An Online Community

Welcome to Gwarlingo. Gwarlingo highlights some of the most inventive work being made today in music, writing, film, performance, and the visual arts. It is also a place where creative people can connect, explore, and share ideas and resources.

I created Gwarlingo because I was fed-up with seeing the same movies, music, shows, and books covered in the mainstream press again and again. There are a lot of fabulous alternatives out there, but the trouble is knowing where to look.

Gwarlingo is different because it offers its readers quality over quantity, clarity over clutter, and stories over sound bytes. At Gwarlingo, I share real conversations with real artists about ideas and process, as well as some of my own exciting discoveries. My goal is to bring you the best work, period–regardless of its genre or popularity, while also having some fun along the way.

 

 

Reader Response

The letters and emails I’ve received from Gwarlingo readers lead me to believe that I’m on the right track. Here’s a small sample…

+ “Because of Gwarlingo, I’m continually gifted with these amazing gems from you and other artists–everything big-hearted and highly creative. So thank you for all your work on it–I know it must take a lot of time and energy–and it’s very much appreciated.”

+ “Thank you for your informative and educational posts. I stop in for inspiration and direction and I never fail to leave without stuffing my pockets full.”

+ “This is a great piece. I’ve saved IT because i know there will be days when reading it again will save ME. It has everything one could wish for in an essay: important ideas that are clearly and beautifully stated. And it’s a perfect handout to family members at holiday dinners–the ones who don’t “get” why artists do what they do!…I’m just in awe of how beautifully you write and express yourself and am so happy when Gwarlingo shows up in my mailbox.”

+ “Michelle, you are incredible. Your missives from Gwarlingo never fail to be worthwhile, interesting, eye-opening, inspiring, some to the point of heart-wrenching and life changing.”

+ “Your subjects are so genuinely interesting, and your approach to them is refreshingly thoughtful and insightful, particularly these days in which mindless chatter abounds. It’s also wonderful to see your photos–they not only illustrate your text but give it further depth. You’ve managed to capture the spirit of creative imagination and provide some smart, much needed nourishment in the notably sere world of blogspheres. Congratulations and thank you!”

+ “Excellent! I keep seeing…[Slinkachu's] images pop up places but I didn’t really have an overall view of his work and who he is. Which is exactly the problem with the common way of sharing on the internet, and why I enjoy your blog so much.”

 

 

The Growth of Gwarlingo

Since the official launch of the site in June of 2011, the number of Gwarlingo subscribers and visitors has grown dramatically. I’ve had the excitement of watching a few articles go viral and shared on popular sites like The Daily Beast and Andrew Sullivan’s The Dish. Gwarlingo was recently featured on NHPR. You can listen to my live radio interview with Virginia Prescott’s Word of Mouth here.

Articles on Japanese manhole cover designs, rare color photographs taken by Farm Security Administration photographers, Slinkachu’s street photographs, the moving letter from Sol LeWitt to artist Eva Hesse, and my feature on artist residencies have been among the site’s most popular subjects.

The Creative Spaces profiles with artists like Anna Schuleit and Red Heart the Ticker have also resonated with readers. This unique photo essay and interview series gives readers an in-depth glimpse of artists in their work environments.

 

 

 

The Sunday Poem series has acquired a loyal following, as well. Bridget Lowe’s poem, “In the Study of My Hysteria,” has been one of the most popular Sunday Poems since the series began. In 2011 the work of over 20 poets was featured, including poems by Jane Hirshfield, Matthew Zapruder, Kevin Young, Stephen Dunn, Matthew Yeager, Meghan O’Rourke, Jean Valentine, D. Nurkse, Seamus Heaney, Eduardo Corral, Maureen McLane, and more.

Artists and poets who never knew each other have connected for the first time as a result of Gwarlingo. In November I had the privilege of meeting Jean Marie Casbarian–an artist and Gwarlingo reader who won tickets to see Joseph Keckler’s show at La MaMa in New York.

Because of you, Gwarlingo is gradually turning into the online community I envisioned when I first launched the site. None of this could have happened without the support of readers like yourself.

 

 

About Michelle

Most of my professional life has been dedicated to making the arts more accessible. (An artist recently referred to me as “an arts enabler”–a phrase I love). Since 1999, I’ve worked at The MacDowell Colony, the nation’s oldest artist colony. One of my many jobs is coordinating the community outreach program, which connects artists with local students, teachers, and audiences.

I’ve also worked as a librarian, a docent at The High Museum of Art, a photographer, an English and literacy tutor, and an editorial assistant at an arts magazine. I’m also a working artist myself. I’m a photographer and writer, and I recently finished my first novel Promiseland.

I grew up in Atlanta, Georgia, but have called New Hampshire home since 1999. My studio sits on top of a hill overlooking Mt. Monadnock and the distant Berkshires. I miss fried okra, the early southern spring, and restaurants that stay open past 9:00 p.m., but rural life agrees with me.

 

 

In New Hampshire I can see the stars, go kayaking or snowshoeing, watch bald eagles fish in the lake, and focus on my creative work in silence. I no longer have to worry about traffic jams or rush hour accidents; moose, bear, deer, wild turkey, and frost heaves are the primary road hazards here.

Although I live in the country, I’m fortunate enough to be part of a vibrant arts community that extends beyond this small New England village. The quiet days are punctuated by regular travel and frequent visits to museums, theaters, readings, arts events, lectures, and open studios in New York City, London, Northampton, Peterborough, Atlanta, and other cities and towns.

I hope you’ll join me in the weeks and months ahead as I share some fascinating work, news, artist interviews, excursions, resources, advice, and discussions about the arts and the creative process.

 

 

Get Involved

Since the site’s launch, a lot of readers have asked what they can do to support to this new venture. If you enjoy reading Gwarlingo, here are a few specific ways you can help:

 

1. “Like” Gwarlingo on Facebook. I post arts-related articles and events on the Gwarlingo Facebook page on a regular basis–many are links to topics I haven’t covered on the site. It’s an easy way to stay in the loop.

 

2. Follow Gwarlingo on Twitter. Ditto for Twitter. I share links on Twitter that appear nowhere else.

 

3. Subscribe to Gwarlingo by email. With a free email subscription, each new Gwarlingo article is delivered to your email inbox. This way you don’t have to remember to check the site for new content. I use this option for many of my favorite blogs. My morning is always better when I find Ta-Nehisi Coates waiting in my inbox!

 

4. If you are going to buy from Amazon or iTunes, make your purchases through Gwarlingo. Honestly, I have mixed feelings about this one. I’m a big supporter of local businesses, bookstores in particular, so if you have a great independent bookstore, by all means, support it. Your local library is also a fabulous resource.

But if these resources aren’t an option, and you plan to buy anything through Amazon or iTunes, you can support Gwarlingo by using this site as your Amazon or iTunes portal. Gwarlingo earns a small percentage of each purchase you make.

I have some of my favorite books, films, and music listed on the site and in the Gwarlingo Store, but you don’t have to purchase these specific items for Gwarlingo to benefit. If you click on a link for Brian Selznick’s book Wonderstruck, for instance, but then decide you have a pressing need for tube socks, Gwarlingo earns a small percentage of profits from your sock purchase! So if you’re going to buy from “the big guys,” you can do it through Gwarlingo and help “a little guy” in the process. How cool is that? Purchasing the work of other artists also supports them, as well.

 

5. Donate to Gwarlingo. You can make a donation (large or small) by credit card via Pay Pal. Gwarlingo is not a nonprofit, so unfortunately, your donation isn’t tax deductible. But I do acknowledge every donation personally and use the money for essentials like web hosting, travel, and coffee. The more money I can raise, the less I have to rely on advertising, which is always a good thing.

 

6. Spread the word about Gwarlingo. It’s simple, free, and makes a big difference. There are a lot of ways to do this–”like” a post on Facebook, retweet an article, email a piece to a friend, or give a general plug on Facebook or Google.

 

Thanks to all of the writers, artists, librarians, poets, teachers, composers, filmmakers, art lovers, and performers who are visiting the site regularly, sharing their work, passing on links to friends, adding money to the tip jar, writing comments, following Gwarlingo on Facebook and Twitter, subscribing by email, and sending letters and emails of support. It’s been a wild adventure. I can’t wait to see what’s next!

 

 

Contact Gwarlingo

Please send suggestions, links, images, ideas, interviews, articles, invitations, event announcements, video clips, questions, press releases, found photos, recordings, and other cool stuff to

michelle (at) gwarlingo (dot) com or by snail mail to PO Box 52, Harrisville, NH 03450

Thanks for visiting. Come back. Come often.