the art journal

By arthur kauffman

It Is Possible to Live On Less

i’ve been following this guy who recently completed his challenge of eating on $1 USD per day for a month, mainly by using coupons and shopping smarter.

“I think I could have a fairly healthy diet on $1 a day,” I replied. “At least a lot healthier than you think.”

“Including fruits and veggies?” she asked, the skepticism in her voice coming through again.

“Including fruits and veggies,” I said.

“You couldn’t last a month,” she said sure of herself.

While i was biking i spent $9.12/day on food, but most of it was already in some state of preparation because i couldn’t carry much. i also had a hard time finding coupons on short notice. This guy is my new hero.

§ 17 June 2010

In My Head i Saw Pins Holding Up A Sky

"retro" she said

§ 16 June 2010

Going South

”i’m going biking,” the boy that doesn’t smile said.
“Where?” they asked.
“South.” he said, “South until i don’t feel like it anymore.”

Keep Tabs: Fixie Touring

§ 19 May 2010

You Should Come Along

Odd Happenstances of Summer

i’m sitting surrounded by sounds of summer and so much beauty it hurts my heart. The onset of the warm season is awakening that primal thing inside me, the thing that leads me to making rash decisions like taking dance lessons or falling in love. Mostly, though, it just makes me want to travel. i wouldn’t trade last summer’s trip to Canada and a First Nations reservation for anything, but this summer i want to do something a bit more spontaneous.

i have a red fixed gear bike that’s itching to see some miles under the tires. i want to ride somewhere, anywhere really, into new spaces and fresh canvas. Here’s to a voyage of dumpster-diving, stealth camping, street photography. And discovery.

make

Come With?

You should come along. Maybe you’re a fat, tech-addicted, face-palming middle aged white man, but there’s still time to learn about the magic of cycling. i’m prepared to do this trip alone, but it’s so much better if others have the privilege of building monster legs and seeing different scenery on a shoestring budget too. You know it.

So hit me up if you’re tired of all this.

Other Things

2 more weeks of this semester remaining over here. 4 papers awaiting. 5 finals. Maybe it’s just a coincidence, but it seems like with all the time i’ve spent avoiding the real work i have to do, i’ve been thinking a lot.

Strangely enough, that thinking has been translating into a lot of loose prose poetry. Maybe some will show up here soon.

i saw a red-winged blackbird today just flying in small, random circles. It reminded me a lot of the circles we make when talking ourselves out of whatever trouble we’re in.

§ 20 April 2010

Have We Forgotten?

Does anything we learn
ever come from anywhere
besides ourselves?

And when we love,
is it not an acceptance
of how things are?

So when, on the pathway
of returning to who we are
we learn something
new about ourself,
is it not something old
that we once have known
but now forgotten?

have we forgotten?

§ 13 April 2010