the women. (BIG entry)
on march 8th, the fabulous holiday of international women's day occurs. nobody i know celebrates the occasion, and i think that needs to change. tonight, in the midst of this monstrous snow drift, i began to really think of all the women in my life who i don't tell often enough how much i appreciate them. i am picking you out of the crowd mainly because you are wonderful, and inspriational to me. whether we have the same music tastes, appreciate art to the same degree, have a similar affinity for cats or puppies or flowers, know we'd get along swimmingly but never had the appropriate opportunities, or generally just get a big kick out of each other's existence, i am saluting you. because you are beautiful, BEAUTIFUL girls,and who doesn't like someone else writing about how great they truly are? i know it's a bit early, but i wanted to remind everyone of this holiday and how it should be celebrated year-round. one by one i am about to tell you why you are so terribly important to me and my existence as a fellow girl. and how proud you make me to be one of you.
"you are like a flower, always growing toward the sun, you never look back to where you came from...i wanna be like that." ~martha wainwright
1.
caitlin kenney, playwright extraordinaire.
caitlin is one of those people that always reminds me of how severely uncool i am in comparison. she is effortlessly stylish, writes like a genius, and has been supporting herself like a goddess for as long as i've known her. i would do my best to meet her if she is anywhere within a 500 mike vicinity because i know any time i spend with her will be enriching and refreshing.
the best memory i have of caitlin is hard to think of, because every one seems to make me think fondly of her. i would say definitely falling asleep to jeff buckley live in her wonderfully decorated apartment after a night of drinking cheap beer at the otherside cafe. basically every time we hung out at the otherside was amazing.
caitlin is awesome for seeing my true personality through everything else i project around me. she gave me a chance after only hearing me read a small side during an audition, and she has not given up on me since. she reccommends amazing films and music and movies that will never leave the soul wanting more. anytime i hear elliot smith, i think of you. caitlin, you are so awesome.
2.
kayleigh george,renaissance woman.
the first time i saw kayleigh, i remember thinking,
"how on earth can i get hair like that??"
it was love at first sight, haha :) kayleigh will never cease
to amaze me with her classic femininity and grace. if you think you have good posture, you've never sat with kay. if you think you have a great colloquial vocabulary, you've never talked with kay. if you think you have charm, well...you know where this is going. this woman can write poetry like you have never read. i will never, ever forget the many nights sitting around the kitchen table drinking cup of tea after cup of tea, talking passion, love, poetry, color, art, everything with kayleigh. she is a person that can truly make you lose track of time. they say that only a true poet can sense time passing, and i say that only a poet like kay can make you feel like time has stopped. kayleigh is one of those friends i will always have, one of those friends that i can go shopping with or to a concert, or to dinner or just sit and chat and it's always comfortable. ever since high school, i have aspired to what kay has become. it's such a pleasure to know her. i listen to martha wainwright and think of you.
3.
kaitlyn weeks,romanticism at it's best.
there has never really been a story that even equals mine & kait's story. it's incredible how life works though, and where you will find a kindred spirit. i am proud to consider kait one of my best friends. i can see her once after not seeing her for months at a time, and i know everything has fit in place while we were away. if i see a work of art, hear a song, or watch a film that i like, odds are kait is having that same experience pretty much to a tee at around the same time. whatever kait can do, i've always wished i could do.kaitlyn sees the good in people and finds music in the oddest places. she sees differently than we do, that's for sure. if i ever wanted a sister, this is the girl. i really can't say enough about her, just that i really regret never having lived with her in brooklyn. when i think of kait & i, i think of sitting on various couches, pouring our hearts out, laughing, or in anguish, consoling, and smiling,or musing about our bright futures. when i spend time with kaitlyn, i realise things i normally overlook. i hear things clearer, and generally walk away from the experience feeling like there's someone else in the world that gets it, all of it. the best memory i have of kait is driving in a thunderstorm, singing "go or go ahead" at the top of our lungs on our way home from one of those wonderful talks. love you, kait girl. i listen to pretty much everything on my ipod and think of you.
4.
kathleen grandinetti, the genius waitress.gov
KATHLEEN! is my bud. kathleen is also a genius and a go-getter, and just hilarious. kathleen was the one who pushed me back into the bar to ask chris out for coffee. kathleen was the dating coach, the underage drinking buddy, the driver of direction-less driving late night. kathleen is another one i will never ever be as cool as. she has this contagious confidence that says "yeah, i'm unique and i'm fab, what of it?" that lures you in and asks you to stay a while. and to your quasi-suprise, you do. you stay a long time. and you wind up having a fucking great time.kathleen is tough, she was most suredly a woman before any of us could really call ourselves that. she's tough, but she loves you, and that's mainly why she's tough at all. kathleen is a mother, in the purest of senses. she loves almost too much and feels the need to protect, regardless of the means. if i were to marry a woman, oh yeah. it'd be kathleen. haha. my best memories i'm sure are the one's i don't really remember. mostly of three-point turns, possibly a throwing-up-on-the-side-of-sunrise incident (i know, i owe you), the dublin deck just to point-and-laugh, and of course, the diner. i could go on, but let's just see each other soon instead. i listen to rainer maria and think of you.
5.
stace smith, hilarious wonderwoman.
the first time i met stacey, she said i looked like ariel. and i have fucking loved her for that ever since. stacey is one of the funniest, outgoing, admireably positive people i've met. she reminds me and everyone around her constantly that life is way too short to be serious all the time.whatever stacey's real objective is, she can't help but be the favorite in most every situation she's in. she attracts people from everywhere, and every walk of life. there is something about her that makes other people want whatever she's having. her demeanor and style are flawless, and she, as an actress and as a person, is the hardest act to follow i've ever seen. stacey is going to be successful in everything she does because she never gives up, and never will. her heart is gold, and she is as appreciative of you as you are of her. though i have not been the closest friend of stacey, i have known her for a very long time, and i can honestly she is one of the most hard-working, deserving, unwaveringly good people i've known. when i hear ben folds, i think of you. wee.
6.
katie finn, madame francaise.
katie finn is one of the funniest people to be around in life. if i ever had a hard time breathing because of a joke, or a face that was made, point a finger at kate.what i love about katie is her amazing ability to balance. she is a well-balanced individual, whether it be balancing family, friends, and love, humor and seriousness,or work and play. kate is another person you could do just about anything with and it will be fun. she is completely unpredictable in the best of ways. if you need someone to talk to, a shoulder to cry on, a beach buddy, or a french tutor (gotta plug you haha) THIS IS YOUR GIRL. i always find myself rooting for katie in every situation. i rooted for her when she angrily approached max while he was in the shower, i rooted for her when she told JT off on her last day of work (haha retirement). katie has balls,and you won't know it until you need to (she'll let you know, don't worry). she also has the most effective sarcastic tone i've ever heard. she is so proud of her family and her acomplishments, but knows when to lay back and be comfortable in her own skin. i listen to the dixie chicks and think of you. YAY katie.
7.
megan sterback, the hippie-chick-law-student.
i always pride myself on knowing meg way longer than her brother. for some reason, i brag about it, because i find meg to be such a compelling person, i'm so super excited to be friends with her, let alone practically family. megan is the type of person that can make you transfixed in a passionate debate or conversation, or laugh because her antics are like nothing you've ever, ever seen. pretty much number one person you want to see when you leave the house, seriously. to do anything. megan has a seriously great sense of style, as well as music taste. i will always be grateful for her presence at almost every holiday or family get-together i attend, and i hope we will always be close. it must be semi-awkward for her since chris, and i understand that, but her friendship has always been intriguing to me. meg has ambition that she hides underneath a veil of bubbly enthusiasm. she will surprise everyone around her with what she can do. she will never, ever be able to go into new york city without coming back with a great story. when i listen to the flaming lips, i think of you.
8.
mae hudson, photographer & indie goddess
i have spent little time physically with mae, but feel like i've known her for decades. mae has a grace about her that made me think she was older than me at one point, even though she's younger. mae has the air about her that lets you know she knows what she wants, and doesn't really make any excuses for herself, or anything she does. mae carries herself like the manifestation of strength and beauty. i also feel especially close to her because of the hair thing, REDHEADS, YEAY! and feel as though i can gain insight from her on pretty much anything. when mae looks into a lens, she sees the otherside and the otherside of that side, and so on. it seems to me she understands things are never static and should be captured in their fleeting states of beauty. you totally rock, mae.
9.
christina watka, embodiment of jazz.
christina is one of those girls that strikes you when you are around her. her beauty strikes you from all angles. her creativity is boundless and captivating. she believes in love in every single form, and forces you to expand your own capacity for love. when she sings, or paints, or acts, or simply laughs, a small part of me is a little girl again, and wants to paint, or sing, or laugh with her. christina is easily loveable, and she carries that with her wherever she goes.her VOICE, first of all, is humbling. as a singer myself, i can recall being almost physically affected my the humbling nature her voice brought about. the best memory i have of christina is when i came back to boston after having left and going to suffolk during a rehearsal for one of their one act festivals, christina ran up to me and hugged me, on the verge of tears, saying "it's really you!" i have never in my life felt so appreciated, so wanted. it almost made me giddy. everytime i see christina it is such a joy. she is the only person that will ever dress up as "my funny valentine" for halloween. when i hear "so long marianne" i think of you.
10.
meg bayley, inspiration artist.
i remember meg from a chorus class i took a few semesters ago. everytime she walked into class, i would say to myself, "again, awesome outfit! what the heck!" she was radiating something, always glowing. it took the whole semester until we finally realized we pretty much like the same everything, and we talked a little bit at the end of the year, but then it seemed we fell of the charts. this semester, we are finally working together, and i am so glad to have this opportunity to spend time and get to know her. she seems to put the effort in towards achieving happiness that most don't. she is a child at heart, that much she wears on her sleeve. from the way she speaks, to the way she takes pictures, her mission is to evoke the inspiration in everyone she meets. i am so ready to be her friend. when i hear joshua radin, i think of you.
11.
maddie barr, hardcore lovebutton.
madeline is the one person who will cuddle me better than my boyfriend, and i am so happy about that. maddie and i were always an odd couple, but somehow, it worked,time after time.i always found myself enamoured with maddies amazing talents. another ridiculously talented photographer, i felt comfortable is the most awkward of situations, just as long as maddie was behind the lens. maddie taught me to never be ashamed of flatulence. maddie taught me that it's okay to be boistrous and immature, as long as you backed it up with extraordinary talent and confidence. maddie has a tough exterior, but a mushy interior, one of the mushiest (and it's great). the thing about maddie is that she's a conundrum, she's out to confuse you, and she's out to take advantage of that confusion and shock you with her awesomeness. maddie is the easiest person to befriend i've ever met. she's welcoming, honest, and fun. she's AWESOME. the best memory i have of maddie is walking through A FUCKIN BLIZZARD to get to country doctor rehearsal and literally not being able to see five feet in front of us. and skipping. and snorting. and laughing. basically, i love maddie. i hear anything from "begin again", and not only do i lose it, but i think of you. love, love, love!
12.
ali mae byrne, the one who got away!
i worked with this girl for one summer, and automatically fell in love with her. she is absolutely awesome. her jewelry , her FRIGGIN HAIR, her style, her taste in art and music, it's DEAD on. i never was able to really hang with her, but i am confident in saying she is one of the coolest girls i've ever known. when i hear brett dennen, i think of you!
so that's it for tonight, because this whole thing took me about three hours to put together (haha what a loser), and when i have time to do more, i will. until then, think of your own couple of women and celebrate them in the name of all things beautiful! love love so much!
~cass
"you are like a flower, always growing toward the sun, you never look back to where you came from...i wanna be like that." ~martha wainwright
1.
caitlin kenney, playwright extraordinaire.
caitlin is one of those people that always reminds me of how severely uncool i am in comparison. she is effortlessly stylish, writes like a genius, and has been supporting herself like a goddess for as long as i've known her. i would do my best to meet her if she is anywhere within a 500 mike vicinity because i know any time i spend with her will be enriching and refreshing.
the best memory i have of caitlin is hard to think of, because every one seems to make me think fondly of her. i would say definitely falling asleep to jeff buckley live in her wonderfully decorated apartment after a night of drinking cheap beer at the otherside cafe. basically every time we hung out at the otherside was amazing.
caitlin is awesome for seeing my true personality through everything else i project around me. she gave me a chance after only hearing me read a small side during an audition, and she has not given up on me since. she reccommends amazing films and music and movies that will never leave the soul wanting more. anytime i hear elliot smith, i think of you. caitlin, you are so awesome.
2.
kayleigh george,renaissance woman.
the first time i saw kayleigh, i remember thinking,
"how on earth can i get hair like that??"
it was love at first sight, haha :) kayleigh will never cease
to amaze me with her classic femininity and grace. if you think you have good posture, you've never sat with kay. if you think you have a great colloquial vocabulary, you've never talked with kay. if you think you have charm, well...you know where this is going. this woman can write poetry like you have never read. i will never, ever forget the many nights sitting around the kitchen table drinking cup of tea after cup of tea, talking passion, love, poetry, color, art, everything with kayleigh. she is a person that can truly make you lose track of time. they say that only a true poet can sense time passing, and i say that only a poet like kay can make you feel like time has stopped. kayleigh is one of those friends i will always have, one of those friends that i can go shopping with or to a concert, or to dinner or just sit and chat and it's always comfortable. ever since high school, i have aspired to what kay has become. it's such a pleasure to know her. i listen to martha wainwright and think of you.
3.
kaitlyn weeks,romanticism at it's best.
there has never really been a story that even equals mine & kait's story. it's incredible how life works though, and where you will find a kindred spirit. i am proud to consider kait one of my best friends. i can see her once after not seeing her for months at a time, and i know everything has fit in place while we were away. if i see a work of art, hear a song, or watch a film that i like, odds are kait is having that same experience pretty much to a tee at around the same time. whatever kait can do, i've always wished i could do.kaitlyn sees the good in people and finds music in the oddest places. she sees differently than we do, that's for sure. if i ever wanted a sister, this is the girl. i really can't say enough about her, just that i really regret never having lived with her in brooklyn. when i think of kait & i, i think of sitting on various couches, pouring our hearts out, laughing, or in anguish, consoling, and smiling,or musing about our bright futures. when i spend time with kaitlyn, i realise things i normally overlook. i hear things clearer, and generally walk away from the experience feeling like there's someone else in the world that gets it, all of it. the best memory i have of kait is driving in a thunderstorm, singing "go or go ahead" at the top of our lungs on our way home from one of those wonderful talks. love you, kait girl. i listen to pretty much everything on my ipod and think of you.
4.
kathleen grandinetti, the genius waitress.gov
KATHLEEN! is my bud. kathleen is also a genius and a go-getter, and just hilarious. kathleen was the one who pushed me back into the bar to ask chris out for coffee. kathleen was the dating coach, the underage drinking buddy, the driver of direction-less driving late night. kathleen is another one i will never ever be as cool as. she has this contagious confidence that says "yeah, i'm unique and i'm fab, what of it?" that lures you in and asks you to stay a while. and to your quasi-suprise, you do. you stay a long time. and you wind up having a fucking great time.kathleen is tough, she was most suredly a woman before any of us could really call ourselves that. she's tough, but she loves you, and that's mainly why she's tough at all. kathleen is a mother, in the purest of senses. she loves almost too much and feels the need to protect, regardless of the means. if i were to marry a woman, oh yeah. it'd be kathleen. haha. my best memories i'm sure are the one's i don't really remember. mostly of three-point turns, possibly a throwing-up-on-the-side-of-sunrise incident (i know, i owe you), the dublin deck just to point-and-laugh, and of course, the diner. i could go on, but let's just see each other soon instead. i listen to rainer maria and think of you.
5.
stace smith, hilarious wonderwoman.
the first time i met stacey, she said i looked like ariel. and i have fucking loved her for that ever since. stacey is one of the funniest, outgoing, admireably positive people i've met. she reminds me and everyone around her constantly that life is way too short to be serious all the time.whatever stacey's real objective is, she can't help but be the favorite in most every situation she's in. she attracts people from everywhere, and every walk of life. there is something about her that makes other people want whatever she's having. her demeanor and style are flawless, and she, as an actress and as a person, is the hardest act to follow i've ever seen. stacey is going to be successful in everything she does because she never gives up, and never will. her heart is gold, and she is as appreciative of you as you are of her. though i have not been the closest friend of stacey, i have known her for a very long time, and i can honestly she is one of the most hard-working, deserving, unwaveringly good people i've known. when i hear ben folds, i think of you. wee.
6.
katie finn, madame francaise.
katie finn is one of the funniest people to be around in life. if i ever had a hard time breathing because of a joke, or a face that was made, point a finger at kate.what i love about katie is her amazing ability to balance. she is a well-balanced individual, whether it be balancing family, friends, and love, humor and seriousness,or work and play. kate is another person you could do just about anything with and it will be fun. she is completely unpredictable in the best of ways. if you need someone to talk to, a shoulder to cry on, a beach buddy, or a french tutor (gotta plug you haha) THIS IS YOUR GIRL. i always find myself rooting for katie in every situation. i rooted for her when she angrily approached max while he was in the shower, i rooted for her when she told JT off on her last day of work (haha retirement). katie has balls,and you won't know it until you need to (she'll let you know, don't worry). she also has the most effective sarcastic tone i've ever heard. she is so proud of her family and her acomplishments, but knows when to lay back and be comfortable in her own skin. i listen to the dixie chicks and think of you. YAY katie.
7.
megan sterback, the hippie-chick-law-student.
i always pride myself on knowing meg way longer than her brother. for some reason, i brag about it, because i find meg to be such a compelling person, i'm so super excited to be friends with her, let alone practically family. megan is the type of person that can make you transfixed in a passionate debate or conversation, or laugh because her antics are like nothing you've ever, ever seen. pretty much number one person you want to see when you leave the house, seriously. to do anything. megan has a seriously great sense of style, as well as music taste. i will always be grateful for her presence at almost every holiday or family get-together i attend, and i hope we will always be close. it must be semi-awkward for her since chris, and i understand that, but her friendship has always been intriguing to me. meg has ambition that she hides underneath a veil of bubbly enthusiasm. she will surprise everyone around her with what she can do. she will never, ever be able to go into new york city without coming back with a great story. when i listen to the flaming lips, i think of you.
8.
mae hudson, photographer & indie goddess
i have spent little time physically with mae, but feel like i've known her for decades. mae has a grace about her that made me think she was older than me at one point, even though she's younger. mae has the air about her that lets you know she knows what she wants, and doesn't really make any excuses for herself, or anything she does. mae carries herself like the manifestation of strength and beauty. i also feel especially close to her because of the hair thing, REDHEADS, YEAY! and feel as though i can gain insight from her on pretty much anything. when mae looks into a lens, she sees the otherside and the otherside of that side, and so on. it seems to me she understands things are never static and should be captured in their fleeting states of beauty. you totally rock, mae.
9.
christina watka, embodiment of jazz.
christina is one of those girls that strikes you when you are around her. her beauty strikes you from all angles. her creativity is boundless and captivating. she believes in love in every single form, and forces you to expand your own capacity for love. when she sings, or paints, or acts, or simply laughs, a small part of me is a little girl again, and wants to paint, or sing, or laugh with her. christina is easily loveable, and she carries that with her wherever she goes.her VOICE, first of all, is humbling. as a singer myself, i can recall being almost physically affected my the humbling nature her voice brought about. the best memory i have of christina is when i came back to boston after having left and going to suffolk during a rehearsal for one of their one act festivals, christina ran up to me and hugged me, on the verge of tears, saying "it's really you!" i have never in my life felt so appreciated, so wanted. it almost made me giddy. everytime i see christina it is such a joy. she is the only person that will ever dress up as "my funny valentine" for halloween. when i hear "so long marianne" i think of you.
10.
meg bayley, inspiration artist.
i remember meg from a chorus class i took a few semesters ago. everytime she walked into class, i would say to myself, "again, awesome outfit! what the heck!" she was radiating something, always glowing. it took the whole semester until we finally realized we pretty much like the same everything, and we talked a little bit at the end of the year, but then it seemed we fell of the charts. this semester, we are finally working together, and i am so glad to have this opportunity to spend time and get to know her. she seems to put the effort in towards achieving happiness that most don't. she is a child at heart, that much she wears on her sleeve. from the way she speaks, to the way she takes pictures, her mission is to evoke the inspiration in everyone she meets. i am so ready to be her friend. when i hear joshua radin, i think of you.
11.
maddie barr, hardcore lovebutton.
madeline is the one person who will cuddle me better than my boyfriend, and i am so happy about that. maddie and i were always an odd couple, but somehow, it worked,time after time.i always found myself enamoured with maddies amazing talents. another ridiculously talented photographer, i felt comfortable is the most awkward of situations, just as long as maddie was behind the lens. maddie taught me to never be ashamed of flatulence. maddie taught me that it's okay to be boistrous and immature, as long as you backed it up with extraordinary talent and confidence. maddie has a tough exterior, but a mushy interior, one of the mushiest (and it's great). the thing about maddie is that she's a conundrum, she's out to confuse you, and she's out to take advantage of that confusion and shock you with her awesomeness. maddie is the easiest person to befriend i've ever met. she's welcoming, honest, and fun. she's AWESOME. the best memory i have of maddie is walking through A FUCKIN BLIZZARD to get to country doctor rehearsal and literally not being able to see five feet in front of us. and skipping. and snorting. and laughing. basically, i love maddie. i hear anything from "begin again", and not only do i lose it, but i think of you. love, love, love!
12.
ali mae byrne, the one who got away!
i worked with this girl for one summer, and automatically fell in love with her. she is absolutely awesome. her jewelry , her FRIGGIN HAIR, her style, her taste in art and music, it's DEAD on. i never was able to really hang with her, but i am confident in saying she is one of the coolest girls i've ever known. when i hear brett dennen, i think of you!
so that's it for tonight, because this whole thing took me about three hours to put together (haha what a loser), and when i have time to do more, i will. until then, think of your own couple of women and celebrate them in the name of all things beautiful! love love so much!
~cass