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ALBUM #5, AUDIO PORTRAITS OF ARTISTS AND WRITERS AT WORK: Ariel Schrag

Allyson McCabe — Wed, 15 May 2013 17:00:09 +0000

Ariel Schrag first achieved recognition in her teens, when she began writing the autobiographical comic books Awkward, Definition, Potential, and Likewise, each chronicling in unflinching detail her life while a student at Berkeley High. Potential was nominated for an Eisner Award (the comic equivalent of an Oscar), and is currently being developed by Killer Films (Boys Don’t Cry, Far From Heaven, Mildred Pierce). Ariel wrote the screenplay adaptation of Potential, and she has also written for the HBO series How To Make It In America and the Showtime series The L Word.

While cartooning will always be a part of Ariel’s life—she teaches a Graphic Novel Workshop at The New School and collaborates with comedian Kevin Seccia on the recurring webcomic Ariel and Kevin Invade Everything—she’s also been working on her first prose novel, ADAM, which will be published next spring. We recently had the chance to discuss the evolution of her career as a cartoonist and writer, and her forthcoming book about a young man’s formative summer in New York City.

Ariel Schrag, Cartoonist & Writer
Listen to the profile by clicking on the play button below. iPad/iPhone users click here.

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Ariel has kept diaries since she was seven. Here’s one of her first.

An important early influence was Ariel Bordeaux’s pioneering minicomic Deep Girl.

Here are some of the reference books on Ariel’s shelf.

Here are some of the personal effects she keeps in her workspace.

And here is a brief video of Ariel at work:

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Photos and video by Allyson McCabe.

ALBUM #4, AUDIO PORTRAITS OF ARTISTS AND WRITERS AT WORK: Lea Thau

Allyson McCabe — Tue, 16 Apr 2013 07:01:08 +0000

Peabody Award-winning producer and director Lea Thau came to New York City from her native Denmark in 1996 to pursue graduate studies in comparative literature. One evening she attended The Moth, then a fledging live storytelling show, and that experience set her on a very different path. Starting with a part-time gig running The Moth’s community outreach program, which brings storytelling workshops to underprivileged communities free of charge, Lea went on to become The Moth’s Executive and Creative Director. During her decade with The Moth, Lea facilitated the development of hundreds of stories, and she created the enormously popular Moth podcast, as well as The Moth Radio Hour, which is carried by 250 radio stations around the country.

In 2011, Lea branched out from The Moth to create an exciting new storytelling podcast, Strangers, which is sponsored by KCRW’s Independent Producer Project. Lea and I recently spoke about Strangers, and her ongoing exploration of the deeper connections that emerge when we share our truest stories with others.

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Lea Thau, Producer & Director
Listen to the profile by clicking on the play button below. iPad/iPhone users click here.

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One of Lea’s most memorable Moth experiences was working with the comedian Anthony Griffith, who told a deeply powerful story at the 2003 Aspen Comedy Festival about losing his daughter to cancer. To date, more than one million people have watched this video of Griffith’s performance:

In this video, by Marshall Douglis, Lea discusses the show concept for Strangers as well as its unique story development and production processes:

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Photograph of Lea Thau and her son in India courtesy of Lea. Their trip was one of the central inspirations for Strangers, as Lea discusses in this episode.

ALBUM #3, Audio Portraits of Artists and Writers at Work: Rosie Schaap

Allyson McCabe — Tue, 19 Mar 2013 13:00:14 +0000

Rosie Schaap writes The New York Times Magazine’s “Drink” column and tends bar at South in Park Slope, Brooklyn. When we met, Rosie had just returned from touring for her new memoir Drinking with Men, and catching a game at one of her favorite local soccer haunts. (Rosie’s beloved Tottenham Hotspur F.C. won their match 2-1 against archrival Arsenal.) Over a pint, we spoke about sports and poetry, and the unfolding of Rosie’s life as a storyteller and lover of bars, which began with an unlikely teenage fortune-telling gig aboard a commuter train bar car.

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Rosie Schaap, Storyteller
Listen to the profile by clicking on the play button below. iPad/iPhone users click here.

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A tarot card from Rosie’s deck.

Some of Rosie’s favorite poetry books (and that’s Rosie’s baby picture on the right).

South, where Rosie tends bar on Tuesday afternoons.

The Metro North bar car. It’s still around!

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Photos and captions by Allyson McCabe, except the portrait of Rosie, photo credit: Lisa Ng.

ALBUM #2, Audio Portraits of Artists and Writers at Work: Angela Jimenez

Allyson McCabe — Tue, 26 Feb 2013 08:01:18 +0000

Brooklyn-based photojournalist Angela Jimenez has traveled the world to document the untold stories of diverse subjects—among them tsunami survivors, sports bettors, and same-sex ballroom dancers. Jimenez’s compelling work has appeared in Getty Images, The New York Times, Newsweek, and many other paublications. She has exhibited widely and she’s been honored by organizations including the Stonewall Community Foundation, the Magenta Foundation, and the New York Press Photographer’s Association. We recently had the chance to meet in Stamford, Connecticut where Jimenez is embarking on a new documentary project, one that’s brought her closer to home.

Angela Jimenez, Photojournalist
Listen to the profile by clicking on the play button below. iPad/iPhone users click here.

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Night Stage raising crew, listening. 2006. From the book project Welcome Home: Building the Michigan Womyn’s Music Festival, self-published 2009.

Boats destroyed by the Indian Ocean Tsunami in Nagapattinam, Tamil Nadu, India. 2005.

Master’s track & field athlete Johnnye Valien, 82, of Los Angeles, putting the shot at the World Masters Championships in Misano Adriatico, Italy. 2007.

Angela’s father, Jacques Jimenez, at home in Stamford, Connecticut. 2009.

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This profile is the second in our series ALBUM: Portraits of Artists and Writers at Work.

ALBUM #1, Audio Portraits of Artists and Writers at Work: Stephanie Tamez

Allyson McCabe — Tue, 05 Feb 2013 22:15:27 +0000

I came to The Rumpus with a proposal to produce a series of audio portraits of folks who are engaged in creative work. My plan was this: no sterile recording studios, no superficial interview questions, and no post-production gimmicks. Just an authentic conversation with an artist or writer about her creative process and the evolution of her work. The result is “ALBUM: Portraits of Artists and Writers at Work.”

First up is Stephanie Tamez, one of New York’s most sought after tattoo artists. Tamez’s eclectic style, which is rooted in Old World art, has attracted the attention of A-list clients from rock stars to novelists. Her incredible font and text work, which draws on her background in graphic design, has been featured in two books on typographical tattoos. We recently had a chance to meet at Saved Tattoo, the bustling shop Tamez co-owns with Scott Campbell, and in her private art studio, where she’s been painting and exploring new modes of self-expression.

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Stephanie Tamez, Tattoo Artist & Painter
Listen to the profile by clicking on the play button below. iPad/iPhone users click here.

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Saved Tattoo

Tamez’s first tattoo

Virgin Mary, back piece

Painting-in-progress

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Photographs by Allyson McCabe, except for “Virgin Mary, back piece,” courtesy of Stephanie Tamez.

The Rumpus.net » Allyson McCabe

ALBUM #5, AUDIO PORTRAITS OF ARTISTS AND WRITERS AT WORK: Ariel Schrag

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ALBUM #4, AUDIO PORTRAITS OF ARTISTS AND WRITERS AT WORK: Lea Thau

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