Online Western Journal, Volume Three

[cenacle]

August 29, 2009
Portland, Oregon

Well, it's been two years since I have kept an online journal here, but going to start a fresh one and see how it goes...leaving for Burning Man 2009 this morning, my 11th burn, KD's 6th...it's a whole summer of work to get our project, No Borders Free Bookstore, ready for the desert...you can see the online version if you take a look at ScriptorPress.com....

It's good to go to the desert, to re-connect with that place and its people, to travel away from Portland and its obligations...to have some time away from cyberspace, and more time with my pen and notebooks...

Also, it's good to be with KD unfettered by job obligations...to journey deep into a number of nights...deep in the desert, the electrical wilds of Black Rock City...I'll try to write more from the road when possible...

[Syd]

Enjoy it man, I'd like to say there's always another year but we all know, that's not always the case.

[judih]

burning man! wonderful. looking forward to further installments.
enjoy, ray and k.d.

[senorsalvia]

You and K.D. have a great time Ray, and play hard on the Playa!!!!

[cenacle]

September 22, 2009
Portland, Oregon

Burning Man was an amazing, hard, cleansing experience as it usually is. The desert sun burned by day; the full moon was soft and mysterious at night. The art was great; the many people we met shared fine talks. Met one man who is a beekeeper, talked about bees with a deep and abiding affection. Camped near a brilliant young artist, kind, lives in Seattle, about two blocks from where we use to live there. Funny: ex-neighbors meet finally in the desert years later.

Now the question becomes one I always struggle with. How to find more people to collaborate on Art with, and how to disseminate this Art. By journal, by web, by radio . . . they all have their advantages. I am posting here today because I wonder if I have overlooked artists at this site, even though I have been part of its community for years. Perhaps someone will reply to this query: do you write, do you make art, do you make music, would you like to DJ a radio show. . . what do you do creatively, and will you accept my invitation to collaboration?

[Avery L. Breath]

Theirs alot of bm groups here in p-town..... but your prolly already know that I'd imagine and theirs always the decompression parties.  I'd iimagine the burningman forums would be a good resource.

[cenacle]

November 4, 2009
Portland, Oregon

I noticed the post here that says the SpiritPlants community turned ten years old this past summer. I wanted to offer some personal remembrances of the community.

I came here in 2001, in part because the Lycaeum forums were down. I stuck around because I found people here interesting and involving to know. I also became a regular at the chat room, a strange and lively place to be. And in 2003, I revived my pirate radio show, which had run in Boston from 1999-2002, as an online show through SpiritPlants Radio.

In 2001 I was lucky enough to travel to Pennsylvania to meet in person many SP folks, including Kemp, PK Effect, Camel, Glider, Atreyu, etc. That was a great weekend!!

SP helped keep me going when I had some really hard years, job loss, heartbreak, lots of uncertainty and fear. I was able to help in return when the old forums went down in 2005, and Andy and I worked to get the forums back up through Yage.net.

I also took on the task of reviving the radio in Nov 2008, since it had devolved down to my weekly show and a lot of dead air otherwise. A year later, we average 250-300 listeners a month!

Finally, this Library forum, a gift to me from the SP admins long ago, is still the place I come to first online when I want to post my writings or press news.

SpiritPlants in one way or another is part of my daily life and has been for years. I am grateful to all who have been involved with it. I hope to be involved too for a long time to come.

Peace,
Raymond