7 Books That Tell the Stories of Flint and Detroit, by Kelsey Ronan /
Am I thrilled that Your Silent Face gets a brief mention in Kelsey Ronan’s article, “7 Books That Tell the Stories of Flint and Detroit”? You’re dang right, I am.
I will never forget reading Ben Hamper’s Rivethead in the early 90s at 8104 Carroll Lane, Silver Spring, Maryland. When I finished the last page, I rolled over in my bed and wept. For about six months, I seriously wondered if I should ever write anything remotely connected to Flint ever again (ha! but seriously). I had left and it was unlikely that I would ever capture it the way Ben Hamper did, or so I thought at the time. I was 23 or 24 years old. I had yet to figure out how I wanted to do it. I was at the time primarily a poet, but I was trying to write stories, too.
Check out Kelsey’s article. Kelsey and I will be reading at The Robin Books, 1105 S. Washington, Lansing, at 3p.m. on Saturday, May 14.
Kelsey Ronan, author of the novel, Chevy in the Hole, Henry Holt & Co, 2022
In Which the Artist Just Continues to Continue /
The exploration with watercolor continues. Inspired by the work of various artists, including @diazeeart and @seonnahong. Yesterday—last night, actually—just needed to make a painting. This is what I made. The image of the figure walking away from us is from The Sublime series.
#worksonpaper #smallpainting #watercolor #colored pencil #art #thepretenders #80s #newwave
Brass In Pocket, 2022
Invisible Sun(s): A New Painting /
Well, this little one went through some serious spontaneous transformations. It reached a point where I thought it was done but something felt unfinished. Then I dove in rather recklessly and risked sabotaging the whole endeavor. Now, I am happy with this piece. I always have to remind myself that sometimes you just have to go for it.
#artofinstagram #artistofinstagram #worksonpaper #innerspace #outerspace #quantummechanics #watercolor #contemporaryart #thepolice #yoursilentface #timlane #lovelansing #studiolife
Invisible Sun(s), 2022
This playlist is a companion to my 80s coming-of-age novel, Your Silent Face. Stuart Page is a protagonist obsessed with 80s New Wave and Ian Curtis, the lead singer of Joy Divison. All of the tunes and bands in the playlist get a mention in the novel. The novel is available on Amazon.
They Ran (So Far Away): A New Painting in The Realities Series /
They Ran (So Far Away), 2022
In Which the Artist Slips Molchat Doma Into the Conversation /
Need a sweet 80s playlist. I have some suggestions for you (like and follow one of these!). My short, 5-song Ultra 80s playlists can be found here. The companion playlist to my novel, Your Silent Face, can be found here.
Also, for you Joy Division and New Order fans, check out Molchat Doma here:
“Molchat Doma is a Belarusian dark wave/post-punk band from Minsk, formed in 2017. Their current lineup consists of Egor Shkutko, Roman Komogortsev, and Pavel Kozlov. Their style is influenced by 1980s Russian rock music and has been described as post-punk, new wave, synth-pop, and cold wave.” Wikipedia
#SundaySounds #darkwave #newwave #synthpop #postpunk #joydivision #neworder #molchatdoma #yoursilentface
Molchat Doma
Situation(s) on Yupo paper /
It’s been ages since I tried to work on Yupo. The last time—roughly 2007—I got a couple of good ones, but not many. Situation(s) is a continuation of The Realities Project. The new frontier is clearly just as much deep innerspace as it is deep outerspace, in my opinion, but it has been for some time now, hunh?
#worksonpaper #artworkonpaper #yupo #yupopaper #innerspace #outerspace #spaceart #quantumphysics #contemporaryart #art #artistsoninstagram #artoftheday #artoninstagram #spraypaint #acrylics #stencils #yoursilentface #timlane
Situation(s), 2022
In Which the Artist Promotes Three Books of Flint or Set in Flint /
There are three fairly recent books out these days that are about the city of Flint, Michigan, or set in Flint, Michigan. I’m talking about my 80s-coming-of-age and ode-to-new wave music novel, Your Silent Face, which came out in paperback in 2021, Kelsey Ronan’s new release, Chevy in the Hole, and Gordon Young’s memoir, Tear-Down: Memoir of a Vanishing City. All three of us grew up in Flint. All three of us have our own complicated relationship with this Midwestern factory town that has had its American struggles. Why not bundle all three?
#flintmichigan #flintstories #novel #memoir #comingofage #80s #newwavemusic #flintwatercrisis #rustbelt #saturdayvibes #selfpromotion #yoursilentface #joydivison #lovelansing #yoursilentfacetimlane #gordonyoung
