Last night I saw Twilight with my girl posse–birthday girl, Stacey Agdern, Elizabeth Kerri Mahon(EKM), Leanna Hieber and others. Based on the popular paranormal series by Stephenie Meyer, Twilight is a modern-day vampire romance set in a small town in Washington State. The protagonists are high school students, new girl in town, Bella Swan and resident undead hottie Edward Cullen, played by the winsome Kristen Stewart and Robert Pattinson.
I’ll admit upfront I’m not a huge vampire fan, though in the event that there are vampire lovers (or actual vampires) reading this post, I’ll add that I’m not against you–I mean, them–either. As for the lovers being both 17 (at least ostensibly–Edward admits to being 17 for “a while” as in since 1918), let’s just say high school for Yours Truly has been “a while” ago as well. And yet I really liked the movie. In fact, I bordered on loving it. It’s well acted, well crafted, and beautifully filmed. And the soundtrack is hauntingly lovely.
Afterward we headed ’round the corner to what has become our standard Irish bar where creamy pints and chilled glasses were enjoyed by all. A couple of us stayed long past the witching hour to sing along with the very authentically Irish band, which played a cross-section of tunes from traditional ballads like “The Black Velvet Band” to Cash’s “Ring of Fire.”
Earlier this month, I trekked out to Brooklyn’s beautiful Park Slope neighborhood with EKM and others to The Montauk Club. Founded as a private club in 1889, the stunning Venetian gothic club house is the host site for the Dances of Vice ball. Think 1770’s meets 1970’s glam rock. The costumes were uniformly gorgeous and innovative and the equally eclectic cabaret included opera, a tasteful striptease, and finally, a rousing rendition of “Rock Me Amadeus.”
I think of these time out treats to myself as “artist days,” or in my case, artist evenings. They stimulate my senses and fill up my creative well in a way that for a writer, for any artist, is absolutely essential. I call them my non-guilty pleasures because to write about life requires that first you really live it. So, whether you express your art through baking and decorating the perfect batch of Christmas cookies or crafting the proverbial Great American Novel, take time out this holiday season to live it up–not just a little but a lot. You deserve it.
Hope
