aoe ‘one. | dent papers. EDUCATION IS STILL A WRITE a story about Linkon Vass by Doug Scott I had seen 1 Bin make five be in the metal ‘shop long ‘past class hours, working steel in a blaze of flame and sparks. In the course of a few years his work progressed from crude icons to an — rendered Janguage born of his own determination. : Linkon Vass was a unique presence at the Emily: Carr Col- lege of Art and Design. He be- came a symbol of doomed strug- gle. He would not attend classes that required reading and writ- ing. Some claimed that he could not read. In his final months at the college, he attended noclasses at all. Instead, he devoted all of his time to metal studio. Perhaps Linkon did not know what he was getting into when he applied to ‘the college. The place does havea strange reputation. Ma are as unclear of its loc: they are of what is taught pee To the potential student, th lege presents itself as something of a wonderland. It boasts some of the best-equipped studios in North America. Its celebrated emphasis is on the students’ right to hands-on development in their chosen mediums. Nearly all the classes are based « on oral criti- plain its academic require The academic require- ments of the college accounts for only a fractional amount of the four year course, yet it is manda- tory for graduation. Perhaps this. ‘is a clearer indication of what the college is about. In order for the college tobea worthwhile institu- : tion, all of the students’ thinking must be put into written form. The mediumof writing is accepted as standard and is not questioned. There is something of a mystery here. Throughout the college there is nothing to indi- cate what the standards of writ- ing are, yet they are implied each time a paper is marked and re- turned. No record is kept of stu- The medium of writing is taken for granted. Linkon was an excellent student whose work was of the highest quality. Upon his expulsion from the college I realized that people- the society that the college rep- resents- do not think in terms of skill or craft. Writing is the way we think, and plays a central role in gaining recognition for learn- ing any medium. : by Stephanie Salter believe that under- : neath: the absurdly general term “art there lies a universe of visual: possibilities. However, the college | does not make an attempt to ex- Warning: If you are homophobic, this column will be awful for your disposition. It will push your nastiest buttons and rub your deepest, darkest fears the wrong way. This column is about gay men and the good that the liberation move- ment has done for all men. And women. If you do not suffer from homphobia, consider this food for thought as Gay Pride Week draws to a close. Before I tum the floor over to him, meet Ken Maley, San Franciscan, media consultant and gay man. Maley makes a living by paying attention to what Americans think, feel and buy. He charts trends, pre- dicts spinoff trends and does post- mortems on dead _ trends. For years now Maley has been squirreling away evidence of the new men’s movement. His collec- WHEN by Catherine Silva Sometimes it’s funny how one’s own little concerns take on monu- mental importance, while the Big Picture just passes by like a blip on a computer screen. And then one looks up and realizes that the Big Picture is nothing more than a com- posite of little concerns. For nearly a decade, Hong Kong has been on loan to Great Britain. Then, three years ago, Maggie got macho during lease negotiations and now Hong Kong will be retumed to China in 1997. China says that Hong Kong will be left unscathed for fifty years before their axe falls; that things will be left as they are; that Hong Kong will still be the Capital- ist Pearl of the Orient. I just don’t know. I confess to not being savvy on the latest round of political derring-do’s and that I am unfamil- iar with the present state of Chinese government. However, I do know about their recent record regarding democratic protests and demonstra- tions. I know about the hysterical tush to get out of Hong Kong, and the superhuman building and spending that’s happening before it’s Too Late. The little that I do know is enough to scare me about the Big Picture. The effect on world markets and economies must be enormous. ButI only care about the implications on my own world - the one that includes my family. I was born in Hong Kong. My mother grew up there and my father lived there for many years. Most of my relatives are therenow. I am also Eurasian - Chinese and European. Planet of the Arts Volume 7 Issue 3 HE'S NOT JOHN WAYNE tion is convincing. Even if a guy never attends a Wild Man retreat or reads a Robert Bly poem, he is part of an evolutionary social change that is taking place in American men. From Gillette’s “the best a man can be” to Calvin Klein dads cra- dling their sons with care, Madison — Avenue knows this change is afoot. And while the easy Laie is Alan Alda’s “sensitive guy,” the results of any number of polls - from Playboy magazine to Gallup - re- veal a modern man who has begun to suspect that the old ways are letting him down. He’s not John Wayne but who the hell is he? He wants professional success but not at the price of alienating his family or dropping dead of a heart attack at 50. He loves sex butnot the assumption that he’s supposed to perform on command just because he’smale. He loves his men friends, too - what few he has - buthe doesn’t feel comfortable talking to them the way he does to women. “Tt’s no coincidence that the men’s movement centers on men being alone with each other - off in the woods, wherever - baring their souls and talking to each other,” said Maley. “In every human there is a deep longing for intimacy. All men are drawn to bonding and good male relationships but, for straight men, ONG KONG GOES I used to think that I would be able to go back one day. That I could meet the relatives whom I know in my mind’s eye, but none of whom I have ever seen. It would have been nice to meetmy grandmother, whom I have no memories of, for the first time. I wanted to visit the places where my parents went to hang out, and try to find out from what mix- ture of cultures I am made; where and what my parents come from; where my history lies. the opportunities are few and nar- towly-defined, like the military or sports. “Straight men want to be together but when they are, they still talk a kind of third language because they are so afraid that any real intimacy or strong feelings must be sexual. One of the reasons gay men and straight women are close is because they really talk to each other. Like women, gay men have learned that you can admit your vulnerability, your sadness, your fear and confu- sion, and it doesn’t mean you fall apart. And the AIDS crisis has shown gay men that they can nur- ture, be tender and give comfort - a role traditionally assigned only to women. “In their everyday, normal lives, straight men can’t be vulnerable or lack confidence or question why it is you have to ‘be on top’ in every- thing no matter the price. So much of the gay liberation movement of the 70’s was about getting free of the restrictions that the male stere- otype sets up. “Many people still don’t under- stand this but gay liberation isn’t | primarily about sex. It isn’t about the right to make a pass at a straight man. It’s about the right to be the kind of man you want to be. To break the stereotype apart. “When you look back at the 70’s This is not to say that I am sorry I’m Canadian. I’m not - [love this coun- try. But it feels as though there’s something out there that I'll always be able to look at and have for myself. I know my parents are wor- ried because they don’t want their friends and family to disappear for- ever together with a unique way of life. Stories and pictures are only good as long as there is something real to go back to. model of a liberated gay man, he was anything but the stereotype ef- feminate male. He was almost hyper-male instead - mustache, short hair, plaid work shirt, jeans, boots, leather. Gay men practically cre- ated the fitness boom at gyms, pumping up their muscles - cel- ebrating their maleness. “Again, because of fear, straight men often don’t realize that the ulti- mate goal of the gay liberation and women’s liberation movements is to put ourselves out of business, to get to the place where there is no need for such movements. Only straight men can make this happen. The evolution is not toward androgyny - which would never happen anyway -but toward every- body being better, more compas- sionate people. What gay men be- gan to shout 20 years ago, what women know is, this evolution won’t kill you. In fact, it’s what will save us all.” With that, I leave you for two weeks of vacation and wish every- one, straight and gay, a particularly meaningful Independence Day.* (This article originally appeared in the SF Examiner, Sunday, June 30, 1991. It has been reprinted with permission.) BACK These are the concerns that have made me a little older. These are the thoughts that color millions of lives, and maybe they aren’t earth shattering, but they shake my world - the one composed of my family. * EDUCATION IS STILL A WRITE a story about Linkon Vass by Doug Scott 1 had seen him make five sculpturesinone night. He would be in the metal shop tong past class hours, working steel in a blaze of flame and sparks. Inthe ‘course of a few years his work progressed from crude icons to an elegantly rendered language ofelements. A unique language ‘born of his own determination, Linkon Vass was a unique | presence at the Emily Carr Cob lege of Art and Design, He be- ‘came a symbol of doomed strug- le. He would not attend classes ‘that required reading and writ ing. Some claimed that he could not read. In hs final months at the college, he attended no classes tall, Instead, he devoted all of his time to metal studio. Perhaps Linkon didnot know whathe was setting into when he applied to ‘the college. The place doeshavea strange reputation. Many people are as unclear of its location as they are of what Is taught there. "To the potential student, the col lege presents itself as something ‘ofa wonderland, It boasts some ‘of the best-equlpped studios in North America. Its celebrated ‘emphasisison the students right tohands-on development in their ‘chosen mediums. Nearly all the classes are based on oral criti ‘ism. Itisa place for ingury into sual language. This s what at- tracted Linkon, as It does many students. The pursut isan admi- rable one. I believe that under- ‘neath the absurdly general term art" thereliesaunivers of visual possibilites. However, thecollege does not make an attempt to ex- plain its academic requirements. ‘The academle require- ments ofthe college accounts for only a fractional amount of the four year course, yt itis manda- toryfor graduation. Perhapsthis Isaclearer indication of what the college is about. In order for the collegetobea worthwhile insttu- tion, al ofthe students’ thinking ‘must be put into written form. ‘Themediumot writingisaccepted asstandardandisnot questioned. ‘There is something of mystery here. Throughout the college there is nothing to indi ‘cate what the standards of writ Ingare, yet they are implied each time a paper is marked and re- turned. No record iskept of stu- ‘dent papers. The medium of ‘writing fs taken for granted. Linkon was an excellent student whose work was of the highest quality. Upon his expulsion from the college I realize that people the society that the college rep- resents- do not think in terms of skill erat. Writing isthe way we think, and plays central role in gaining recognition for learn- ing any medium. * by Stephanie Salter ‘Waring: If you are homophobic, this column wil be awful for your disposition will push your nastiest buttons and rub your deepest, darkest fears the wrong way, ‘This column's about gay men and the good that the liberation move: ‘ment has done for all men. And ‘women. If you do not suffer from Ihomphobia, consider this food for thoughtas Gay Pride Weekdrawst close, ‘Before tum the floor over to him, meet Ken Maley, San Franciscan, ‘media consultant and gay man. Maley makes a living by paying tention to what Americans think, feel and buy. He charts trends, pre- dicts spinoff trends and does post mortems on dead trends. For years now Maley has been squimeling away evidence of the new men's movement. Hi collec: WHEN H by Catherine Silva ‘Sometimes it's funny how one's ‘own litle concerns take on monu- ‘mental importance, while the Big Picture just pases by lke a lip on ‘a computer sereen. And then one looks up and realizes that the Big Picture s nothing more than a com: posite of little concerns. For nearly a decade, Hong Kong, thas been of loan to Great Britain. ‘Then, three yeas ago, Maggie got macho during lease negotiations and ‘now Hong Kong willbe returned to ‘Chinain 1997, Chinasaysthat Hong, Kong willbe left unscathed for fifty ‘years before their axe falls; that things willbe left as they are; that Hong Kong will stil be the Capit jst Peal of the Orient. I just don’t Know, I confess not being savvy ‘on the latest round of political erring do's and that am unfamil- far withthe present state of Chinese govemment. However, Ido know bout their recent record regerding democratic protests and demonstra tions. I know about the hysterical rush io get out of Hong Kong, and the superhuman building and spending that’s happening before its Too Late. The litle that do know is enough to seare me about ‘theBig Picture. Theeffecton world markets and economies must be ‘enormous. But only care about the implications on my own world the ‘one that includes my family Twas bor in Hong Kong. My smother grew up there and my father lived therefor many years. Most of ‘my relatives aetherenow.Lamalso Eurasian ~ Chinese and European. Planet of the Arts Volume 7 Issue 3 HE'S NOT JOHN WAYNE tion is convincing. Even if guy never attends a Wild Man retreat or reads a Robert Bly poem, hei part cof an evolutionary social change that is taking place in American From Gillete’s “the best a man ‘ea be” to Calvin Klein dads era «ling their sons with care, Madison ‘Avenue knows this change is afoot. ‘And while the easy joke is Alan ‘Alda’s “sensitive guy,” the results of any number of polls - from Playboy magazine to Gallup - re veal a moder man who has begun to suspect that the old ways are Tewing him down. He's not John ‘Wayne but who the hell is he? He wants professional success but not at the price of alienating his family or dropping dead of a heart. attackatS0, Helovessex butnotthe assumption that he's supposed 0 perform on command just because he'smale. Heloveshisimen rend, too- what ew hehas -buthedoesn’t feel comfortable talking to them the way he does to women. “i’sno coincidence thatthe men’s movement centers on men being ‘lone with each other - off in the ‘woods, wherever-baringtheirsouls and talking to each other,” said Maley. “In very human there is 3