© Opinions the other press e Kali thurber e opinionsubmit@hotmail.com March 17, 2004 Kali Thurber Opinions Editor The 2004 Pearls launch was a new experience for me, and it spawned a landslide of reflection on the subject of writers, and their public personas. As a grateful receiver of the Recognition of Merit certificate for the Maurice Hodgson Memorial Award, I attended the launch, not in a state of grace, but anxiety. The abundance of well-spoken writers who read at the event forced me to wonder—must one be a gra- cious public speaker to be a success- ful writer? Surely there are numer- ous examples of famous writers who would rather have a slap in the face to holding a microphone in their hands. Where would the world be without the likes of the notorious hermits—Thomas Pynchon, or J.D. Salinger? Considering this is coming from the girl whose only words for the audience in accepting the certifi- cate were loud mumblings of, “Thank you, thank you,” perhaps this is a biased view. But the question remains and continues to plague me throughout the days and into my nights. The stereotype of the withdrawn writer, so introverted and antisocial that complete isolation is their only choice, doesn’t really even apply anymore. And frankly, I miss this methodical role—without it I’m lonely. At a journalism conference I attended this winter I found the same sad news. Expecting a hotel full of pale-skinned, black-clad cor- ner dwellers, I was shocked to find just the opposite. The place was jam-packed with bright colours and practically spilling over with the boisterous screams of budding writ- ers. It seems this art has been taken over by a collection of loud- mouthed exhibitionists. I shouldn't downplay others’ extroverted abilities because of my own inability to converse, but for a career that entails long hours alone, it sure does attract a lot of actors. And that’s just the thing—at one time I think it made sense for the quiet, shy type to become a writer, because that was the best avenue to express their opinions. Isn’t that one of the main reasons that people become writers—because they can’t voice their intelligence through their mouths, and instead rely on the page for their expression? From my recent experiences with instantly articulate and never nervous writers, I suppose that I am wrong. So to anyone who happened to witness my embarrassing moment at the Pearls launch, frozen indefinitely with nothing to say, and a crowd before me—I apologize for my con- fusion, I thought it would be a room full of anxious writers. ME x —Out and About in Vancouver eed _ Kali Thurber Opinions Editor Now that the days are warmer and the idea of going out for a walk on the town isn’t necessarily the sugges- tion of a lunatic, the need for out- door entertainment is present. Vancouver has many exciting out- door adventures to offer, but the most enticing is that of public art. Vancouver is the home of a variety of diverse artistic pieces that are free for the looking—right there in pub- lic space. We even have a Vancouver Public Art Program whose main intent is “to provide for the creation of art that express the spirit, values, visions and poetry of place that col- lectively define Vancouver.” This program grants all of those in Vancouver an excellent opportunity to observe, analyze, and downright enjoy the virtuosity that our city encourages. Following is an exclu- sive agglomeration of my own per- sonal favorite public art pieces. Paradise and Coyote Placed in English Bay, this open- ended vista bestows a romantic view of the ocean upon its inhabitant and houses them in a steel structure full of laser-cut shooting stars. The Coyote sits on top in a rather listless fashion, staring out to sea. Created by John McEwen for the third Vancouver International Sculpture Project, this is a piece that invites you to stand inside and gaze at the water that rushes up the rocks. Primary No 9 This abstract arrangement of brightly coloured simple shapes is sandwiched between the Law Courts and the Vancouver Art http://www.otherpress.ca Gallery. It’s homogeneity borders on enduring and immature—though I'm listing it as one of my favorites, it strikes me as an art piece that was approved because its creator was one of the lawyers’ wives. And it begs for the question to be answered—are there eight more of these guileless structures out there? But perhaps Paradise and Coyote this is what I enjoy about it— Primary No 9 forces me to wonder. Untitled These snazzy stairs are located near Trout Lake, at the corner of Broadway and Victoria Drive. They are untitled and absent of the artists name—for this I commemorate the artist. Whoever did this backbreak- ing work did it for the people, not for their own namesake. The stairs lure me into my childhood juvenes- cence, insisting I climb up and down them for no apparent pur- pose. And I’m not the only one—I observed a few elderly women stum- bling up and down them before I did it. Primary No 9 Collected Money Dispersed To be honest, this isn’t the real title of this, I’m not even sure if this is meant to be a piece of art, but I think it’s brilliant. This is a covering over a manhole across from the Burrard SkyTrain station. Nobody seems to have even an inkling of an Primary No 9 Untitled Stairs Also in English Bay, this is above all my preferred piece of public art in Vancouver. Lynn Chadwick sculpt- ed these women on the stairs out of Bronze, in 1991. They remind me of the tattoos of plug-ins and bar- codes present on many bodies that idea of how it got there or who did it, so if you know, or did it yourself, by golly come forward! In one of the richest parts of down- town, the words have a gloomy feel to them. The best way to appreciate this piece is to stand across the street and watch people notice it. Many don’t see it at all, busy staring straight ahead, while others stand there captivated for a moment before going on with their day. Collected Money Dispersed speak of the mechanism of today’s society. There's almost something degrading about the triangular heads on these women, but the fact that it makes me ponder hikes the appreciation factor right up. I found myself intrigued in the material that they're made of, and reached out to touch one. Lucky for me there was nobody else with a camera around, when I realized what it would look like for me to be tugging at the skirt of a lady. Stairs Photos by Kali Thurber