He recently contributed to This Land by lending his torso to the cover is the February 1 issue (Vol. 3, Issue 3). The resultant “This Machine Lives Hard” cover is a masterpiece from Art Director Jeremy Luther and would be a extremely impressive declaration of company loyalty, if only the tattoos in question were real.

Dustin has several years of experience as an ad rep, most recently withThe Dallas Morning News and The Dallas Observer. He has, however, seen the error of his ways and come home to Tulsa. We’re glad to have him on our team.

Check out Dustin’s answers to our MEET & GREET questionnaire:

1. What influences you?

I love being around people who are doing what they are passionate about. It doesn’t matter if they are chefs, architects, athletes, artists, musicians, beer and winemakers…whatever. To be able to perfect their craft, these people have spent so much time practicing, learning and pushing themselves. The dedication it takes is amazing but if they love what they do those grinding hours of practice aren’t painful, they are pleasure. I think a good example of this is Joel Bukiewicz of Cut Brooklyn. He gets up everyday and makes hand-made knives. He loves it.

2. What inspires you?

I’m not a creative person. However, I work with some very talented and creative people. I want them to be able to continue to do what they love. For our crew to be able to do what they love, I have to generate revenue. That’s my talent. Our team is making something special. I know it and I believe in them. I can’t imagine a day where we would be forced to close our doors and all them having to split up and go elsewhere. Forget that. The fear of letting all those people down makes getting out of bed and going to work easy.

3. Favorite piece for This Land?

I really enjoyed working with Jeremy on the discontinued Sports Illustration. It was interesting to see his process. I would pitch a sports related idea to him and he would come back the next day with a beautiful illustration. That boy is good.

4. What do you love about Oklahoma/Tulsa?

I love that Tulsans are taking it upon themselves to make Tulsa a cool, fun city. They have stopped whining and are actively creating a city to be proud of, with their own hands. That spirit is intoxicating. Stop bitching about our midwestern plight. Oklahoma is as awesome as we make it.

5. What is your favorite drink (alcoholic or non)?

I like it all from… High Life to St. Bernadus to Franziskaner. I have been known to guzzle margaritas in the summer and a Makers Manhattan in the fall.

~~

For more info on Dustin, check out his bio; if you are in the the restaurant/bar industry and would like to get in touch, you can reach him via Dustin@thislandpress.com

Although Harjo has some serious artistic cred under his belt, with films such as Barking Water earning Sundance attention, and a Tillman Award to his name, at This Land he’s able to showcase a broad range of skills.

What influences you? (alternately, what are your “Must Read/Listen/Watch” items? Print or online).  

I have too many “must watch” movies to list… at the moment I’m in love with this documentary called Heartworn Highways, about “Outlaw” country music in Texas in ’76.  A friend sent me a link to it but you can only watch 70 minutes before you have to pay for it.  I decided to just order it on Amazon.  Can’t wait to watch the rest of it.

Who or What inspires you to do the work that you do?   

I’m really inspired by people and their stories.  The work that I’ve been doing for This Land has been great because there’s a lot of pride in telling stories about your community and showing the amazing people and stories we have here in our back yard.  I’m also really into the fact that people can rediscover some of the stories many years after we are gone.

What is your favorite piece you’ve done for The Land Press?  

I would say a three way tie between We Are Still Here, Indian Elvis, and Anton Von Ostendorf.  I think they represent the possibilities of what we can achieve with the short doc format.

With Anton it’s a cool blend of visuals, interview, and a beautiful score by Costa Stasinopoulos.  ”We Are Still Here” is a good example of how we make people aware of something going on right in their back yard.  I don’t know how many times people told me that they didn’t even know Yuchi people lived here until they watched the video.  It makes people aware of the diversity of our community and also the importance of language revitalization in native communities in Oklahoma.  It’s sad and hopeful at the same time.  ”Indian Elvis” seems like a good blend of all that but with humor as well.  I have too many favorites… Public Secrets as a series is a lot of fun to make.

What do you love about Tulsa and/or Oklahoma?  

I love all the stories in Oklahoma.  It’s overflowing with unique history.  I love dirt roads and the countryside.  Tulsa is perfect because it’s not too big and it’s not too small.  You can get a good cup of coffee,  but you can also get to the country pretty fast if you need to.

What is your drink of choice? Alcoholic or otherwise?

My drink of choice would be coffee.  All day long.

For more information about Sterlin Harjo, check out his bio and browse the “Watch” section of This Land.com.

Stay tuned for an exciting announcement about the future of This Land films from Sterlin and Matt in the coming weeks!

Holly Wall, most recently of Tulsa Business Journal, is This Land Press’s news editor. A working mother of two, Holly writes daily content for “The Roundup,” which, on any given day, will feature discussions of other local media, local events, national events concerning Oklahoma, and other assorted items that pertain to This Land’s audience. Holly has also developed a weekly interview segment called “This Land Live,” which streams at 10 a.m. on Thursdays. She also writes for the print edition.

She unflinchingly faces down the 24-hour news cycle and digs out the good stuff, parsing and presenting the choicest tidbits for you. We’re pleased to have Holly capably handling the breaking side of This Land’s journalistic endevours and eager for another helping of The Roundup, This Land Live and more.

What influences you?

In college, I read this book—Random Family: Love, Drugs, Trouble, and Coming of Age in the Bronx by Adrian Nicole LeBlanc. For 11 years, LeBlanc engrossed herself in the ugly, dangerous, drug-addled world that is inner-city life in the Bronx, New York. What resulted from that, though, is anything but ugly; it’s a beautiful, striking, engrossing book. It’s brilliantly written, but more than that, it just about perfectly tells the story of life in one of the most deprived places in the U.S.—and the surprising amount of hope there. It’s sensitive without being sentimental, and it’s exhaustively researched and reported.

After I read it, I thought, “This—this is what I want to write.” I haven’t written it yet, but it’s what I aspire to. That book is as fresh in my mind now as it was in 2003, and it continues to influence my writing every day.

What are your “must read” items? Print or online.

I always read The New York Times, The Huffington Post, The Atlantic and The Daily Beast. I also keep an eye on Poynter to stay in touch with what’s happening in the industry. Though I don’t visit them regularly, I stumble upon a lot of other great news sites and blogs in my daily search for Okie-related news for The Roundup. I just read everything. I get paid to read every day. It’s a great gig.

Personally, I love to read memoirs, essays, and other prose. I like true stories. I like to read work that will make me a better writer.

Who or What inspires you to do the work that you do? 

Other journalists—like LeBlanc (above)—whose work I admire inspire me to work harder, write better. Conversely, bad journalism inspires me, too—there’s so much of it out there; I want to make sure I’m doing it right.

And, of course, my kids. I want them to have a mom who’s passionate, inspired, informed, and well read. I want to be a good example for them.

What is your favorite piece you’ve done for The Land Press?  

I’m still fairly new to the job (I was just hired last September, and I’d only been freelancing for a couple of months before that), so I don’t feel like I’ve got a huge cache to choose from. However, my first assignment for This Land, “Lost Olinka,” about Prague, Oklahoma, artist Olinka Hrdy, definitely stands out as a favorite. I loved visiting Prague and experiencing the Kolache Festival, as well as delving into the mystery of her lost Riverside Studio murals.

I liked the piece I wrote about Joe Brainard, too, but I think that was mostly because I liked Joe so much. He was a really likeable guy, even though the only way I was able to get to know him was through family and friends and his art/writing. I wish I had had the opportunity to know him in person—or to interview him, at least.

What do you love about Tulsa and/or Oklahoma?   

My family is here; there’s great art here; there’s a ton of stuff to do; it has fascinating history; it’s a great place for kids. I love to travel and experience other places, but Tulsa is definitely home.

What is your drink of choice? Alcoholic or otherwise?

Diet Pepsi. I know it’s rotting my insides, but I love it so much. It’s kind of a problem, actually.

~~~~

For more on Holly, check out her bio and follow her on Twitter @hwall.

Stuart Hetherington is a committed Distribution Manager. He proudly rattles off numbers about his 58 distribution spots and growing mail subscription list. He also brainstorms regularly with the merchandising, sales, and editorial staff, contributing his “man about town” knowledge to the overall workings of This Land. But, when asked why he’s so good at his job, he will cheerfully admit he likes crunching the sales numbers and plotting distribution expansion (OKC in 2012?).

He’s not just the muscle of This Land distribution, he’s the brains too.

Here’s what Stuart had to say in answer to the 5Qs:

What influences you; i.e. what are your ‘must-read items? (print or online); must listen to, etc.?

Well, I definitely have some must-reads online, most notably OnThisDeity.com, which is a day-by-day underground history blog for social and political events and personalities.

I’m also into DangerousMinds on facebook, which kind of deconstructs all of the cultural happenings and current events, although it does have a decidedly socio-liberal tone to it.

I also listen to a lot of radio when I’m out of the office, I find myself switching back and forth between NPR and KRMG, I love listening to crazy right-wing propagandists just to keep a vector on the whole political structure. I also keep up with the cycling world through prollyisnotprobably.com, which is my total hipster guilty pleasure.

What inspires you in your work?

Working at TLP is just so collaborative. Although I’m the Distribution Manager, I still feel like I can chime in on an Editorial or Sales issues, and I will be heard and my opinion will be considered valid and welcome. That sense of mutual respect for each others’ roles is inspiring.

Also, I believe in This Land, in its role in Tulsa. I think an important part of that role is its ability to display a new perspective in the city and give “ex-pats” a way to connect with what is going on in Oklahoma on a cultural level, not just a political one.

What’s your favorite thing you’ve worked on for This Land?

Well, I certainly get attached to every issue, but the Tate Brady issue has probably been my favorite. Everything just blew up so quickly, It was the right topic at the right time for us.

I remember putting together a mailing list and cover letter for some comp issues that we were sending out to all of the most notable people in our state political system, as well as the nations top civil rights and reparations people. It was cool to be taking such direct action with those figures.

What do you love about Tulsa?

I like how Tulsa is so accessible. In Tulsa, if you want to make something happen you can just do it. I work with Tulsa Hub Bike Co-op too. We’ve been building it up for over 2 years, and it just keeps getting bigger. We have a great support network here. We have two programs right now, one geared at adults who are car-free, and one for school-aged children, more of a safety thing.

I would be remiss if I didn’t mention that in my opinion, Oklahoma has some of the best food in the US. Specifically, I like the meat scene here: BBQ, Mexican, soul food, all that. My favorite spots to eat are Burn Co., Stutts House of Bar-B-Q, the Knotty Pine (RIP); SMOKE on Cherry Street… If I’m after Okie gourmet food, Sweet Lisa’s for soul food and of course, El Rio Verde for Mexican.

What is your favorite drink?

Well if you ask the bartenders at Soundpony, they would probably say HighLife with lemons, but that is a matter of price and not adoration. I would drink Bulleit Bourbon and water if I could afford it. Also, Blue Raspberry Lemonade Kool-Aid is pretty bangin’ too.

For more on Stuart, check out his bio here; and be sure to say hi if you see him out on distribution day- 1st and 15th y’all!

Well, if we’re talking about pieces I’ve written, it’s got to be my one and only — the Letter From Siberia. That was a fun one, and a nice way to ease into my writing debut. It was equal parts funny and humiliating to recall myself at age 13.

For copy-editing, I think my favorite was John Waldron’s “The Making of Miss Hornet” — he was my high school history teacher, so it was a little bit of payback to get to mark up his paper! Plus, it was a well-written and relevant article, which always helps.

What do you love about Tulsa and/or Oklahoma?  

I love how many different things there are to do around here.  I get a lot of the experience of living in a big city, without actually needing to move to one — we can go to the opera, the ballet, a variety of kinds of theater. I get to see some of the Broadway stuff before my friends in the northeast.  We have two good museums, some cool art galleries, a great library system, and a really vast variety of bars.  There’s always something to go do, or see, or experience (go check out Do What if you don’t believe me!).  If I could change anything, though, I really wish we had a better public transportation system. And more (independent) book stores.

I drink a lot of beer.  Mostly wheat, although I’m really enjoying Caldera Amber right now.  I love white wine, especially Sauvignon Blanc. Those are my big two, although my guilty pleasure is ordering girly, fruity cocktails at bars and restaurants.  If we’re talking non-alcoholic, I drink a lot of water and Coke year round, lemonade in the summer, and apple cider in fall and winter.

~~~~~~~~

Celicia Cecilia is a Tulsa native but left fled her homeland to attend school at Washington & Lee; but returned home after graduation, with new-found enthusiasm for O-K-L-A. She joined our stellar staff this summer and we’re glad to have her wielding that red corrections pen for us, even if it does cause physcologicalpsychological damage to our tender psyche.

Read the rest of Cecilia’s bio, here.

Editor’s note: Whitehurst, it should be noted, was not responsible for the multiple errors in this post.

In this  feature, our social media editor Vicki May Thorne meets and greets the staff and contributors of This Land Press.

Carlos Knight is the Art Director for This Land Press, a title which only vaguely hints at all of the myriad responsibilities and influences that he has on the look and feel of This Land Press.

Carlos is responsible for not only the gorgeous large-format print layout for which This Land first gained notoriety, but also the striking design of This Land Press’ website and the forthcoming This Land iPad app. And indeed, it is not terribly cliche to note that he himself is as colorful a character as his work would indicate.

What inspires you? And what are your must reads/watch/listen; print or online?

I’m influenced by clean, modern design–whether it’s in gorgeous type or contemporary art. I follow resources like adage.com, ffffound.com, and CMYK Magazine.

What inspires you?

C: I take my inspiration from an eclectic mix of personalities: Robin Williams, Betty White, and RuPaul to name a few. But I also get inspired by travel and gaming, especially when my friends and family are involved.

What is your favorite piece you’ve done for This Land Press?    

C: All the 1sts- the first print layout I did for This Land was for “Something Good is Going to Happen to You“, the [Randy Roberts Potts, the gay grandson of] Oral Roberts story; and the new iPad app has been really fun; also, reworking the website when I came on board was really fun and then carrying that design over to our social media presence- Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, etc., has been very gratifying.

What do you love about Tulsa and/or Oklahoma?   

C:  I love everything about Tulsa- it’s beautiful and scenic, relaxed, affordable, etc. I’ve lived in and traveled to big cities on either coast- New York, San Francisco [where he attended the Art Institute of San Francisco], etc. But I love Tulsa, Tulsa is home. Plus, there is room for people in design here; that is the main reason I came back to Tulsa, to infuse my city with great design.

What is your drink of choice? Alcoholic or otherwise?

C:  I’m a gin drinker. My drink is gin and soda, 2 limes. As far as non-alcoholic drinks go, I love a big blue coconut slushie from Sonic. I’ve been drinking that stuff since High School!

~~~~~~~~~

Carlos is in charge of all visuals at This Land; his visual concepts are colorful, bold and vibrant, just like the man himself. For the more official word on Carlos, visit his masthead profile here.

Although her bio is in itself impressive, what makes the greatest impression when you meet Abby Wendle, audio producer, is her thoughtfulness and tendency to listen deeply before she hazards an answer to any question asked of her.

1) How did you end up at This Land Press?

My friend Denver Nicks, who I went to school with at Columbia University, told me about This Land and a potential job opening as an audio producer. I looked you guys up and promptly packed my bags and headed out for Oklahoma.

2) What are your “Must Reads” for education and inspiration: Well, for me, it’s more of a ‘Must Listen To.’ I’m fond of NPR’s State of the Re:Union- which is hosted by Al Letson and focuses on specific communities. Really well done.

I also like “Selected Shorts“, which features short stories read aloud. I feel like it really gets at the heart of storytelling and the power of reading words out loud.

Also, I like Transom.org. they are a good resource for people who just love podcasting and maybe want some information on getting started.

3) What is your favorite piece that you’ve done for This Land Press?

Tulsa’s Slow Integration

Why? because it went MUCH better than I initially thought. I feel like in it, the African-American community is well-represented.

4) What do you love about Tulsa and/Oklahoma?

Well, I’ve only been here since March, so I’m still working off of initial impressions. What’s SURPRISED me so far have been a couple of things: there’s still quite a bit of crime here–I had one of my apartments broken into and I think I had a peeping tom at another one.

Also, I’ve been surprised by the “open-ness” of folks here- you get the impression that they aren’t bullshitting you at all, just talking straight at you. Also, how important history is to people, so much so that they will educate themselves rather than just shrugging off gaps in their knowledge. That’s unusual.

Also how BEAUTIFUL this state is, particularly in the southeast part of the state, the pine forests down there are amazing.

5) And finally, just for fun, what is your favorite beverage? Alcoholic or non?

I’d have to go with red wine, usually cheap red wine. A Malbec is my favorite, but they are kind of expensive. Usually a Pinot Noir will suffice.

~~~~~

Abby is responsible for the majority of the “Listen” pieces at This Land Press. She is hatching plans to take over the airwaves of Oklahoma and we couldn’t be more pleased.

Francis Ford Coppola’s 1983 film Rumble Fish, based on the novel by SE Hinton, was filmed in downtown Tulsa.

On Friday evening, 9/2, THIS LAND will host a special screening of RUMBLE FISH at Circle Cinema. Tickets are $8.50 and screening includes a talk from Lee Roy Chapman about the many “Public Secrets” involving the filming.

Prior to the event, we also invite you to attend:

“MOTORCYCLE BOY’S NEVER COMING BACK”
an autonomous installation presented by GitWit Creative
13 East Brady, Tulsa, OK
8pm-10:30pm

The characters in RUMBLE FISH all hang out at Benny’s Billards, a poolhall owned by Tom Wait’s character, Benny.

An installation at 13 East Brady, the same location as Benny’s Billiards, will show the connection of Coppola’s cinematic vision as it pertains to the work of two Tulsa photographers, Larry Clark and Gaylord Herron. Herron’s behind-the-scene photos will be shown to the public for the first time. Video installation and artwork provided by Gitwit Creative, Peter Bedgood, Zach Matthews, James Galleger and Gaylord Herron. The show is curated by Lee Roy Chapman.

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AN EVENING WITH HANG ARTIST MATT VENUTI

Sunday, September 11th, 8pm
Backyard Party
This Land Press
1208 S. Peoria

This Land presents an evening with internationally acclaimed Hang Artist, Matt Venuti. Free Admission, Family Friendly. for more info on the artist visit www.mattvenuti.com.

Note about parking: If the lot is full at This Land, you can park at Elm Creek Animal Hospital across the street.

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REVISITING BRADY: The Man, The City, The Riot: A Public Discussion

Tuesday, September 13, 7pm-10pm
Greenwood Cultural Center
322 North Greenwood Avenue

He was a founding father of Tulsa. But he was also a violent man who helped bring the Klan to Oklahoma.

HOW DO WE DEAL WITH THE LEGACY OF TATE BRADY? Now that Tulsa knows the truth about one of its controversial founding fathers, entire areas of town are put into question. We invite you to listen and ask questions about how we should respond as a community.

Historian Paul Vickery opens this provocative public forum with a brief monologue in character as Tulsa founder Tate Brady–the subject of This Land’s controversial new report.

Folllowing the performance, we’ll hear from a panel of distinguished guests who will offer their opinions on how Tulsa should move forward in light of all the findings regarding the exposed facts of Brady’s life.

Guest panelists include:
OK State Senator Judy Eason McIntyre
OK State Rep Seneca Scott
Adam Nemec of New Medio
Oklahoma Eagle editor James Goodwin
and Bill O’Conner of the Oklahoma Center for Community & Justice

This event will also be livestreamed on Facebook and at thislandpress.com

Seating is limited so please arrive early.

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JACOB FRED JAZZ ODYSSEY performs the Race Riot Suite

Wednesday, September 14th
All Souls Unitarian Church
2952 South Peoria

Jacob Fred Jazz Odyssey (JFJO) will be performing their just-released Race Riot Suite at All Souls on Wednesday, September 14, 2011 at 7:00 p.m.

The concert is free and open to the public, however, sponsorships are available.

Child care is available by reservation only for infants and pre-school children, and must be reserved by Sunday, September 11, 2011. Call 918-743-2805 ext. 308.

If you would like to purchase a sponsorship with reserved seating, visit the concert page at the All Souls website.

Adjágas opened the Glastonbury Festival in back in 2007 and performed at the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver at the request of the Royal Norwegian Embassy in Canada. Adjágas’ music is based around the concept of the joik, a traditional musical form which describes something not with its words but its sounds. A joik is like liquid in a bottle you can shake it up, but the contents remain the same. A joik can be about a person, place or thing. It is also possible to be the subject of more than one joik: how it sounds depends on the perspective of the person who is delivering it. More importantly a joik is not written, it comes to you. Each member of the band brings their own personal generational and cultural memory to the songs and collectively the band takes listeners on a journey into the heart of their legacy.

Check out a sample of their music here.

I’m pleased to announce the addition of several more talents to our team. Local blogger Natasha Ball, who burst onto the social scene in Tulsa with her blog, Tasha Does Tulsa, is our new associate editor. In addition to contributing regular reports, Natasha is project-managing our upcoming culture calendar, which will launch this summer.

Abby Wendle joins us as our new audio producer. An alumni of the Columbia Graduate School of Journalism, Abby boasts an eclectic array of audio journalism experience, from organizations like RadioLab, the BBC, Huffington Post and WNYC’s The Takeway. She’s reported from places as varied as Baku, Azerbaijan, St. Augus- tine, New York City, Asheville and Jersey City.

Local freelance writer Joshua Kline, who has been a frequent contributing editor to This Land, ups his involvement with us. He’s now a staff writer, and he’ll be covering a broad array of topics in addition to tak- ing up some web editing duties. And finally, Anthony Florig, a graduate of the Fisher College of Business at Ohio State University, joins us as distribution manager—his natural talent for sales and customer service has already broadened our circulation base signifi- cantly, so expect to see a much stronger local presence of This Land in Tulsa stores and restaurants.

And don’t forget: This Land is made by you and me. If you’re interested in becoming a part of This Land Press, we encourage you to start connecting with us by submitting your work to us. We’re looking for articles—but we’re also about to launch our video and audio projects too, so you can send all of your original work to us to consider. Check out our submissions page online for details. As we continue to expand throughout the year, we hope you’ll encourage the people you know to subscribe to This Land—it’s this particular type of support that acts as an investment in Oklahoma’s creative community—one that we hope is already paying off for you in the pages ahead.