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storylaura

storylaura
Original Member
Last Online: July 7, 2011
Birthday: October 27, 1967
Country: United States
My Website
My fickr stream
My writing blog
My food blog
My cd of stories for grownups

Swap-Bot Minutae

Updated 5/21/09: I've been having a rough time lately and so will be taking a SB break for awhile, as I'm not doing a good job honoring my commitments. I'm open to 1:1 swaps but will not be signing up for any new swaps. If I owe you anything rest assured I will send it to you shortly. I do sent my swaps, lately it's just felt more like work than fun. Life has been too much sometimes.

Thank you for your understanding.

SENDING: I always send my swaps; if I'm going to be late I will let you know. If you don't receive anything within two weeks of the send date please contact me!

RATING: I rate swaps within a day or two of receiving them, so if you're worried that I've not gotten your package please get in touch. I will rate a 5 if the package meets swap requirements and arrives in anything remotely resembling a timely fashion. I won't rate a 1 without contacting you first.

HEARTS AND STARS: I give hearts if thoughtful extras are included or if it seems like someone really went to the trouble of customizing a swap to my profile. I give stars to coordinators who check in with participants and those who provide really clear swap instructions.

Who am I?

So who am I? Good question.

I am a storyteller, writer, dreamer, listener. I write. I tell stories. Not usually for kids. Odd magical realism, stories that take you by surprise. I'm not quite a performance artist but not a typical storyteller either.

I am a professional storyteller who tells mostly original stories mostly to grownups. My degree is in folklore and mythology - I'm not a big Disney fan but love the old Grimm stories, world myth, etc.

I identify as Jewish and pagan, observing holy days from both; I consider myself spiritual rather than religious, finding the sacred in the outside world as well as in human kindness. My worldview has some Buddhist leanings as well, so I guess I'm something of a spiritual magpie.

I believe that dreams are important, that magic is possible but not always what we expect, and that the world is a big place with limitless possibility. I believe that most people will be kind if you give them the chance. I believe that compassion and tolerance are of vital importance in all interactions, and that my kindness can propagate throughout the world.

Favorite media

Music: I listen to a lot of world music, lounge remixes, classical and singer/songwriter kinds of stuff. I love Bruce Cockburn, Tom Waits, Laura Love, Beatles, old school punk from time to time, smart rock (eg Warren Zevon, who else writes about the Spanish American War?), etc.

Film: thoughtful films. old horror movies, but not really bloody modern movies. good comedies, not dumb ones. old B movies. Cult films. Some films I love include: Casablanca, Trust, Bubba Ho-Tep, Stranger than Fiction, Bliss (australian film from the 80s), Tideland etc etc.

Television: I don't watch much tv. When I do it tends to be stuff like Six Feet Under, Sopranos, House, The Daily Show, Dr. Who, Torchwood, cooking shows, Dexter.

Books, blessed books

I read a great deal of fiction, ranging from heavy stuff to mysteries to some sci-fi/fantasy to a very few romance authors. What matters to me is the writing. If something is well written, well thought through and has some grace to the language then I am likely to enjoy it. Excessively self-aware stuff can be fun, but gets annoying after awhile, and poorly edited material irks me. A few of my favorite authors include Jeanette Winterson, Robertson Davies, Neil Gaiman and Sherman Alexie. I also love 20th century poetry, intelligent, playful science writing; myths and folktales and accompanying analysis; cookbooks; some magazines (I currently love Body and Soul, Utne Reader, Harpers, Atlantic).

Favorite Crafts

Joseph Cornell-y boxes, shrines, collage, origami, found objects, altered stuff, writing, mixed cds, spoken word, ATCs, other paper crafts, etc etc. Quirky art.

I love outsider/visionary art and other things that really represent the artist's passion and vision. Primitive art, cave art, all thrill me.

I like rich, vibrant colors; complex designs; playful art.

Bemusements, amusements

I like the eclectic, whimsical, eccentric and unexpected. I find good art, or things created with great passion, to be inspirational.

I like cross-cultural stuff, and especially the fringier things. Botanicas, roadside shrines, suggestions of the other, the arcane, mysterious, whimsical and eccentric all fascinate me.

I love thunderstorms and rivers, good conversations and odd overheard moments. I like realistic insects and sea creatures. I am not frightened by them, but find them beautiful.

I enjoy botanical, anatomical and zoological illustrations. Freak shows, carnivals, the things around the corner all draw me.

I am repeatedly made hopeful by the limitless possibility of the human heart and imagination.

I went kite flying the other day and was reminded of how important it is to be joyful and tell dirty jokes with people you love.

Things I'd rather avoid

I don't tend to wear pastels. I'm not really fond of cutesy, though sometimes it amuses me, especially if it has a sense of irony to it.

I don't care for very sweetly scented incense, candles or body products and am allergic to lavender. I don't wear nail polish or makeup nor do I want lip gloss.

My ears are pierced but I don't react well to cheap earrings (my earlobes swell) - surgical stainless and silver plate are fine as well as inexpensive!

Senses

I am a sensualist.

I like natural scents (sandalwood, musk, freesia, fresh mown grass, jasmine, the ocean, raw silk, rain, the ocean, baking bread, real musk, etc).

I love good bath products. Please note I have skin sensitivity to lavender.

Food, I love food. Dark or milk chocolate, good caramel (especially fleur de sel caramel), good tea, truly fresh fruit, good tomatoes, world cuisine, etc. I love to cook and can spend a long time happily playing in the kitchen. The shared sensual experience of eating and cooking is a wonderful thing.

The feel of silk, velvet, good cotton, the wind in my hair, experiences like these help remind me that the secret of life is to live it.

wants/offers

Wants * Old books (I keep buying antique books to alter and end up reading them instead). * Old diaries and paper ephemera. * Useful items, kitchen goods, etc. * Odd things I can glue to other things (metal bits, shells, found objects, sparkly things, etc). * Pressed leaves, pebbles, feathers, etc. * Interesting printed fabric. Ikat dyed fabric. etc. * Interesting rubber stamps (not holiday themed nor cutesy) * Good tea * Writing prompts * Old snapshots * Odd objects (shrines, anthropologica, etc) * Unusual spices * Real Day of the Dead objects.

Offers * Paper ephemera (old book pages etc) * ATC or collage stuff * Odd little knick-knacks * Beads * Buttons * Storytelling tapes and CDs * Writing prompts * Old postage stamps * Unusual spices

Not as serious as I sound

Reading this over I sound like some kind of humorless twit. I'd like to think I'm not.

Monty Python, Stephen Colbert, biting political satire in general, puns, Family Guy in spite of myself, third grade jokes (what did the fish say when he swam into a wall?), stupid hats, rhinestone glasses, snarky comments, etc etc.

Ratings

Artistic rated for A Contract to Write #3 on Dec 23, 2010
5
rating
Comment: Hope you're rolling along on those goals!
LavenderLizard rated for Lost & Found: Fairy Tale Item on Nov 29, 2010
5
rating
Comment: What a great idea for a "lost and found" item! The notes were perfectly written...
Response: I'm so glad you liked it! I had fun coming up with it. And I wanted to make it something you could use otherwise.
stringofviolets rated for This is my BOOMSTICK! on Nov 27, 2010
5
rating
Comment: It arrived! I really love the little touches you put into this and the zombie wallet cards are awesome! As is the little bat! Thank you so much! It was a package worth the wait for sure! You're awesome! <3
Response: I'm so glad it finally got there. I'm really sorry about all the rigamarole - I've never had this kind of craziness before, I hope I never do again. Thank you so much for your patience and kindness.
AndreaJ rated for A Contract to Write #3 on Nov 18, 2010
5
rating
 
violettedream rated for NaNo Mascot for 2010 on Nov 16, 2010
5
rating
Comment: Awww! Thank you!! My firends in the Nano-ing world call me octupus. So to get one was AWESOME!! He's unnamed at the moment but he arrived right before the midway write in tonight so he came with me! (You can see him here -http://twitpic.com/378y7a/full ) He's got a little button on him that says "I write books" that I won for a word war. Thanks again SO much!
5
rating
Comment: Your writing spaces seem so comfortable! Very jealous. Happy NaNoing in such a great setting - thanks for the photos!
5
rating
Comment: Thanks a lot for the photos! I love that pile of pillows, it looks so comfortable.
craftycol rated for this is ME atc (the good) on Oct 15, 2010
5
rating
Comment: Very Nice ty
5
rating
Comment: Oh, I just LOVE this artwork! Classic fairytales ... my favorite ... and what a great job you did! Awesome! Many thanks also for the lovely extras!
Response: Oh, I'm so glad! I really enjoyed putting it together for you. It was the first time I succeeded with an altered book and I was thrilled to give it to you. And Taza is wonderful, enjoy!
5
rating
 
befana rated for Unwrapping of the Farao on Sep 18, 2010
3
rating
Comment: the reason for the 3 rating is not because it was late but because the doll itself was a disappointment after unwrapping. could not unwrap the head because it was just wrapping with button eyes. The doll itself should have been the important part, not the wrapping. To tie a bunch of wool together does not constitute an art doll. It looks like you put it together in a rush. If not an "art" doll at least it should have been a "corpse" doll, not a piece of wool tied together to be placed with a child. Sorry but this did not meet the posted swap requirements.
Response: I'm sorry you feel that way. I am not a dollmaker (I made several dolls for this that were abysmal failures) so instead tried to make the wrapping and contents interesting and compelling, suitable to your profile (hence buttons and small items you could use in other arts). The head should have been unwrappable - I must have attached the eyes incorrectly - I guess I caught some of the yarn. I did put time into this, I'm sorry you didn't like it. Nonetheless, thank you for running an intriguing and thought-provoking swap.
OpheliaQuilts rated for This is my Obsession #2 on Sep 18, 2010
5
rating
Comment: Thank you so much. I look forward to reading the book! Unfortunately, I can't play the casette tape...I can't remember when I last had a casette deck! lol And thank you for the cd. I think it's wonderful you're a story teller, how wonderful!
Shaluna rated for I’M A BLOGGER, FOLLOW ME!!! on Sep 17, 2010
5
rating
 
wolfeagle rated for Meteorology in August on Sep 14, 2010
5
rating
Comment: Thank you for the interesting weather bottles.
Response: and thank you for running such a neat swap!
ellipse rated for I’M A BLOGGER, FOLLOW ME!!! on Sep 8, 2010
5
rating
Comment: Thank you dear **
Nnyla rated for Discover a new Poet Swap on Aug 26, 2010
5
rating
Comment: Laura, thank you, thank you, thank you for the extra special package! Although I'm familiar with the poets whose poems you sent, I have not read those poems! I am sooo looking forward to Saturday evening, sipping tea and savoring their words! I glimpsed them and your notes, so I now have something yummy to look forward to. I am also looking forward to your CD. In fact, if you don't mind, I might use your "Eve" alongside a piece by Lucille Clifton, "Eve Thinking" in my feminist theories class!
5
rating
 
5
rating
Comment: Thank you for the lovely comment.
Cakers rated for I’M A BLOGGER, FOLLOW ME!!! on Aug 7, 2010
5
rating
Comment: Thank you for your lovely comments on my blog, I really appreciate them. It's so nice to 'meet' new people, and what a clever way to do it - a swap! :-) Are you okay with me adding your blog link to my blog?
kalexn rated for I’M A BLOGGER, FOLLOW ME!!! on Aug 3, 2010
5
rating
 

Rating Overview

Overall Hearts Stars Hosted
4.9952 289 11 14
Completed Fives Threes Ones
248 412 1 0
Type 1 Type 2 Type 3 Uncategorized
4 11 36 197
View all

Currently In

  • the user is not currently in any swaps :(

Currently Hosting

  • the user is not hosting any current swaps

Comments

Greenwoodtree on Jan 20, 2011:

How are you, Laura? Its been a long time since I've seen in you in any swaps. Do you still have the treasure box? :)

RyeRye on Dec 20, 2010:

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

The Crafting Queens group~

cobaltgypsy on Nov 23, 2010:

violettedream on Aug 16, 2010:

Hey thought you may be interested in my new Writing Buddy Pen Pal Swap Keep Smiling!

acescorcio on Aug 11, 2010:

I´m pladge to rate too! I´m your sender partner on I´m a bloger follow me Swap from Swap Bot, I visited and comment your blog on July 26, please, rate me back ! Thank you!

Andrea

jojoanna on Jul 25, 2010:

Hello! Just wanted to let you know that I am now following your blog and added a link to your blog on my blog http://a-peachy-life.blogspot.com/

"I'm a blogger, follow me!" swap

bluehairedmary on Jul 17, 2010:

Check out my Jane Austen inspired writing swap!

malora on Feb 6, 2010:

Want to join a fantastic swap of deliciousness? [http://www.swap-bot.com/swap/show/53547](Spice Up Your Life!)

amuhleisen on Jan 24, 2010:

Just wondering if you got my envie for the Mailbox Love swap. I haven't heard anything from you. I will gladly resend if you didn't get it. Keep in touch!
Amanda

myrrhmaid on Jan 22, 2010:

So Good to see you around again! oxo L

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