lisateasley

KWELI JOURNAL LAUNCH READING FEATURING MY COVER ART AND AN INTERVIEW FROM FRANCE

Hello EVERYONE!

This event was last month but I didn't get to see it until last night-- they recorded me in France-- and thought I would share it because I didn't realize memories like my accordion teacher would come up in such detail. This painting, Study of Vinzula, belongs to and lives with one of you here! And I also talk about the painting's history as well as do a short reading from...

Cottage by the Sea (in nail polish)

Happy October everyone!  My September in France, staying with an editor who lives with a big old sweet dog in a large 2 bedroom flat surrounded by park-like woods for 800 euros a month, reminded me of the myriad of ways we can choose to live and at what cost. He is some 20 - 30 minutes from the beach by car, and some 30 minutes from the mountains, living in a Montpellier suburb 4 metro sto...

Almost There with the Cover...

The publisher works with a designer in Brazil who has done a little over 20 versions of this cover, and as you can probably see my first and last name needs a space, so that it's not only clear but that the Y moves a smidgeon to the right and will look more centered. I feel like I'm back in that fussy detailed mode I never like to be in, but for whatever reasons on each version the designer see...

DIARY PAGE

I don't know about you and handwritten diaries but I have had a rather conflicted relationship with them, in that when moving (as I have done now around 22 times) whenever I come across the diaries, I either burn the pages in a fireplace if available or bury them in the ground whole with the covers ripped off (if the cover is not biodegradable) or begrudgingly bring a few along with me. When go...

GLOSSOLALIA

Hello Everyone! Here's a reading of my story "Glossolalia" which was accepted for publication in Kweli Journal at the beginning of this week and will be in my story collection next year, and I have the exact pubdate for the book! 

September 26, 2023

Very excited and still agonizing over a title.

Hope you enjoy the reading!

LOVE!

PAINTING STARS ON CHAIRS

I've been obsessed with stars lately: I have a black star on the wall in the kitchen that initially was a reminder of Bowie's last album Blackstar and then quickly became something else, as I've always been a night sky gazer and have during the past couple years paid more attention to astrology as an extension of my astronomy obsession. Then 2 weeks ago, I got a black star tattoo on my bum (my ...

TWO SISTERS

While doing Qigong this morning, I noticed I was facing this painting, a diptych that I sold many years ago but inherited back somewhat recently when the owner transitioned, and I realized I wanted to tell you the story of it. This piece is one of my favorites.

I was living in Williamsburg, NY in 1994/95 and my building super, also an artist, would alert me to any thrown out canvases, as ...

DEATH IS BEAUTIFUL Reading

So strange, because I posted this yesterday on Saturday and it didn't show up when I reopened the page today. Hopefully you are all out enjoying a beautiful Sunday and see this for a listen in the perfect timing, whatever days, weeks, months from now. It's exactly 15:15 minutes.

LOVE

"DEATH IS BEAUTIFUL" STORY out on The MARKAZ REVIEW

This is the completed wallpaper of '80s fanfold computer paper painted in acrylics, watercolor style, in my nook, and I will now start on the other side.

I have a story out on The Markaz Review, which some of you have already read, but I will record a reading of it within the next couple days for those of you who like to listen.

LOVE!

THE TIGER AND THE SNAKE

I went to LACMA last weekend where in the courtyard they had all 12 Chinese astrology figures, just the heads, mounted on very tall polls and because my one-time-print level patrons get a choice of prints, it reminded me that with the printmaking process of intaglio on copper plate, I had made a very small series of this Tiger and Snake, specifically with Chinese astrology in mind. I made only ...

KEY TO THE CITY Reading

Hello Everyone, happy weekend!

I wanted to read to you my essay for Los Angeles Review of Books new Spring Quarterly Journal called "Key to the City." I read it at the launch party two Saturdays ago, but I wanted you to hear it, and myself as well, since I got so much positive feedback afterward.

The day before yesterday I had another essay accepted by Parabola magazine, who twice n...

PUBLISHED DRAWINGS FOR BENEFITS BOOK

HELLO EVERYONE!

Since you saw many of the finished drawings while I was in process last July/August before my deadline,I  just wanted to post a couple of the published drawings in Leslie T. Grover's novel The Benefits of Eating White Folks, which as far as I can tell the author and the publisher have done little to market and publicize. It's a refresher course for me on all what not ...

THE STORY COLLECTION TITLE DEBATE

Hello Everyone!

I am just about finished negotiating the details of my contract with the publisher for the story collection, we have come to agreement on everything except the title. The working title was (is) "Random Kid in a Black Hole" named for one of the 14 stories, but the publisher says he is "sick of black holes." I have this ongoing list of titles to try on and last night at my p...

Few Things

Most of you know from my social media posts that my dad made his transition and so most of my time has gone to service and burial arrangements, which aren't yet set due to the backlog in the death industry, and I have been doing too much squeezing off of grief to get through everything and be the big sister of three girls, as well as a responsible mama for my kid, who is an adult, and is actual...

Story of the Postcard that Hopefully Already Arrived

Wishing you all a very happy April! I wanted to tell you the story of this painting, "Laura with Tulips," which my sister modeled for, and was bought in 2019 by a couple who lent the painting to a safe house/halfway house in Minneapolis, and while it was there so many children, who did not live in the home, made trips to come and stare or marvel at the painting. And because there were so many c...

'80s Fanfold Computer Paper as Wallpaper

For some days now I have finally been going into the fat box of 1980s fanfold computer paper that my friend Joel Rose gave me when I was living in New York in the '90s. Joel published a literary magazine called Between C and D: New Writing From the Lower Eastside Fiction magazine, printed on this paper and wrapped in a plastic bag. My stories appeared in two issues, and they had been submitted ...

PARTNERSHIP WITH HOUSING WORKS for NATIONAL WRITE YOUR STORY DAY

Hello Everyone! 

I realized that I often do not share what may have been posted on Instagram, Facebook and/or Twitter-- all of where Housing Works posted this video-- so here is the video where I share my thoughts on why I think it's important to write your story. I was invited by the wonderful actor, writer, teacher, mentor Michael Kearns, who I met when he was running the westside ...

WATERCOLOR SUNDAY

Just wanted to share with you my first cottage nook watercolor painting session, two days ago Sunday. I have been devouring Alice Walker's coming "Gathering Blossoms Under Fire" a collection of her journals, which comes out mid-April. Many years ago she sent me herself a copy of In Search of Our Mother's Gardens and signed it to me with the inscription "In Sisterhood" with a card of a picture o...

Commiting

Never had a meditation practice longer than 90 days-- and that was 7 years ago due to a challenge that I signed my name to, saying that if I didn't, I would cut my hair off-- but as the world continues to turn in ever more tightening, constricting and frightening ways, it's time for me to think of meditation like a shower. I've been doing it for the past few days, and come March 1st tomorrow I'...

TONI MORRISON'S short story "Sweetness"

Maybe a week or more ago I saved an image of a baby who I wanted to draw, and this was unusual since I don't think that I have much drawn babies other than my own kid when they were first born. I remember selling the first painting I did of them, which was called "Fire Rat" because that is their Chinese astrological sign and it was a close-up of them crying in my arm, and all of my arm you coul...

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY!!!

I think it was on Saturday morning that I listened to Alain de Botton being interviewed on NPR's The Examined Life (?) I think the show might be called. And he talked about our human need to have friends, loved ones who we can say anything to, confide our deepest thoughts, secrets and who will receive without judgment, but also who will call us out on our patterns, and that we are that person f...

Story Collection Title & Pitch

Hello everyone, it's my half birthday today and I write you from the room of my host's community house. I may have, probably have, mentioned that my first publisher is interested in doing another book and I was planning on emailing him during the next few days the title I am thinking about "Random Kid in a Black Hole" stories as well as the screensaver on my phone, which is a photo of Frida Kah...

THE COUCHSURF CONTINUES

I have been managing to get writing done in the varied homes and atmospheres of beloveds putting me up until I am able to sign the lease on Feb. 1st for a cottage, a find and happening with all thanks to Debbie here. The drawing is from today, a contemplation of pigs and all we have in common with them, and then the photograph is from the magazine Autre-- I am writing a story inspired by these ...

GOODBYE 2021

I am writing you from a tiny room in a community house with a shared bathroom in the Mar Vista area of L.A., where it's been raining non-stop for days. I will be here through New Year's morning, when I move to a friend's place in Silver Lake, while looking for an apartment to rent.

I have your cards in my bag to mail, already stamped, but with all of the lugging around of my stuff in the ...

HAPPY WINTER SOLSTICE!

I returned early from Sedona since I want and need to move from where I've been living and so I didn't take time to make a medicine table but I did light a candle on the money jar I created/activiated after receiving the book Your Intuition Led You Here, using their 3-day ritual that involves rice or oats, your choice, cloves, basil leaf, molasses, 2 white votive candles, a green candle and 21 ...

THE CASTLE IN THE TREES READING

I was listening to Imogen TV's beautiful soundtrack for Glen Falls Sequence, when just afterward my Itunes played this surprising track I didn't remember recording-- from the L.A. Forum group show Every.Thing.Changes. which happened last summer when I was asked to write a vision for L.A. and chose to write about my dream of a collaborative house called The Castle in the Trees. This is the story...

NEW MOON TOTAL SOLAR ECLIPSE TABLE

Since I have been sharing my tables, I continue here. The intention in creating the table was balancing masculine and feminine energy for the planet. At the back left is Bastet again, with the Angel at the center, holding a small piece of jade, polar wolves at her side, looking over the world. At the back right is a Shiva lingam accompanied by a polar owl. Upfront are the bears, front left a ra...

IN PROGRESS

As always, I have four paintings in progress: this one you have seen in at least 2 stages, what is new is the blue background and stars, which look a little like a children's book, I see now as I post the picture.

Thank you so very very much for continuing this journey with me. It means everything to me. And you have made me considerably braver. I have always overthought every single move...

HAPPY FULL MOON, LUNAR ECLIPSE & KARTHIGAI, FESTIVAL OF LAMPS

Due to the time of morning and the current poor light of the front room, it is hard to see the details of this table, but the figurehead is Bastet, flanked by tarot moon and world cards. My partner happens to have two Bastet figures, so I put the other in the bedroom in front of a crystal during this Full Moon, Lunar Eclipse phase. Spiraling out from Bastet is thyme from the garden, as well as ...

COLOR STUDIES

An Italian publisher approached me this past Friday about writing for their travel book series, this one being on California (as opposed to a country, their previous books are on Ireland, Japan, Greece, Turkey, but I do realize Cali is as big as those countries...), and over the process of figuring out the California book, album, and film I would write about-- as well as the precise subject of ...