Pop Culture

Tie Yourself Up in Scots

Author: Kirsten K., Books, Entertainment, History, Literature, Pop Culture, Television, Travel

Outlander 1As I mentioned in our Holiday G.I.F.T. Guide (that thing keeps coming up again and again and again), I went to Scotland in 1997 with Diana Gabaldon, author of the Outlander series, which has been developed into a popular television show on Starz that will begin its second season this Saturday, April 9th.

At the time of my Highland fling, I worked for an audiobook company that did business with Romantic Times magazine (now RT Book Reviews). I was already a huge fan of the Outlander books—a genre-bending series that defies categorization—when the magazine announced that it was organizing a trip to Scotland led by Diana Gabaldon in which the author would take readers to the places she’d written about in her books. So, 19 years ago today, I hopped on a plane to spend a week in the land of kilts and bagpipes with one of my favorite authors.*

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Flushed from too much Scotch whiskey with Diana at the Stakis Grosvenor Hotel in Edinburgh.

Looking back, I’m not sure why Diana agreed to do it. If I was an author, being trapped in a foreign country with a bunch of fangirls would be my worst nightmare, but she was gracious and accommodating, making herself available to sign our books and answer our endless questions about the series. Her fourth novel, Drums of Autumn, had just been released, so the trip doubled as a book tour of sorts. Walking into one store, we were amused to see Diana’s novels displayed with other “Books by Scottish Authors,” since she is an American who had never set foot in Scotland prior to writing the first book in the series.

For those of you who are unfamiliar with Outlander, the novel is told from the perspective of Claire Randall, a British World War II combat nurse who, while vacationing in the Highlands of Scotland with her husband after the war, is transported through a circle of standing stones to 1743. There, she encounters her husband’s ancestor—a sadistic Redcoat—and a band of Scottish clansmen that includes Jamie Fraser, a man who will force her to choose between two different lives and two distant centuries. The series is enthralling, with its combination of historical realism, eloquent prose, pulse-pounding adventure, and passionate romance.

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With Diana at Clava Cairns near Inverness, April 14, 1997

***BOOK/SEASON TWO SPOILER AHEAD***

Back in 1997, Diana accompanied us to Clava Cairns, a prehistoric burial site near Inverness surrounded by stone circles that inspired Craigh na Dun, the fictional circle through which Claire travels back in time. We also visited Culloden field, site of the definitive battle between Scottish clans and British troops that, within the space of an hour, brought an end to the clan system and changed the course of Scotland’s history. There was a tangible sense of grief pervading the area, making us aware that the characters Diana wrote about in her books had flesh-and-blood counterparts who shed that blood on the very field beneath our feet.

***BOOK ONE SPOILER AHEAD***

Outlander 4During the trip, a few of us formed a group of friends, one of whom let us in on a little secret. Back in the states, she had done research on contemporary silversmiths in Scotland, trying to locate someone who could recreate the wedding ring that Jamie gives to Claire in Outlander, described as “a wide silver band, decorated in the Highland interlace style, a small and delicate Jacobean thistle bloom carved in the center of each link.”† She found a woman in Stirling who employed 18th-century techniques to fashion silver jewelry with Scottish motifs. On one of our free days, we met with this woman to discuss the ring and place our orders. Her final design was more rustic and had larger elements than the ring described in the book, but I still treasure it as a memento of the trip and an authentic piece of Scottish artistry.

***END OF SPOILER***

Outlander 5Twenty-three years after its publication, I was thrilled to see that Outlander was being made into a series for television. Like most fans, I worried about casting and changes to the story, but everyone involved in the production did a fantastic job of bringing Diana’s first novel to life. Season One is out on DVD (in Volumes One and Two) and available for streaming, so there’s still time to tie yourself up in Scots by setting your DVR to record the new season as you catch up on the previous one.

With the series currently standing at eight full-length novels (a ninth is in progress), two novellas, one short story, a graphic novel, and a spin-off series (more of a “sub-series”), the producers should have plenty of material to keep the show going for years. And with some of the highest viewership in the history of Starz, that’s not an outlandish assumption.

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Outlander – Books
Outlander – Television

 

*Technically, I hopped on a plane to New York City on April 7th in order to meet up with part of the RT group on the 8th. We flew to Iceland for a two-day pre-tour in Reykjavík before flying to Scotland on the 11th to join the rest of the group.

 

***SEASON ONE SPOILER BELOW***

†In the Starz adaptation, Jamie gives Claire a wedding ring made from the iron key to the front door of his home, Lallybroch. It may have been a sentimental choice, but it is not a particularly attractive one.

 

Touch-and-Go

Author: Kirsten K., Modern Art, Pop Culture, The Arts

Last week, as a follow-up to my ASMR post, I convinced my good friend Stephanie—who does not experience Autonomous Sensory Meridian Response—to accompany me to the Pacific Design Center to view Julie Weitz’s Touch Museum at the Young Projects Gallery. Unsurprisingly for a weekday afternoon visit to an exhibit inspired by an obscure and recently identified phenomenon, it was a ghost town, but the artist was there to welcome us into the space. She allowed us to wander at our leisure through dark rooms (assuring us that our eyes would adjust) in which video screens displayed scenes ranging from hands caked in cracking mud to scissors cutting through netted fabric. All the while, beautiful and slightly eerie music by Los Angeles composer Deru filled the air.

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I’ll be the first person to admit that I don’t “get” modern art. In 2000, Kirsti dragged me to a Paul McCarthy exhibit at MOCA and I still haven’t forgiven her. But as I walked through the Touch Museum, I began to grasp what Julie was trying to convey. My first clue came while watching a scene in which a pair of muddy hands runs over a length of metal chain. I instantly felt the sensation in my palms. Observing a video of hands caressing sculpted heads and feeling every groove of the carved hair under my own fingers, I understood how this exhibit—comprised of little that is tangible beyond a series of two-dimensional screens—is, in fact, ALL about touch.

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Since feeling physical sensations in response to observing touch is normal for me, I didn’t think much of it until I consulted Stephanie about her experience. Looking at another video of hands running down a curtain of hanging chains, I asked her what she felt. She said that she had an impression of cold, but that was it. “You don’t feel the chains in your hands?” I asked. “No.” As an adult of a certain age, I’m still taken aback when presented with how uniquely we all experience the world. We tend to assume that most people see and feel things the same way that we do, so it’s a surprise to suddenly realize that something we’ve taken for granted our entire lives may not be standard. As we watched a video of mannequin hands petting a wig of thick, wavy hair, the sensation of the strands passing through my fingers was strong, but Stephanie felt nothing.

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After walking through the exhibit, we entered a room with pillows on the floor and two headsets facing a screen showing an ASMR video that Julie created for her YouTube channel. Stephanie and I sat down and put our headphones on to watch, but there were a couple of people talking loudly in the hallway outside the gallery and I wasn’t able to get into the relaxed state necessary to experience the tingles of ASMR. I caught the barest sense of them from listening to Julie’s soft voice, but the video contained images of a model brain with long pins stuck in it, and the uncomfortable sensation of having my skull poked with hatpins was not conducive to producing tingles.

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Julie mentioned that she is interested in the work of Vilayanur S. Ramachandran, a neuroscientist specializing in behavioral neurology to whom I wrote in 2012 about my experience with synesthesia. She is drawn to his studies of mirror neurons and how they relate to empathy, dovetailing with her art and the way in which observing images and actions can evoke a physical response.

If you don’t experience ASMR, I’m not sure that this exhibit will have much to offer you, other than some boldly-colored images and atmospheric music. I myself did not get any tingles as I watched the videos, despite feeling the physical sensation of touch. But to those on the leading edge of this movement, which is still in its infancy, it presents a doorway to fresh avenues of inquiry and a new way to experience art. As a number of people who signed the guest book expressed in one way or another, “I was touched.”

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Julie Weitz’s Touch Museum

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The Touch Museum will be on view at the Young Projects Gallery in Los Angeles through February 22nd. All photographs in this post from the Julie Weitz Touch Museum.

The Art of Asking, or Why I Want to Spoon with Amanda Palmer

Author: Kirsti Kay, Books, Literature, Pop Culture

The Art of Asking 1Sometimes a book sneaks up on you—one that wasn’t on your radar, but sprinkles a thousand juicy gumdrops of pure delight into your unsuspecting consciousness, renewing your faith in humanity. This is how I felt about The Art of Asking or How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Let People Help by Amanda Palmer. Yes, Amanda Palmer of The Dresden Dolls…Amanda Palmer of the million dollar Kickstarter…Amanda Palmer of the notorious eyebrows…Amanda Palmer whom I’d like to spoon with.

I was never an Amanda Palmer fan. I thought her band, The Dresden Dolls, was cool, but I never bought an album. I was curious about those eyebrows and thought she was super rad to snag Neil Gaiman, but that’s about it. Then I listened to an interview with her on Tim Ferriss’ podcast, and as soon as she started talking, I was in love. I felt giddy with joie de vivre. She was so wonderfully open and honest and filled with joy. She made me want to play the ukulele! She made me want to make art! She made me want to spread her message across the land!

I immediately watched her TED Talk and then downloaded The Art of Asking on Audible. I highly recommend the unabridged audio version of the book. It is read by Amanda and also includes music—a delightful surprise, which sets the tone and makes the experience even more personal. Her reading style is relaxed and conversational. I didn’t feel like I was listening to a book at all. I felt that someone was talking to me, entertaining me, confessing to me.

The Art of Asking 2Don’t be fooled by the title, this is not your typical self-help book. It’s mainly a memoir filled with outrageous and delicious stories of Amanda’s life. She recounts the early days when she performed as a living statue, known as “The Eight Foot Bride.” She talks about The Dresden Dolls and how she amassed an armada of loyal fans by creating a symbiotic relationship of trust and reciprocation. She tells the sweet story of how she met the author Neil Gaiman and, yes, she explains the eyebrows.

She also gets into the whole Kickstarter controversy (Amanda was the first artist who crowd funded a million dollar campaign and a lot of critics accused her of ripping off her fans). She is not afraid to ask for money for her art, but in return she will come to your house, eat food with your aunt Fran, hang out with your friends, and play a show in your backyard. It’s a pretty refreshing concept. The Art of Asking is a simple formula: Give and the world will give back. Hug and the world will hug back. Love and the world….well, you get the picture.

In a world that so often feels disconnected, selfish and unfriendly, it’s reassuring to know Amanda’s out there, reminding us of the importance of creative expression and human connection.  I would say yes to anything she asked.

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The Art of Asking

 

The Art of Asking is available from Amazon and Barnes & Noble. The audio version can be downloaded from Audible. For book-related extras, including a playlist of songs from the book, visit Amanda Palmer’s website.

 

Note from Kirsten: Kirsti was so moved by this book that she bought me the Audible download and included a note saying that she really wanted me to listen, but I didn’t have to and shouldn’t feel pressured or obligated. Despite these assurances, I knew she was anxiously waiting to find out if I would listen and enjoy it. When I finally told her that I was loving the audiobook, she said, “Ohhhhh, so glad you are listening! I wasn’t going to ask!” We are both now fully aboard the Amandatrak train and excited to see where it will take us next.

Like Kirsti, I believe this book is best enjoyed on audio due to Amanda’s engaging narration and the inclusion of music, which sets the stage for key moments in her story. On a scale of yawn to swoon, this audiobook gets five out of five smelling salts. Listen to it!!

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MMMPop

Author: Kirsti Kay, Food, Food & Drink, Pop Culture, Snacks

If there is a zombie apocalypse, my office is the place to be. I am a snack hoarder. There, I said it. You want salty? I got it. You want sweet? Well, please let me know if you prefer dark chocolate, milk chocolate, gummy, minty or caramel. I have fruit—fresh and dried. I have nuts—raw and roasted. I also have enough bottled water for a week and even a bottle of wine. The problem is, I never want to eat my own snacks. If my co-worker Jenny is eating some Cheez-Its, I must buy some too, and then they sit in my drawer until Jenny comes in and asks if I have any Cheez-Its.

MMMPop 1A few weeks ago, I did a Costco run during my lunch break. I get very giddy at Costco—so many snack choices for my drawer! On this day, one of the free sample ladies was giving out tiny paper cups filled with Skinny Pop popcorn. I smiled and continued down the aisle. I love popcorn, but have never liked packaged popcorn. I like my popcorn cooked in oil on the stove with lots of melted butter. When I came back up the aisle, the free sample lady looked so pleadingly at me, her hair net askew. I felt bad for her, so I took the tiny cup, and thus my obsession began.

I’ve never been a fan of anything labeled “skinny.” It is usually code for gross. This product, however, is a revelation! A snack fantasy! Total deliciousness in popped form! It is also:

  • cholesterol free
  • zero trans fat
  • preservative free
  • dairy free
  • peanut free
  • gluten free
  • non GMO

and only 39 calories per cup, so “guilt free” can also be added to that list! The only ingredients are: popcorn, sunflower oil and salt. The salt-to-popcorn ratio is absolutely perfect and the popcorn itself is fluffy and light and completely addictive. It is actually a snack I look forward to every day. It takes the edge off and stops me from eating a handful of peanut M&M’s. The fact that it’s also healthy is almost superfluous, so tasty is this snack!

The biggest test of all was my husband, Aaron. I brought some home and told him it was called Skinny Pop. He looked dubiously at the bowl. We turned on Game of Thrones and soon he was shoving handfuls into his mouth. He commented that the butter and salt were perfectly proportioned and was incredulous when I told him there was no butter. I got wrapped up in the fate of Jon Snow, and when I went to reach for some popcorn, the bowl was empty. A sheepish Aaron said, “This popcorn is my sun and stars.” I couldn’t agree more.

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Skinny Pop popcorn is available in 4 flavors: Original (which is what I tried), Black Pepper, White Cheddar, and Naturally Sweet.

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Skinny Pop

 

Skinny Pop is available at Costco, Whole Foods, Target and many grocery stores.