Put a cat on it.

The Portlandia show says "put a bird on it"; I put a cat on it.  Happy Caturday!

About the handmade book: This measures about 3 inches by 2 inches (the inside page height is about 2.5 inches), and pages and covers are hand-sewn (I broke one needle while doing it).

I was at the 2012 Gender Studies Symposium yesterday at Lewis & Clark College yesterday.  Now one of the major campus events in the L&C calendar each year, this symposium showcases student researches in the fields of feminist/women's studies, queer studies, and related fields.  One of the last events I attended was

5:30-7:00 pm, Gregg Pavilion
Radical Domesticity: A Craftivism Workshop
Facilitated by L&C seniors Stephanie Levine and Kathryn Kucera
From male knitters in the American Revolution to third-wave feminists reclaiming The New Domesticity, crafting has consistently been part of American culture or counter-culture. For generations, crafters have rejected modern modes of production and opted for traditional techniques in order to maintain a tactile relationship with the world and objects around them.
Following a short presentation, we will turn crafting theory into practice and make journals using recycled materials. Snacks and beverages will be provided.

To make it all short, the presentation focused on the contemporary resurgence of the Arts and Crafts movement aided by virtual and local socialization of the DIY arts and crafts activities, and how this may or may not be similar to the late 1870s-1890s British and American Arts and Crafts movement.  Levine helpfully noted the major difference between the British and American manifestations of the movement, whereas the former is closely tied to the class struggle and Marxist social movement in resistance to the dehumanization created by the second industrial revolution, and resulting detachment of the humans from their products and production process, while the latter fell nicely into the American psyche of self-reliance and rugged individual freedom.

The DIY ethos has been one of the cornerstones of the contemporary anarchist and anarcho-punk movements that have greatly influenced the Occupy movement, as well.  Indeed, the Occupation encampments everywhere utilized this hands-on, DIY approach in the building and upkeep of the camps.

Occupy and put a cat on it!