Machine Project marches on. A weekend of superheroes and public fruit jam. Chicken Corner fluttered back from campsite society -- went to the woods to do a lot of talking (and it was fabulous) -- to find Echo Park's special gallery experimental people at Machine Project had issued the following invitation:

Photo: Machine Project

Dear Friends,

Please join us this Saturday August 2nd at 8pm for a lecture on real life superheroes by Joshua Bearman. Previous visits from Joshua have covered Bigfoot and Teddy Roosevelt, the world Ms Pacman champion, and a mission to China to cuddle panda bears. This talk is based on a year of research on citizens who dress up in costumes, attempt to stop crimes, and foil criminal masterminds. A familiar topic from books and movies, the only difference is that these are real people trying to stop real criminals. Free.

And then:

Sunday August 3rd from 12-3pm brings the return of our favorite summer ritual, jam making with Fallen Fruit. Jams will be based on the fruit that the participants provide. The fruit can be fresh or frozen. Fallen Fruit will bring public fruit. We are looking for radical and experimental jams as well, like basil guava or lemon pepper jelly. We'll discuss the basics of jam and jelly making, pectin and bindings, the aesthetics of sweetness, as well as the communal power of shared food and the liberation of public fruit. When the jam is done, it is spooned into small, hopefully recycled jars, and the participants take some of their own, leave some for others, and perhaps take a jar of another team's jam. Bring fruit, small glass jars, a willingness to share the goods and an enthusiasm for delicious jam chaos. Free.

Love, Machine

Superheroes love jam, too, right? But don't feed them too much. Best to just let them help you get out of a jam, I guess.