me kissing you: me kissing Blue Rock

Sunday, November 25, 2012

me kissing Blue Rock

Here's where I play with fire.

For the second year, I've had some writing published in The Blue Rock Review, a journal published by the Blue Rock Foundation. It's an annual journal (which, upon typing that, made me smile as I noted the roots of each word---word geek humor) and when they release each volume, they throw this great party to celebrate and read and sing and show art---all the sorts of things that I would count as a "great party."

Last year, I didn't have a kissing blog. This year . . .

So here I am kissing three members of the editorial board. That's the dangerous part. It would be nice to be published there again---but you know, when they start looking at whatever piece of genius I'll send them next, they're going to remember this and go, "Yeah . . . no. He's just going to come to the party and start kissing everyone again."

But, hey, how many writers have wanted to kiss an editor? I just did it. No regrets.

I missed the other member of the editorial board who was there (and one was absent). So who knows? Maybe they'll be my advocates to get me in the next volume! ("Hey, I didn't get my kiss! We have to include him again!")*

Playing all angles . . .

In fairness, I sort of sprung this on them and I don't know these people very well. They even have actual careers and maybe they don't want to have me kissing them pop up in a web search on their name. So in sensitivity to that, I've decided to leave their names off these pictures, to lower their Google-ability.

I also invite them to leave a comment or email me at neilellisorts (at) yahoo (dot) com to tell me to tag them here. Because, you know, maybe they want to be known as being kissed by me. (Again, with the angles.)

All nonsense aside, I highly encourage you to visit the Blue Rock website and order a copy of the journal---even try one I'm not in! (It's not all about self-promotion!) It's a beautifully produced journal on every level, a labor of love by people who clearly want to have an ongoing conversation about creativity in all its expressions and permutations. Explore their page, order a couple of back issues, and enter the conversation.
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* In case anyone misses it, I'm being silly. I've been doing this writing thing long enough to know that decisions about inclusion in anything is based upon any number of things, but getting a peck on the cheek is not one of them, one way or the other. Probably.

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about this blog . . .

So 2011 saw me dealing with a bad 2010 by posting a picture of myself, taken first thing every morning, as some kind of conceptual art project. You can see all 365 blurry, bleary photos here.

As it was, at it's core, a response to loneliness, I knew it was not something I could or should sustain beyond the one year boundary I initially set for it. But I sort of liked this photo blogging thing . . .

So I decided the next logical step was to reach out to other people. Not just reach out, but cross some of my own comfort zones and kiss them. Not on the mouth, not in a romantic or sexual way, just a kiss on the cheek.

So, this year, I plan on kissing as many people as I can. I won't even try to kiss someone everyday, but in various situations, I may just ask someone, "hey, can I kiss you and photographically document the event?" If they say no, no worries, I'll move on. If they say yes, I'll say, "I have this tiny release form granting me permission." (It is a tiny release form, postcard size.)

It's a small way to get me out of a rut I'm in and also to spread a little love. In the ancient Christian church, there was the custom of the "kiss of peace" (which survives in liturgical churches today as "passing the peace," usually signified by a handshake). I think of this exercise as something of passing the peace, too, of offering a kiss of peace to whoever will let me do it. And document it.

Wait---there's more! You can be kissed, too! If you're in the Houston area and would like to be kissed by me, let me know. Or if you're coming to Houston. Or even if you're not in Houston or coming to Houston, but want to be on a list of potential kissees, in the event that I might be traveling to where you are (I get up Austin a few times a year, I hope to get to Chicago this year, etc.), let me know that, too. you never know where I might pop up. Email me at neilellisorts (at) yahoo dot com.