Lifting Shadows Off a Dream

Steampunk is having its moment in the sun these days, with appearances in major network TV shows and front page articles in metro-area papers; even Disney's hopped onto the bandwagon, releasing a series of sepia toned, gear adorned accessories. In a lot of ways, it's a very good time to be a steampunk. Being lucky enough to live in NYC I can't go a month without a steampunk gathering to attend, filled with live music, fashion shows, and authors reading new work.

Of course, brass tarnishes. Frequently, as any subculture comes into its mainstream moment, battle lines are drawn, and the subculture becomes a target for all sorts of ire. While having its moment in the sun, steampunk is also taking its turn against the wall. This can be a wonderful thing, actually. Any cultural movement needs to be interrogated, questioned, told it can do better, be better, and it must. Without this pressure, culture stagnates and become stale parody. Steampunk in particular requires a great deal of critique and interrogation, because of the problematic nature of the history it encompasses.

However, this pressure, this interrogation needs accuracy above all things, else it devolves into mere ranting and divisiveness that merely offends, silences, and sets the speakers up into camps, ending all possibility for communication. This phenomena is easily observable in many of the essays decrying the popularity of steampunk coming out of the Net at this moment. Many of the complaints about steampunk lack the thinnest accuracy, and are more than questionable.

I shall begin with the concept that steampunk is inherently forgetting or eliding the inherent ills of the 19th century. Please consider Steampunk Magazine, maintained by a collective of people who describe themselves are mainly anarchists, and whose fiction not only acknowledges the labor issues of the 19th century, but frequently revolves around labor riots, or the lives of those at the bottom of the social strata. Consider Cherie Priest's Boneshaker, whose protagonist is a single mother who works in a factory, and whose path leads her to living amongst those who have utterly rejected traditional society. These works are not in the least obscure, and yet NPR references a recent essay by Charlie Stross with a title that asks if we've forgotten the word “Dickensian”.

Some will even point to the clothing of steampunks as evidence that they are ignoring the epidemic levels of poverty in the 19th century. I beg your pardon, but are you really policing my clothing, attempting to tell me that I am ignoring my own lower class background? Isn't the concept of policing women's clothing (interestingly it's most often bustles and unisex items like top hats and goggles that are brought up as evidence of these failures of consciousness) fraught with enough issues that you might want to avoid it? Except, of course, in the case of cultural appropriation, but that's been addressed by better authors than I whose links I will include in the appendix.

Another frequent complaint is that steampunk is inherently a monoculture, ignoring the existence and perspectives of people and cultures outside of the British empire. This ignores and silences the voices of steampunks of color who are quite active in critiquing these issues. For example, if you Google “steampunk and race”, the first result is an article on Racialicious written by Jha of the Silver Goggles blog. Google “steampunk and imperialism”, and the first result is once again an essay by Jha, the fourth by Ay-leen the Peacemaker, of Beyond Victoriana. “Steampunk and Multiculturalism” leads back to Ay-leen, who recently won the Last Drink Bird Head award for Gentle Advocacy for her work in Beyond Victoriana.

These people are not difficult to find at all. My husband recently had a birthday party at which a few friends had their first introduction to steampunk. These friends happened to be women of color, and within a day one of them emailed me excited to have read Jha's The Intersections of Race and Steampunk essay. Tor.com recently ended their “steampunk fortnight” which featured the work of Nisi Shawl, Amal El-Mohtar, Jha, and Ay-leen. They tirelessly engage in exactly the sort of interrogation I mentioned earlier, and without them steampunk would be much worse off than it is. Why is it that those who are writing their “Against Steampunk” essays seem to have no idea these people exist? The silencing of so much excellent and difficult work is distressing, to put it mildly. The act of silencing the voices of those who are working in the arena of addressing steampunk from a specifically multicultural perspective is fraught with privilege, especially when done by white authors. Considering the fact that much (by no means all) of this silencing is men ignoring the voices of women of color adds to the extraordinarily suspect nature of such work.

Some say that steampunk literature is shallow, more interested in the tropes of the subculture than any real literary merit. I must ask if they've looked at bookstore shelves lately. We have our paranormal romances, our wizard's schools, and now, steampunk. Like any other genre, the pearls are few and far between, but that is not a sin particularly inherent to us. It can and has been said of any genre.

Finally, the endemic nature of steampunk at this moment is often brought up as a problem. Over saturation is a complex question. How much of anything, be it paranormal romance, telepathic animal companions, wizard's schools, etc. is 'too much'? If gears are being slapped on any old thing in order to hitch a ride on steampunks coattails, is that a fault within steampunk? The wide world of marketing has followed this formula for a very long time.

Indeed, as I said in my opening, we are having our moment in the sun. Our current era resonates strongly with the 19th century – war and rumors of war, the movement of empires, the rising levels of poverty, social injustice, and the pace of technological innovation are all quite similar. Steampunk can be an attempt to own and remake these things, humanize our technology by making it aesthetically pleasing, work towards new ways of interacting with the world by learning from the injustices of empire, etc. This is the platform which some of us chose to stand on while trying to enact a better future.

Popularity fades, and soon steampunk will move back into the shadows, replaced by the next big thing. I'll stay, though. I like it here.

Further Reading, in no particular order and by no means complete:
Jha's The Intersection of Race and Steampunk: Colonialism’s After-Effects & Other Stories, from a Steampunk of Colour’s Perspective [Essay]
http://tinyurl.com/nhh3xa

Ay-leen the Peacemaker's Beyond Victoriana: A Multicultural Perspective on Steampunk
http://beyondvictoriana.com/

Steampunk Magazine
http://www.steampunkmagazine.com/

Jha's Silver Goggles
http://silver-goggles.blogspot.com/

Come and spend a relaxed, casual afternoon in the company of local steampunks! Bring a blanket, food (enough to share would be great, but is not expected/required), and your favorite piece of steampunk or Victorian literature, poetry, art, musical insturments, or personal projects to read aloud/show off.

We'll be gathering in the field next to the Music Pagoda, the site of countless musical and theatrical performances since the 1880s. Nearby is the Audobon Center, a gorgeous 1905 Beaux Arts Building (perfect for photos!)

RSVP or check the Prospect Park website for directions/our cell phone numbers. Steampunk attire encouraged, but not required.

Our first one in early June was a wonderful time. Come and make the second even better!

Yesterday I attended Solstice in Times Square, a yoga event with free classes, live music, and lectures. I'd done it last year and enjoyed it very much. I don't regret going this year, but found it different, and in some aspects quite strange.

I registered as soon as I got the email notification that it was open, but even then the only time slots still available were 6:30AM and 12:30PM. The 12:30 was a Bikram class, and that's not a style I partake in. The other classes are by teachers of some fame - Alanna has a very popular podcast (which is also quite excellent, I practice to it frequently), and Paula Tursi was the teacher I had last year, and she was *wonderful*, I'd love to go to her studio.

So, there I was in Times Square at 6:15AM. Waiting in line for 45 minutes was a bit uncomfortable, but not horrendous. Unlike last year, when the free mats given to attendees were utter crap (I'd have felt more stable on a waterslide), the first 100 attendees were given Manduka travel mats, and Manduka is the same maker my 80 inch, 15mm thick home practice mat comes from. I hadn't known they'd be giving away good mats, so I'd brought my own studio mat, but still, free presents!

The teachers was...interesting. A very high-camp presentation, which made for a lot of laughter. His metaphor for the class was that on the longest day the sun has reached a place of stillness, and our effort should be guided by that stillness. He's of the ISHTA school, which isn't one I'd experienced before. I'd still say my favorite style is Anusara, followed by generic vinyasa.

I did feel like he was perhaps a little too enamoured of the performative aspect of doing a class in Times Square. It's theoretically an all-levels class, but I've observed that attendees tend to push themselves harder, attempting things they might not in a studio or private environment, perhaps because of all the cameras and passersby. Arm balances like Crane or Koundiyanasana I don't really strike me as appropriate, especially considering the surface below is *cement*. I can do Crane, but opted not to, not wanting to risk breaking my nose. The teacher opened up into beautiful full versions of each, and with only two adjusters walking about, attendees seemed to struggle to try and get to where he was, but mostly fall short.

That wasn't the oddest thing. The oddest thing was people getting up out of the cycle of poses and taking photos. In the middle of a yoga class! Such a thing would be unthinkable in a studio environment, and I was really taken by the whole idea of being so wrapped up in documenting an experience that you don't actually *have* the experience.

On the whole I believe I'll keep coming to this (the coupons for free classes certainly make it worthwhile!), it was just fascinating to see some of the more problematic aspects.

In other news, this is a busy week. Friday is DoV Enchanted Menagerie Masquerade, for which I'm still putting together what I can for a costume. (It lacks fabulousness. I am sad about that.) I also have to finish Shien's birthday gift, and mail out my niece's birthday gifts. The end of June is a bit of a mess.

The picnic was fantastic,, surprising no one more than me, because the morning dawned grey and damp, worrying me rather a lot, and my silicone muffin pan kept ruining my chocolate cupcakes. (sigh) Sir had an MRI for some shoulder trouble scheduled for 10AM, and we thought that we'd have plenty of time for him to get home, load up the car and head to the park early, so as to stake out some space for the gathering. Wrong! By 11:30 I was looking over our things and muttering worriedly to myself when he called and told me to leave without him, since he hadn't been seen yet. Add that to surprise construction on the N and I was late to my own affair. (sigh)

However, the day brightened and developed a lovely breeze, and people began to show up! chelseagirl was there with Miriam and Althea by the time I rushed up, and in the end we had about 12 people, which is not bad at all for 1 week of notice. Most everyone brought something to read or show off, with chelseagirl and I having an Arts and Crafts Movement theme going on, with her reading from Ruskin (BTW, what was that book you were reading from?) and Althea was kind enough to do a reading from the gigantic William Morris book I had brought to show around (I don't read aloud very well, my brain and eyes move too quickly for my mouth, so I stumble and stutter if I can't do a lot of rehearsal.). She reads beautifully, which made it even more of a pleasure for me. Another attendee brought a mandolin, and after a reading of a somewhat surprisingly funny Joseph Conrad story he played some sea shanties, which was a lot of fun. There was plenty of food being shared about, everyone was beautifully dressed up, and all in all people seemed to have a very mellow, pleasant time. I'm *so* pleased. There's interest in it being a monthly thing, as I'd hoped, and while my original idea was a back and forth between Prospect and Central Parks people said Central is too crowded, which is fine by me - while Prospect Park is somewhat of a trek from Astoria it's an easy one, and there's a Jamaican restaurant nearby. I'll put up with a lot for good Jamaican.

I'm really happy with this - my intention and desire was to have a quiet, mellow event that put few expectations/burdens on people in terms of money and time, both things precious few people I know have these days. All I really did was give out the invitation, it was what everyone brought to it that made it all come together so well.

I'm already musing on next month, thinking of things I want to look at to see if they make good readings, what food to bring, (While I am quite specific that people only need bring enough to feed themselves, many people brought to share, and Sir and I are incapable of not feeding armies.) and how to make a water-cooler look steampunk. Giant tea cozy!

In other news my mother is amazing. Every few years I get a birthday present, and when I do it's something amazing. Last time it was a gift certificate to a knitting shop, beaded stitch markers, and a gorgeous side table. I think I was 26. Today she told me to get online and buy a Victorian outfit from someplace like Clockwork Couture or Gentleman's Emporium. I actually asked her not to, instead I asked her to get me a set of heirloom quality, hand cast sewing scissors - three sizes, everything I could possibly need in the absolute best quality. Currently I'm using scissors that belonged to my grandmother, which seems nicer than it is, since the metal is so worn down they can't possibly cut in a straight line, making it impossible to do anything well, much less work from a pattern with any hope of success. For the cost of one outfit I bought the ability to make my own. I can't wait till they arrive.

I would really not mind living there. While my own home decor aesthetic is far more Arts and Crafts Movement than traditional Victorian, and I hate electric ranges the media center is really quite brilliant, and could be done just as easily in a quarter-sawn oak frame. Stylistic differences aside, this really, really works for me on a more philosophical level. Indeed, why shouldn't everything we interact with be beautiful? Beyond Victoriana posted a link to a commentator who took issue with steampunk aesthetics, declaring them "ironic", positing Datamancer's gorgeous laptop as some sort of statement of irony relating to the conflict between the past and the present. I just can't understand looking at that and seeing some sort of 'snark', as opposed to the statement; "This is a part of my life, and beauty is important to my life, so I have made it beautiful." Irony is a dangerous concept, I find - easy to attempt to engage in as protective coloring, and just as easy to become the filter through which one may observe everything, which is a 'safe' place I imagine, as you never have to hear someone expressing distaste for your darlings.

Back on Beyond Victoriana an interview included some interesting commentary on conformity - noting that brown seems to be a very popular color in steampunk fashion. I had to laugh, because I'm a ruddy faced redhead - I look great in browns, and wear them frequently. Analysis and questioning is needful, even required, but can go overboard. Cory Doctorow had some interesting comments about what he calls the "lie of steampunk", that underneath every steampunk "remake" (not sure what he's referencing here) are huge factories and corporations. One of the specifics he mentions are Nerf guns, which are frequently repainted and modded. I can see his point a bit, a new Nerf gun is a plastic product most likely made in a Chinese factory under unknown, unresearched labor conditions, something which is of great concern to me - I wince inside when I hear people talking about steampunk cloths at H&M, for example, because of my concerns about labor. On the other hand, I can go to thrift shops and buy clothes to make over because I have the *time*, and someone else can buy from the boutique steampunk crafters because they have the *cash*, both commodities/privileges not enjoyed by all. My conclusion, and it feels like a weak one, is that while we have to examine/question these things we also have to decide on a point where we *stop* questioning them, and make our choices. Life is entirely made of various acts of compromising our principles, we just have to make sure it's a compromise we can live with and respect.

Speaking of modding thrift store finds, I went to the Housing Works street fair this Saturday, and made a few scores. One was a brand new skirt that had lovely detailing that gives it a lot of swirling movement - in a 2XL, or 20-22. I bought it anyway, ripped out the waistband and resewed it, cut a couple holes in the empty waistband, and crocheted a long chain - now it's an ankle length drawstring skirt with even more fullness and drape. My machine sewing still stinks in that straight lines are apparently beyond me, but each time I sit down and sew something on the machine I walk away having learned how to do it even better next time. Tomorrow I'm taking a red lace dress that my mother gave me (which looks like a frumpy sack on me) and turning that into another skirt, I hope. Velour "workout" pants from Goodwill are being made into bloomers suitable for going to the free Pilates classes at the park in, and I have *no* idea what I'm going to do with the terrible leather pants. (It was a "give us cash and stuff a bag full" sort of sale, what can I say?)

Steampunk Picnic in Prospect Park!

Saturday June 12 1pm-?

Come and spend a relaxed, casual afternoon in the company of local steampunks! Bring a blanket, food (enough to share would be great, but is not expected/required), and your favorite piece of steampunk or Victorian literature, poetry, art, or personal projects to read aloud/show off.

We'll be gathering at the Music Pagoda, the site of countless musical and theatrical performances since the 1880s. Nearby is the Audobon Center, a gorgeous 1905 Beaux Arts Building (perfect for photos!)

RSVP or check the Prospect Park website for directions/our cell phone numbers.

Oh! You Pretty Things was largely not my type of scene, but the all-female Judas Priest cover band was very good. The rest of it just sort of made me feel like I was neither pretty enough nor dressed correctly for the crowd. No blame, surely - everyone has their scene, this just wasn't mine. I will admit to there being a sort of warmth to the experience of walking up to the bouncer and announcing; "We're on the list." That's quite the thing to someone who spent their teenage life sitting in the corner of the cafeteria by herself.

I think I'm finding that while I like being social, my favorite sort of events are still somewhat quiet. While I'm looking forward to the Tango del Diablo and the Enchanted Menagerie, I'm much more looking forward to the Baroque Banquet in July, with a chamber music ensemble and opera singers, in a much quieter venue. I'm also *really* looking forward to the steampunk picnic on the 12th. Smaller, almost gentler events, with more opportunity for conversation without having to shout to be heard. I also want to do more one on one socializing, just sitting with people over tea, seeing what relationships develop out of my suddenly somewhat vast sea of acquaintanceship. Reaping what I have sown, in a sense.

In other news life has been pretty quiet. I'm working on a lot of "proof of concept" sculptures, since finances aren't in shape to get me more supplies, just testing out if what I have in my head *can* work. So far it seems to be going shockingly well, the failures of the early part of the year have taught me an awful lot about the vagaries of fiber, and how to adapt to them. I'm very pleased with how that's working, and really looking forward to being in a place where I can start producing enough to show and sell.

Last year I went to the Times Square Alliance event "Solstice in Times Square" where there were a series of free yoga classes held right in the middle of it. It was am amazing experience, especially considering how much I hate that area, since it triggers all of my discomfort with crowds and having too many things pulling my attention at once. Thanks to the quality of the teachers and perhaps even my own willingness to try I found myself able to reach a sense of being centered and calm in the middle of all that. I've already signed up for this year, and it's coming at a fortunate time, since I really think it will be valuable to reaffirm my ability to find that place in the midst of so much.

I'm starting to think there's been a miscalculation. On the one hand, I'm having fun, but on the other hand there's a lot to value in my day to day routine that is getting shoved around a great deal, or left out all together. Also, I'm starting to feel a little physically worn out. We're going to Oh! You Pretty Things tomorrow night, which is a last minute addition to our schedule. During the week M is coming to the neighborhood for some help putting together her next DOV outfit, but otherwise I think I need to slow down a bit, and maybe focus on quieter events, like the steampunk picnic chelseagirl and I are working on. Everything feels somewhat frenetic, even frantic. While there's sometimes something exhilarating about that sort of energy, it feel right now like there's just too much of that - even book group felt a little frenetic.

Speaking of the steampunk picnics, what do people think about the idea of suggesting that people bring related things to read aloud? Not making a requirement of it, of course, but putting the idea out there as a way of ensuring at least some focus *on* steampunk, aside from our fabulous, fabulous clothes.:) The only sort of outdoor appropriate activity I can think of otherwise that could possibly fit the period, if not the "steam" aspect would be croquet, and I don't know anyone who has a set.

I've been meaning to post, but there just hasn't been time! I've been having moments now and then where I think I might have hit my peak of sociability for a few days, moments where I just can't imagine having to speak or interact with anyone at all, the simple act of being silent and looking out a window, or petting a cat bringing a physical relief. It's quite a thing to have gone from wondering about my level of functionality due to being too shy/phobic to make an appointment to get a haircut to dances, dinner parties, and all this.

First, the Swan Lake Masquerade. I'd been hearing mention of the Dances of Vice for a couple of years now, but I'd always had an image in my head of it being the sort of thing that "the beautiful people" did. You know, the sort of velvet rope things where everyone is wearing the 'right' clothes, knows the 'right' people, etc., etc. There's a lot of that in NYC, and I just assumed this was more of the same, and since I'm just not one of the beautiful people of that type, I thought it wasn't available to me. A couple of months ago I went to a gothic sort of vaudeville event with Himself and a friend, and we met the DoV organizer, Shien Lee. She's a gracious, friendly woman, and chatted with us for quite a bit, including an invite to the masque. So, considering Miriam is up for just about *anything* and Himself is as sociable as they come, we went. We had a wonderful time - they're more than just parties, the masque included exhibitions by a dance troupe, a chamber ensemble, and opera, and finished off with an 18th century dance lesson. (which may have been better timed earlier in the evening - I was drink a cocktail called "Dancer's Ruin", and it seems I wasn't the only one!) Add that to an imaginitivly costumed, friendly crowd, and you have quite an evening.

The crowd is really quite a surprise. Shien says that they all tend to be quite hermetic, not going out much except for these, and my mind turns to caterpillers - when they come out of the coccoon, they're quite the butterflies, both in dress and manner, greeting even people they haven't seen before like old friends. I felt quite easy and welcomed quite quickly.

I didn't enjoy Midnight Follies (which was *not* a DoV event) as much. The crowd seemed a bit more insular, and was mixed with people who were members of the private club (the Player's Club) who really didn't have much interest in what was going on. On the other hand, watching the skilled swing dancers take to the floor was nice, as was hearing Martha Wainwright sing "La Vie en Rose".

Yesterday we went to the Steampunk World's Fair. I do wish we'd been able to do the whole weekend, there's so much to see and do! Finances just aren't right for it right now, but now we know, and are already talking about next year. There was a fair amount of the book group ladies there, and filling lunch table with any number of them always makes for fast paced, excellent conversation. I had a wonderful time.

Look at this, paragraphs of nothing but 'event reporting'. Unsurprisingly with all this gallivanting about my life at home has been somewhat hectic. It's working kind of well, though. I've been spending enough time with the sewing machine that I can see myself improving my skills. Also, that trouble I'd been having feeling like I was maintaining the housekeeping has been solved by Sir helping me out with a schedule. Amusingly it took ten minutes with his help, since I was so bogged down in the details I couldn't even think straight about it. Nothing like having a project manager helping you get procedures straight!

My inner life feels a tiny bit dusty and neglected, but now that I have a daily schedule set up that feels right and sensible I'll be able to start adding in more time for me meditation practice and yoga. I feel good about things. There's kinks to work out, but it's as if I'm finally starting to forge a life that has *everything* we want. The tricks are simple, just working out how to ensure we have it all in the right amounts. Pacing, really.

The house project is done and has been so for a while now. I *think* it's working, the general idea was to get the place clean enough that maintaining took less time - since it wasn't in 'move in' condition when we arrived a lot of things are in what one would be generous calling 'serviceable' condition. Think tiles broken off of floors, unsealed wood flooring that really needs buffing and refinishing, cracks and dings in the plaster, 50 year old stains, etc. Everything has been scrubbed and bleached within an inch of its life, and we got rid of truckloads of stuff we didn't need/want anymore. It does take a lot less time to maintain now, but I', frequently nagged by the sense that I'm not doing something, or not doing it right, and that at some point it's all going to fall apart and I'll be back where I started. I don't know yet if that's just me being odd, or if I am really missing something. I suppose I'll find out.

Thanks to the book club and some new friends I have a social life beyond my wildest imagination. There's a lot of "vintage' events here in the city, and I've begun attending quite a few of them, like the Dances of Vice Swan Lake Masquerade tomorrow, and the Midnight Follies the following Friday, and the Steampunk World's Fair the Saturday after. Whew! While the cost of these things does add up we've decided that we like them so much (lots of live music!)that we've adjusted other things around, like eating out less often, so we can do all these things while still keeping up with our savings goals.

Two weeks ago we were driving to the farmers' market on a grey Saturday morning. Crossing the bridge we get a huge view of Manhattan, and it's not unusual for the tops of the buildings to be lost in the cloud cover. That day you couldn't see anything at all, the whole of the island from the tips of the buildings down was shrouded in a pale grey mist, giving everything an eerie, unexpected quality, as if what we were about to enter might not be quite what we'd expect. It was a beautiful moment.