Chicago Pride Parade!

Chicago - I think I'm in Love

Vegan enchiladas at Chicago Diner- so, so delicious.

they take pride seriously here

Look closely, can you read the sign? That's right, it says Gaymart!

Gay towers? I want one.

TFA bonding at the Bulls Game

TFA ENC 2009 corps- plus some of the directors and past years corps members at a Durham Bulls Game- surprisingly it was a lot of fun

They even had veggie dogs- I was so happy!

It's a step in the right direction- but I'd prefer a leap, or at least a brisk jog

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Obama gave us queers limited rights today- so while this is better than what we had before, it's still separate but equal for awhile. He also claims he will work to get rid of DOMA, despite his administration's memo that equated same-sex marriage with pedophilia. So forgive me if I don't get my hopes up quite yet.

Last Night in Eugene

First up- Lavender Graduation to accept the Abrams award. Here I am with Diane Dugaw of Team Folklore, who also got an award.

Right after the ceremony, Beth & I headed to Sam Bonds for the Chris Pureka show, she was playing with Lyndell Montgomery. Since we got there super early we had prime seats!

With Chris Pureka- sigh. Stacey took this one cause she knows Chris (lucky!) but nixed the plaque- I think she would have liked it...

...because, as you can see Lyndell was totally digging it. Also pictured is Kirsten, who I can thank for introducing me to Chris' music.

Fierce? I don't think so

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Fail, Obama, massive fail.

Team Folklore Rogue Graduation

We did graduation our own way- no caps and gowns for us! Beth and I planned the event, she made our lovely ribbons, and I wrote the script for the rituals. We laughed a lot, played music, ate a ton of Indian food, drank from the Fountain of Lore (aka the keg), and had a wonderful time. Much more fun than any school ceremony would have been.

The Presentation of the Graduates

Pomp & Circumstance was played by Indistinguishable Faculty member John Fenn, while Indistinguishable Faculty Member's Lisa Gilman and Doug Blandy read the bios. Alum Elaine Vrandenburgh handed out the ceremonial ribbons.

Emily Afanador Emily is an all-around rock star, and plays drums and sings in 2 bands, the Fancy Bandits and Telepathic Dumpster. She’s also making a documentary about the bands, upping her cool factor. She could not be here tonight so we accept this ribbon on her behalf.

Beth Dehn Beth constantly feels uncomfortable, including when she was working on her terminal project, an exhibit for the Museum of Natural and Cultural History. She enjoys Paul Bunyan, tea parties, being crafty, and costumed events.


Valerie Dowbenko Valerie studies new religious movements, which perhaps mean that if you tell her you are a god she will add you to her thesis. She is training to be an ordained priestess in the order of the tie-dyed moon maiden here in Eugene, OR.

Jen Furl Jen is apparently too busy being a new mother to join us this evening, so she clearly needs to get her priorities straight. We will send her this ribbon as a reminder, and send baby Jamie folklore propaganda.

Joe O’Connell Joe studies music and plays a bunch of instruments, all without reading music. He has plans to study dulcimer on the top of a Tennessee mountain with Captain Willy the Dulci-meister, and will then appropriate Willy’s songs on his new CD, which will undoubtedly top the Billboard charts.

Summer Pennell Somehow talked her thesis committee into letting her graduate with a lesbian puppet show, which she is still kind of amazed about. She spent her time at grad school learning to be a professional lesbian, and organizing costumed events, both of which will prove to be highly valued skills in the job market.


Don Stacey Don, of the liminal sideburns, has worked on a few films, one on mixtapes, and for his terminal project, a film about the Dutch tradition of “surprise” on Dec. 6, which is kind of like white elephant gifting but cooler. He also paints and sings in a band.

Gail Stevenson The self-proclaimed “oldest and longest surviving” member of Team Folklore, Gail has been spending a lot of time hanging out in the yard of artist Richart, and is trying to make enough sense of his ramblings and lovely artwork to graduate this summer.


Ziying You Has focused her graduate work on Chinese foodways in America and how they are represented in film. She made a film herself on Chinese foodways in Eugene. The ceremonial organizers now wonder why they did not ask her to cater this event for us.

The Fountain of Lore

"This beverage is from the fountain of folklore. By imbibing it, I accept the responsibility of representing continuity and change. I promise to be faithful to Team Folklore for better or for worse, in sickness and in health. In Toelken’s name, Amen."
Read by Indistinguishable Faculty member Diane Dugaw

Taking the Plunge

"By the power invested in me by the University of Oregon, you are now knighted into the society of Official Folklorists. You are now officially flushed out of the system of academia, ready to make a splash of your own in the “real” world. Go forth and conquer! But always in an authentic, culturally appropriate way."
Read by Indistinguishable Faculty member, Sharon Sherman

Walking throug the tunnel of liminality in the recession

It's Official- Am Now Professional Lesbian!

One of my dreams has come true! Pinang & Ayu won the Bruce Abrams Graduate Award in LGBT studies, through the Women's and Gender Studies department. Since it is a monetary award, am now claiming myself as an Official Professional Lesbian. Where's my new business card?