Volume 1, Issue 14 | Hearsay
I believe I’m the first person I personally know that’s gotten a non-covid sickness this season, which I suppose makes me the canary. The warning sign. Someone you can cite when you join everyone else in saying that “something’s going around”.
Nothing terrible, this bug—just typical cold symptoms—but I can’t recommend it and didn’t want to share it, so I stayed home all week and eased up on work.
Which means that, like most of you who subscribe to this newsletter, I heard about all the things going on at The Company second hand.
And as much as I hated missing out (and I deeply hated missing out), there was something nice about Livvy catching me up at the end of the day; something nice about my usual companions sending me texts to check in and tell me how things were going, and the moments that happened. They sounded like moments I would have liked to have been a part of, and that I would have been welcome at.
As one of the people who’s usually present for the daily going’s on at The Company, and as the person who’s usually reporting on said things to you first hand, it was a strange but warm perspective to have. And when you read these emails, insidery as they might be in parts, I hope that you also feel like you would be welcome in any of these moments. Like your company is appreciated, and its absence noticed.
—Ivan
Happenings
This week:
Weekly Wednesday Worknight, Wednesday, September 18
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, or free for Company and Moonlight members.
Type in Real Life, Thursday, September 19
If you want the story of how this meetup came to be (or technically resume), see issue 13 (and note the foreshadowing in issue 11).
If you want a regular description, written by organizer Kyle Read himself, see below:
Type in Real Life is a space to gather around a common interest, and perhaps even love, for typography. Graphic Designers, Artists, Printmakers, anyone who’s already — or wants to be — acquainted with the letter arts, let’s hang out! In addition to some good conversation, we’ll have a little show and tell, too. If you’re making a font and want some critique, bring some proofs! If you’re stumped on some lettering, we’ll help you out! Have a favorite book or type specimen? This is your space to share and celebrate it. If you’ve got some handwriting you want to turn into a font, have a technical question about calligraphy or typefaces, or just want to meet other Denver creatives, let’s get together to chat, connect, and celebrate typography in this city.
Next Week:
Summery, Sunday, September 22
Do you remember how it used to be a big deal when people you knew travelled? How they would come back and put together picture shows with their slide projectors? How it felt to hear the low hum and clicks of the carousel, in a dark room, while they took you with them?
Or are you ever nostalgic for the days when your friends went through the effort of showing you their pictures and telling you about what they had been up to? How it seemed in those moments like they really meant for you specifically to know what was going on in their lives?
Well we are a super nostalgic group of people, so once again, on the last day of summer, we’re hosting an end-of-summer story- and reflection-driven picture show.
We invite you to indulge this tradition, for the seventh annual “Summery”.
Glint: Harvest, Tuesday, September 24
True, personal stories, told live, without notes. Pretty much exactly like The Moth except without the competition, on Tuesdays instead of Fridays, and everyone knows each other (or is about to). Our next theme is “Harvest“, and we’ve got some storyteller slots left. If you’re interested in telling a story, get in touch!
Future Weeks:
Film Screening: Eno, Tuesday, October 8
A very long time ago Norton turned to me aghast, asking if I could believe that there was nowhere in Denver that was going to be screening Gary Hustwit’s newest documentary, Eno? I could not, and I shook in my shoes at this news. It seemed like an appalling indictment on the artsiness of our now home state. Either it was a deliberate and calculated snub from Hustwit’s team (why organize a screening for ten people?), or an indication that no local place thought it worth reaching out to inquire about screening it (why organize a screening for ten people?).
Well we quickly realized that we are a local place. So Norton reached out, and we now have the only screening in Denver. And when we, as an official “venue“, appeared in Hustwit’s newsletter last week, we sold like 30 tickets to absolute strangers in a matter of hours.
We’re a bit nervous that some of these people might be expecting a serious film screening venue and not our three-kids-in-a-trenchcoat venue, but—aspiring tiny indie cultural institution and community center that we are—we’re going to do our gosh darn best.
In any case, if you too were previously aghast, enraged, or saddened, consider yourself mollified. And if you are a fan of Brian or Gary, or if you have any interest in meeting a few dozen of the only other people in all of Colorado who heard of and like at least one of these two great artists, get yourself a ticket! And quickly! This event is far enough in the future that we wouldn’t usually mention it yet, but tickets are really moving fast here.
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Also coming up: Conscious Spending Class, Mary Ann’s Book Club, and The Second Annual Creative Coding Demo Night / Art Show.
Nostalgia
Do remember that week where you all pitched in to remember and document things for me?
How you used plastic wrap for storing chairs instead of food?
That Drew and River lived an introvert’s dream?
How you heard Norton confess that—even though he has lots of black shirts, and that should, in theory, reduce the decision fatigue associated with getting dressed in the morning—he notices sometimes that one shirt is blacker than the other?
Seeing Drew’s impressions of his mom?
The big worknight? How you planned homecoming, worked quietly, and talked about yoga (again) for hours? How you unraveled and then successfully reraveled a 7-pointed star, and it made you all so happy? How some of you went to ice cream after?
The Thursday Allyson worked from there all day? How you all went on so many walks? How one was to get cookies, and you found yourselves on the playground equipment, and Justin showed up to meet you? How another walk was to the first LoHi Soirée, and you then wandered the neighborhood in an odd constellation?
How you were consoled?
Do you remember the PowerPoint Party? All the new people, and the regulars? All the topics and people you learned about? How so many of you helped set up and take down?
How I wasn’t there for any of it?
Bureaucratic Minutiae
At Worknight: Drew did some photo-related learning, Lizzie uploaded photos from the cliff proposal and added photos to a gallery, Mason refactored something, Halie and Lizzie talked about Homecoming, Lexi tended to a fire, Livvy listened to audio from Camp, and Norton revised the 10 PRINT cipher.
At PowerPoint Party No. 18: Trevr taught us about Dyson Spheres, Michelle encouraged us to quit more things, Jacob provided a variety of examples about something, Glenn talked about how politics led to a feature of Viennese urban planning, Norton introduced us to the work of Christopher Alexander, Emily showed us her favorite flags, Simon reflected on consciousness, Ian argued that we’re all Wolverine, Justin explained and then showed off at GeoGuessr, Halie taught us how to pick a snowboard, Dan told us Rule No. 3, and Jim found a tombstone.
Last week we accidentally stated that Allyson’s refugee program was in partnership with a church program. That was super incorrect! It’s a human services agency, called Lutheran Family Services Rocky Mountains. If you’re interested in participating, email Allyson at allysonacoan@gmail.com or reply here.
Mary Ann’s Book Club is going to be reading How to Know A Person, by David Brooks.
Finally, a reminder that The Company is a membership-supported mixed-use creative space, 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.
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.
😘
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This issue of Paperwork was made possible by the support of our members, Halie, Drew, Justin, Mason, Lexi, José, Mary Ann, Trevr, Aubrey, Allyson, Lizzie, and our newest member, Madison.
