Call/Response 004 - Writing About Art, Reading For Inspiration

This episode of Call/Response: Writers on Art & Artists on Literature features a conversation with Dallas arts writer Rich Lopez. As a staff writer for LGBTQ+ magazine "Dallas Voice" and editor of "Out North Texas," a travel/relocation guide, Rich writes about art, reads to strengthen his own writing, and finds inspiration across creative cultures at home and away.

Call/Response: Writers on Art & Artists on Literature is produced by K.Co Press.

Connect with us online at www.kcopress.com, on Instagram @kcopress or on Facebook at kcoarts. Full Show Notes with links and a transcript can be found on our website here.

Transcript

Transcript:

You're listening to Call and Response with K.Co Press. I'm Stephanie Khattak.  

Dallas arts journalist Rich Lopez is a staff writer for Dallas Voice, the premier media source for the LGBTQ+ community in Dallas-Fort Worth.  For the magazine, he covers the performing, literary, and visual arts, and communities and cultural organizations that support them. He also writes about art on social media.  

Thank you for being here today, Rich! Tell me about your work.

Thank you, Stephanie. It's such a pleasure to be on. And yeah  you know, for Dallas Voice, which is a weekly publication, I cover all the arts and, basically, I just say, not news. Just the arts, which includes a lot of theater and of course —you know — visual arts and music and other lifestyle stuff as well. And (my stories) usually have a queer bent to them. And, I'm also the editor for "Out North Texas," which is the same company, but it's a yearly, an annual visitor's guide geared toward LGBTQ travelers and those who might be relocating. But it's really information that everyone can use.

Okay! Tell me a little bit about what inspires you.

Yeah, I love this question.  You know, it's like, I mean, it's kind of corny, but like everything inspires me! But you know, I have an amazing group of friends who I just —you know — they all inspire me in the one way or another. A good book really inspires me. Words are at the forefront for me as far as just learning new words and what they lead to.

And then, just art You know, I can look at a great piece of art or an amazing piece of theater and I just...it stirs up all of the creative side of my creative insights to try to do something myself.

Who are some of your favorite visual artists and how do they inspire or inform your work? 

You know, it's, it's always going to be the ones that I write about because I kind of have to do a quick deep dive. Most recent one is Will Heron, and he's out of Meow Wolf. He's like, they're kind of the guy who coordinates all the artists, but he's also a local artist, and he's a local queer artist.

He's currently doing a mural that I've been keeping an eye on and stuff. So, like, he's been one recently.  You know, John Flaming, who I love.  He depicts a lot of West Texas, or at least Texas-type lore. Armando Sebastián, he's a local queer artist as well, but his work is very...  it's reminiscent of kind of like Mexican sort of portraiture and kind of this... I don't want to say it's simple, but the way he sort of creates these paintings, they look like they're simple, but they're just beautiful stories behind them.

And then, some Mexican and Latin artists before my time. Octavio Medellin and   Abraham Angel, who just had an exhibition at the DMA. But I also really love photography. So  like Justin Terveen, a local guy, who does some cityscapes. Stanley Steller does a screenplay, history stuff.  KD Barrett is a guy locally who does some amazing signs and buildings and a friend of mine, James Durbin, he's actually back in Midland, Texas, where I was for a bit. He opened up, he started his own studio where he focuses on the oil industry. I've never been interested in an oil derrick until he took a picture of it! So it's really kind of amazing.

What are some examples of Dallas art or literary communities working together across those disciplines? 

Yeah, I love this question. I actually had to kind of think about it for a bit.   Yeah, I think the first thought that came to mind was kind of how Deep Vellum and Wild Detectives really sort of do more than just be bookstores. They really speak to  their communities, you know, whether it's book lovers or artists or creatives.

And then I think they really try to just intersect. And so, I mean, I sort of see that initially. The Dallas Contemporary, they have that art book sale. And I don't know that that's necessarily a cross section, but to me it is just to sort of be introduced to, you know, the different books, but then there's so many kind of independent zine type stuff there that you can find, as well as the art. I think it really enhances the dialogue on both sides of that when you're at that event.

And you know, I would say don't discount the Dallas Public Library or any library really, but the DPL — Dallas Public Library, I'm really impressed with kind of what they do to enhance or expand, extend the conversation. 

Yeah, of course I'll do sort of the usual library artsy crafts kind of stuff, but across some of the branches, you know, there've been some really fascinating offerings that they have from, you know, queer book clubs to music lessons to unique games and videos and stuff.

At the same time, there's smaller places like Union Coffee that really has a lot of  community-based events or are just sort of welcoming into their area, which is this beautiful, fun coffee spot that encourages creativity. I hope that answered your question, because I kind of had a hard time with that one. But I also loved it, and I'm thinking about this too.

Those are some great answers. So there's really a lot going on here. What other arts writers  — local or otherwise — should be on our radar? 

So, this was also a hard question because a lot of my coverage for Dallas Voice leans toward theater, only because there are a lot of queer perspectives in that and, you know, actors and directors and writers and stuff. So  you know, that's led me to some local playwrights.  

And, you know, I know, you know, I've talked about this before, but, you know, Erin Malone Turner is a local playwright. If I'm not mistaken, she's a black female playwright who I wanna say identifies as queer. I gotta remember the identifiers .   But her plays are sort of centric on both queer relationships and Sci-Fi, and she mixes them together.

She had this Rom-Com, if you will, last year that was just this lovely story about two young women who met at the bookstore that they're working at.  And it was the sweetest story. And she just is so prolific. And I don't know how old she is. I mean, to me, everyone's younger, but she's just this amazing storyteller.

So I really would love everyone to see her work or, you know, if there's a stage reading, which, you know, I think there are some coming up, I would check her out.

The other playwright that comes to mind is Jonathan Norton, and he was just named the Interim Artistic Director at Dallas Theatre Center, but he was their playwright in residence recently as well, and he wrote a couple of plays that really also depict a queer Black experience, but the stories are for everyone. Like, they really do transcend those parameters, if you will. Just such good stuff and just so profound. But lovely.

 I think theater can be something that people may shy away from, but hopefully, you know, they can see these works at some point.

Talk us through the process of how you write about art, either  for your media coverage, or just to share with your social media community.  Do you take notes of the exhibition and read through them later? Do you take photographs to reference? What is your standard process?

I mostly thought about visual arts when you asked this and my notes probably are my photographs. Yeah. I always will take a picture of the piece or pieces that really move me, or just I can't get out of my head, or I just keep looking at. I'll take pictures of those and those are my notes.

And then I sort of look at them again and you know, just try to feel what it was I was feeling and it's usually successful and from there I just paint what it evoked from me and why it did, and that's, you know, whether it's queer or not.  I love  all types of art and so much of it can move me and some of it can be so surprising.

I just kind of like finding those little bits that, that really speak to me and hopefully I can relay that to readers that will hopefully interest them to go look at it.

Do you approach art differently when you know you'll be writing about it, as opposed to when you're just there to enjoy it? This goes to your process, but also just how you choose what art you see.

I wanted to say like, yes to all that. So if I'm going for fun, which, okay. This is sort of a, kind of a trick question for me because, you know, I am able to at least enjoy when I'm on assignment. Like, I think my first and foremost approach,  whether it's theater or dance or music or art or whatever, I go in wanting to like it.

You know, I go in with this idea  of okay, a lot of people did a lot of work here. So, I wanna at least appreciate that. So, I, I think I always start there. When I go for fun, I'm definitely gonna enjoy it. I may not like it, but I'll appreciate it. I guess is the right way to put it. 

But even as such, I think just when you kind of work as a critic or a reporter in art, you're always going to look at things with a critical eye, no matter what, and so, sometimes it's kind of annoying because I just like, I just want to enjoy this, but there's that actor back there not doing his job or something. 

But for the most part, yes. I am able to first always appreciate, and if I'm on assignment, be able to sort of break down what I need to break down. If I'm just going for enjoyment, I think I sort of think about it as like, oh, I would have written it this way, or I would have done this about this play or this piece.

You talked a little bit about the critical eye. So do you have any  pointers for people who might want to look at art more critically, but maybe not professionally? Just maybe a different way of taking in art.

I think what's so interesting about art and I don't know — I mean, I'd love your thoughts on this too —about is that I think people think they need to have a certain knowledge about what they're looking at or they need to understand the language of art and whatnot. And, I think it really is just about seeing and maybe hearing and like, you know, whatever, but  it really is to me what taps into the emotions.

I think art is really inherently emotions on view or emotions you can hear, but you know, I'm always fearful of people who think, or I'm not fearful...I'm fearful for people who think that they can't go to a museum because they think they won't understand it or that they can't go to a ballet because this, because it's boring, you know, I mean, and that's a lot.

Do you ever come across that?

I do, and I definitely  agree with what you're saying.  I think that my advice to the same question would be to just keep doing it. You know, if you want to develop a  taste for visual art, or theater, or books, or anything, I mean, you do it, then you'll start to see themes that emerge that you enjoy, and you may research that and then learn how to communicate about it and create something new.

So I definitely think that we're on the same page there

Yeah, I think it's about just trusting yourself.

It's kind of like when you eat something new, I mean, you either you're gonna try it and you might like it or not, but at least you say you tried it.

I think every every time you try something new you get closer to finding something that that really resonates with you. And so definitely I would just encourage people not to give up, and they very well may find something boring and that's okay, but the next thing might have a spark that sets off a completely new direction for them.

Yeah, I agree. And I think it's also about, I'm sorry, I don't want to take over. I just, I think

No, you're good.

I think it's just kind of also like, I'd rather someone make,  I don't want to say an educated, you know, comment, but I want someone to say, okay, well, I didn't like it because of this, not because, oh, I don't like classical music, I don't like art or modern, you know,  knowing that they really haven't been exposed to it or because I think it's out of fear.

Yeah, definitely agree. 

So when you're writing for the Voice, you're writing to serve the LGBTQ+ community. How do you analyze art and present that in a way that communicates the piece as a whole, but also brings out its relevance to that community?

I could just say, "oh, queer artists, gay artists, done and done," you know, and already there is something that relates to my reader. So that's kind of cool.

Like, I mean, you know, I, I hope it's not a crutch, but I think it's kind of cool to start there. But then, you know, I always like to get if it, you know, if it's for specifically the Dallas Voice, I really kind of love getting their coming out story. 

But then what's cool is, anyone who's a queer person identifies as queer can relate to that. So that's kind of a great point. But then I always sort of lean it toward, how does that intersect with your art? Because that can be the reason for their art. That can be their escape. That can be their rescue.   

It is, you know, what I've learned is how remarkable the power of art is, the power of creating. And so for a lot of people, you know, especially who identify with our readership, you know,  it's sort of easy to tell their story to my readers. Now that story varies, but the lovely thing is just kind of the layers that their creativity and their identity really cross, you know, cross with each other and not that, you know, not that non queer people don't, I'm not going to say that, but if I'm telling the story to my readers, then they at least get to identify with that. Does that answer the question?

Absolutely. It was a great answer. Thank you for that — it was very thoughtful.  

 Do you have any recommendations or exercises for people who want to improve their arts writing practices? 

(As) you said, you know, just keep doing it. Exposure, exposure, exposure. I think people who are going to go into writing about arts, they already have an interest. But, there's stuff I don't like, but I'm like, okay. Once, I'm going to try it. I never thought I'd love opera or like opera, but now I love opera because I've been able to go to it.

I was like —oh my gosh —what I've been missing it all this time! Exposure is always good. You know, I think a lot of people would say, in terms of writing, to keep writing. Just keep writing over and over again.

And I'm actually more of... keep reading.

For me, reading makes my writing better because —hey, sometimes I just don't know how to write something that could be better! And then I read, you know, whoever and they just say it a certain way. So, I kind of absorb their tone or whatever, and it helps me out. Yeah, I just say read everything because I think, the way words flow, but the way different people make words flow is so incredible to see. 

And then, especially for art — what really helped me in writing and writing about arts was reading about fashion. I specifically landed on fashion —and I like fashion —you know, it's fun to look at. But I always felt like if you can write about that, which is something that's so visual, and really break it down and paint sort of what it's supposed to evoke, I love that. If I'm just at a loss, I will go pick up a Vogue magazine or some kind of fashion magazine -type article that comments maybe about like a fashion show. Yeah, it's really helped me a lot.

How did you get started in your arts writing career? Do you have any professional advice for those just starting out now? 

Going back to graduating high school...I'm from Mesquite originally and out here is Eastfield College. And so there was community college. I went to go sign up for my classes, cause I was just sort of doing the thing you do after you graduate.

And I was like, well, I'm going to go over to the community college. And I was like, I guess I'll do journalism, even though I wasn't on the school paper or the yearbook. It just sounded right at the time. And then I kind of you know —pardon me — fucked around in my twenties, and then I ended up just taking classes here and there.

And it wasn't even like geared toward that. I was like, "oh, I'm going to be interior designer. I'm going to be an actor." I did theater for a couple of years, and it wasn't until like I turned close to 30 (that I decided) I gotta get serious. I went back to journalism and then I knew doing theater from before and just sort of what I liked. I love music and that kind of stuff.

So, I was like, "oh well if I can write about it, even better!" 

I finished a two year at community college and then I was going to transfer to UT Dallas. Literally, at the same time, I got my job at the "Observer" and so I was like, okay, well, I'll just work at the "Observer" and go to school. And then my mentor was like, look, I'm not going to dissuade you from going to school, but once you're in (journalism), you're in.

And I was like, oh! So I really had to kind of weigh about, do I go to school? Or, I mean, I already have this job — can I work it from here? It was a hard decision, but I, I quit school to work since I was already in the "Observer." 

We see with journalism careers that there, there really is no one path. There's not one path to success and it changes all the time. So I think that yours is great.

Oh yeah, thank you. This will go to your second part of your question. You can have just an associate's or you can have a master's, but I think as writers,  there's always going to be this, either this comparison or this imposter syndrome or this competition side that people can get bogged down with.

And it's just going to be there because you always are going to see other writing and you're going to compare yourself and all this kind of stuff. So no matter how far you go, there's going to be kind of that, that sort of tries to get in your brain. But, you know, for people starting out, you know,  of course, finding your voice is a big part of it.

Advice that we were always given —but it's true is trust yourself and trust your intuition. Yes, there are bad writers  and that that just is unfortunate and it happens and okay, well, whatever, but  you know, if you just pursue it with passion and good intentions and a desire for truth, if you're reporting, I think you'll do it.

People will do it and then they start figuring it out. I mean, I still have imposter syndrome sometimes,  but you know, I think it's just part of the gig. Unfortunately.

Agree.  

Where do you like to see art in Dallas?

Oh my gosh.  And I also want to ask you this question too, because I'm curious. I love, on your socials, I love what y'all see. So I definitely want to ask you this too.

There's so many interesting things out there. It's hard to choose!

I know, I know. Okay, so I love, if I'm going specifically to look at art, I love the Contemporary, I love RO2 gallery, I love the Maestri Gallery over on Exposition.    I do love —I mean — it's such a basic answer, but I love the Dallas Museum of Art. I love the DMA so much.

I don't go there often. I used to go a lot more, but there's always something there that will inspire me. I have a couple of paintings in their permanent collection that I just, you know, I always have to go look at and just sit with. So, I love that.

What paintings do you like?

Oh my gosh, I knew, like, shit! I don't know if I know the names. 

Okay, I'm going to try to describe this. But it's a huge painting and it's the one  where — oh my gosh —I'm not going to be able to do it justice. It's sort of like this iceberg landscape kind of thing. However, one time I went to look at it and like the docent was there, the guy. So he was like, "oh, do you see anything else in this painting?"

I was like, "oh my gosh, what? I mean, I was like all ready to sort of see. And he's like, Oh, well if you look in this mountain, it also looks like a gorilla.

I was like, wait a minute. And so he was sort of like created his own painting. I was like, cool.

That's amazing.

Well, yeah, but now I can't unsee!

Oh!

Because I can't appreciate the original painting.

So it's a very conflicted! I'm very conflicted about that painting now.

It's funny, but it's memorable, you know?

Well, it is. And now I can tell people, oh, look at this painting. I think what it is about that painting is just the depiction of light and like the glow. It's like, oh my gosh, like it looks like it's glowing! It's just like, wow!

I love the Frida painting that they have. I love some of the classic stuff. You know, kind of that stuff that you learn in Art Appreciation, and you just see it. So yeah, I just love all that stuff. I mean, yeah, there's so much to love, I think, in the DMA. They do such a good job.

Yeah! I really like the Lone Gallery at Neighborhood over in the Design District. We go there a lot. They show a lot of regional and Texas artists.

The Dallas Contemporary is pretty consistent for me. I appreciate that they're usually free or donation based. I think that makes it very accessible to a lot of people.

I also love kind of unexpected art when I go to an independent restaurant or a cafe and they have stuff up, especially if it's prominent. I love that stuff because to me, it's interesting because, like you go to a gallery and, you see all this art, but it's there for that reason.

You know, that it's there to be shown and to be sold. And then you go to like a restaurant or a cafe and it's kind of there by choice, you know? And, you know, these pieces, they may not be high art, but they spoke to these owners or, you know, who runs the the places. I love that stuff.

Like Thunderbird Pizza over in Lakewood. They have this wall of art that's just so fun to look at. 

Theatre Three will usually do a gallery show when they have a play running. It's local artists. So it's just kind of fun. Like, oh, I didn't even expect to see art here!

And that's kind of the cool.

Where do you like to see art in Midland and West Texas? I know that you spent a significant amount of time out there.

Yes, thank you for asking about West Texas because I love West Texas so much! My heart still belongs there a lot of times. Yes, I did. I went out to Midland for about six years to be their newspaper's arts and lifestyle editor. So in Midland — in Midland and Odessa, they have a couple of good museums. Odessa's Ellen Noel is a pretty strong museum.

They've shown Warhol. They had a Picasso exhibition, if I'm not mistaken. I mean, stuff that I don't think you would expect in West Texas. In Midland, there is a museum of the Southwest. They give a lot of focus to, you know, it's in the name —Southwestern art. 

There's an interesting place in Midland called the Haley Library and Research Center. It's very Texas —it's so Texas, but it's very classic kind of stuff. It's a very  cool place. And Odessa has a great art program and you can really turn anywhere and see a mural or sculpture. They have this old, I don't know if we have them here in Dallas, but it was a place called Cloth World and this particular location had this huge spir-type sign for it.

Well, they refurbished that into almost like a lighthouse and they call it The Spire, and it's the tallest lit public art sculpture, maybe in Texas. It's just very cool. It's a unique distinction. Then, of course Marfa, Marathon, all that area is just amazing as well.

Where else do you see art on your travels? I know that you recently went to Mexico and you've been all across the country. I certainly enjoy looking at your pictures from the different places you go. 

Oh, thank you. So yeah, Guadalajara, I went about a year ago, maybe two, gosh, two years now. I mean, that whole city is just a piece of art. It really is. Of course you have this old, old history and these buildings, in a lot of ways, are relics, but they're just so stunning at the same time.

They just take your breath away! And then they also have some really cool public art that is massive! It's breathtaking to just be there in front of it because it's so huge. But then you sort of think, WOW! It takes support to get that done — to feature and put it in such a prime location.

So, that's really cool.

I recently went to San Antonio. They have this place called Hopscotch. I don't know if you've been.

No, I haven't.

It's not a huge place, but you go in and then you go downstairs and it's these rooms. And it's one piece of art per room.

But when I say art, it's digital installations, interactive pieces that when you move around, the art follows you. It's so cool! And it's so fascinating.  And then I love a good museum. The McNay museum in San Antonio is really good.

The Isabel, is it Gardner in Boston — yeah. Oh God, that's such a cool place. Of course that has that whole lore about the break-in. But the place itself is just stunning.  

Yeah, I always, wherever I travel, I always try to go to one of the museums because that's what I love. And so I always try to go. But the McNay museum in San Antonio and the Gardner in Boston are really ones I tell everyone to go to.

When you travel, how do you find more under-the-radar spots? You were probably already familiar with the McNay and the Gardner museums, but I'm curious to know what some of your resources are that you'd like to share.

If I'm traveling, for the most part, it might be for work. And (in that case), I sort of have this perk of where someone's telling me, "oh, go to these places." And some of that might include.. like Hopscotch was (in an) itinerary.  But beyond that, I usually will go to the main museum or a kind of chief museum. And I really just talk to like, the people who who work there, like, the desk people, or maybe even, you know, if I get to see administration, just talk about the local art and any recommendations.

I always pick up the free papers. 'Cause you know, you'll find something. If you're familiar with the "Dallas Observer"... you can probably pick that up anytime and read and see at least a listing for a gallery or something. I'd love to say I had unique  insight to finding art, but really, if it's not work related, I just ask around, people who I think would know.  And then, if you're just kind of shopping in fun quirky stores, ask them. They probably know too.

But then it's funny because like —and I don't know, I'd be curious what you think — you know, when people kind of say, oh, where do you go here to find something? And I sort of just like, I go blank! Because I can list off the galleries, but I think they want to see something really special or unique.

And I don't know what that is. I mean, do you have a default to tell people?

Well, similar to, to you, I think definitely asking around is good. I suggest that they do some Instagram research —sometimes they can go to a museum's Instagram account and see who it's following, or if there are any local arts organizations that follow them back.

And also, open studios programs. I've been in Austin on an open studio day and was able to see so many great artists and their artwork in one day that I would not have seen if I had to wait for them to come to Dallas or go to their individual gallery shows.

Then to your point, you know, talking to them, and they are able to refer to other artists that are similar to their work or that I also might like.

Yeah, that's such a great idea. And,if I may, go back to the West Texas bit. Have you done the Chinati weekend?

I haven't. 

It's sort of like what you said about the open studio. So, basically Marfa just opens up. It's centered on Chinati, but all the galleries around there are just open.

You can walk to every one of them. It's the neatest experience to see, not only the city, but just this different art. And, they're so open to talking about it. It's really a cool experience!

It gives so much depth to the work that you're seeing to have someone who either created it themselves or is very close to that person, be able to give more insights and point out things that you might not know about at first glance.

It's so personal. I mean, art is so personal, so they're creating it for a reason. So yeah, sometimes they tell you what that reason is.

What are you reading these days? 

Oh my gosh. What am I reading? I usually kind of bounce around between nonfiction and fiction. I just  discovered and interviewed Steven Rowley, and he was just at the Dallas Museum of Art's Arts and Letters Live. He's a queer author.  

He identifies as gay. And he writes just these lovely stories that center primarily on gay men, but of a certain age, like he's 50 and he writes about that. And in queer literature, that demographic is not as present. So he's writing that and I'm in that demographic as well.

So it's kind of cool. And then the stories are just sweet and fun. He wrote "The Guncle," which of course is about him and his nieces and nephews.

I'm also reading this exercise book, "How to Write a Play in 90 Days." I probably have been reading it for about six months now! It's a lot of exercises to do in playwriting.

I'm perpetually reading some kind of photography book, whether it's pictures or technique. I also read cookbooks,  which —you know, it may not be bedside fare— but cookbooks are such a different art these days.

I love just leafing through a cookbook, and some of them will have stories, and some of them...the way they write the recipes, and of course the pictures!

What's the last cookbook that you read?

It's one of those books where it's like a narrative, but then in it are recipes. It's called "On Rue Tatin" and it's about this young woman. She was like, "I'm going to go to culinary school in France." And then she meets her husband, then along the way, she's telling these stories. The meals punctuate that story and it's a sweet book. It's a very sweet book.

I do love me some Barefoot Contessa though!

Any Dallas Fort Worth independent bookstores that you visit regularly?

Well, yes and no. Now, I say no because I, I buy way too many books in one session! So I need to just stop. I've been trying to pull back. You know, I think the main one is going to be Half Price Books. Of course it's known throughout Dallas, but it's everywhere.

And when I say Half Price Books, there's the main one in Dallas, the huge one.   That's always a satisfying visit. I never know what I'm going to get there, even though I think I do. I've known about Deep Vellum for a while, but I actually just went in there for the first time, like, a month ago.

And it was just so cool. That is an indie bookstore. It's really an overstuffed place, with a lot of books and the titles are so unique and cool. And of course i think they published all of them if not most of them. So, that's really neat. Wild Detectives, I've gone to. I love that place but it's very, just very curated.

And so, I kind of browse through it really fast, and then I get a coffee. 

I do love comic book stores though! So, I've gone to a few of those. I also kind of love shopping for books at library sales or estate sales. I mean, I don't go looking for books at estate sales, but I've walked away with some nice stuff that really surprised me.

So, it may not be a bookstore that I go find books.

Is there anything else that you'd like to add that I haven't asked you about today? 

In my position as a reporter, as a journalist, getting to write about arts in a place that has an abundance of art.. I mean — my gosh! That's just, I mean,  I never probably thought I'd have a dream job, but I think this might be it.

It's been pretty amazing, but what it's exposed me to is just the breadth of offerings here in Dallas and Fort Worth. You know, the theater landscape is massive and there's so many different types of shows for so many different types of audiences. The galleries... of course we have great museums, both in Fort Worth and Dallas, but the galleries are just like theater. There's so many different avenues.

You know, and the music and whether it's classical music or rock or whatever, there's just so much of it. It's just really cool to be in a city that encourages that. I think it's really about being in a place that welcomes and supports and encourages that.

And in some ways, you know, to kind of go back to Midland and Odessa, they try to do it as well, on a much smaller level. But being in that really inspires me and I hope it inspires other people to just look harder, to just look harder and look more and keep your eyes open and keep your mind open because something's gonna sneak up on you...and inspire you!

 

You're listening to Call and Response with K.Co Press, Conversations with Writers on Art and Artists on Literature. I'm Stephanie Khattak.

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Thanks for listening to this episode of Call and Response with K.Co Press.  You can find us online at www.kcopress.com , on Instagram @KCoPress  or on Facebook @KCoArts. 

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About Call/Response:

Call/Response: Conversations with Writers on Art and Artists on Literature is produced by K.Co Press. Find it, Like and Subscribe on Buzzsprout, Spotify, iHeartRadio, Apple Podcasts and Amazon Music.

Hosted by Stephanie Khattak.

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