A sign hangs on the door of Gotham City Video, one of the places McClear used to work.
Photo by Bjorn Roche

I wouldn't have been able to identify author Sheila McClear as she walked in for our interview if I hadn't already seen her photo on the back of her new book, The Last of the Live Nude Girls. Tall and slender, with straight brown hair that breaks against pale, almost translucent skin and green eyes framed by glasses, 30 year old Michigan native Sheila McClear looks more like a bookish intellectual than a former peep show dancer. 

McClear, who is the daughter of two lawyers and holds a college degree in theater and costume design from the University of Michigan, was unable to find steady work after moving to New York City. "Like many college graduates, I actually had very few marketable skills," McClear reflects in her book. Going by the name of Chelsea, the first neighborhood where she had ever danced, McClear began performing at several different live peep shows at age 25 before retiring about a year and a half later to work as a full-time writer for Gawker. (McClear is now a features reporter for the New York Post.)

 Nowadays, no major chain misses the opportunity to brand you when you leave the store with a nice shopping bag that identifies you, at least until you get home, as a happy customer of their empire. But what do these bags say about you?

Meagan Cignoli

Meagan Cignoli is an up-and-coming fashion and portrait photographer in NYC. Only in her 20s, she has already photographed fashion editorials and features for the likes of Elle magazine, Prestige magazine, Fortune, Womens Wear Daily, and Industry magazine.

To say Cignoli is an incredible photographer would not only be an understatement, it would detract from what she actually does best--telling stories, creating characters, and playing with identities. Meagan's photographs have the feel of motion picture still lifes whose plots you are yearning to discover. Whether capturing beautiful women in exotic locales or mere mortals in the throes of mundanity, all of Meagan's images are perfectly crafted homages to mood and detail. Needless to say, we were excited to interview her here at Chicktellectual.

On Friday, I received a mysterious email invite to the "Lost Horizon Night Market". I would have to sign up to find out, on the day of, where it would take place, and, while I could invite friends, I was not to publish the event on social networking sites, news outlets or blogs. As I soon found out, Lost Horizon was more of a carnival for hipsters than a market. Unmarked trucks, each with a unique theme, lined the streets of what turned out to be an industrial section of Greenpoint Brooklyn.

If you haven't been watching The A-List: New York on the gay-centric Logo channel these past two months, your life has had a Prada-shaped meteoric-sized hole. This gem of a reality show is so deliciously bitchy, it puts the Real Housewives to shame. The A-List follows five gay boys who claim to comprise the creme de la creme of New York's "fabulous people", their relationships, hook-ups, party disasters, and catfights. Watching this show is a sad reminder that no matter what demographic you are in, someone, somewhere, has created a Jersey Shore just for you. For those of you who need a recap, allow me to break it down.

 When I decided to get a tattoo (not yet acquired) I searched for artists to convey that je ne sais quoi that I was after. Kelly Haigh pretty much fit the bill perfectly, so I have been mulling over her paintings lately. Naturally, I was delighted today to find some of her works on a clever little metel wallet and other chotchkies at Flirt in Brooklyn today, so I snatched one up. The photo does not do it justice.

 Behind that is the Acme Made Bowler handbag made especially for SLR Cameras. The description says "For Ladies", LoL! I put seven little spikes on it today. I bought those spikes years ago at Trash and Vaudeville (I think). Finally putting them to good use!

UPDATED BELOW

Its halloween! And I'm sure the first thing you think of when you think of halloween is voting, right? No? Well, perfect, that's why the smart folks at Chicktellectual.com have asked me to do a voter guide.

I’ll be covering statewide offices and ballot questions, but the state board of elections makes the complete ballot available, as well as info about where to vote.

Gabrielle Lindau

 I recently had the pleasure of speaking with the lovely and talented filmmaker/director Gabrielle Lindau. An openly queer artist, Gabrielle's projects frequently deal with LGBT issues and themes. Her short film, These Showers can Talk, which premiered in August, is a comedic take on the world of lesbian liaisons, stereotypes, and dating. The official movie release for the film was covered by Go Magazine and girlnationnyc. Gabrielle also directed Lori Michaels in "The Right", a music video for Lori Michaels Productions and Reach Out, Inc., a non-profit organization. She officially joined Reach Out, Inc. as a spokesperson for the nationwide marriage equality campaign, "i want the RIGHT", prior to its launch on February 14, 2010.

Gabrielle's latest endeavor, Who You Are, is a feature length film which tackles the recent homophobic backlash which has been occurring worldwide. The film introduces a serious dialogue about hate crimes against the international LGBT community, and what must be done to stop them.

There is a Primary on Tuesday September 14th, and frankly I could understand if you did not want to take the time to figure out who deserves your vote. I hate clichés like, “the lesser of two evils,” but in this state’s politics it is a hard one to avoid. Although, sometimes even calling these folks evil is giving them too much credit. While I am a lefty, I have discovered that in this City, just going with the person who sounds the most liberal can cause you to vote for some real SOBs.

The good news is that there are not a lot of races.

 Moma's PS1 currently has a display on view called "Pole Dance" which is the work of the architectural firm Solid Objectives, winner of the eleventh annual MoMA/MoMA PS1Young Architects Program. The project is an interactive environment of sand and pebbles along with, among other things, poles that hold up a netting which is used for holding yoga balls. While it was hard for me to see how this work addressed the program's current goal of "focus[ing] on designs which address sustainability, recycling, and reuse", it was kinda neat. I can't say I really appreciated the sound design, which was a bit shrill and distorted and therefore rather unpleasant despite not being terribly loud. Had it not felt like an afterthought I might have given it a break, but considering it was nothing more than a sensor on each pole triggering independent sounds, those sounds should have at least been pleasant and playful, like the rest of the exhibit.

What really took the day, though, was having the chance to see Kyra Johannesen and some of her other pole dancing super stars actually perform a dance routine on the poles. Sadly that was not part of the regular exhibit, and just a one-time thing, but I managed to snap a few photos.

Click images to enlarge

Click image to print flyer (for discount admission)
or click here for full size and print that.

 We're excited about Femme Totale not just because one of our writers is involved *wink* but also because it's the first time we've heard of an event combining juggling, burlesque, pole dancing, and live music in what's sure to be a single night of insanity. These are some top-notch performers by any measure and we can't wait to see the show!

 Add to all that a drag queen host (something missing from far too many burlesque shows) an awesome DJ, and a great bar, and the ingredients are there. We just hope we can handle it when the clothes come off!

Click to Play.

Amy Sohn obviously understands Park Slope.

Click here if the link on the left doesn't work.

Amanda Ray in a Spooky Cave!

   Amanda Ray's Debut Album Mirrored Images recalls some of my old favorites like Massive Attack and Morcheeba, but also brings in the energy of electro-grunge bands like Garbage. Sade fans will also feel right at home in Ray's rich, deep vocals. While you, like me, may feel unable to not think of these other great musicians while you have Mirrored Images on your iTunes playlist (on repeat, maybe?) Ray adds her own voice and a smack of sci-fi to the unique mix. She draws from an era of music that is often considered stale by many music journalists (the 90's), but was actually rich with underground sounds and new forms of expression, which she has a keen ear for. Ray's soulful, powerful, yet subdued vocals bring the chill European-style hip-hop back beats to life. All together, I could see this album making an appearance wherever there is dancing, parties, lounging or just listening.

  One listen to Ray's striking vocals and it's clear that she's not new to music. She is new to making it her full-time career, though. Her first album was made in Atlanta while working a full-time job. Now she's in NYC with an intern, a new album and a tour in the works. This "black electronic sci-fi chick", as Trace magazine called her, has become a very busy woman! However, she made time to talk to us a little about songwriting and making a go as a career musician.

Arielle with her Electric Guitar
Photo by Rebecca Weiss Photography

        If you haven't had the pleasure of hearing Arielle perform in one of her numerous gigs throughout the Village club circuit, I can tell you first-hand you are missing out. Arielle is one of those rare breed of musicians who can draw you in without fancy synth beats, overwhelming noise, exotic instrumental backup, or gimmickry of any kind. When you listen to her play, regardless of venue, it feels as though you are being treated to an intimate performance in your living room. It is precisely this raw, vulnerable "just a girl and her guitar" quality that distinguishes Arielle from many of her acoustic folk/pop peers and keeps her fans coming back for more. Her voice, breathy and ethereal, is a stand-out, and her lyrics about inner conflict, love, and loss, are universally relateable.

       I recently contacted Arielle to discuss her music and her upcoming gig at Recoup Lounge in the Lower East Side on October 24th. I was given the scoop on everything from her musical inspirations to her thoughts on Kanye *cough*douche*cough* West.

  An excellent production and top notch cast helped draw attention to Wildflower, and its young, up and coming playwright Lila Rose Kaplan. Although a few reviews, including the New York Times, challenged or were uncomfortable with Kaplan's choice of ending, most, including variety and curtain up were charmed, as I was, by her characters and the tale of a mother and her unusual son who escaped from New York City to a small town known for its annual flower festival.

The cast of characters includes an ex-drag queen who becomes the family's emotional and literal source of nourishment, as both mentor and innkeeper who cooks; a hard-on-the-outside-but-soft-on-the-inside forest ranger; a misfit, bubbly teenage girl; a recently divorced, struggling mother; and her son who, while intelligent, clearly has more difficulty deciphering human relationships than your average teen. While this list certainly passes any east-village political correctness checklist, it's clear that they were not created with this purpose in mind: Kaplan weaves them together in a natural way that give the audience an opportunity to see what they all have in common, and the different paths they took to reach the same end. The beauty of these characters is their realness, even when most of them are completely out of place.

We recently spoke with Lila Rose to ask her a few questions about Wildflower and her upcoming projects...