vol. 2, no. 23 | Generations
This intro is going to be short because I spent too much of the morning* trying to fly a kite. (Time flew, the kite did not.) But in the time that it would have taken you read the often lengthy intro, I implore you: get a ticket to the third annual creative coding art show!
And then come back here and keep on reading.
—Ivan
Happenings
This week:
Weekly Wednesday Worknight, Wednesday, October 22
The Company is about combining creative work with good friendships. Make an appointment with your side project this (or any) Wednesday at a Worknight, where we oscillate between enforced, focused, quiet time and optional chatty social time.
$5, free for Company and Moonlight members
In The Making, Thursday, October 23
In The Making is a showcase of original, amateur, creative works in progress, finally back after a season off! Are you interested in sharing about a passion project, and what you’ve been learning through it? We’ve got a few presenter spots left. Are you interested in just attending and learning about people’s creative work? We’ve got roughly forty spots left.
$10, or free for members and presenters.
Offsite: The Moth GrandSLAM, Friday, October 24
You’ve heard of The Moth. We tell you about it all the time. It’s the inspiration for Glint, though The Moth is a competition and Glint is not. As a competition, The Moth holds 1–2 StorySLAMS a month here in Denver and the winners of those go on to compete at GrandSLAMs, held 0–1 times a year.
Our friend Madeleine has won 2 (2!) StorySLAMS in the past 1–2 years, and she’ll be competing at the next GrandSLAM! We’re so excited for her, and a bunch of us will be going to support, and so should you.
$45
Watch a grand entrance → (possibly sold out)
The Third Annual Creative Coding Art Show, Saturday, October 25
Guuuuyyyyys, reallly, you should come to this! It’s going to be so good! If you like art, there’ll be art. If you like code, there’ll also be code (though probably you won’t see it unless you ask nicely). If you like crying at slips of paper, there’s a chance there’ll be that too (though it will require some predisposition to sentimentality).
$0–$15
Future Weeks:
Death and All Her Friends, Tuesday, October 28
Madison K. hangs out at PowerPoint Parties, tells stories (and is the subject of others) at Glint, co-directs plays that devastate straight couples, sings in a choir, and is a good friend to so many of us and a way-more-than-a-friend to Allyson.
And, in addition to all of those things, she’s a funeral director, an advance planning specialist, a death doula, and a ✨ notary ✨!
And because we’re a crowd that tends to cogitare de mori, Madison will be hosting a discussion and working session about death and all of her friends, which will involve many helpful things and significantly a very practical bit where we’ll be able to write down some wishes and get them properly notarized. Learn more at the link, and get a ticket.
Free
Offsite: Social Dancing at La Rumba, Thursday, October 30
Back in February, prompted by a Bad Bunny album riddled with a staggering amount of capitalization errors, Michelle and Mark started hosting secret salsa classes at The Company.
However, in the seven months of learning how to dance, we have never once gone social dancing.**
One could think that this has to do with theatrics. That we’ve been training in hiding with a plan to suddenly appear on the local latin dance scene like a revelation—astonish the dance floor with our super sick hip movements and spins.
And one could thereby infer that our first proper outing, to La Rumba, on Thursday, October 30, might be a historical moment in the Denver dance community, and one could make plans to be in attendance as well, so that one could, some day in the far away future, turn to a future loved one, and say to them, “I was there, that day in late October, and it was really something.”
$10
And one would be quite mistaken →
Offsite: Orbis Halloween Party, Friday, October 31
Orbis is a non-profit, co-living fellowship for young leaders, who, among many other things, get the immense privilege of living in a beautiful mansion right near City Park. Years ago, Mark himself was a fellow, and now he is the Executive Director. A bunch of us have gotten to hang out there a few times for different events, and another chance is before us.
Once a year, the Orbis mansion is haunted by past residents and their friends, as well as by current residents and their friends. Come haunt it with us. It will be spooky. It will be fun. It will go incredibly late.
$12.51–$44.52
PowerPoint Party No. 32, Saturday, November 1
Twelve people giving 7-minute presentations about whatever they’re currently into. At past parties, people have presented about pasta, Bad Bunny, GLP-1s, and animal conservation. It’s a wide mix.
It’s a nerdy and sincere crowd that cares a lot, and we’ve met some of our favorite people at these.
Want to present? We’ve got a waiting list. Want to just show up and meet interesting people and learn about what’s fascinating them lately? That’s great too. Bring a friend, or come alone and make a friend.
$10, free for members and presenters
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Also coming up: Mild Salsa No. 9 (Nov 2), Charmed: Acrylic Chain Workshop Extravaganza (Nov 6), Glint: Opposite (Nov 11), Ishmael Book Club: 6–9 (Nov 13) , Offsite: Poetry Grand Slam (Nov 15)
Nostalgia
Do you remember the attempted kite flight? How we learned that Ryan also knows a lot about kites? The evening art show prep with software and hardware adjustments?
Or the day that Sam and Elliot’s podcast episode was more widely shared? All the kind words that followed?
The matinee? Which you realized very late was far too long? The quick trip to Little Man, where Ryan produced complimentary Lactaid?
The Glint prep with the discussion of contronyms? How it was the largest teller list yet? How we heard about dreams and hopes and origins and espionage? That you told the story of how you found yourself here?
The lunch with Emily? The quiet afternoon? The recess with just Management? How we walked under yellow trees and talked about futures?
Do you remember your last worknight?
Lauren’s first workday? The careful splitting of the mille-feuille with the aid of Ryan’s sharp knife? The drop in and drop off, respectively, of Mike and Christof?
And do you remember the first meeting of the Ishmael book club? How we met Nicole for the first time? How we all had similar but different takeaways? That the book radicalized Lizzie, provoked a poem from Trevr, and caused Livvy to create detailed worksheets for further reading? That some of us cited so many other works and ideas, and we also learned about the nonsense young people think is funny these days?
And were you there for the afternoon with the fresh-faced kids? How Norton was far too busy for recess but made time for them? How they were so earnest and dressed up and eager? How it was our favorite thing?
Bureaucratic Minutiae
*This intro was written yesterday, so too much of yesterday morning.
**Okay well some people went social dancing after Prom but we’re not counting it because it was for a birthday party or something like that.
I cleaned a speck of dust off of the camera sensor.
As a reminder, Lauren T., frequent PowerPoint Party presenter (and our newest member!), is running a donation drive at The Company for the Foothills Animal Shelter where she works! Up through the next PowerPoint Party (November 1) we’ll be accepting the following items: blankets, towels, washcloths (no sheets or pillows please), cat toys, Churu, Gerber baby food (beef or chicken, glass jars), canned chicken (in water), canned tuna (in water), and kitten milk replacer. Feel free to bring any items by during the workday or to events, and we’ll tell you where to stash them. For any questions, reach out to Lauren at laurenthomas527@gmail.com. (Feel free to use this Amazon Wishlist she’s put together.)
Beth is back from a very long time away, and Cuppa is back open this weekend! Come catch up and get a cuppa, and follow her updates at the Cuppa Instagram.
Allyson has kindly straightened out the pride flag.
The Closing Shift checklist has been updated for the fall.
At Glint: Anjali told us about a time she avoided Japanese prison, Lauren T. described the difficult flight path toward a good landing, Joe debriefed us on a bungled job application, Emily asked us if we’d like to dance, Allyson shared a moment of clarity, Fer unpacked a confusing time in her family, Case explained some family history that makes perfect sense, Jim talked about an easy flight that allowed for a difficult ascent, Lauren S. described the results of a PowerPoint presentation, Madison took us through her experience of coming out, and Ivan reminisced about a getaway.
At Worknight: Case annotated sound design slides; Allyson made a first draft of a leadership change summary page and [redacted]; Norton worked on a first draft of simplified prose; Livvy outlined UX for a project and printed a paragraph; Lexi sideloaded books onto her Kobo; Jacob finished the Malthus simulation; and Will worked on elbow arrows.
To follow up on last week’s intro, we actually never saw Liz ever again.
Finally, a reminder that The Company is a member-supported gathering place, and if you know any of us, you’re welcome to pop in any time for free (outside of events). If you know that one of us is here and you’d like to come by, reach out and we can let you in.
Photos
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This issue of Paperwork was written by Ivan with additional reporting from Jessica S., and was shot by Ivan, Norton, and Allyson. Photo selection and editing by Ivan and Jessica S. Editorial support was provided by Livvy and Norton. This issue, and The Company itself, was made possible by the support of our members, Halie, Drew, Justin, Mason, Lexi, José, Mary Ann, Trevr, Allyson, Lizzie, Elijah, Michelle, Jim, Jaime, Jacob, Mark, Sabrina, Beth, Dani, Chris, Will, Marcia, Rebeca, Sarah, Alex, Jessica P., Jessica S., Mike, Ben, Sam, Liz, Christof, Ryan, and our newest member, Lauren.
Do you know anyone in the Denver area who might be looking for creative community? Feel free to forward this email along to them. Everyone loves Paperwork.
😘