Five Questions with Kambui Olujimi, or How I Learned To Stop Worrying and Come Home To Austin

This week my five questions interview with artist Kambui Olujimi hits culturebot.org. This is one of the more interesting interviews I have conducted in long while, with detailed notes on art and the influence of art on Olujimi. He’s a fantastic artist and we did the interview on my last day at the Santa Fe Art Institute under a nest of newborn humming birds. Really. We did. You can catch the interview here.

http://culturebot.org/2009/07/01/five-questions-for-kambui-olujimi/

Next week, federal prisoner 30664 welcomes back The Travel Channel, like a drunken college friend on the sofa. The return of Anthony Bourdain’s No Reservation will be taking up most of this blog, along with more links to culturebot, Luupe, and my football comments for the Austin Chronicle.

Timothy Braun
July 3rd, 2009
Austin, TX

Five Easy Pieces (a quintet of other matters on my mind.)
1.) First thing is first, and most importantly, happy 40th birthday to F.O.T. Chip Persons.
2.) What I think is getting lost in all the Sarah Palin jazz is that she will be stinkin’ rich. As a state stooge, she can’t make and take much money. As a private citizen, Palin can charge $100,000 an appearance, have a talk show on Fox, and stay in the footlights. Is her political life over? Yes, but her brand just expanded.
3.) I’ve been writing a lot about Michael Jackson (but not blogging) and I’m still knocked out by the nimbleness of his voice the way I was in 1983.
4.) Finally saw F.O.T. Rick Gifford in Don’t Mess With the Zohan. Gifford was good, in an otherwise bad film, but Dave Matthews stole the show as a racist, bomb carrying, puppy-killing redneck. Maybe I should buy his new album just for that.
5.) I’m back in Austin and would like to thank the Santa Fe Art Institute for a good month. I wrote three plays, half a novel, a grant, three interviews, and essay, a short story, and made several new friends including Kambui Olujimi. SFAI has offered me another fellowship for next summer. I have gladly taken this.

Patrick Rosal Was In The Cub Scouts, Why Twitter Is Good People, Obama Smacks A Fly, And Other Matters From The Santa Fe Art Institute

This week on culturbot.org I’m presenting “Five Questions” with friend and poet, professor and recent Fulbright fellow Patrick Rosal. This is one you don’t want to miss and you can catch the interview here.
http://culturebot.org/2009/06/18/five-questions-for-patrick-rosal/

Elsewhere in this fine world of ours, Twitter, the mega-social network, did something rather cool. They rescheduled maintenance to give Iranian protesters more time to use Twitter to organize and communicate during peek Iranian hours. In the process Twitter cut into quality twitting (or twatting, if you will) time in the western hemisphere, the core of the twitting universe. Not just a brave move on the behalf of Twitter, an important move that shows they understand the responsibility of this mighty beast they have created.

One last thing before I hit the showers and prepare for my reading tonight at the Santa Fe Art Institute. Did you see the Obama interview in which he took the fly down? Let’s see Gordon Brown do that!

Timothy Braun
Santa Fe, NM
June 18th, 2009

Five Easy Pieces (a quintet of other matters on my mind.)
1.) The feud between Sarah Palin and David Lettermen is stupid. Lettermen didn’t make a joke about rape and I find it upsetting how Palin and the media twisted all this garbage into what they wanted. Lettermen didn’t need to apologies, but his “Top Ten” list on what is being overheard at the fire Lettermen protests was priceless and emphasized what a joke the protesters are.
2.) I very much want to see the new Jim Jarmusch flick.
3.) I saw Brent Green’s new instillation at SITE Santa Fe and found it trite, immature, and derivative. And, I can’t wait to see it again.
4.) I’m hoping the Denver Broncos will sign me just so I can demand a trade.
5.) I’ve sent an email to President Obama asking he not recognize the Iranian election. If you would like to do the same, this is the link you need
http://www.whitehouse.gov/contact/