Letter from your Mayor

• 

  Hey Town Folk,

  I don’t know if I’ve ever believed that the tortoise - slow and steady - wins the race, but its taken me almost five years to get this blog up and running. Lucky for you,
  its now chock full of meaty, intriguing and - I hope! - stimulating content, most of which I’ve written, organized, and gathered in the last six months (despite the post dates).

  This first “issue” features a number of interviews on topics of personal interest to me including one on “sexiness and aging” with musician/artist/visionary Genesis Breyer P-Orridge; another on the theme of “cat ladies” with performance artist/actress/nightclub performer Ann Magnuson; and a discussion about martyrs and egos with performance artist Linda Montano. There are shorter, lighter-hearted chats as well: a brief talk with artist Kalup Linzy on singing and acting; a talk about taste and age-appropriate clothing with House of Diehl, and a lively thread on “great books never finished” with contributions by Luc Sante, Susan Orlean, Jim Lewis, and other literati (that got a very nice mention in Bookforum.com’s Papertrail). Other highlights include “our favorite broads”, a list first begun on my bathroom wall, featuring the likes of Abigail Adams, Cleopatra, Phyllis Diller and Nina Simone, and time-lapse videos by Phil and Christopher Buehler of the Highline, shot in 1981 and then again in 2009. Of course, my ultimate desire is to get all of you to comment and contribute since YOU ARE THE CITIZENS OF JANESTOWN!

  As you’ll see, Janestown is divided into five town departments/categories: Chatty Cathy, Culture Vulture, Curious George, Karma Row, and New York, NY, each of which has its own subcategories, and all of which represent a kind of map of my mind. I spent a year collecting any idea, thought, interest, person, topic, concern, etc. that struck me enough to write it down, and from this organic mishmash came up with this rather quirky but, I think, faithful scheme. So in part this blog will be an archive, a place to store and organize ideas, thoughts, things I like and want to remember, etc., and in part, a kind of town hall where there’s talk and debate, and everyone has a chance to weigh in. There is an intentional mix of spontaneous, one-off posts (like the one on comedian Taylor Williamson or my cat whiskers collection) and those more developed or formal in tone (ala the interviews mentioned above, and my Google School reports on everything from the evils of florescent lighting to the plight of snake charmers). Many of the posts/discussions/interviews are intended to be ongoing, evolving discussions that over time will include the voices of other equally interesting artists, musicians, writers, etc. AND YOU, THE CITIZENS OF JANESTOWN!

  I must be completely honest in saying that I conceived of my blog with little reference to others (shout out to my former SVA student, Tal Yellen, who helped me design it), and little real knowledge of what it takes to make one successful. Consider me an outsider blogger. Hence in this issue, I’ve humbly enlisted the advice of two of my favorite bloggers, Edward Winkleman and Richard Metzger (Dangerous Minds), who also share - for your interest! - what they sleep in, and what their guiltiest food pleasures are. Inquiring minds want to know..! Also, some of the subcategories are yet to activated by posts, though rest assured more content is coming (expect a series of duets with Kevin Townley of Bambï/The Talent Show; a first-hand account of dinner with dumpster-diving foodies, Grub; and Movie Night featuring a TBA screening of Glenn O’Brien’s infamous cable access show, TV Party). Please note, I will use this section of the blog (Letter from your Mayor) to regularly update you on the newest, latest, greatest happenings at Janestown, and occasionally announce stuff I’m doing outside the blog (other writing, curatorial projects, etc.), so please check in often!

  In conclusion, I’d like to SINCERELY thank all those who generously gave of their time here (see Recent Town Contributors), each of whom I will be forever indebted to! Okay, that’s it! Cheers, and happy browsing!

  Your Mayor, and President of the Reluctant Adult Club,

  Jane Ursula Harris

  P.S. Town Council is seeking to fill several positions... interested parties should contact me at janeharr@bway.net.