These were some of the other Polaroids I made while traveling around a month back. I don’t know how it was a month ago! Since then I’ve been working to corral my garden into shape (currently arriving: radishes, arugula; next up: peppers, basil, tomatoes), playing Loop Hero on the Switch, and watching a whole lot of 90s-era Law & Order. The good life!
The Duke, Hugo, Oklahoma, Polaroid SX-70 (all photos March 2021)
The new Lamp of Murmuur split with Ebony Pendant absolutely rips. It was good until I got to the solo in “Nocturnal Vengeance,” and then it was great. If you like modern black metal (which almost requires at least one dungeon synth track now!), it’s a must.
Shreveport, Louisiana, Polaroid SX-70
I really enjoyed Gwen Kirby’s new short story collection. Plus, look at this burst of psychedelia on the cover by Lydia Ortiz!
May I direct you to the purple-carpeted majesty of Anaïs Nin’s California home? The photographs of this place are incredible; all that wood, all that stone! It’s somehow both dark and light.
The door of the James Burton Studio in Shreveport, across from the Municipal Auditorium, SX-70
Yesterday I saw a late 90s or early zeroes SUV driving down North State. It was battered and grimy. Something seemed off, and when I passed it I saw the front right tire wasn’t just flat; it was twisted down at an angle, actually frozen. The driver of the SUV was just driving it this way, grinding the dead tire along the pavement. I was left feeling unsettled, like seeing an open grave in a cemetery.
Statue of Elvis Aron Presley, Shreveport, Polaroid 600
I’m currently stalled in the middle of watching five different movies: Summer of Soul, Song Remains the Same, The Last Picture Show, Last Year at Marienbad, and Gas Food Lodging. Perhaps I’m more restless now that the birds are chirping and there’s sunshine, or I would just rather watch Jerry Orbach roll his eyes at a suspect’s lies. (Let’s not get into how many unread or half-read books and periodicals are scattered around).
This is my first spring in this house, and I’ve been surprised at how often my thoughts drift to “maybe I could paint that gate today,” or “some verbena could fit in that spot.”
MIRROR THOR WITH BOOMBOX, Shreveport, Polaroid SX-70
When we were little, all my cousins would gather at my Nana and Pop’s house for a giant Easter egg hunt. Among the many eggs there was a lone golden egg hidden somewhere in my grandparents’ enormous back yard; tucked within was a folded dollar bill. The similarly elusive silver egg contained two quarters. This seemed a fortune to us at the time; cover prices for Marvels were still at 60¢ and it was about fifty cents for a pack of Topps.
The boys would be dressed in matching sweaters or shirts, and the girls in matching dresses. We would stand in front of the azaleas out front and have our picture taken.
It turns out that my childhood was rather wonderful.
“FRAGMENTS FROM THE BACK ROADS” is this week’s installment of GORJUS, a newsletter devoted to art and life in the South on instant film. If you like it, consider sending it to a pal. Just like anything, some weeks are better than others. I’m gorjusjxn on Instagram, and you can see more Polaroids at McCartyPolaroids.