Tuesday, January 15, 2013

80's dresses, weekly writing goals

thrifted 80's dress reminds me of grandma eva.

ingrid thrifted this dress for me two summers ago.  i wore it once, to emily's rehearsal dinner, and then never again.  i love it, but am conflicted about it.  you see (let me school you a little on the 80's), back then, this was the kind of dress that my grandma eva, who had mad style, wore to bridge club, ladies' luncheons, and church.

not that it's not totally rad, but back then i was a confused sartorial and musical mixture of punk, new wave, and mod.  as actualized by a classical violin-playing introvert.

as confused as any gal growing up in the barren cultural landscape of mesa, arizona in the eighties.  with a bunch of jocks and metal heads.  has a right to be.

after watching the amazing documentary, everyday sunshine, about fishbone, who i saw live in tempe, arizona in 1986, i got some clarity on the idea of outsider-ness.  i was able to heal a little bit and wear the dress to church on sunday, despite the fact that my largely imaginary '80's mod peers would not have approved.

with ankle boots, tights, and slouchy socks.  just like in the 80's, and still a little bit confused.

this week, my writing goals are tiny and specific:

1)  consider new titles for gentian
2) do another copy edit of gentian
3) fix acknowledgements page of gentian
4) begin revising non-fiction piece for 1/25 deadline

i really wonder what everyone else wore in the 80's, or what you would have worn had you been born yet. . . .

3 comments:

  1. I wore my grandpa's pajamas to school with his plaid wool bathrobe. I went to Poston... so you know that was well received.

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  2. It is painful to recall what I wore, and also makes me laugh. I did however, rock an incredible assymetrical hairdo once that won an award in a hair show. I stayed confused for most of that decade.

    Your "imaginary 80s mod peers" made me laugh. I still have imaginaries who annoy me with their disapproval.

    Fishbone. That is all.

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  3. marsha--i went to poston, too! horrors! i love that you resisted the mainstream. georgia--i had an asymmetrical haircut, too, but not award-winning, alas. i was grounded until i went back to the hair salon and got it made symmetrical again.

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