On the streets of Ptown at night

I recently returned from Provincetown with a sinus infection as my souvenir, thank you very much. So much for the clean sea air—it's tainted with the toxic pollen of sea grass. But aside from my misery with allergens, my biggest news to report is that Commercial Street in late August was filled with Grade A lesbians. Not only did I run into my chiropractor—whose touch is magical—and not only did I run into an old friend and met some new ones, but I also witnessed a "Free Feminist Classics Reading" with comic Kate Clinton, activist Urvashi Vaid, and some young cuties in plaid shirts. These photos were not taken at the event (nor were they taken by me, for that matter), but they capture the nighttime spirit of the scene. The feminist reading took place in front of the ATM next to Spiritus Pizza, which has truly excellent pizza in addition to being a great place from which to watch the drag queens sail by. (For hours of enjoyment, view the Spiritus cam online.) At first, the choice of the ATM location was a mystery, but I soon could see the advantages. There is a bench, on which the lesbians could stand and be heard while they read some Audre Lourde, some Judith Butler. And I assume there was no cost for the, ah, space. Plus, a personal advantage for me was that during the reading I could remain seated and enjoy my slice and my root beer (served in a nice little dixie cup), while seated on the Spiritus bench near the ATM machine. From my perch I also had a great view of the crowd that gathered—which included, to my delight, Elizabeth Streb! I spotted her standing near the back, but she soon came closer and sat down near the Spiritus steps. She was carrying a bag from Map, a very cool clothing store in Ptown (so cool that I feel slightly not cool when I'm in there), and she was working on a little project while she listened: She was tying and untying knots in a small white rope. Streb uses a lot of ropes in her choreography, so I assume she needs to be good at tying knots, right? She was with her spouse, Laura Flanders, who was similarly multi-tasking: She was reading something on her Kindle. Despite my efforts, I could not see what Laura Flanders was reading. But I could see that she was wearing a fantastic pin-striped jacket with raw seams. Streb was wearing knickers with white piping and black combat boots. (I'd like to post a fashion trend alert: Knickers will soon be big.)

I'm a little embarrassed to say that I had not known Kate Clinton and Urvashi Vaid were a couple. Did you know that? Good looking couple. They are evidently committed to being together, but have no plans to marry. Kate explained her view in a blog post in 2008: "Despite the flagrant flaunting and taunting from CA friends, 'Sooooo, when are you two getting married?' my galpal and I recently reconfirmed our own vows not to marry. We do however, vigorously support the freedom of others to marry." While my personal experience of being married has been magnificent, I think Kate Clinton and Urvashi Vaid should do as they please. However, Kate really should vow never to refer to Urvashi as her "galpal."

Elizabeth Streb and the forces of nature

Elizabeth Streb calls herself an action architect. She designs new ways for the human body to move through space, challenge gravity, push the possibilities of physics. At first glance she may seem like an edgy choreographer or an "extreme action hero," as some have called her. But don't get distracted by spectacle. What's really going on is an exploration of how our bodies can make the most of our existence in our physical world. Just as a meditation master might ask her student to imagine the infinite possibilities of the mind, Streb is asking her dancers—and by extension, us—to question our preconceptions about how we use our bodies. At least, that's my interpretation.

With the cinderblocks swinging and the bodies airborne, it would be a mistake to think this is a reckless act. Rather, it's a carefully constructed and executed communal event. The dancers must trust each other, trust their training, trust their bodies. And they must embrace the physical world, whether harsh or supple.

As you may have gathered, I've got a thing for dance. Ex-girlfriend. For a few years I saw a lot of modern dance in various studios and performance spaces below 14th Street in Manhattan. I know the art as observer—never performer—but not just as audience. I liked watching rehearsals, whenever I could, more than the polished concert. I liked seeing the dancers deal with their injured foot or discuss a particular "phrase" of movement. Streb invites the public to watch rehearsals at her company's space in Brooklyn—reportedly a cavernous facility in Williamsburg. I haven't been there—yet.

Streb is a great-looking butch punk lesbian whose partner is British-born journalist Laura Flanders (who runs GritTv, with which I am entirely unfamiliar.) See the two of them talking about gender and class in dance. Streb won a MacArthur "genius" grant in 1997. Scientific American has said: "Streb distinguishes her work from ballet and modern dance, which, she says, seek to camouflage the forces of nature. Those forces are the whole point of her performances."