Prickles and Goo!

Alan Watts was a good friend of James Broughton.

Check out this great animated video of one of Alan's talks.

Prickles and Goo!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XXi_ldNRNtM

Wheeeee! Have an Apple on meeee!

Check out this amazing animation by Michael Mann (who did the animated titles on the Big Joy trailer):

http://www.vimeo.com/7170166

Animated Poetry Video Contest

The Big Joy Project is announcing our animated poetry video contest!

Check it out!

http://www.bigjoy.org/news/animated-poetry-contest

Deadline October 31, 2010!

Create your own Big Joy Salon.

Create your own Big Joy Salon!

Big Joy Salons are great parties where people read poetry, share joy, and inspire each other. We use these as fundraisers for the Big Joy Project. If you would like to volunteer to offer one to help raise money for the Big Joy film please email us at info@bigjoy.org.

If you'd like to organize one just for your own inspiration, we'd love that, too!

Here's what to do:

• Gather poetry. We like James' poetry. When we have Big Joy salons we bring his. You can find a bunch on our Flash website under "works/words" (www.bigjoy.org). You can also find a list of his books on the Broughton Wikipedia page. Any poems will do. Have your guests bring one or two of their favorites, too.

• Gather video. Many of James' works are on the web. You can find This is It, The Gardener of Eden, Scattered Remains Part 1, Scattered Remains Part 2, Looney Tom, Dreamwood, Erogeny, and more.

• Watch the trailer. You can find it online at vimeo. And if you're hosting a fundraiser we'd be happy to get you a DVD version. Show it to your guests. If we're not there to help you, you can use it to make your fundraising pitch. Ask your friends to support art and inspiring others by helping to get the message "follow your own weird" out into this world through our film. (If you need help with this we can help with that too.)

• Make (or buy) delicious food. Eating and savoring delicacies is one of the sensuous moments of life. Sharing it with others is oh so fine!

• Assemble drinks of choice. Champagne was James' favorite. Mimosa's for brunch, wine, tea, coffee-- whatever turns you on. It's your party after all!

• Add costumes if desired. We love to dress up, and so did James. Put something fun and outrageous on just for fun. Have hats & scarves available. Ask your friends to come in costume too.

• Follow your own weird to add whatever other touches are uniquely inspiring to you.

• Set the date and invite your friends. If you're helping us raise money for the Big Joy film, make sure your friends know ahead of time that we'd love to have their support. Of course donations are not obligatory, only revelry is required. Big Joy is the goal for all.

MAKE A BED FOR JOY

And on it

put

flowers and

jewels and

furs and

ferns

wine and pears

perfume and soft crocheted blankets

love and hot steamy sex

baths for two

colors

and easy writing pens

poetry and paper

hand holding and loving touches

fun surprises

and

absolute marvel

by Aimee Cartier

Thanks and No Thanks

Every once in a while a poem comes out and I can hear James Broughton whispering in my ear!

Thanks and No Thanks.

Thanks for aliveness that keeps us alive
Thanks for the ripeness that plumps us and pumps us
Thanks for the bounty of earth water fire
Thanks for the brotherhood burning inside us

Thanks for the questions that quest us inside
Thanks for the music that sings us
Thanks for the motions that speak when words don’t
Thanks for the food that sustains us

Thanks for the courage to go deep and wide
Thanks for the knowing to trust
Thanks for the fears we can carry inside
Thanks for the urges to thrust

Thanks for the wisdom that comes from together
Thanks for the palpable air
Thanks for the wealth of creation and loss
Thanks for the power to breathe

No thanks for the limits of kindness and patience
No thanks for the lack of good ears
No thanks for the eight years of Cheney and Bush
No thanks for the mongers of fear

No thanks for the shortness of days and of breath
No thanks for the corporate greed
No thanks for forgetting our gifts and our health
No thanks for our blindness to need

No thanks for overpackaging
No thanks for undermining
No thanks for pollution
No thanks for silence on things that matter

-- Stephen Silha
Thanksgiving 2009

Using humor!

This is so great! The headline: Gay Bashing Woman Humiliated for Wearing Hideous Skirt!

I love this idea of using humor to oppose.

Check it out! Click on the link for the full photo.

http://leftake.com/diary/1358/gay-bashing-woman-humiliated-for-wearing-hideous-skirt