Gossip & the Devil

[orphans]

mod·ern [mod-ern] (adj.) – 1. of or pertaining to present and recent; not ancient or remote: modern city life 2. characteristic of present and recent time; contemporary; not antiquated or obsolete: modern viewpoints.

or·phan [awr-fuhn] (n.) – 1. a child has lost both parents through death, or, less commonly, one parent. 2. a young animal that has been deserted by or has lost its mother. 3. a person or thing that is without protective affiliation, sponsorship, etc.

I chose the term “Modern Orphan” in 2009 to try and articulate how I felt being a struggling artist, and how those I’d talked to who were appreciators of that art felt too. Initially, I described it like this:

There was a time when artists were considered the top of the food chain, capturing an entire culture in song or on canvas. Poets were envied for their ability to do what most cannot–carve an emotion from written word. Throughout history many of the first things banned during wars and times of crisis were books and paintings. Censorship in the arts is no secret–and there’s good reason. Because we immortalize and demonize, observe and report; in short we are scribes of the universe, no matter our medium. Now we are left to fend for ourselves in an ever-increasingly jaded society. We are not respected but mocked, not admired but ignored.

Over time I think the term has grown to become less pretentious, and more inclusive.

Since G&D’s inception I’ve been blessed with some of the greatest artists as fans in the literary and musical world, and without a doubt absolutely the most breathtaking fans of art in general I’ve ever met. Whether online or in person I have been utterly floored by the amount of love and appreciation showed not just to me and my artistic endeavors, but to creativity in general. It drives a hard bargain toward a pessimist like me. Without them I would be a light burning alone, useless and drinking too much wine and reading too much Poe. Through them and through this wonderful creation I’ve watched other artists grow, I’ve found new fans, become a new fan and found a new life in something that, at one time, I was positive was dead.

Thank you. This page is an appreciation of you. Always and forever.

A collective of the abandoned:

[Gossip & the Devil related tattoos]

Jyn Radakovits, Oak Park IL:

 

[fan gifts and appreciation]

(While there is no way to recount all of the gifts I have been given at countless shows and coffee shops, I do have pictorial evidence of some of it. To all of you I’ve spent even two minutes with at a show or a reading, who have left my swag in restaurants and on other bands merch booths – double points – don’t think for a second you don’t mean just as much. Words cannot express – and this coming from a Wordslinger.)

 

[media graciously created by fans and visual artists far more skilled than i am.]