#11: 12/4 - 12/11

 

Jack Hietpas, Lisbon, Portugal: I didn’t take many photos in Lisbon. The city center was almost too picturesque: the pastel colored late 18th-century buildings, the vintage yellow trams running up and down the cobbled streets, the ornate tile facades, the hilltop viewpoints offering sweeping views. I’m sure you’ve seen pictures. Snapping any photo felt cliché, with the result unlikely to differentiate itself from the mountain of images captured everyday in this place that has become a major tourist destination. Even now in the “off-season,” Lisbon was packed. Constantly surrounded by other foreigners and being unable to speak Portuguese, I was hyperaware of my status as a visitor, which is not a feeling I like. It almost felt like a theme park, with the disconcerting thing being that of course it is a real city where people live and are now increasingly being priced out of as a result of the influx of tourists and expat “digital nomads." It was only when I got out of the center that I really enjoyed my time there. On my last evening in the city, I went to the Tapada das Necessidades, an old palace grounds that is now a park. Fortunately, humans were greatly outnumbered by chickens and ducks here. (If you look closely, one of the handful of other people I encountered can be seen in this photo feeding the birds.) I loved it, just standing amidst the weird tropical-looking vegetation and listening to the various species of fowl squawking combined with the dull distant roar of traffic crossing the bridge over the Tagus River.  

Melanie Holterman, Washington, D.C. : My cousin and I elevated our feet after a night out and wiggled our toes. That’s about the gist of it. 

Lydia Milano, Baltimore, MD: I have been trying to rotoscope a little bit every day. Such a slow process! But it feels good to draw, and I feel more motivated to sit at my desk and drink tea all day now that it’s getting chilly.

Karuna Vikram, Cambridge, UK: The Fairbairn Cup; on our way back from our first race of the season.

Elm McKissick, the Berkshires, MA: This past weekend my sisters and I took my mom to the Berkshires for a celebration of her 60th birthday (yay Peggy!). Here she is popping her champagne. The Berkshires are lovely, tons of hiking trails and some really great food. Felt nice to be with family outside of the holiday madness. 

Andrew Swant, Milwaukee, WI: Our cat, Billie, is 14. Our dog, Bertie, is 4. They're the same weight. The cat has been ignoring the dog for the last 4 years, but yesterday they both climbed on my lap and laid next to each other for about 15 minutes. I stayed very still. 

Aditi Kapoor, Rome, Italy: Every corner you turn in Rome, you stumble on something beautiful. Every ceiling you look at is better than the last one! The weather is almost always amazing and the food is out of this world! The youth culture is so potent and the wine is bellisimo (there are as many enotecas as chapels I’d want to say). Italian is a beautiful language and unlike the French they love when you try to speak it! Rome has my heart! Since it was my first time there, I went to the Vatican. By the end of our run there, everything melted into each other—it’s overwhelmingly beautiful. Really overwhelming, and really beautiful. I was walking through a room and everyone seemed to be looking my way and I turned my back, only to gasp and look at the School of Venus. To be honest, I didn’t even know it was painted at the Vatican so it added to my surprise of seeing it. It’s beautiful, but so is everything everywhere in Rome. All chapels and Roman temples are embellished with paintings and gold ornamentation and they all make you go go like: how is that even possible? Rome hasn’t answered any questions but has posed so many more!! Gosh I never wanted to leave. Here for reccs if anybody on this list ever wants to go! I think I got all the right spots down. 

#10: 11/27 - 12/4

Jack Hietpas, Caneliñas, Galicia, Spain: This weekend I explored the abandoned whaling factory of Caneliñas, a four-mile walk from Cee. This facility was used to butcher and process whales up until 1986 — in fact, it was the last whaling factory operating in Europe. There is a strong undercurrent of post-industrial decay running through this part of Spain. Although Cee seems to be thriving (largely thanks to the steady flow of Camino de Santiago pilgrims), dilapidated, vacant structures proliferate in town and in the surrounding countryside, giving it a melancholy feel. This also makes it an endlessly fascinating place to walk around and explore, as you’re constantly coming across the crumbling remnants of obsolete ways of life peeking out from behind thick green curtains of brambles, moss, and ivy. 

Julia Gunnison, Brooklyn, NY: I was taking my regular walk in Greenwood Cemetery the other day and chanced upon what is unquestionably the largest leaf pile I have ever seen. As a child I would likely have cried tears of joy at the sight of it, though my adult self also found it to be a beauteous thing to behold. I laid down in it for a bit, which was a gratifying experience. Farewell, autumn!

Jack Tetting, Baltimore, Maryland: Started making a new comic while I had Covid. It’s been a whirlwind lately and I had been feeling very paranoid and withdrawn over the past month or so which is why I haven’t written for a while. I feel really happy though, and my routines of observational drawing a skull and my feet everyday have been a big rock for me. The comic is about a fictional 1,000 year period I have been thinking will come when we finally ruin this place. For all those other traumatized Catholics out there yes that’s where the 1000 comes from. This is the last third of the period called “The Relic Age” which is like the dark ages but with 3d printed cathedrals built by AI programs and a cult of worship around screen technology. The character in this story is a screensayer in training, someone who can communicate and extract information from Relics (anything with a screen basically). 

Gillian Waldo, Chicago, IL: Took a trip down to the Art Institute this week to do some archival research and try to shoot the Stock Exchange room. I snuck my Bolex past security, but it was pretty dark, so I don't know that anything will come out. It is a glorious room, though. Designed by Louis Sullivan, it was recreated at the Art Institute after its demolition thanks to the work of John Vinci and Richard Nickel. Now it's mostly used for weddings.

Matt Hietpas, Shorewood, WI: I feel that if I submitted a picture of Lake Michigan every week, it may seem boring, but to me, it shows up in a different way every time I see it. When it is calm and the sun is right, the remnants of the old stone piers show themselves, and I wonder at the stories they could tell.  Perhaps it’s the stark cross that is making me feel philosophical, but you have to admit it is beautiful.  (Kate - glad you are perking up :) )

Britany Gunderson, Flanders, NY: Here's the Big Duck - located in Long Island, NY. We drove 1.5 hours one way just to see this Big Duck. It's a roadside attraction/gift shop and the woman working inside had been there for 15 years. I bought a souvenir mug and on the back it says, "The Big Duck has become the most famous example of American Roadside Architecture in which 'form follows fantasy'." 

Melanie Holterman, Flanders, NY: The Big Duck sits watching over Long Island with a beautiful wreath sash and a festive red eye glare. The Big Duck was moved around several times during its life in Flanders until it was returned to its original location (pictured above)! I hope being moved around so much didn’t create an unstable sense of self in its concrete wooden head. 

Aditi Kapoor, London, UK: This past week I had the honor and the privilege to not only meet my favorite artist, but dine with her! Nicole Eisenman has to be one of my favorite painters, if not my most favorite. My boss curated her exhibition at the Whitechapel Gallery and I have now visited that exhibition 7 times. It’s weird thing to say, but I’d consider that exhibition my home away from home. I find so much solace in her paintings. I was so perplexed by my own need to see them over and over but someone I’m very close to recently said to me: “It makes sense why you’re into her. So much of her her work is about NYC, and you miss it.” So I guess it’s just that. Her paintings are beautiful and they remind me of New York, and I keep wanting to look at them over and over and over. My boss knew this, so he put me next to Nicole during our Christmas dinner this past week. It was a hard one to impress her but we got there eventually. She started talking about this burger joint in the east village and I almost screamed “SUPERIORITY BURGER?!!!,” to which she delightfully responded “yes”. So we talked about New York, her kids, sex parties at Columbia, standing up for what you believe in—and Palestine. Of all the people in the art world, I have so much respect for all that she is, and all that she stands for. She refuses to budge and will always stand for the under dog, and in this case, will cross whatever boundaries to oppose genocide, including fucking over some of her collectors. She told me how could she not do that? The onus of our global predicament is on us. If we don’t fight— who will? There’s so much more to say, but I’ll keep it short. I don’t think we’re friends yet, but she told me people like us (me and my cohort) give her hope. She told me she’s glad to have met me. I feel lucky. Nicole Eisenman forever. 

#9: 11/20 - 11/27

Jack Hietpas, Cabo Finisterre, Galicia, Spain: It’s been four years since I was home with my family for Thanksgiving, sadly. Since a couple years ago, it’s been my custom to go on a long solo walk on Thanksgiving Day. The last two years I walked from Morningside Heights to Lower Manhattan for a meal in Chinatown and a movie at Film Forum. This year, I walked 10 miles to Cape Finisterre (the “End of the Earth”), which is almost the westernmost point of continental Europe. It’s the final destination for many pilgrims on the Camino de Santiago, who continue walking a few days from Santiago de Compostela to get here. Apparently, people have been making pilgrimages to see the sunset here since pre-Christian times. I bought an overpriced ice cream treat from the bar nearby (it’s Spain, so of course there's a bar) and found a rocky perch to watch the sun dip into the ocean, feeling grateful that I get to call this place home for a bit.

Lydia Milano, Savannah, Georgia: I have a lot of pictures from this past week - I went to Savannah, Georgia for my cousin’s wedding. Drove 10 hours with my parents on Thanksgiving Day. Went to South of the Border for the first time. Ate lots of good food. Laughed with my family. I feel grateful to have kin who I can have fun with for 4 days straight and not grow sick of them (although I did get a little cranky on the drive back). It’s really so hard to select one picture, so I’m going to share one of the happy couple, the whole reason for the trip. I miss the spanish moss already </3

P.S. Why is it called Spanish moss? And why is there none in Cee?

Elm McKissick, Somerville, MA: This past week I was cleaning out the closet in my childhood bedroom and found my box (the box that my mom dumped all memorabilia and miscellaneous keepsakes into). It was so fun to look through! I found a stack of letters that my grandmother had written to me, all before the time I could read. Most of these letters included pictures of the ducks that lived in her backyard, along with detailed descriptions of the weather. What a funny thing to write to someone who can’t read! A good reminder to save the little things from the people you love. 

Karuna Vikram, Cambridge, UK: We did some impromptu Thanksgiving style cooking and baking to bring some American cheer across the pond. A lowkey, but very home-y celebration where I was so very thankful for these new friendships. 

Julia Gunnison, New York, NY: I sold my car recently which was liberating but also a little sad, we've been through a lot together !  The last thing we did together was a car wash. I LOVE car washes !  They are such an incredible liminal space, a heterotopia if you will, I love the colors and sounds. 

Gillian Waldo, Milwaukee, WI: Helped my friend with a late night shoot for a project she's doing on cheering and hysteria. We didn't have much space to work with, so we crammed all of the furniture in the studio to one side. Had to sit on the floor and lean back to get this low angle shot of a cheerleader fainting onto the pillow in front of me.

Andrew Swant, Yucatán, Mexico: Sarah and I just got back from Mexico! We swam in this cenote! I knew nothing about them before the trip. There are 6,000 cenotes around the Yucatan peninsula and they were most likely caused by meteorites. They're filled with fresh water because they're connected by underground rivers. My watch popped off my wrist when I dove into the water and our guide told me it would probably end up in a different cenote many miles away. 

Amy Hietpas, Chicago, IL: Three generations (and three of the redheads of the family) cut a rug together at the big family wedding this weekend - from age 5 to 89.  Actually, four generations were on the dance floor. Festive and fun, but we missed you, of course! 

Joe Riepenhoff, Shorewood, WI: When I was getting to the office the other day the wind was blowing on a patch of grass that had been recently planted so it’s long and and kind of fragile.

Britany Gunderson, Boston, MA: We were in Boston for three days for a film talk/workshop I was teaching. We went to the Isabella Stewart Gardner museum. This museum is curated by Isabella, opening in 1903, and most of the paintings are still hung in her specific, yet odd placements. The museum's also known for having the biggest unsolved art heist in history, with 13 pieces stolen worth over $500 million. They still display all the frames where the pieces used to be.

https://www.gardnermuseum.org/organization/theft

Melanie Holterman, Boston, MA: Big smiles from oyster girl over here. I love oysters. I get them a lot in Milwaukee but my first one was in Boston and I was happy to be back eating them. We got these at The Hourly Oyster House, my favorite was called “Black Magic” from Prince Edward Island in Canada. Don’t be surprised if you hear of an oyster shortage on the north east coast, more will be consumed! 

Kate Miller, Manhasset, NY: To all those concerned (Jack’s parents), apologies for the sad writings in recent weeks. I am okay! Better, even! Girls are adjusting to home life and everything is alright!!!!!!!! I think perhaps the full moon was to blame. No more silly, only normal from now on. Promise! <3

#8: 11/13 - 11/20

Jack Hietpas, O Pindo, Galicia, Spain: This is the view from the top of Mount Pindo, where I climbed to after work yesterday with two friends (fellow English teaching assistants.) In the center of the picture, at the end of that inlet, is Corcubión and Cee, where I live. After weeks of nonstop rain and gloom, we’re getting a badly-needed run of sunny weather this week.

Sarah Luther, Silver City, Milwaukee, WI: This was a particularly nice fall moment on my walk to work this past week. It feels like a whole world. Somewhere to get lost. I have been thinking a lot about bugs and other small creatures this summer after many of our trees were cut down for a construction project, and now this fall as the landscape changes.

Kate Miller, Manhasset, NY: Smashed a guitar shot a music video ate Korean barbecue saw old friends stop motion animation been home for over a week why is it so hard to leave the house? the city is scary and too loud and too crowded and too bright but I can’t see the stars at home either and I really really really miss having a cat in my lap and even compliments make me cry because this feels like a different sort of time warp? Maybe my body just doesn’t really understand how time works? Probably since my memory is really bad and the passage of time is confusing in my head and being in a transition period this big makes it even more confusing because I feel like an entirely different person but the only thing anyone can see that’s different is new metal in my face and a big tattoo on my back and a little one on my finger that I scratched off and everything feels way too familiar and I’m writing this out mostly because I feel numb and I know these feelings are in there somewhere and normally I would have big scream in your face feelings but they’re not doing that now and I sort of want them to because otherwise I just feel a little like a zombie. I need to go walk to a really big rock late at night. 

So sorry for using this as a journal entry! I have no justification for doing so! It was kind of an accident. All my love to everyone <3

Gillian Waldo, Milwaukee, WI: On Thanksgiving Eve, the sky was ecstatic. I had things to take care of, but I ran across the street to the arboretum and stood in the parking lot to take in the last blush of the sunset. It felt hopeful.

Elm McKissick, Massachusetts: I’m not one for the traditional thanksgiving spread, so here’s the meal’s highlight (and the only thing that I contributed) — rolls! 

Andrew Swant, Silver City, Milwaukee: We put in a new toilet this week! Once we had the old toilet removed I stuck my phone into the hole in the floor and took this beautiful photo. Looks like a cave or a subway tunnel. The hole in the right comes from our bathtub.

Amy Hietpas, Rogers Park, Chicago, IL: Discovered a tiny Sicilian street food cafe in Chicago this weekend - a few blocks from Anna’s. Amazing arancini. I loved this little lemon crowned woman.

Aditi Kapoor, Margate, UK: I’ve been getting a lot into seafood! Growing up in Delhi, I never had much but living in Dublin and London has really made me appreciate being by the water, and eating its little fruits. We recently went to Margate with my fellowship and me and my friend Felix escaped our trip to get a bunch of oysters. £1.5 each and they came with Tobasco and shallot vinegar. Sublime. Just so sensually delicious; not to forget the sounds of the waves crashing in the back as we were eating them. It was so beautiful. It’s really all about the simple pleasures of life.

Britany Gunderson, Caledon, ON, Canada: Mel and I are on a road trip and visited our friend Frani in Toronto. She took us to the farm she woofs at called Mount Wolfe Farm. It was a dreamy place, tucked away, with a rich generational history of women running the farm/property. I fell in love with it! We collected eggs from the chickens then made a meal together.

Melanie Holterman, ON, Canada: Brit and I were stopped at the Canadian boarder heading to Toronto, which is apparently unheard of by most Canadians. We aren’t sure what made us suspicious but they found pepper spray in the car, so Brit signed a receipt showing that the pepper spray would be confiscated and destroyed. It’s my first time in Canada so they said they’d go easy on us. Welcome to Canada!

#7: 11/6 - 11/13

Jack Hietpas, Cee, Galicia, Spain: On Saturday, the rain finally let up enough to permit an afternoon of walking around and exploring. My first stop was an abandoned shipyard just a five minute walk from my apartment. I see the structures all the time from afar but I’d never climbed over the fence to take a closer look. It’s an eerie, unsettling spot and I didn’t stay for too long. I need to learn more about its history.

Kate Miller, Manhasset, NY: Hello from Manhasset, New York, for the first time in the postcards series. I’m home, and everything is weird. I don’t have many photos from this past week but I was in Ciudad de México where I reunited with my parents, and then home on Friday. I did come home at the best time of the year, at least; all the trees are fiery orange and all the sunsets are bright pink and purple. But I feel a little insane and I sort of don’t know what to do with myself. Everything is the same here and I am different. 

Melanie Holterman, Milwaukee, WI: Beyoncé's manicure.

Gillian Waldo, Milwaukee, WI: Went to the protest organized by PSL Milwaukee in solidarity with journalists in Gaza. It was good to see people in the streets, and we marched to the Journal Sentinel building. There was a nice percussion section, and it was unseasonably warm for November.

Elm McKissick, Portland, ME: Visited my dad this weekend in Portland ME. The trip included MANY trips to the various goodwills that are around him. One of the stores had this picture. Freaky! And kinda funny! I’m choosing to believe this scene is a still from an amateur stop-motion production. 

(We didn’t buy — my dad thought it was too weird to hang)

Britany Gunderson, Windsor, ON, Canada: I got to attend Media City film festival in Windsor, Ontario this past week. It was a great festival with super solid programming and the most filmmakers I've ever seen in attendance. We went to the Phog Lounge bar every night after the screenings, where they had ceiling tiles painted by various people. I kept catching myself looking at the ceiling, drifting from the conversations.

#6: Week of 10/30 - 11/6

Jack Hietpas, Santiago de Compostela, Galicia, Spain: Walking around the car-free medieval center of Santiago de Compostela, where I spent this past weekend, I came across an organic food co-op called Legumia. It was the perfect place to stock up on spices, something I’ve been in desperate need of (the supermarkets around here don’t carry much more than salt, pepper, oregano, and paprika.) It was also the most hardcore Galician place I’ve been to so far. The woman working there was kind and helpful, but only spoke to me in Gallego. Not only were all of the labels written exclusively in Gallego, they were also spelled differently from the conventional spellings. For example, the word “comiño” (cumin, or “comino” in Spanish) was written “cominho,” following Portuguese spelling rules. I learned that there is a movement to adopt Portuguese orthography for the Galician language, as a way of rejecting the influence of Castilian Spanish and connecting to its shared heritage with Portuguese (both languages are descended from medieval Galician-Portuguese.) 

Andrew Swant, West Bend, WI: My sister Sarah and my partner Sarah and I went hiking on the West Bend segment of the Ice Age Trail to take in the remains of the fall color. In this photo they are looking at a seed pod with gabillions of tiny seeds inside. 

Lydia Milano, Merchantville, NJ: In the spirit of relaxation, I am sharing a picture of Heidi. My parents adopted her last March, and she is very settled in. Her favorite place is by the kitchen table.

Gillian Waldo, Chicago, IL: Went down to the Thompson Center this week to document it before its facade is demolished. Once a city office building, it was recently sold to Google and the city approved their decision to demolish the facade and replace it with a sterile, white design instead. People knock it for being postmodern, but it was a building that really served the public. It was a place you could go to mail a letter, wait in line at the DMV, catch a metro train, and get a slice at the Sbarro in the food court downstairs. It was not a government fortress, but a place people could hang out, especially in the winter. The openness of the design was supposed to reflect its use - transparency and serving the people.

Elm McKissick, Richmond, VA: This past week I visited my friend Dray in Richmond, helping them install an exhibition they had curated at their school. Here they are, on the night before the big opening, hugging the vinyl text that we had just spent so much time getting right. It was great to be there with them, super proud of the work they’re doing. 

Amy Hietpas, Shorewood, WI: I was headed home on Maryland Ave this week -- because even after 2 years (or more?) of the road being closed, I can't seem to remember to reroute. But lo and behold! - a shiny new road that looks days away from being ready to roll. Simple joys. I wonder if Riepenhoffs share my excitement...or if they will miss their traffic-free (but muddy!) life...  

Sarah Luther, Walkers Point, Milwaukee, WI: This week I got to experience "Deep Lake Future" an immersive art installation that opened this summer. It's a collaborative exhibition created by over 30 local artists. Every element was considered — space, movement, lighting, sound, narrative... It was so fun to be transported into a wild dreamy underwater environment. I went with a group of teens from our school - and they even thought it was cool!! ;)

Kate Miller, Oaxaca, Mexico: Finished out three and a half months away with Dia de los Muertos in Oaxaca (and then a brief trip to Ciudad de México, but Oaxaca was the real finale). I spent the weekend looking like a virgin about to be sacrificed. There was a really beautiful cemetery party with far too many close calls with candles on the ground and a long skirt, and some extremely festive Mexican music; somewhat unsettling and also a huge privilege as a person from the US to see such a joyous celebration and open conversations about death. Really cool. Then there was a town-wide party with 4 different comparsas (marching bands) and some of the scariest costumes I’ve ever seen. A shocking amount of occult imagery for such a Catholic country (or maybe that isn’t shocking?). Either way, very wide range of amazing celebrations.