i've been delighting in winter, which is so uncharacteristic for a sun soaked californian by birth. it may be my post pandemic renewed respect for the city, or the absurd amount of baking i've been doing, or perhaps that i'm now a homeowner and living in an old farm house. the streets are more barren but inside my domestic space we are humming with scents, sounds, projects, games, drawings, ideas. with the launch of the push store I've also had the pleasure of conceptualizing pieces to feature. thank for you for those that have made purchases! if you feel so inclined a purchase is a great support to both the artists and this newsletter (aka me!). more projects rolling out soon.
after reading a piece in the cactus store substack, specimen monthly, i realized i spend so much time investigating other people's favorite flowers without divulging my own. while i don't really believe in favorite anythings (so unfair of me as my questions to push picks are all about favorites), i still think its a worthwhile exercise for investigating taste. frankly our preferences change so frequently, favorites become more of a marking of a particular aesthetic or cultural moment on our planetary ride that anything else. (this is why tattooing is always so impressive to me- we do it with the knowledge that we will be disgusted with our choices at some point). i digress.
so that said...if i had to choose it would be a rose...
a red rose.
i learned recently on the said substack that blue roses are the most expensive and rarest of them all:
Now, about blue roses… I should've mentioned earlier that they don’t actually occur naturally but are the product of selective breeding and genetic modification, and even sometimes of artificial dying techniques and staining methods. This reminds me of that scene from Lewis Carroll’s book Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland where the Queen of Hearts’ royal gardeners painted her roses red to assuage her temper preemptively.
“We’re painting the roses red, yes, painting the roses red, not pink, not green, not aquamarine, we’re painting the roses red!”
now onto today's push picks: this "issue" is near and dear to my heart as it accesses a time past that i had the nostalgic pleasure of revisiting. above is a photo i took in phoenix arizona where i had a life changing experience that started with meeting this week's push pick, trudie jackson. after seeing an ad in a paper for the miss transgender native american beauty pageant in 2010 or so i called the number at the bottom. trudie jackson answered and the rest is history. i flew out to phoenix to meet her and made work with her investigating, the pageant, the west, and the mysteries that surround both gender, ritual, identity and culture. it is such an honor to present trudie.
(*aside from her headshot all the photos were snapped by yours truly)
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Trudie Jackson is an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation - she identifies with her Four Clans: Bitterwater, Folded Arms, Mexican, and Yucca Strung Out In A LIne - a proud na'dleehi' (transwomen). She is from Teec Nos Pos, Arizona on the Navajo Nation but currently resides in Phoenix, Arizona for more than four decades. She identifies herself as an urban Indian and a product of the Indian Boarding Schools.
She is an advocate, grassroots organizer, and a trailblazer in the American Indian Two Spirit community. She is a co-leader with the Southwest Two Spirit Society, the founder of the Southwest American Indian Rainbow Gathering, and the Miss Indian Transgender Arizona pageant.
Currently sits on the Board of Directors with the Southwest Center for HIV/AIDS and recently stepped down from the Education & Outreach Committee with Phoenix Pride.
She holds a master degree in American Indian Studies, as well as double bachelors Public Service & Public Policy and American Indian Studies. All her degrees are from Arizona State University.
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what kind of life do you want to live?
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To live in a world that K'e (relationship) is honored/respected as we are all the Five Fingered People by embracing all identities by decolonizing the social construct of gender labels but the contributions one makes to their community.
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Co-chair for AIDS Walk Arizona - share the importance for HIV testing, prevention, education, and outreach in all communities such as tribal (rural/urban spaces) communities
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Sharing of knowledge with emerging native Two Spirit relatives to mentor and enter spaces as a proud Two Spirit relative.
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trudie's film of the week
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last film I watched was Prey - it was teeth biting and amazing
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trudie's song of the week
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Before The Next Teardrop Fall by Feddie Fender as I am old school and love country music to unwind.
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trudie's food of the week
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Blue corn mush which is a Navajo traditional food and soothes during cold months.
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trudie's flower and bread pick
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My favorite flower is the Yucca plant as it is sentimental during the Winter Ceremonies which the entire plant is use during the Navajo Shoe Games.
My favorite bread is Indian frybread as I prefer to have it cooked outside over an open fire instead of indoors.
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and a few picks from push...
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reader and dear friend tom sent me this! feast your eyes on these remarkable craft projects and let yourself lean into more play.
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is anyone NOT listening to this over the winter?
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this restaurant holds a special place in my heart. trudie and i ate enchiladas here in 20.. i can't even remember... it used to be a morgue and now...a fantastically kitschy mexican restaurant nestled in the desert.
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we hope you are staying warm and that you enjoyed another installment of push picks. as always, if you like what you read, forward it to someone or encourage them to sign up. it would mean the world to us 🌎
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