published in VenusZine.com on 7/07/08
Multi-talented craftster and feminist Craig Hunter is a busy dude. Having just moved across country from Houston, Hunter has found a niche within the Brooklyn indie community as his DIY Web site Cubist Literature continues to grow. His interest in women’s literature has fostered the progression of the site, which began as a solo music project and has since evolved into clothing, crafts, and blogging. Hunter talks here about his site, his heroes and how Le Tigre got away with his favorite sunglasses.
What are you currently doing with your bad self?
NOT birdwatching, I can tell you that. That's what I wanted to do when I was five years old. Instead, I run Cubist Literature (or C.Lit, if yr nasty), mostly designing t-shirts these days. Basically, it is a means of expressing myself creatively and artistically — and it also happens to be my full-time job!
Where did the name Cubist Literature come from?
The name came to me while I was home alone on a Saturday night, drinking whiskey and doing homework. I was reading Gertrude Stein for a literature by women course I was taking, and I started reading up on her and found that her style was called “cubist literature.” Think cubist art but made up with words. I felt akin to that name for some reason and that it would be an appropriate name for my solo music project. Gertrude Stein's work is definitely amazing and quite an experience. It's a bit intense and insane, too. That's why I like it.
On your site, you talk a bit about your heroes. Who are they and why are they your heroes?
My heroes are all women!: Miranda July, Kathleen Hanna, Kim Gordon, and Debbie Stoller. I have met Debbie Stoller, Kim Gordon (twice), and Kathleen Hanna — but that’s a story spanning two days and a pair of stolen sunglasses. I still haven't met Miranda July. One day, I hope.
Back up. What is this story about Kathleen Hanna and stolen sunglasses?
So, it was my first time seeing Le Tigre and because I was REALLY excited, I wanted to see both their Texas shows. At the Austin show I was up close at the front and I had been wearing these cool sunglasses. But because it was inside at a show and dark, I had them in my hand, waving them around, dancing to the music. Johanna Fateman was near me for some reason and saw me holding my glasses high up in the air, so she came closer and instead of touching my hand (which is what I thought she was going to do), she grabbed my sunglasses and put them on.
I didn't get upset, because I thought they'd just give them back after the show. During the last song, I ran outside and waited out back so that I could intercept and get my glasses back. But that didn't go down. Instead, JD used the sunglasses as a disguise to run back and forth between the tour buses.
Those thieves! What happened next?
OK, fast forward to the next day in Houston. I went to talk to a roadie about these STOLEN sunglasses (and plus I said I'd really like to meet Le Tigre, especially Kathleen Hanna, because their work and music meant a lot to me). The roadie said normally she'd see if she could get me on the tour bus to meet them, but they were busy getting dressed and ready for their set.
When Le Tigre got on stage that evening, the first thing I saw — I was in the front row again, of course — was Kathleen wearing my sunglasses! And after the first song, I yelled out (not angrily, though), "Hey, y'all stole my sunglasses!" And Kathleen came up and yelled back, smiling, "Nu-uh! You gave them to us!" And so that taunting with sunglasses went on the whole set.
I was determined to meet them this day, so during the second to last song, my sister Windy and I ran out to the side of the venue to wait for them. It took a little bit, but before long I saw the women exit the building and Kathleen said, "Oh, there he is. We found him."
She and Johanna came over to us and said, "Oh my God, you GAVE us these sunglasses! We didn't steal them from you." And by that time, I didn't even care about the glasses anymore. I was just too excited to meet Kathleen, so I said, "Forget about the glasses. You can keep them. I just have to tell you how much you guys mean to me and have influenced me." And we talked and Kathleen had heard from the roadie that I'd started a women's issues group at my small Catholic university and thought that was awesome.
So, did you ever get the sunglasses back?
Le Tigre mention the incident in their blog, but they got the end of the story wrong: they said I made them give the sunglasses back. Lies! I don't own them anymore.
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Read the article here.