Birdman: strange movie.
Ego, meet Irrelevance.
Entertaining too.

When our plan to see American Sniper was foiled by a sold out show, we decided to see Birdman instead. I had been on the fence about seeing it, but given the situation, and in light of its Oscar nomination, I was willing to try.

The movie is strange from start to finish. Surreal moments of telekinesis and imagined movie plots are woven into the larger movie fabric, leaving you to ask: did that really happen? With movies such as Beasts of the Southern Wild, this approach has left me feeling disconnected and confused, but this time, I left the theater feeling mostly entertained and like I “got it” a bit more.*

Another feature of the movie that set it apart from many others I have seen was the camera work: the angle and movement gave the impression that you were on the set, another actor/professional in the theater. I enjoyed moving through the backstage labyrinth of the theater in this way, and it felt right given the strangeness of the movie.

My overall impression of Birdman was it presented the driving desire to be recognized and special in a world where we are mostly irrelevant and unknown. It literally gave voice to the ego of the main character, and who hasn’t experienced a nagging voice in their head? I also appreciated the diversity of the relationships between the characters; they were all over the map. I’ll be thinking about this movie for days to come, and though it does not make my all-time favorites list, I am glad I saw it.

*I think this was partly to do with having watched Birdman in the theater where there were almost zero distractions compared to when I watched Beasts at home.

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Gossamer clouds drift
and cloak valley trees in their
mysterious mist.

Monday, February 2: from where I placed my yoga mat for class, I was able to watch the low clouds drift over nearby ridges and valleys. The calming effect was greatly appreciated after a busy week and weekend. I was also pleased to note the lengthening daylight hours that made the view possible. I wish I had a picture to show you; instead, I would like to encourage you to go out and see the clouds – and sky, and sun, and moon – sometime this week.

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Belonging: The Wildlife Society Western Section Conference

I published my previous post from the Western Section conference over a week ago, and at the time, I had every intention of summarizing the conference in a haiku. Since then, I have realized the experience was just too big and too varied to squeeze into 17 syllables (nor was I keen on the idea of writing multiple haikus, because how would I pick which experiences to highlight?), so I will say this: I had a phenomenal time. This was by far my favorite conference experience because for the first time, I felt like I truly belonged, like I was among “my people.” I made connections with professionals that I hope to maintain and grow throughout my career. I left feeling excited by the possibilities and the future. I hope this was only the first of many Western Section conferences.

Have a great week!