Paradise City

I walked through Spaights Plaza at 7:35am--not even 24-hours after we initially chalked--and there are several responses and "edits" to our text. I'm surprised at how quickly people wrote back. And while I have to say there's nothing terribly surprising about WHAT people wrote (we did, after all, leave pieces of chalk behind to invite responses) I'm feeling disheartened that I attend and work at a campus on which feminist, pro-choice messages couldn't last for even 24 hours without direct opposition. And I feel most affected and alarmed by the large drawing of a penis with text that reads: "Do you have AIDS?" I can't help but feel a sense of antagonism beyond resistance...something smacks of hate...

Text Map:

I walk through Spaights Plaza with two friends (Molly and Dathan) around 7:35am. We read responses to the chalking. We joke about how this is depressing but great for the project. I take some photographs with my phone.

I go to our office and tell Mike about the responses. We head back out to the plaza with his camera.

I text message John and Amy on our way to the plaza at 7:47am.

I write: Some fundy wrote back to all of our chalk! 7:47am

John writes: On campus on clinic or both? 7:47am

I write: Campus! And it's bad 7:49am

John writes: We just had to go and leave chalk now didn't we? 7:50am

Amy writes: Oh wow! Email me bout it. Phone going off. 7:51am

John writes: They were mad about the gilyard quote im sure 7:54am

I have a lot mixed feelings about all of this. On one hand I feel somehow invigorated. But I also feel a sense of dread, disappointment, and frustration. At its simplest, I'm very glad that our invitation to chalk back was taken seriously. Even if one of the responses reads: "I don't have an opinion but I love chalk."

Not exactly sure what to make of the GNR quote. What would Axel say about this? Mike says he has no idea.

On a side note: I felt somewhat more conspicuous taking pictures in Spaights Plaza today--there were more people around and I was, generally speaking, more brightly "colored" in loud blue tights and an olive green coat. Yesterday, Mike said I looked militant--I was wearing sneakers, jeans, a black zippery jacket, and my Dykes in the City Hat. If I want to pay closer attention to my body as I engage in this public art project it seems only fair and appropriate to talk about clothing choices. This isn't just my sneaky attempt to tie this all to the politics of fashion. Or is it?

At 9:47am Molly sends me a text message.

She writes: How's it going? Any news to report from spaights?

I write: I'm blogging about that right now! I mentioned you and Dathan. It's the chalk blog not my regular blog btw. 9:48am

Molly: Will you send me the link? I'll check it out this afternoon. 9:50am