking the time from your busy schedule to be a guest on the Local Lady Blog. 

Here We Go:

Joshua Robinson, Director of the Tempest at RCT

What are some of your best Richmond memories?

"My first taste of the stage was in the production of THE WIZARD OF OZ in the early 1990’s. I fell head first in love with theatre. It was a gigantic production. If I recall, somewhere around 150 kids cast in the show. It was insane. Even as a fifth grader, I  was immediately taken with the nature of live performance and the relationship between the audience and the show. It was also where I met John Bronston, my best friend and frequent collaborator who is writing the original score to THE TEMPEST. Of course, we were actually sworn enemies through a significant portion of our childhood. Now, he’s like family and we’ve had a fantastic time collaborating on two musicals that have appeared in NYC. We also have three new projects on the horizon. "


Could you tell us about your involvement in the theatre in Richmond as well as elsewhere?

"I was pretty active at RCT, Junior Players (now Stage One) and at Richmond High School. While I always loved performing, I knew early on that I wanted to be involved more creatively with theatre. When I was a freshman in high school, Junior Players allowed me to direct my first show, STUART LITTLE. That experience sort of reoriented my trajectory in terms of how I wanted to work in the arts. Music and acting were important to me, and I continued to participate in shows at RHS as well as Chamber Choir, but I became obsessed with directing. Through a series of great miracles, and some generous donations from members of the community, I got to spend my senior year of high school at Interlochen Arts Academy in Interlochen, MI. That was my first exposure to studying directing in a formal setting. It’s that gift, the year I got to spend in Michigan making connection that my career has relied on to this day, that has inspired me to come back and help to begin a Shakespeare program in Richmond."


What's it like to stretch your wings and then return home? 

"I love the east coast. There’s nothing quite like it and the theatre scene is so large and varied. I’ve been fortunate to have the opportunity to develop myself  first as an actor and singer, then as a director and playwright. Bringing back what I’ve learned has been an intoxicating experience. More importantly, I’ve learned so much from not only directing THE TEMPEST here, but teaching a series of workshops on acting and directing. I’m always a Midwestern boy at heart, so merging the two worlds together has been an awesome experience."

How do you see Richmond differently now? What's the same/What's different?

"RCT has grown so much since I’ve been gone! They’re literally doing over a dozen productions a season! What has been most exciting is the enthusiasm for the project.  One thing that is often missing in the professional world is the unbridled passion that comes from a place like RCT. No one is doing this for a paycheck. Everyone is doing this in their very limited free time. That sort of love for theatre is unique and is the reason I fell in love with the form as a child. It has been amazing to be reacquainted 
with that. It has also been fun getting to work with folks who used to direct me. Two of the actors in THE TEMPEST, Ruthanne Bolling and David Cobine, directed me when I was a kid. Also, TJ Rivard, who plays Prospero, was one of the first directors I assisted at RCT. It’s been a trip, everything coming full circle."

What kind of inspiration led to producing an original score for this particular play?

"John and I are writing partners and we have been toying with writing a musical version of THE TEMPEST for a few years now. It’s in the early stages and John has written some absolutely stunning songs for it. When the opportunity arose for me to direct THE TEMPEST at RCT, it seemed like a great opportunity to have John, who also grew up at this theatre and has been very successful in NYC, to pen some vocal and incidental music. His work on the show is so haunting and sophisticated and I’m thrilled that RCT audiences are going to hear his work."

Tempest Rehearsal Sneak Peek

What can we expect to see in Studio 10's version of the Tempest? Any sneak peek or 
titillating tidbits you're willing to share?

"There are TONS of surprises in this production, but I think one of the most exciting is that we have reconfigured the playing space in the theatre. The audience will be onstage with the cast for the performance. Quite literally, the audience will be in the heart of the storm as the ship faces off against the mighty tempest! Actors are centimeters away from the action! Andy has done a fantastic job of facilitating the technical aspects of the show. THE TEMPEST lends itself to fantastical design elements and Andy has been interpreting the vision of the show so brilliantly. I feel I can safely say that this production of THE TEMPEST will be something very unique and I 
can’t wait to share it with the RCT community."

Joshua Robinson (Director) & Andy Darr (Lights)

How are you guys enjoying the collaborative work? 

"John and I have been writing partners since we were in high school and it’s always exciting to see what he is going to come up with. Things are sort of reversed this time. I’ve worked with Andy on some design stuff, but usually at a distance while John and I are on the east coast. This time, Andy and I are together in Richmond and John is working from New York! The three of us won’t be back in the same room together until the closing performance! But these two guys are not just collaborators or even friends. Andy and John are family to me. Our friendships span two decades now and I’m so 
grateful for it. And, with some luck and support, we are hoping to make this an annual 
offering in Richmond. So we’ll be working together for most of our lives, I imagine."

Tempest II, Interview with the Composer John Bronston

Studio 10 Site

It's time for the second installment of the III part Local Lady series on Studio 10's production of the Tempest. It's my pleasure in introducing you to John Bronston, a talented composer, lyricist and musician who has been collaborating over the phone and through e-mail conquering distance with technology in order to bring an original sound accompaniment for Shakespeare's play the Tempest 

especially for Richmond Civic Theatre. 

Without further ado, the composer of the incidental score to the Tempest soon to play at Richmond Civic Theatre, John Bronston, here we go:

What are some of your best Richmond memories?

John Bronston, Talented Composer, Lyricist and Musician

"I have many Richmond memories tied to Richmond Civic Theatre and the theatre in general. I grew up there and had some of my happiest early performing experiences there in such productions as Fences (directed by Tempest cast member David Cobine) and the first RCT production of A Chorus Line. Even before becoming active at RCT, I had participated in Junior Players productions where I met the director of this production of the Tempest, Joshua Robinson, when we co-starred in The Ransom of Red Chief. I returned to Richmond for a brief period over ten years ago to work as a director and choreographer at Earlham College. I currently work as a writer, musical director, educator, and occasional performer and director all over the country. 


 In the last twelve months I have done shows in Manhattan, New Jersey (a production of Amahl and the Night Visitors that Joshua Robinson was the producer of and I musical directed), Colorado (with the designer of this production Andy Darr who designed lighting for the production of Hairspray that I directed and choreographed for Midtown Arts Center in Fort Collins), and upstate New York where I am currently. I am hoping to get to come back to Indiana in time to see this production of the Tempest."

What's it like to stretch your wings and then return home? 


"I have been back a number of times over the years, most recently I saw the fundraiser production of Rocky Horror Show that Andy Darr mounted a couple of years ago at RCT which was a blast. I love that theatre, it is one of the most remarkable spaces I have had the good fortune to perform in and audiences in Richmond are always willing to try something new. My career in the theatre has happened because I am willing to wear a number of different hats and that began for me in Richmond. While I was there, I performed, I directed (Shadows In the Theatre which was a benefit for the Richmond AIDS Task Force at Civic Hall in 1996 among others), I designed costumes, I played in pit bands, I did whatever I was aksed to do. That is the spirit that has seen me through and it all started in Richmond."

What kind of inspiration led to producing an original score for this particular play?

"The inspiration for creating an original score came from Joshua asking me to do it. Over the last ten years, we have formed a writing partnership that has seen our musicals performed all over Manhattan. Our original show "Fairy Tale" was originally produced by the New York Musical Theatre Festival (NYMF) in their reading series and then went on to be produced in a commercial run by (re:) Directions Theatre Company at the 14th Street Theatre in Manhattan. Our next show, "Confessions of A Reality TV Star" was produced in concert by New York Theatre Barn and we have had other developmental runs of projects that we have written together and separately." 


What can we expect to see in Studio 10's version of the Tempest? Any sneak peek or 

titillating tidbits you're willing to share?

"The sound of this show will definitely be something different for local audiences. It is an attempt to meld a neo-classical melodic line with a late nineties acoustic rock harmonic framework. I hope that people find it beautiful and intriguing and sensual and romantic and surprising. It isn't designed to shock the ears but to support the beauty of Shakespeare's language with a modern tone. On this particular project our collaboration has been taking place primarily on the phone and over email, although we did have a number of face to face meetings to discuss the tone before I was ready to put pen to paper."

How are you guys enjoying the collaborative work? 

"It is always a joy to return home and that is what I feel like I am doing whenever Joshua and I collaborate on a project."

Thank you so much for you responses, John. I hope you make it home in time for the show! 

<3 Your Local Gal

Speaking to Strangers in Richmond, Indiana

The Local-Lady blog has been quiet now since Wednesday. I took some time off the computer to spend time with family and friends. It's good to step away from the screen sometimes. I hope everyone had a good Memorial Day weekend. We did. Our family is grateful for the veterans in our lives, the people in military service and thoughtful remembering those who didn't make it home...

<3

I've lived in Richmond well over twenty years now. I know which neighborhoods not to walk in alone. I know where to stand in the sun, in view safely. I know where to run if there's trouble, who to call. When I look outside I see and know my neighbors. We watch for each other. But if I were a stranger, how would I see this city?

Bicycle Rust Sculpture

We walk and bike primarily for transportation. Being on foot or two wheels keeps us on a street level car drivers cannot know. We are stopped by passersby. We watch for the irises to bloom because we know which corner they'll be growing.

Last summer, on his way to work, my husband was stopped by a man on the street. This man had nothing but a pack on his back and the shoes on his feet. He was a man from Detroit, Michigan traveling by foot. “There's nothing there. That city is dying, so I'm making my way south to look for something” Here was a man from Detroit, traveling by foot. He told my husband that Richmond scared him. “This place is ghetto!” “I'm afraid here!” My husband walked with him awhile. He showed him the police station. They parted ways. We couldn't tell you his name.

This isn't the first time a stranger has expressed their fears to us.

He was tall and had grey hair. At first sight I took him for another bum on a bench, but when I rushed out to kiss the children, he smiled. He was not dirty. I didn't feel that he was bad. I could feel he was listening while we talked about flowers and birds and playground excursions. Finally, he spoke “Are you from around here?” He asked the whole family. “Yes, we are from here,” we answered. “What can you do in this town if you have a few hours?”

Empty Bench in Richmond, Indiana

I pointed out the downtown center city area. I pointed the way to the Depot District. He interrupted:

“I'm afraid!” He went on, “I've been sitting here scared. I'm not from here. I am stranded. I don't know this town, and it frightens me.” He told us a bit about his bad luck and his hard life, “I've cried many tears and said many prayers.” I looked at this large man and wondered that a tall man was speaking to a small woman of his fears sitting alone on a city bench. But then I understood. I know where to go, who to call. I know which street is safe and which street on which I should not be alone. He was a stranger.

All we could do was listen. All we could do was say: “Here you are safe”, “This is where you can go for help, for information”, “If you are hungry you can go this way”.

He told us his name, and we told him ours. I couldn't tell you what his name was but I remember his face. He was from Texas. He was Navajo. I know he was Navajo because he said, “Yá'át'ééh” before he turned to go.

Graffiti can be beautiful. This isn't an example of that sort, however.

We need to do more to fight the decay in this city. It frightens the people who move through it. When we own our place and show that it is loved, people will know that we care.

So how do we change these fears? Say hello, plant more irises. Smile at a stranger and dispel each other's fears.

<3 Your Local Gal