On an uncharacteristically balmy afternoon in mid-May, I am set to meet Robin Bank$ – singer, multi-instrumentalist, and fashion influencer – in Days Park for a dose of Vitamin D. She rounds the corner on her bicycle, rocking a sporty pink two-piece with her dog, Wai, running alongside on his leash. Bank$ rescued Wai, a lowrider blond whose name means “Water of Life” – from the streets of Hollywood, where Bank$ also lived – writing music, sleeping on Sunset and in motels, and hanging with her boyfriend “Rat Bastard” between shifts at a vegan café. Before long, we’re joined by…
Author: Ann Marie Trietley
I first met Pat Obermeier through our Writer’s Critique Group at the Just Buffalo Literary Center, where she shared the release of her self-published novel, “The President Factor.” Obermeier worked for more than 30 years in the television news industry in New York City, and was the recipient of four Emmys. I recently sat down with Pat in her chic loft downtown. Over a platter of artisan cheese, we discussed what it’s like to self-publish a book in today’s literary climate, and the reaction she has gotten by coming out with a political satire on the cusp of a national…
Author: Ann Marie Trietley Words are pretty under-appreciated these days. Love poems have been replaced by heart emoticons and sexts. Nothing wrong with that. But word up to all my homeboys and homegirls still twisting those clever turns of phrase known as poems. Poets are misunderstood sometimes, but to set the record straight, poets aren’t depressed, suicidal, or any other cliché. Poets have the ability to break down racial, gender, and economic barriers with social commentary. Politics and war inspire works of genius which can transcend generations. Emotions are what morphs words into artistic creations. Soul Lingo: A Night of Music…
(BDSM): Erotic practices involving Bondage/Discipline and Sadism/Masochism. This can include relationships containing Dominant/Submissive control dynamics; Sadists/Masochists who inflict pain for the other’s pleasure; and a whole grey area in between. They always knew blood and dungeons turned them on. “It’s a feeling that we all need,” says Miss Love*. “I’m a Sadist because inflicting pain on someone who enjoys receiving pain gets me high.” Miss Love is President and Chair of a local BDSM community. According to her, Buffalo contains four such groups. Hers is very active and diversified, with meet-ups a few times a month, private parties, and educational…