There’s no one way to be a female artist these days, as evidenced by what’s going on around town this week. This 21 st -century world is our oyster, and oyster may or may not be a metaphor for lady parts and birth; it’s totally up to us. Burlesque Noir, the winner of the Alibi’s 2009 Best Dance Performance, brings its very special brand of feminine empowerment to the Launchpad (618 Central SW) on Saturday, May 23, with its Greatest Tits show. Special guests include Moulten Rouge, Cherry Automatic, General Blackery, Missy La Lewd, Eugene The Nerd, MC Xavier Wyntir and DJ Brian Botkiller. I can’t tell you exactly what will go on, but I feel safe in guaranteeing shaking and feathers. Find out for yourself if you’re over 21. Doors open at 8 p.m. and tickets are $10. For venue information, go to launchpadrocks.com.And on a very different place in the spectrum, on Saturday, May 23, the South Broadway Cultural Center (1025 Broadway SE), along with Through the Flower and Judy Chicago, sponsors an event to honor the work of feminist artist Betye Saar. For decades, Saar’s work has examined the junctures of race and gender through multimedia collages and installations of found material. A lecture on her contributions begins at SBCC at 2 p.m. For more information, contact Susanna Rodee at 864-4080, or go to throughtheflower.org.Lady wordsmiths and the humans who love them are encouraged to attend Firestorm , an all-women’s slam and open mic hosted by Tracey Pontani on Saturday, May 23, at The Petting Zoo (1407 Fourth Street SW). Sign up starts at 7 p.m., with the rhetorical fireworks going off at 7:30 p.m. If you need more info, call 651-2396 or e-mail firestorm@abqslams.org.
Culture Shock Flashers
Flashing a lady is bad. Flashing us with your brief, brief fiction is good. Become our favorite kind of flasher by sending up to two pieces, each no more than 119 words, to shorts@alibi.com with Flash Fiction in the subject, or Pony Express it to Alibi’s Flash Fiction Contest, 2118 Central SE, PMB 151, Albuquerque, N.M. 87106. All entries must be received by noon on Friday, June 5. Please include your name and contact info. Once the issue is out, we’ll be hosting a weekend of events at O’Niell’s to celebrate the literary high life, and, in some cases, low lives. It’ll be like the Algonquin Round Table, but with less smoking and more people wearing shorts. Stay tuned for details.
