Humor, Free Chicago LitFEST Events and A Demo of How-To-Give-A-Moutza!

Chicago's LitFest 2014 Had It's 30th Anniversary this weekend.  

For the past 5 years I have been addicted to attending these literary packed two-day events,  no matter what!  I am one of those people who never read anything as a young kid, except for the occasional beauty magazine,  but somewhere in my 30's, I experienced reading for pleasure, and have been hooked ever since. 

Jeannette Barcelos Kravitz

We got to LitFest at 10 a.m. thanks to Chicago public transportation, just in time to hear reporter/writer/columnist and my favorite journalist in Chicago, John Kass and his team speak.  Even if I don't always agree with John, his reporting makes me feel smarter somehow.  

As many Chicagoan's know,  John was given a custom print of Mayor Rahm Emanual as the Rahmfather from The Godfather movie fame last year.  A few weeks ago, the RahmFather print was stolen from Kass' office at the Tribune. There are only two copies of this original piece of art, one made to accommodate Mayor Rahm's request and City Hall office decor, and the one given to John Kass at the Tribune!  This master thievery has been playing out in John's column over the past week or so.   


So the search began, and during the LitFest presentation it was announced that the Rahmfather print was returned to it's rightful owner, John Kass.  All in great fun.

I read John's column every day, and I have to admit,  I have been curious about this gesture and award he gives out monthly to the biggest idiot of the month he calls a  Moutza of the Month.  Prompted by the audience, John stood and began to demonstrate the variety of hand-signal Moutza's you could give someone depending on your mood or motion.  I simply cannot explain these gestures and do them justice, but I did get a number of photos showing a variety of Moutza's by John Kass that you too can give to people who irk you.

Then, I found this further explanation on the web at telecom.co.uk:

Mark Jacob, John Kass, Willian Lee

Moutza  Meaning: To hell with you!/I rub **** in your face!/I'm going to violate your sister!

Used in: Greece, Africa, Pakistan

The Moutza is among the most complex of hand gestures, as elaborate and ancient as a Japanese tea ceremony. Perhaps the oldest offensive hand signal still in use, the Moutza originated in ancient Byzantium, where it was the custom for criminals to be chained to a donkey and displayed on the street. There, local townsfolk might add to their humiliation by rubbing dirt, feces, and ashes ("moutzos" in medieval Greek) into their faces.

Now that the advent of modern sewage systems and anti- smoking laws means that these materials are no longer readily available, the Moutza is a symbolic stand-in. In Greece, it is often accompanied by commands including par’ta (“take these”) or órse (“there you go”). Over the years, the versatile Moutza has acquired more connotations, including a sexual one, in which the five extended fingers suggest the five sexual acts the gesturer would like to perform with the subject’s willing sister.

All of this made me think--what would we do without humor?  Everyday, really bad stuff is happening in the world yet a serious jjournalist with an honest, bold and genuine way about him made our Sunday morning much brighter.  I just wasn't expecting to like John Kass as much as I did.  And I am grateful for that. 

Jeannette Barcelos Kravitz  John Kass

My husband and I walked around, he had an agenda which mostly meant "plant me somewhere interesting" so I did, while I ran around listening to Spoken Word artist from Chicago's City Poetry Slam hosted by the Green Mill co-host J.W. Basilo, featuring Tim Stafford, Fatimah Asghar, Erick Sirota and Amy David.  If you have never heard spoken word, it's a trip of storytelling, unique in it's Chicago origin from 1986 with a cadence of unique bravado that stirs the mind, heart and soul.  Some funny, some profound, and I now that I know Chicago has a very vibrant spoken word community, I want more.

Chicago City Poetry Slam

Randy and I sat for an insightful presentation:  Drawing Conclusions: A cartoon multimedia extravaganza with cartoonist Scott Stantis.  I've never thought about how cartoonists' evolve from in Scott's case,  law studies to artistry to cartoons, but I am glad cartooning became Scott's chosen profession.  He reminded us about the important freedom of speech work in Cincinnati, Ohio when Larry Flynt's publishing

Bill St. John on Wines

empire was on the rise.  Mr. Flynt was at one time responsible for upholding freedom of speech all the way to the Supreme Court when he took on Preacher Jerry Falwell in court and won.  

Scott Stantis Larry Flynt

We also really enjoy wines, but I seem to always have unanswered questions about what we are drinking and why!  Chicago Tribune wine columnist Bill St. John enlightened us and took some of the mystery out of two of my favorite wines.  I am glad to find out I have a more refined pallet than I expected.  My favorite wines are oaky Chardonnays and robust Pinot Noir's. I learned these two wines are quite complex.  Someday,  I hope to study more about them!  

Being from Cincinnati I am always excited to learn something new about home-sweet-home.  We were walking by a publisher's booth and the sign said  "Located in Cincinnati".  Randy told them I am a new author, and we started to chat with Cincinnatian author,  Brian Dobbins, sporting a shirt that said "SOFA"  Southern Ohio Filmmakers Association.  Brian was so darn warm, friendly and open, like so many folks I know back home.  I serve on the PeaceOnEarthFilmFestival board in Chicago, and was intrigued to find that this long standing Cincy festival was alive and well and I plan to followup.

Hungry as all get out, we stopped by the Jerk312 Chicken food truck for the best Jamaican jerk chicken in the world!  Go to their website and find out where they are making theirs stops around town. You won't' regret it!  

Jeannette Barcelos Kravitz

We continued to the Tribune Tent to hear three compelling stories from the Tribune Watchdog Panel;  George Papajohn, Patricia Callahan and Michael Hawthorn.  Yes, I consider myself an activist, but to hear the stories of the sheer dedication these journalist have to the issue at hand and the commitment the Chicago Tribune has to truth telling at all costs,  will help me sleep better in this city with unique politics and unspoken violence.  I want to thank all the Watchdogs everywhere for the work each of you are doing to keep it real and keep us informed.

George Papajohn, Patricia Callahan and Michael Hawthorn

We went by the CSPAN truck but they had decided to close early.  Disappointed! 

We stopped for a drink at  Potbelly where a lovely young musician accommodated my music request. We sat by sipping and watching a sea of people methodically work their way through the crowded tents, looking for that one book or two that will enlighten , compel, entertain, fantasize or simply provide a reality check.   

Children galore, adults, goth scene and professors among the mix and all I can say is, I can't wait till next year!  

And yes, I did buy a book of poetry.  More on that later once I have had time to absorb the poems of a US  soldier who wrote poems based on conversations of US captives behind bars while incarcerated in Vietnam. Stay tuned.  Thank you.  Jeannette Barcelos Kravitz

John Kass More Moutza!