WHAT KIND OF MAN WOULD I BE?
 Exhibit A Luigi Anzivino- Hired Assassin with a heart of gold who ends up falling in love with the woman he’s supposed to kill.Julie Lindow- You would be smoking in the alley, looking sideways at the ladies. The face of a boy, but the courage of a warrior. You hold your cards close to your heart, silent and mysterious. But those eyes, those eyes, you can kill or save a soul with one look. Ali Dadgar- holding a cake sideways… Peta Pottinger- Old school Las Vegas high stakes playing gangster who shoots his opponents under the table when they start getting antsy. Dumps bodies in the desert. Only dates showgirls. Fucking untouchable, man. David Boyce- Ted Osaka, piano player interned by US government 1941 Peter Maravelis- Don Juan DeRosa Leah Johnston- He is a good man. He admits when he does not know much about the D. Scot Miller- Feared leader of the “Blood Orange” Jazz Cartel. Darius James- Old school hoofer on the black vaudeville circuit. Brandi Brandes- out of my league. he always resented my ineptitude in the art of personal fashion, and i resented being told not to wear the most comfortable sweater i own in public. Kata Miletich- she tried to dilute it by marrying a white man but her chinese lineage surfaced on the face of her child, just like that photograph surfaced from the things she kept hidden. he was dressed in his finest suit. he looked hard. he was the ‘dirty chink’ your grandmother was not supposed to marry. she loved him. she tainted your english family’s blood and was cast out for it. he was killed in a riot and she raised your mother alone. she gave you the love your mother wouldn’t. the few you met who knew him said you looked just like your grandfather. Nate Garner- Michael Jackson’s double for the smooth criminal video. Maia Ipp- Handsome. Austere. The kind of man I would think twice about crossing, yet I think probably has a heart of gold… |
 EXHIBIT B Emael- One of those seemingly edgy and hard guys who you come to discover is actually rather sensitive when you finally take the time to get to know him. Or not. Cocoa Baker- A man hiding behind his look! One that appears to be fearless and is soft as a fresh marshmallow. Confident, cocky / apprehensive, guarded. Swings both ways! But don’t tell. Walter Kitundu- Small and tough. You learned to start shit before shit can get started. You play piano like Horowitz but only 2 other people know this. you love the woman you came up with, her protector, her brother, even though she is with another man… the jock of the moment… brainless. You are patient with trees and seasons but won’t abide a fool’s delay. No, not for a second. Your knuckles are calloused from preparing to fight but not fighting. You speak in three of four word sentences. People listen. Peta Pottinger- I’d cross the street late at night to avoid you and feel guilty about it. David Boyce-DJ Betelgeuse, musical director of the Hip hop group Alpha Centauri Peter Maravelis- Dee Tonic Naima Dean- Desperately seeking Marilyn Chambers, or the likes thereof! Ali Dadger- dark.. Janaki Ranpura- This kid is escaping his mother’s thumb, running away from a well-heeled family. Golden light = living well, but shadowed face means trying to escape all the gold. Brandi Brandes- i remember him, but I can’t remember his name. At the time I was operating under the assumption that his only true love was his skateboard, and I greatly underestimated his ability to be affected. but I got away easy because the rim of his hat never uncovered the windows to his soul. José James- from Detroit? Ah, Eminem Nate Garner- Claude, the rap phenom from Denmark. You were discovered at a Roots concert in Luxemburg by a successful German club-music producer, Skitzo-Giezeer, in a freestyle cipher. When he saw that you weren’t black (a misclassification likely caused by the misapplication of your hoodie and hat), he didn’t think there’d be a way to market you in the States. Then he thought of S.F. and its fickle music scene. He thought it’d be the best place for you to start your trek to stardom. Unclaimed territory, he put it. And that’s when you moved here and legally changed your name to Spoons. |
 EXHIBIT C Janaki Ranpura- This man has crossed the ocean to come see you. He has crossed on foot. David Boyce- Lord Kuwabashi, Leader of the Toyi Toyi clan, official liason to the Shogun. Peter Maravelis- Defrocked Samurai. Fugitive. Master swordsman. Betrayed by the emperor’s son. After an attempted assassination upon his life, dispatched the palace body guards and 1/2 the royal family in one afternoon. On the run from the emperor’s wrath. Wanders country-side teaching village children origami. Is beloved and protected by the country folk. Naima Dean- You just got roughed up by your wife and your concubine who decided that they dig each other more than they dig you. You’ve been ousted from your home, you have no money, you’re in a state of disbelief and unsure as to what comes next or where to go from here! Brandi Brandes- i remember him. he knew my life story with a glance and chose to walk away. Solara Jean- like Ghost Dog. a bad ass samurai with a code of absolute honor and heart of gold. Ali Dadgar- fearless but sweet D. Scot Miller- Retired assassin pulled back into the war by the murder of your brother. Nate Garner- Musashi “Mack”moto, the crazy Aikido master who always wears a pristine white robe wherever he goes…which surprisingly gets him a lot of action. Right now he’s angrily mind-sexing another one of his victims while also plotting a number of moves that will ultimately take down his arch nemesis–Steven Seagal. |
 EXHIBIT D John Keaka Friend- golfer with an attitude Chompunutt Mayta- A trouble maker Ali Dadgar- kicking Tiger’s ass Shashari Kiburi- I see a young preppy hip hopper shopping almost exclusively at gap. Tad Coughenour- You look like you just told somebody to suck your dick. Danny Cao- late night pool shark Peter Maravelis- Raymond DuPree. Billiards shark. Wine connoisseur. Enjoys the company of young married men. Never wakes before noon. Never sleeps before 3 a.m. Naima Dean- You look like you’re a dude puffing up so that no one will realize you have a minuscule penis! David Boyce- Alexander Xi, pro golfer D. Scot Miller- Young upstart in the country club with bags of high grade herb for the kids and a wicked back-hand. Janaki Ranpura- This golfing man is Buster Keaton-ish without intending it, thinking he is shimmying up the ladder of power, but always inadvertently appearing foolish. I’m afraid people laugh at this man behind his back. Brandi Brandes- i remember him. I couldn’t figure out if he was a golfer or a swindler, even months after we met. I didn’t trust him from the start, yet somehow, he talked me out of my better judgement on many occasions. and still have some mysterious concern about what became of him years after we parted ways. Nate Garner- One of the DeBarges…Theophilus DeBarge. But you tell all your homies to call you Touchdown, or T.D. Leah Johnston- he was a sensitive boy. he didn’t get that from me. |
 EXHIBIT E Brandi Brandes- i remember him. he spoke outside with an indoor voice and it still somehow carried from the sidewalk through 2 concrete feet of brick and mortar into my studio. he strung together verbal abstractions that alternately amused, moved, inspired and horrified me. he was grateful for string cheese, even though i wanted to give him a notebook instead, but something told me it would make things worse. Peter Maravelis- Arthur Washburn-Roach Luigi Anzivino- VC during the dotcom bubble, used to wear bespoke suits and fine dine three times a week. Drove a Bugatti. Lost it all, didn’t have a penny saved up, and nobody liked him. Every now and then still has an idea for an app that might make him a millionaire again. Danny Cao- reminiscing about that trip to Holland after college Naima Dean- You’re really a club kid posing as a street-person. This is your hustle! U dress down and ask people for money so that you can cop ecstasy and meth for you and your crew to party away your life. The shoes and hoodie are the give-away. The jacket is costume so people think you are older than you are and that maybe you once had a job but the economy got you. Armeka Jackson- This is an example of a kid gone wrong. Living in squalor. He’s acting like he was born like this… Ali Dadgar- Hungry and Sad Janaki Ranpura- This man has a prosthetic leg and pisses himself. He smells bad. He has lost his mind, and whenever it threatens to come back, he goes off to lose it again. Walter Kitundu- You know what you want to say. It just takes some time to form the words. We live in an impatient world. Your fumbling for expression frustrates people. Irritates your friends. Were they friends after all? Socially awkward but well meaning your last employer let you go after students complained about your staring. You didn’t mean anything by it. You were marveling at the ease with which young people conversed and smiled and flirted. Like another species. You put yourself in their shoes and dreamt of closeness. A job interview seems out of the question now. You are drifting… Drifting toward a shadow of yourself. Drinking settles you, grounds you, dredges up memories of Edie, back in fifth grade, who held your hand in spite of the stares. David Boyce- Sam Wong, former CFO of Wong Investments D. Scot Miller- You’re an alien from a planet where wearing one shoe and drinking from a can in a paper bag is height of austerity. You’ve just discovered the earthlings macabre fascination with “basketball” from this thing called a “newspaper”. Realizing you still have so much to learn, you despair. Don’t give up little alien, you’ll get it by and by! |
 EXHIBIT F . Part 1 Ali Dadgar- a shyster poser Chompunutt Mayta- A sharp dresser, a gentleman and a con artist Luigi Anzivino- Johnny Depp playing a magician Solara Jean- this guy is a servant who is dressed in “borrowed” clothing and sneaking into a party hoping to see his beloved… circa 1900. Julie Lindow- A gambler who has to ask his girl for more cash because if he does not pay the mob will take him out back and slit his throat. Peter Maravelis- “Have gun, will travel” appears to be more the motto here. Wire Paladin. We could nickname him “Slim”. But that might be begging the question. Beware is what I am getting, more than anything. With your money. With your partner. With your safety. When you see this one coming, turn around and with one eye over your shoulder, walk slowly for cover. Danny Cao- magician Nate Garner- Robert, the guy who carried his fanaticism from old Western flicks to the Dracula myth and then to the Cure and Marilyn Manson; and, eventually, in his adult years, found a way to intermingle all of them into a coalescing unit of grace, style, and what the middle school girls called perversion. Rebecca Cross- This guy answers questions with half-questions like: “and you wouldn’t?” |
 EXHIBIT F . Part 2 . version 1 Ali Dadgar- trickster, ex-cowboy Elitrea Frye- the true eccentric…you are about to inherit a large fortune…your family attorneys are afraid you will squander it away on your whims…you have always been this way… Naima Dean- A Yin n Yang Doll-like dude! Some days you’re on top of the world, so much so, you would not leave the house without your Top Hat. Others, when feeling off, you walk around on your hands and appear headless but those that look closely will espy your eye peeking through the button hole. If anyone messes with your game on either type of day, your guns will spurt laughing gas in their direction leaving you with the last laugh! Chompunutt Mayta- ladyboy Brandi Brandes- i remember him. he used to run a weekly social dance event, and could guide his dance partners more delicately than you’d ever imagine if you’d met his thick, point-filed fingernails before you met his eyes. |
 EXHIBIT F . Part 2 . version 2 David Boyce- Wo Li Peng, ringmaster of the Beijing circus Maia Ipp- retired and reluctant circus ringmaster Julie Lindow- Hot and funny at the same time! Suave and bumbling! Johnny Depp meets Groucho Marx!!! You would be trouble but the everyone would put up with you because you are so damn entertaining. Matthew Gleeson- Romulo von Rommel. Everyone at the circus is a little scared of him, but they let him stay because his Siamese twin magic act is just so damn good. No one can figure out how he does it . . . Bryan Butler- evil bankers from Jekyll island, framers of the corrupt federal reserve system we are currently enslaved by. You looked like one of their sons. Think the monopoly guy. Armando Guereca- his is a very SMART man – Leaving the IRS office , walking into the light , still looking SMART , after losing his pants. |
 EXHIBIT G Paul Yamazaki- Mikey after stepping off a nano molecular dematerialzer Peter Maravelis- Name: Miguel Tartine St. Sebastian El Rey Ali Dadgar- pissed off Brandi Brandes- you know those guys that you can just tell are crippled with pain underneath a mile of contrived hyperscrappy, and you just know that a shred of kindness will bring them around to a functional place? Not this guy. A true and unfettered sadist. Matthew Gleeson- Hey! I make the tweeting birds and stars go round your head! Janaki Ranpura- This man is like Basquiat if Basquiat had been mean. He fights, but image is everything, so fighting is an aesthetic choice rather than one of rage or need. Nate Garner- Krazi Kracker, the white “thuggish-crunkish” clown from Cleveland who moved to Compton to make it big in Hollywood. Your dreams were tragically snipped when, at a fundraiser for osteoporosis, a Crip mistakenly pegged you for a Piru. He shot 87 times. You weren’t hit, but that’s when you decided you’d get into something more lucrative. |
 EXHIBIT H Bryan Butler- Maybe you almost invented flubber but got sidetracked at the last minute saving a kitten from a tree or helping some kids make a gocart. meanwhile your evil industrialist brother stole the idea and has been monopolizing the profits ever since. Julie Lindow- You are in medical school, your third-year clerkship and it is the first day. You want to make a good impression and appear older to the patients. You choose a bow tie because a long tie gets in the way and gets germs on it when examining patients. You are nervous about seeing patients but you are very studious and have studied your ob-gyn textbook and know that if you do not know the answer, you can just ask the attending physician. You can’t wait until the day comes when you will be a doctor and have your own patients. You do not spend much time on anything else in your life as you have a calling, and it is to be a doctor. You think that if you ever should find a partner, he/she will have to be a doctor too. Peter Maravelis- Melvin Chu Janaki Ranpura- This poor man has a clerical job, likes porn, reads JG Ballard, and does something curiously revolting when he is home alone at night, like Henry Darger might. Maybe he, too, will be famous after he dies. Danny Cao- ice cream salesman Brandi Brandes- i remember him. I, like everyone except for that fucking bird, had a finite function in his life. he could sum up your worth to his cause, plug you in like it was your very calling, then snatch it out from under you the minute your cog became obsolete (or the target moved). Darius James- Jimmy Olsen! Solara Jean- this guy is stalking tân and secretly loves her and wants her job as much as her bod! and he is not as geeky on the inside… but he does still have his childhood stamp collection. Ali Dadgar- talk show host gone mad |
 EXHIBIT I Peter Maravelis- Willie the Pimp Numbers man. Purveyor of pleasure. Can’t control his women. They control him. Like a trained seal. Ali Dadgar- tired of the game Maia Ipp- Loverboy, you sent this out at 4:25 am after a night of expensive rum and cheap women. Jon Jackson- Skrait pimpin! lipstick and everything. Chompunutt Mayta- Why don’t you call me anymore? tkc- “is that an answer or a question?” CM- an answer, player. Naima Dean- High Yella Preacher Man And You Ain’t Got Shit To Prove! Nate Garner- Jackie Holiday, the prince of pleasure who secretly hides his love for men in his back pocket: a photo of his last boyfriend, which he tells his women lovers is his cousin. |
 EXHIBIT J Walter Kitundu- You eat bacon and take high blood pressure medication. You drink to relax but take stimulants from the corner store owner who sells them to you as “vitamins.” Your feet hurt, heels in particular. Sometimes when the wind blows your ear hair tickles. You have never needed glasses. There is a strange smell coming from the vents through which you can hear your young neighbors quarreling about money. Janaki Ranpura- This man is a bachelor with a part-time job, a man who massages his own legs in the evening after hanging out at a cheap bar with his friends. He tells them his new ideas, which come often and are many, because he picks them up every week in the Guardian. He has no real opinions of his own, but he vocally adopts notions that reach him through advertisements. Ali Dadgar- busy doing nothing D. Scot Miller- The kind that hangs on every word of D. Scot Miller. You’d heard an issue of The Guardian was coming out with some of his words. You took off early from your night-watchman gig at FoodCo, and you’re now savoring his every word, right before you make the poultice for your bunions…ahhh… Danny Cao- “What kinda newspaper doesn’t have a damned sports section” Nate Garner- Jimmy, the “nasty” granddad who spent his time listening to ballgames on the radio, and complaining about the world’s ills, while somehow forgetting to cover himself in front of the grandkids. Rebecca Cross- He’s either really, really good at the yo-yo and this is his only yo-yo, or he sucks at it and has a much larger mail-ordered collection not pictured. Peter Maravelis- Looks like old man. Smells like old man. But actually….is: The secret guardian of the universe. |
 EXHIBIT K Jadeline Cao- consciously elusive. subtly manipulative. interesting. secretly insecure. Nate Garner- Peebo Dontay…the guy with two misspelled first names, who used to roller skate to Thriftys for rainbow sherbet cones before the ‘hood started calling that gay. Then he became X-Tron, the mad-flexible poplocker. David Boyce- Joey Z. Roller Disco King
Elitrea Frye- this guy always says “I know this guy…,” and “you can trust me.” Naima Dean- This is Arthur, but he goes by Rudy. He grew up in Iceland. He didn’t have a computer or cable growing up, but someone left him a complete collection of Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids on Betamax and a player to boot (he also had the School House Rock Collection and a few episodes of Vegetable Soup, but that’s a different story for another time). Having and affinity for broomsticks, (his grandada was a certified broommaker, who once won a medal for constructing a broom comprised of peacock feathers and popped corn kernels, but that’s a different story for another time). Arthur had immediately gained a solid respect for Fat Albert’s homey, sweet- n-sassy, broom strummer, Rudy Davis. Rudy was the Quintessential American Cat in Arthur’s mind and so he worked real hard to adapt his style. He changed his name to Rudy and caught a plane to America. He met a girl named Kika somewhere along the way and they had some good times together ( and a lot more times that were much worse, but that’s a different story for another time). Rudy now lives in Carson City. He gets by… Maia Ipp- some kinda supafly Leah Johnston- I had all girls and then I had him. I was frightened at first. At the time, all that registered was dismay. How is a boy raised? Did I really want a child of mine to grow up to be a man? Ali Dadgar- pool shark cool beans Danny Cao- afrolicious thursday night… elbo room… see you there dude Shawn Taylor- Introducing Cipriano ‘Diego’ Nava. He’s a Filipino Mexican who’s parents owned a jukebox company. His biraciality allowed him to weave in and out of different cultural milieu–he did so only to see what music they had to offer. When he got old enough, he would go on rounds with Cipriano Sr. and swap out old 45s for the latest Billboard hits. When his father passed, his mother moved back to Mexico. Since he was the only child, he inherited the jukebox business. But when CDs hit the scene, his business all but evaporated. He started hosting 70s soul parties in the old Jukebox factory, and he became semi-renowned for this. However, his ultimate claim to fame was becoming the premiere vinyl archeologist. His width and breadth of music was so vast, he could listen to less than three seconds of a sample and tell where it came from. In his latter years, he was the goto for all of the upcoming hiphop DJs. His eulogy was given by Bobby Konders. Peter Maravelis- Trust fund kid clubber with a long string of credit card debt and a longstanding relationship with the city clinic. |
 EXHIBIT L Elitrea Frye- the spell broken…exiled into trees, the shadows of rocks, and the bush of tall grasses…300 years of exile, until everyone who remembered had passed away…awoken into a new world, and trying to remember your life before your exile…you are still alive…after so long…maybe you were supernatural after all…a thing uncanny… Ali Dadgar- he killed my parrot!! Paul Yamazaki- griot as imagined by Samuel Delaney and David Hammonds Nate Garner- At first glance–slightly skewed due to the reflective qualities of my laptop–you’d be that guy with the sickening yet fashionable overgrown fingernail fetish. After more inspection, a Shinto priest with some pan african influences. Or, finally, C.C. from the 5th ward, the light-skinned cat who sells licorice sticks near Eds Liquor and Market to supplement his social security check–which goes mostly to pay off the surgery he had on his bad hip. Peter Maravelis- Hyun-Woo Goo-Joo. Korean shaman. Travels the country sealing up the cracks from which hell rises up. May have secretly and single handedly prevented the US from descending completely into hell. Walter Kitundu- Ravens nesting in my hair. Is this an offering or removal of the nest? |
 EXHIBIT M Walter Kitundu- French, definitely French.Luigi Anzivino- Vampire. Swore off human blood, but needs the occasional beast feast to keep the hunger from turning you back into a savage killing machine. Naima Dean- Super Villain, “The Gluttonous Vulture!”Walter Kitundu- Hulk parrot. Shed your feathers when you get angry and burst forth from the cage in human form to terrorize yall’s neighborhood. In the morning your owner will find a sleeping parrot missing a few feathers nestled up against an empty glass of merlot. Wine soothes the savage bird. Danny Cao- the cat that ate the canary Peta Pottinger- He has syphillis – before there were easy cures, he’s driven mad by it and the sounds of the birds and the heat. He just meant to put its head in his mouth, see if he could swallow that sound and regurgitate it. Then he couldn’t help himself Ali Dadgar- yep, this man has no limits, just another too much man! Maia Ipp- Bye Bye tweety bird, Hello pussy cat. Luke Church- A man of old money, never having to keep a steady life for a job. Your excessive time has allowed you to develop excessive desires. You have penchant for strong opiates and eating live exotic birds. You dabble in the occult and have been working your way towards Machu Pichu in order to take part in a sacrificial ceremony. Chompunutt Mayta- He who takes delight in cruelty. Self-glorifying behavior from a seemingly normal man. Peter Maravelis- Former Santeria priest turned hedgefund maven. Old habits die hard. |
 EXHIBIT N David Boyce- Sam Sinister, death metal guitarist for the band Tomb of Ligeia. Bryan Butler- Weirdo. More weird than the drunk bird eatin guy. He was just drunk. Peta Pottinger- Oh man, the resurrection of early prince! He looks like the goth boys I used to sleep with who would drink absinthe and let you fuck them up in bed. I love a man with more accessories than me. He probably read early Poppy Z Brite Peter Maravelis- Erroll Le Blanc, runs a goth-cleaning service for those discerning types. Elitrea Frye- this guy had a hit record in 1982…claimed his act was stolen, and that it was he that should be famous… Danny Cao- you spin me right round baby right round like a record baby right round round round |
 EXHIBIT O Ali Dadgar- shadow player.. Janaki Ranpura- This guy is trying to be cool, but he is shy. He is not bold enough to show his buttcrack. He is putting on a style that doesn’t go with his sensitive, intelligent interior — see his big big book. Maia Ipp- Looks like his mama picked him up by the scruffa his neck too many times. Bony, quiet and hard, don’t call him small unless you wanna mess. Armeka Jackson- I see a person that is not quite ready to be called a man. I see an immature person that depends on others for his survival, most likely, his mother. So even though he is 28 years of age, he is not ready to do the things a man is suppose to do. David Boyce- Alfonso Jimenez ex gang banger turned writer Chompunutt Mayta- a contradiction Peta Pottinger- Straight acting seeks same Peter Maravelis- Arsenio Esperanza. Nanotechnology major at University of North Carolina at Greensborough. Former MENSA member touting the highest IQ in North America. Founder of “Whites Off Earth Now!” an advocacy group. |
 EXHIBIT P Walter Kitundu- 65 looks 55. Dealing with life in a post apartheid era. Things change. Never married. Tea and a cigarette at the bayside cafe. This country is falling apart. No matter, I’ll be gone soon. Janaki Ranpura- English, judgmental — but he also looks like he’s tried to transform from another life. He is perfectly tailored, and there’s something that doesn’t quite match about his shoes. He thinks you will not notice. But if you do notice, he’ll have a story to tell. Peter Maravelis- Hypochondriac. Film critic. Wears two pair of underwear at all times. Garrett Caples- an off-track betting parlour tout named Neville Saville. Solara Jean- you are a successful business man but secretly dream of being star in old musicals, a la singin’ in the rain, and you take dance classes while your wife at home thinks you working late. you also secretly watch glee and sing and dance along in your office. your secretary pretends she can’t hear you belting out ballads, which is one of the reasons you don’t fire her for always forgetting how you take your tea, milk and lemon and 2 sugars. Ali Dadgar- unhappy traveler, looking into getting lost.. Rebecca Cross- you could say “i miss my wife… then again, she was rather expensive” Shalonda Smith- This guy, I think, would have a huge cash stash hidden island style; |
 EXHIBIT Q Janaki Ranpura- There’s something venal in those lips; he’s waiting for you to be impressed and come on over. This man is strutting his stuff, and he’s expecting a reaction. He’s got a nice record player, but it reminds me of what the elephant said to the naked man: Cute, but can you breathe through that? Kevin Carnes- Before there were “DJs” you knew how to get the party started. You also know how to make a woman soak her panties. Ali Dadgar- tapster funny guy, one song at a time.. Dianne Hoffman- You’re man in the know that keeps it to himself…except what the vinyl gives away. Peter Maravelis- Wilkie Rodman. Spins dirty R&B by night. Lives the dream by day. Does not own an I-phone. The numbers in his little black leather phone book are revised on a daily basis. He only spins vinyl. Has been known to throw fits around the issue of other djs use of mp3s. A French cologne has been named after him. He only pays for goods with cash. |
 EXHIBIT R Paul Yamazaki- gravedigger & coffin ed are looking for this cat. magritte wants his hat back. Elaine Kahn- what a man. Walter Kitundu- Hand shape still curled around a sax that got pawned years ago. Kids today don’t know how to show respect. My life is written in the folds of my clothes, skin, the sticky weight of my chains against my neck. The sun gets hotter every day. Kids better learn to respect. They have no idea where these shoes have carried these feet, and me along with them. Learn some respect. Janaki Ranpura- This homeless man might also be a magician, a santeria priest controlling the city. Your only indication is the way his coattails defy gravity. Garrett Caples- Lil Wayne’s pilates instructor. Chompunutt Mayta- The narrator of tales. Peter Maravelis- Mr. Smith (not his real name) Fetishist. Enjoys being “caught” in lewd acts. The acts themselves offer him no pleasure. Only the guilt afterwards. Has been banned from every men’s big and tall clothing store in the greater Bay Area. Armeka Jackson- Uncle Marvin likes to shoot pool with his friends, but we have to help him to his |
 EXHIBIT S Elitrea Frye- this is you after your pilgrimage…you came from this family, and left to find the meaning of your life in the world…to find meaning where all you knew was privilege…you saw suffering, and genuine love…this is you after years of asking…this is you at home, and at peace… Matthew Gleeson- INTERTITLE: Prince Hikmat, son of the Sultan. Most skillful rider of magic carpets in the Orient! [SCENE.] INTERTITLE: Unbeknownst to our hero, his new bride has a secret! Yes, years ago she escaped from the Prince’s harem! [SCENE.] INTERTITLE: “I will find her. None escape the gates of my harem!” Solara Jean- you are the concubine of the gay indian prince. you appear so controlled but secretly watch british soap operas while eating mcdonalds happy meals, which you collect the toys from (& hide them in a secret box under a floorboard in your closet). it is your one guilty pleasure. afterwards, you will fast and make offerings to the gods to atone for your giving in to such base cravings. everyone thinks you are the prince’s yoga teacher, but you don’t really like yoga very much and neither does he… Garret Caples- Arthur Sultan. Part-time Emir and Women’s Tennis Instructor at the Burj Khalifa, Dubai Ali Dadgar- not from here Walter Kitundu- A Kikuyu warrior who now lives on an island in the Philippines, but India, Nepal, and Indonesia were deep and lasting waypoints. Peter Maravelis- Hassan Bin Sabbah Al Arabi. Heretic. Practitioner of malamiyya sufism. Instructor of yogic movements.The fatwas hang over him like ripe grapes ready to come off a branch. Pallavi Sharma- you are prince of northwestern region of India, to be more specific .. Patiala. You had to let go the dreams, and desire of becoming musician. I am so sad to see you restrained in the traditional costume and getting trapped in the rules and regulations in the name of tradition and culture!! Rebecca Cross- “dysentery, malaria, smallpox… how i wish they had taken my life; for i die each day longing to once again see the gentlewoman in rangoon.” |
 EXHIBIT T Solara Jean- I have crush on this guy, I see him on the bus sometimes, he’s always got his camera and I wonder what’s in his headphones when he’s got those on too… Ali Dadgar- waiting for action to freeze in his hand.. Luke Church- A journalist turned conspiracy theorist. Recently fired from his job at the paper for refusing to retract specific statements, he now spends his nights tacking shadows of evidence and growing more paranoid. A wall of his apartment is a web of pictures, string, and notes. Peter Maravelis- Garrett Caples- Peter Parker, Boy Photographer! |
 EXHIBIT U Walter Kitundu- The one bad thing about time travel… static electricity. Bryan Butler- It’s 5:40leven and Sock diddy is on the case. I pity the fool that ain’t on point at 5:40leven. Solara Jean- ok. this is the guy who steals/collects all those lost socks. well, not all the lost socks in the world, obviously. that is impossible. he just steals/collects the ones from san francisco laundromats. and then wears them. he also has a ever growing shopping cart train full of them, and a really really giant nest of them that he made in the secret dried out sewer that he lives in. and he loves vegan hot dogs with cream cheese on them. and he really hates pigeons. he is totally ambivalent about the weather. Kevin Carnes- You were the laundry king of the Western Addition until that dry cleaner moved in next door to you in the middle 90’s. Karthik Rajan- collage artist. normal day. Peter Maravelis- Our universe is merely his dream. He travels through the cracks between dimensions. Today his secret obsession is socks. Tomorrow it may be trout or naugahyde. His name is difficult to pronounce. One must sing it. Jade Brooks- the goblin who lives in my dryer. precious lintgoblin. Naima Dean- Flipped-Out Foot Fetish Freak! Rebecca Cross- he’s nostalgic but has no memory, the unique scent of each sock reminds him of something he can never quite place. he searches for a sign of his past amidst the hosiery. he wipes his tears with pantyhose. Matthew Gleeson- Oh my, I think it’s a . . . — a what? — well, come see — just open up your sock drawer, kid — look all the way in the back of the drawer — see, way in back there’s a hole? — just lean in and crawl through — silly, don’t be scared! — it’s dark at first but on the other side there’s a lovely land where it’s always socks o’clock and wonders never cease — with me in it!! Naima Dean- instead of notches on his belt, he steals a sock to remind him of each conquest. He never hits the same shit twice. I never met him but most of my friends have… |
 EXHIBIT V Jade Brooks- squats on the sidewalk, smells like cloves, knows everybody’s name, rolls up cash in a tight bundle, soft collared shirts, a good father. Elitrea Frye- This guy says “Oye Mami, I got them dollars..” Ali Dadgar- Making dollar out of fifteen cents.. Peter Maravelis- “Three Card” Carlos. Need I say more? Paul Yamazaki- Saturday night el centro 1939 from the stories my dad told me Bryan Butler- shell game Shawn |
 EXHIBIT W Jared Levine-The kind who forgets the lost joy of dancing in smokey barrooms, and of whiskey on ice–but remembers in an instant, when an old favorite comes thumping out the speakers. The kind who puts his whole spine into soulful swaggered steps, and who for those brief moments, is still unspoiled, happy. Ledoh- Looks like a dancing triad. Veery cool Dave Mihaly- The Earl of syncopated mudras Elitrea Frye- this is the only surviving picture of Grandfather…all we know that he was Cuban, and was shot in a nightclub in New York…Jade Brooks- a man who is very nearly able to smile. Justin Desmangles- Vouty expoobident! Kevin Carnes- Hot Steppa!!! Elaine Katzenberger- Man, I always get my threads custom-made by Sammy, he’s over there at “El Mucho Mucho” down on 2nd, dig it? That cat’ll set you up with whatever it is you need, gabardine, linen, you name it, and for an extra jackson, he’ll even throw in a second pair of pants. Kata Miletich- smooooth operator! Peter Maravelis- Certainly, the heir to the Frankie Manning legacy. Name would be Franklin, Jackson, Clinton, named after a president. |
 EXHIBIT X Gayle Mohrbacker- Beloved Doctor to the World, necessarily a warrior. Ali Dadgar- Man of the Sand.. Chompunutt Mayta- Berber rockstar Peter Maravelis- He says “take it. you know you want it. decadent american.” Proceeds from the sale of mysterious substances go to building a mountain retreat equipped complete with sauna, camouflaged dish T.V., Wi-fi, vibrating water-bed, and handball court. |
 EXHIBIT Y Bryan Butler- While Hermann was often mistaken for a gangbanger by the casual observer, closer inspection revealed his lack of tattoos thus he was just a young vato tryna pass thru the hood in peace. Jade Brooks- needs a piece of lemon shaker pie. cheer up charlie… Elitrea Frye- this guy is older now, and grins every time he sees this picture…no one believes him when he says he was into metal and poetry…but he has the photo to prove it…and his old journal of writings… Walter Kitundu- amazing… I’m not sure how I would relate to this man. my idea of his story is that of another world, another history, another set of rules. Truth is that we are as alike as i imagine we are different. My perception is skewed by my history, my social setting, my television. The world, history and set of rules are the same, it’s just that our paths didn’t intersect until now. It is nice to meet you. David Boyce- Valdez the butcher leader of Juarez cartel Solara Jean- this guy is saving money for a full around the throat neck tattoo. and he loves his mom more than anyone in world, and then his sister. he’ll kill anyone who messes with either of them. only they know his sweet side, everyone else is afraid of him and he’s got the admiration of all the neighborhood boys who want to be just as tough as him when they grow up. secretly he loves mexican soap operas but would never admit it, not even to mom. Ali Dadgar- No need for weapons, he is one! Jon Jackson- You’d be one of those guys hanging out with Biggie and Tupac Naima Dean- Didn’t we go….? Peter Maravelis- Mills College music instructor. Composes experimental orchestral work. His frog symphony received Brooklyn Academy of Music award. Utilized 100 frogs in heat. (Most Norteno’s and Zeta’s dress like college geeks thesedays. Don’t let this look fool you.) Darius James- Low-ridin’ Tan.. |
 EXHIBIT Z Walter Kitundu- Waited six weeks for this horn. Thought it would be bigger. At least my shadow feels like Lincoln. Darius James- Saw dust and tinsel. I do it for the thrill but it’s lonely here.The kleig lights are out. The Big Top flaps in a billowing heap on the circus ground. The children are gone. I juggle hats. I tumble out of cars. Bouquets of flowers bloom out my ass. I fart and it smells like roses. There is no more laughter here. I could visit the sideshow. The Mermaid is fishy. I like the way her scaly nipples pop And how she tastes like fresh sushi in my mouth. Her mighty tail flops around. Or I could jig saw with the Boneless Girl. That would be good for my back. Or maybe Wormboy would suck my cock. After all, he can roll cigarettes with his tongue. The Bearded Lady is fat and lumpy. Her jello legs are jumpy. Fuck it. I am going to get drunk and listen to Edith Piaf. Kevin Carnes- You work too hard at pleasing those little fuckers to get such a piddly wage. And the parents are the worst part of working these parties, with their inflatable castles and “everybody is a winner” attitudes. Elitrea Frye- He never thought to go to the Fortune Teller…he would always hurry back to his quarters, passing her tent as quickly as he could…quietly. He would look only in retrospect and the light coming from under her tent drapes…deciding a fate. This night he could not hurry…the fabric to the entrance of her reading tent was open…a light shined…for him. He knew this was the night he would tell her… Janaki Ranpura- The Hustler
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 EXHIBIT 27 Elitrea Frye- Rosario…people think it’s a girl’s name…his mother calls him Rose…he doesn’t mind…he thinks girls become more affectionate when they find out his name. Mankwe Ndosi- Federico Valdez – Cuban-born wig master to Diana Ross! |
 EXHIBIT 28
Walter Kitundu- Obsessed with film noir, Janelle Monae, and Prince, you’re no man, but a fourteen year old dancing with your uprising into adulthood. Good thing that tree house keeps your parent’s prying eyes at bay while you carve out the facets of your identity. It’s the only place you can really be yourself isn’t it? School is a bore and full of brutes who couldn’t find style on a multiple choice test. Give it time… in 8 years people will be fighting for tickets to your show. Elitrea Frye- you are worth millions in your virtual identity…infamous club owner in the MMORPG online interactive gaming world…in this virtual world you started with lots of money, but gambled it all away, and became virtually homeless…it was very interesting to you that in the physical world you went to your job, and no one ever knew your virtual alias…at work you are very quiet, you wear a tie and a neat ponytail…a dress shirt, and slacks…you work unnoticed…at home you become digital, and have to hustle up money for your big dream…you are going to show the people that you are king of the night scene…it took you 5 years, ultimately of working 2 jobs…your day job and your night job…as you built up your online kingdom, you would hear your co-workers in you day job ask each other if they were going to one of your legendary parties, and they never knew it was you…it made your work day better…in the virtual world, you learned confidence…in the virtual world…your dreams come true… Jade Brooks- a queen. making a palace of a bed on the floor. KB Boyce- A *drag* queen, from the looks of it.. Larry Wessel- Kojak + Dr. Evil + Hugh Hefner
EXHIBIT 29
EXHIBIT 30 Naima Dean- it was always a challenge, determining how I’d get past him and through to the other side. One never knows the outcome, but must exercise the most crafty of tactics to attain the treasure that lies on the other side. At times, you must cross to the other side to get to the other side. He was the master of all sides….or so he said. Beth Moore-Love- ghost of a bisons’ revenge Dianne Hoffman- always slipped a velvet tip favorably. Janaki Ranpura- people have a boy-next-door attractiveness and others are beautiful like you, riveting and volatile. Like you’ve stepped out of a Goya etching and it’s still clinging to you, like you’re wearing monster ears when, in fact, it’s just the way your hair is. I have no idea why you’re so cruel. It’s your gambling chip, all this pent-up violence, though neither of us know yet what you’re going to use it for, whether it’s going to be a street deal or an assassination or something much bigger. And I’m hopeless to do anything but help. Brandi Brandes- Beta Runway, taking fashion risks head-on and wearing them like a blue collar that will chug all your micro-brews and white collar that will pilfer your pension. Either way, all ways, you are stupid in Love basically because you know the kitty-cat look is not for pussies. Danny Cao- art deco cowardly lion from the wizard of oz Chompunutt Mayta- I see someone who’s outwardly flamboyant yet inwardly concealing others and possibly himself from being discovered.
EXHIBIT 31 In a plastic bottle on a grubby carpet is green tea, lightly sweetened. Apricot slices next to cigarette butts. Romance novels stacked on top of books of poetry stacked beside cognitive science paperbacks, arranged by size. The stacks form a perimeter in the middle of which is the sleeping space. Outside of which are small dark piles of dirt and sagging curtains and dirty clothes. There is a lamp for reading. The light, however, is fading in this room, and the flashing marquees of Madison Square Garden cut through the blind and flicker over ocre walls, over playbills with pen notes on post-its. Squares of seaweed baked in olive oil. A folded-over tarp and a grimy flannel sleeping bag. A baggie full of change. A baseball cap over a guitar in the corner. This is the room of an NYU professor. This is the room of a precocious teenage runaway from New Jersey. In this room, a student from China places romance novels and playbills around her as a barrier to prevent herself from being a successful engineer. In this room, a kid who thinks he’s part of the Beat Generation, but in 2015, wonders why he’s stranded between foil-wrapped organic snacks and heroine. For this anachronism, this white whale, the struggle between the parents that made him and the parent he’s becoming is not as apparent as it is to us based on this stage set of his life. –Janaki Ranpura describing a future galactic vision for the universe? –Jade Brooks The memory of the event is as vivid as we paint it. –Chompunutt Mayta “Boundaries, fences, appear solid, but they are actually fluid.” –Julie Lindow barbershop (or the window at lucky m) on kearney street talking story. delano, alaska, frisco –Paul yamazaki “for real tho, football charm on her bracelet looked like this big word ta muva, that window pain had this fool triiipin, respect your psychedelics and stay away from NFL wifeys is all i’m sayin…” –Bryan Butler Literary gangbanger throwing up signs on behalf of August Wilson!! Yes!!!! -David Boyce Wears a shirt saying “fences” because he secretly loves August Wilson’s play, but in Guldingville, Ohio, theater is from Gay Outer Space, so he says “fences” is the name of his cousin-in-laws Landscaping biz Works in auto shop specializing in hard to find parts for Euro sports cars—-a “safely” hetero way to indulge a love of design, aptness, & elegance. Told them youngstas to call it Straight Outta Compton. –Kevin carnes Boohaabian Barber Shop Owner. –Broun Fellnis An idea man. He’s halfway through the book but it’s all coming together. We’re fucked. But like Kierkegaard said, art redeems, man. He has the same outfit in six colors. –Jennifer Seymore Montgomery
EXHIBIT 32 This is so beautiful. A vision of spirit. He takes refuge in himself and something much greater and older than he, comet fire. –Jade Brooks A minimal Aggrandizing minimizing Takes more to see than to be. -Janaki Ranpura
EXHIBIT 33 He takes this to church for show and tell. Because he’s not that good at telling; he’s not that good at words. The Americans get this, though; it’s a story even the men know. With these no-words, his eloquence touches everybody. By the evening, he gets lonely. He goes to the bar. He notices that while his book is open, no one shouts loudly. – Janaki Ranpura translator. –Dave Mihaly You’re a fine family man who left a fine family legacy. –Brenda Yodice your own proud grandpa, for sure. subtle sense of humor and enjoys games. –Elaine Kahn
EXHIBIT 34 My name is Djibril. I live in Conakry, Guinea. I’ll get you safely across the island to your home during the power cuts when the darkness makes you navigate by the smell of the Marché Madina. Safety in numbers my friend. Even if the number is only two. –Walter Kitundu This is a mysterious encounter with one of the Seraphims. –Darius James You make way more in tips than your salary. –Kevin Carnes This one freaks me out. Because I imagine that you talk a lot and are really friendly and I feel inept and unable to keep up and get flustered and just end up smiling stupidly hoping I’m not being offensive. –Elaine Kahn this guy loves talking on the corner. loves his hometown. the unofficial mayor, you know? –Jade Brooks Imagine, you’re looking for a taxi and you find this figure standing on a desolate Manhattan street at night. It’s a performance artist, you think, busking for dollars. Or, yuppie/hipster scum that you are, you think dark skin. It’s obviously a trick. It wants your flashy new iWatch and selfie-stick. But, to your own surprise, it’s none of these. The figure approaches and asks where you going? You blink several times, confused, realizing you have no idea where you are. And, through the evening’s sogginess of drugs and alcohol, it takes you a moment to remember where you are going. You raise your hand to object but the figure tells you your street address. There is no car. You stare blankly. Yeah, he says, we’re gonna walk. Stunned, you follow. You find these streets strange and are afraid but are oddly comforted by this figure’s presence. People wave from bodegas and the Halal meat carts. Winos share a slug of Wild-Eye. Knots of junkies crowd around, ask if you’re ok, need anything (and their not talking about dope). You’re bewildered, continue walking in the figure’s smiling if silent presence. Oddly, you feel safe. You feel a centered and calm. A key clicks in a lock. A door opens and you realize you are now at home. You turn, smiling, reaching for the bills you planned to pay the Uber driver, but the driver is gone. You detect the lingering smell of Jasmine and Frankincense. –Darius James I’m combating my frustration with exceptional radiation. Coz in the end I want a friend. I’ll make whatever decision will neutralize my mission and let you feel you can take my hand. Just a minute can begin it ~~ -Janaki Ranpura
Has: MANicure (buff, no polish, square tips) -Leah Johnston
EXHIBIT 35 Esquerita is out there in the arena. Tearin’ up his piano. Wearin’ his rhinestones and Cuban kicks. Kids are goin’ crazy tonight. Listenin’ to that new music. Rock-n-roll. Esquerita is screaming like a freight train. Good thing these kids like some wrastlin’ with their rollin’. Good for me, too, puttin’ these rock-n-roll acts on the wresting circuit. We make more money. They got me, the Yellow Peril, squared off against Glamour-Boy Floyd, the so-called East-Coast Billionaire. And I’m gonna kick his ass out of his red, white and blue star-spangled tights! –Darius James Heavy Metal guitar legend Bhuto Rhastin. The first to use your own hair for guitar strings which gives you your signature sound. Eric Clapton is believed to have stolen some of your hair for his recording of Laila. -Kevin Carnes Regal Thizz face –Rafael Bustamante Sarria “Kiss my hairy ass.” –Julie Lindow Side talker Mongol Man O’War –Wendy Ultan The character “Pluto” deleted from the original version of Wes Craven’s “The Hills Have Eyes” (1977) as requested by the ratings board. Pluto is the Roman name for Hades, god of the Underworld, land of the dead. As depicted in the film, Pluto demonstrated such wanton, stomach-turning savagery, and in such explicit and graphic detail, his child killing brutality was deemed inappropriate for even the most jaded of grindhouse cinema goers. A ratings board member reportedly said, “I can’t give it enough Xs!” –Darius James Ok. I see Drosophilia Rex, ronin kingpin at the MIT media labs dropping the 411 on a new input for all your platform needs. Except this one is powered by a drum, not a keyboard. You see, Rex is the man whose plan is nothing less than to asymmetrically overflow the status that is quo via an electronic application of the rhythm and the blue – literally, with haptic response screens accessed by tablas – so that the beat flows through the wires and into your lizard brain thus creating the conditions necessary for, if not freedom, then, at least – some surcease…–Michael Wharton Drosophilia Rex clearly sees how present day uses of technology have been motivated by an impulse to proclaim oneself god and displaced poor and non-white populations. He has taken a reverse strategy by utilizing the principles that those displaced communities have used to their collective advantage: By creating new technologies out the refuse of the discarded, pre-existing ones. He creates technologies out of necessity for the sake of collective survival. –Darius James You come from a tribe of Boohaabians who possess a series of tone poems used to open the stone gates at the Oasis Of Phun. –Broun Fellinis You’re the guy I always seem to, un-wantingly, attract! –Naima Dean This guy I have no idea. I have a feeling he got kicked out of his motorcycle club and now has some goth friends, but everybody is a little on edge when he talks about Game of Thrones. -Leah Johnston
EXHIBIT 36 |
At night I dream I am surrounded by balloons.
I think, “Where did they find so much air?”
It’s silly, but I start to think — you know, in my dream — that they got it from inside me. That they stole it. And I have to figure out how I’m going to suck them all back in. Get the air back, so I’m not just a skin. –Janaki Ranpura
a balloon fucker –Jule Lindow
Carribean seaweed creature –Danny Cao
An entertainer, exhausted from thrilling a large group of children with the creation of unimaginable balloon shapes. –Audrey Ewart
one I’d probably live with –Ben McFall
He forgot his contact juggling balls in someone’s RV at burning man, and he is going to be pissed about it when he wakes up. –Leah Johnston
Exhibit F 2.2 This is a very SMART man – Leaving the IRS office , walking into the light , still looking SMART , after losing his pants . Exhibit J Exhibit F man , At home , looking for an affordable form of entertainment .