Lauren Liggett

Kerouac-inspired album is an underground treat

I had almost lost faith in Ben Gibbard. Death Cab for Cutie’s 2008 release “Narrow Stairs” disappointed me; it made me even a little angry. My loyalties to this band that had defined so many moments in my teen life faltered and cracked like an adolescent boy asking a hot girl to the spring dance. “The Open Door EP” was the beginning of the revitalization of my love for Gibbard & Co. The next step in this process came this summer, in July. Death Cab for Cutie played a fantastic show with Andrew Bird and Ra Ra Riot at Red Rocks in Colorado. Hearing these songs performed live, songs that I’d obsessed over when I was 15 and 16, really assisted in healing my love affair with Death Cab. Let’s turn the focus just a bit, though.

This is not solely about Death Cab for Cutie; in fact, it’s about a collaboration between front man Ben Gibbard and a lauded Americana artist. So, while “One Fast Move Or I’m Gone: Music From Kerouac’s Big Sur” was the final step in rekindling my love for Death Cab for Cutie, it did so in a roundabout, disconnected wa

This month, Ben Gibbard and Jay Farrar (of the much beloved Americana sensation, Son Volt) released the promise ring to the renewal of my faith in Gibbard and contemporary country music in general. According to NPR.org, Farrar and Gibbard had never met before they discovered their mutual adoration for famous beat novelist and poet Jack Kerouac. In 2007, the two met at a recording session for a documentary about the author by producer Jim Sampas. In this Kerouac-soaked environment, it was easy for the two to make the decision to write an album surrounding one of Kerouac’s most lauded pieces, “Big Sur,” a novel based on Kerouac’s journeys to Bixby Canyon (sound like a familiar locale, Death Cab fans?) and his personal struggles therein. In a five-day burst of creativity, Farrar wrote most of the songs found on “One Fast Move or I’m Gone: Kerouac’s Big Sur,” and over the next year Gibbard became more and more involved with the project.

The pretense of such a project is not lost on me; I am able to acknowledge that it takes a special type of artist (or, in this case, duo of artists) to get away with producing such a piece. Fortunately, Farrar and Gibbard’s passion for Kerouac made them the perfect men for the job.

So, what does the album sound like? Well, it sounds much like what you’d expect an addled alcoholic trying to dry up to listen to on his way to Bixby Canyon. Somewhere between setting out on his journey and finding himself in drunken, embarrassing situations, he finds that he cannot live without his crutch, his drink. With mournful harmonica strains and the perfectly clashing harmonies of Gibbard and Farrar’s voices, if I close my eyes I am Kerouac’s alter-ego, Jack Dulouz, attempting futilely to clean up my act and realizing that, perhaps, staying clean is not for me.

So, instead of the typical track-by-track review in which I tell you the merits and weaknesses of each song, picking them apart until they are too frayed and scrutinized to enjoy, I’ll leave you with an excerpt that sums up the journey perfectl

“I’m going to die in full despair/Wake up where/The atmosphere is dearer/Maybe closer to heaven/We try to make our way/No aid comes from whatever and wherever/The low life kingdom where we part out tea/Heaven dear suggested to promise us/You’ve not seen mermaids in my actual sea/Her name is oh so really high life.” – Low Life Kingdom

A Style for All Seasons

One of Elle Magazine’s top 100 salons in the country (as listed in their August issue), is Lexington’s Seasons Salon and Spa, the only pick from Kentucky. In addition to serving as purveyors of sophisticated coifs, lavish massages and other luxurious spa treatments, the staff at Seasons is dedicated to giving back to the community in their own unique ways.

“Our whole industry is gratifying,” said Pam Nystrom, owner of Seasons Salon and Spa since it opened in July of 2006. “You can sit down and make someone feel better.”

Nystrom believes in actively helping people, in and out of the salon. In addition to making people feel better aesthetically and physically, Nystom said, “It is really important to me to be involved in the community.”

While discussing a focus for their charitable work, the staff at Seasons discovered an interesting common thread: many of the employees had, in some way, been affected by breast cancer, whether in family members or friends, or even clients. Through this discovery, Nystrom and her staff agreed to support the Susan G. Komen for the Cure, a national organization with local chapters dedicated to promoting breast cancer awareness and research. The salon has supported other charities, such as Locks of Love, but Komen seems to have the most impact on Nystrom and the rest of the salon’s 19 employees.

Due to Nystrom’s extensive involvement in the local chapter of the foundation, including organizing and assisting with events, she is now a board member. In 2007, Nystrom sponsored the first Pink Tie Gala, and she plans on being even more involved with this year’s event, which is scheduled for Sept. 26. Seasons will be styling five breast cancer survivors to model the auction items that night. “We have a booth set up at the Gala, and we do the survivors’ hair and makeup right there so that everyone can see what’s going on,” Nystrom said. “I felt like having survivors be our models would make such an impact.”

Through a partnership with Philip Pelusi Cosmetics, Nystrom and other employees of Seasons Salon and Spa have had the opportunity to twice attend Fashion Week in New York City. On Oct. 23, Nystrom will use this experience from the fashion industry to further benefit Komen with a runway show at Coldstream Research Center. The event will include everything from men in skirts to a silent auction, with fashion modeled by both survivors and runway models. The clothing will be provided by local designers and boutiques.

Published September 2009 in Southsider magazine

In the Kitchen with Krissy Fraser

With the prime real estate of the ever-burgeoning Cheapside Park area right out its front door, the Courtyard Deli has been experiencing a surge in popularity that parallels the popularity of the events hosted in the park. While the eatery serves up food on evenings and weekends during events, more and more mouths are getting exposed to the deli’s delectable sandwiches, salads, soups and wraps – normally only served during the afternoon through the week. 

But to the horde of loyal lunchtime diners (some coming as often as four times a week), the Courtyard Deli has been an unfaltering purveyor of a delicious array of vegetables, meats and spreads between two slices of bread since 1992.  

Founded by Krissy Fraser after the Philadelphia native’s interest and involvement in the horse business was cut short, the Courtyard Deli was inspired by hundreds of cookbooks and Krissy’s “family of foodies.”

By learning the name of every customer that comes in the door (they ask for your name at the counter when you order instead of assigning you an indifferent number), keeping the menu varied with daily specials, including sandwiches, sides, soups and quiches, and maintaining a healthy balance between work and home, Krissy can safely say that she loves her now 17-year-old livelihood. And she’s done it all while honoring her life motto: “Do one thing and do it very well.”

In Krissy’s case, that one, well-done thing is the food. For the first Courtyard Deli menu, Krissy was inspired by a trip to Boston in which a certain delicatessen triggered her imagination and left her mouth watering to serve replicas or remixes of the sandwiches and hors d’ouevres she’d seen.

In addition to an avid love for cookbooks, her collection numbering in the hundreds (many lining some shelves in the restaurant) and her favorite being “Mastering the Art of French Cooking” by Julia Child, Krissy was fortunate enough to grow up in a family passionate about cooking. Laughing, she said, “At breakfast we’re planning dinner; at dinner we’re planning breakfast.” She still uses many of her family’s recipes today.

Krissy ran the deli by herself until 2000, when the business became so bustling she had to bring her husband, David, on board.

“We do amazingly well [working together],” Krissy said. “We actually do a really good job of not bringing work home. We’re the kind of people who want to kill each other for the moment, and almost do, and then we’re fine ten minutes later. We’re not grudge carriers.”

As well as being good co-workers, the couples’ roles in the restaurant complement each other like – taking cues from their menu – roast beef and horseradish cream cheese. “He’s the front of the house, the talker; he can crack jokes, whereas I like to hide in the kitchen and cook.”

As with any business, the day-to-day can begin to leave one feeling stale after 17 years of success. However, Krissy remains fresh concocting ideas to keep Courtyard Deli, and the rest of the Cheapside block, alive and vibrant. Plans are in the works for Courtyard Deli to begin dinner service this coming spring, with service through the summer and fall – a welcome (and affordable) addition to the scant number of dinner options in downtown Lexington. 

For the wintertime, Krissy is experimenting with recipes for a to-go menu of frozen entrees. 

With their menu now in its 10th incarnation, and serving up new specials daily, Krissy and David are excited both for new things ahead as well as the continuation of the tried-and-true routine. But there are also a few pieces of the past they’d like to hang on to, if they could only get their hands on them. “If anyone out there has an old menu at the bottom of a desk drawer,” Krissy said, “I’d love to see it.”

In addition to their lunch service, The Courtyard Deli also offers group trays of pre-made or assemble-your-own sandwiches with sides, as well as full service catering. For more information on either, call (859) 252-3354 or e-mail courtyarddeli@qx.net. For an updated list of the day’s specials, visitwww.courtyarddelilex.blogspot.com. 

Stop by 113 Cheapside for a delicious lunch made with farmers’ market vegetables, breads from nearby Sunrise Bakery and David’s own homegrown herbs – served by people who want to get to know you.

Published in Chevy Chaser August 2009

Art exhibit deals with female body image

I hate myself. I look at my thighs; I grab and give them a good shake. The jiggling motion disgusts me. My own hateful eyes turn their scrutiny to my fleshy belly. One short finger pokes it; the skin softly rebounds into its folds. Tears swell in my eyes as I am reminded of the impossible standards I’m held up to by society. I want bony limbs and a concave stomach, jutting clavicles and an angular silhouette.

I am me, and I am you. I am a modern woman who has been severely punished by society for having a body that does not live up to the ideals placed on my shoulders by fashion designers and other sad, self-loathing women.

But, when I look in my friend’s slightly distorted full-length mirror, I see a tall, lithe woman. She has my face and my outift, but she has a different — in my eyes, better — body, than I have. Her legs and arms are thin; her hips do not curve out; her neck is lean and elegant.

Ashley Jeffries has attacked this very issue in her recent exhibit, “Distorted Perceptions,” which is a group of nude paintings in which she deals with society’s, as well as her own, struggles with perception and distorted self-image.

This deeply personal exhibit attacks the ideas that plague all women and, as Jeffries said in an interview, “the lies [women] believe because of judgment and comparison.”

She said, “The label ‘eating disorder’ is so much broader than anorexia or bulimia.” She discussed that several pieces were inspired by her own struggle with exercise obsession. For instance, the painting “Food Baby,” at surface level, depicts a woman who is slightly bloated-looking, presumably after having eaten a big meal. Jeffries said, “’Food Baby’ stems from jokes about eating too much, but, honestly, that’s when I feel the most miserable. When I feel like that, exercise makes me feel safe, and I’ll do it until I’m ready to collapse.”

Another heartbreakingly relatable piece was “Ceramic Coffin,” which depicted a woman’s body submerged in a bathtub. This vulnerable scene aptly portrays what at first may seem an ordinary scene in an extraordinary and almost desperate light. “The bathtub distorts your body, and you’re all out there in front of yourself,” Jeffries said.

Three pieces that stuck out as some of the most emotional and personal were, “Distorted Perceptions,” “Did You Think I’d Order a F***ing Salad?” and “Problem Areas.”

Of “Distorted Perceptions,” which depicts two women of extremely different sizes and shapes, Jeffries said, “People see it differently. Many see confidence in the ‘bigger woman.’” The incredible thing about “Distorted Perceptions” is that it can be interpreted in different ways by different women.

“Did You Think I’d Order a F***ing Salad?” addresses an actual experience in Jeffries’ life. The scene depicted is that of a girl in a McDonald’s eating a hamburger. Jeffries has installed chains from her wrists to her hips, a sign of the extreme restraint that women are expected to show in their eating habits. In the real story, the McDonald’s was an Italian restaurant and the burger was a bowl of pasta. “A family member took me out to lunch,” said Jeffries, “and he asked if I was on a high-carb diet when I ordered pasta and breadsticks.”

“The wrong outfit can make you feel so much worse about yourself,” said Ashley as we moved on to discuss “Problem Areas.” This painting, one of the more abstract of the bunch, also has 3D media involved corset-like strips of fabric seem to pull and suck in the figures’ “problem areas.”

“For [‘Problem Areas’], I just shut off my mind and let it happen,” said Jeffries. “I painted it, then wrote all over it.” This piece is the largest and is the most blatant about society’s pressure to be thin. Jeffries’ original plan for the painting was to actually sew the corset pieces onto it. However, while working on the piece, she was so overcome by emotion at one point that she literally ripped off her T-shirt. It was a significant revelation for Jeffries, as she felt like she was tearing off old, bad feelings along with the shirt — a shirt from high school that had all the signatures of members of her senior class on it. Instead of sewing, she tied pieces of fabric from the shirt onto the painting. These symbolic pieces worked wonderfully because of their roughness and rawness.

Jeffries discussed that, especially after working on this project, she no longer knows what an “ideal” body should look like. “What is beautiful? I think it’s about, despite a lack of answers, loving who you are anyway… Studying [the exhibit] after I realized I had a problem was really interesting. They’ve all spoken to me about the lies that I believe.”

Jeffries’ self-portrait “Self Portrait” shows just how skewed and false our perceptions of ourselves really can be. “I believed it wasn’t distorted, but after I had finished it, a girl was looking at it and said, ‘The shoulders are too big.’”

Though she is unsure now of what she thinks is the “perfect” body, Jeffries said that of her paintings, “This Skin I’m In” is the closest to her own ideals. Though this painting was the second of the series that she started, it was the last one she finished - she had such a hard time with it, in fact, that she considered not including it in the exhibit. However, after hearing her discuss the piece, it is clear that “This Skin I’m In” is an integral part to the exhibit. The colors and brisk brushstrokes depict “the feeling of skin crawling, always changing.” Ashley said that “This Skin I’m In,” in addition to the other paintings, helped her realize that, “it’s okay to have a woman’s body. How can you define [your body] as a size? It is always growing and always getting older.”

“It’s definitely been therapeutic,” she said, “Crying… letting people know. I still have days where I don’t wanna eat or where I feel disgusting… It was really interesting not only to realize you’re not alone, but also that it’s not your fault you feel that way, and that it’s okay if there’s no real answer.”

Ashley’s exhibit opened April 14 and the exhibit was in the Grill. Prices are not currently available on the paintings, as Ashley plans on entering some of them into contests, but she would be willing to sell pieces if someone was really touched by and interested in one of them.

Published April 2009 in the Asbury Collegian.