Pleasure Notes

As the nation recovers from what can be called our National Day of Sanctioned Bingeing or our National Day of Sanctioned Gratitude, depending upon your perspective and number of years spent in talk therapy, I must take this moment to confess that my knowledge of American History is woefully vague.  I curse Sarah Vowell for forcing this realization upon me.  I just finished reading her newest book, The Wordy Shipmates, about those very folk who Hallmark credits with having created yesterday’s holiday.

Usually, I adore Sarah Vowell’s work, whether it be in literary or auditory form.  For those who haven’t heard her recite… well, anything really… check out This American Life for archived recordings of her.  Of her books, my favorite is Assassination Vacation; the book made me laugh out loud, shake my head in wonder, and strongly consider an immediate road trip.  This latest work, however, just makes me feel stupid.

I love reading, even (theoretically) about Puritans in 1630.  Spending a day curled up in my favorite chair with a book and some form of refreshment nearby is a true pleasure.  But not when said book requires a PhD in American History, or at least the desire to acquire one.  I am mortified to admit I was overcome with a frighteningly strong impulse to subscribe to US Weekly after finishing The Wordy Shipmates – simply to feel erudite once again, even if only about the latest Fashion Police report.  Luckily, the voice of sanity spoke up, suggesting that I pause, recover from yesterday’s food coma, and take another crack at decoding the political intrigue of the Massachusetts Bay Colony before chucking my hardcover onto the donate pile.

Maybe Sarah will at least give me an A for effort?

I am not a fan of pain, of any kind.  However, I find myself oddly in agreement with the man many credit as the grandfather of that particular fetish – Leopold Von Sacher-Masoch.  He was one of those men-of-letters one could find wandering Europe two centuries ago, and he was peculiarly obsessed with fur… fur on women… women who he would then beg to beat the crap out of him.  Whatever floats your boat.

What I appreciate about the man, however, is his sentiment that “pleasure alone makes existence worthwhile.”  Can you imagine how dreadfully grey life would look if we humans couldn’t experience pleasure?  And how great is it that pleasure is such a personal pursuit?  Good ole Leopold found his in the slap of a leather whip.  I find mine in more prosaic ways.  Like checking out the Vanity Fair exhibit at LACMA.

I’ve always loved evocative black-and-white photography.  The pictures highlighted in this exhibit do not disappoint.  As is to be expected, this is a collection of celebrity portraits, old and new.  Some artists are better than others at capturing their subjects’ souls.  I particularly like Mario Testino’s work.  Perhaps some of the sitters are soulless, and therefore the photographers should not be blamed?

What I found most interesting was how many of the by-gone celebrities are truly gone – that is, they are no longer in the public conscience.  Something for all the regulars on TMZ to remember – every star fades, and some actually die without a trace.

The exhibit runs through March 1, 2009.  There are a couple of other photography collections on display and worth checking out in various wings of the complex – LACMA recently got a huge chunk of money earmarked for the photography department and they are most definitely putting it to use – so you could probably spend a good few hours wandering about.  If you do, however, I recommend you wear something other than the 3-1/2 inch heels I chose. Yes, my legs looked fabulous, but my feet hurt like hell after I stood around staring at famous people’s mugs all afternoon.  And, as I may have mentioned, I am not a fan of pain.

Welcome to my little adventure!  I am a writer, based in Los Angeles.  Like many who have come to Hollywood, I am on a quest.  I make no promises, however, about the sanctity of this venture.  I am in pursuit of pleasure, you see…

I present this blog as a platform from which I will be ruminating about anything and everything that stirs my senses or stokes my emotions.  I will freely discuss the latest LA art event one day and the newest sex toy the next, expound upon politics and culture, and share my latest nature-based and man-made discoveries.  I am not an expert, but I am most definitely opinionated.

If you are not old enough to vote or fight in a war, you probably shouldn’t be reading this.  It is not my intention to embarrass, offend, or alienate anyone, but I most likely will do all the above.  C’est la vie.

I sincerely hope that you continue with me along my journey to discover all that makes me go mmmmm…