Writing

Au revoir, mon Ranch

You were one of the lead characters in the chapter I wrote about Los Angeles.
When I left that vague city behind me, you were mostly what I thought about. A entity of substance floating amongst the vapid ghosts of my memories.
Remember the nights when we’d stay up late talking, your whole body creating music, art; you expelling an intricate web between the souls that came to you for inspiration?
And though everything about you was slightly unhinged, I found comfort in your lack of symmetry.
How do you mourn a house? Especially one that was completely annihilated by a fast and purposeful fire? Do you grieve for it like you would a person? Dwelling on the fanciful memories that blow the subject up like a balloon, wildly out of proportion and heavy on the heart?
In every way, The Ranch was what you set out to make it, Kevin. It was that place. The place where artists and musicians and filmmakers came and did what they did best- create. I know you wanted so much more for it, but in hindsight, I hope you see that you achieved it and maybe this was the way The Ranch was meant to go. It reached it’s purpose and just simply imploded.

Photos by Lauren Modery, Eylene Pirez, Aaron Lomeli, & Melissa Rauso.

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7 Comments

  • Reply Raden Prisya September 5, 2009 at 1:41 pm

    what happened to the place..??

  • Reply Hipstercrite September 7, 2009 at 3:18 pm

    Hey Raden, thanks for asking. My friends' house was one of the casualties of the recent fires in Los Angeles.

  • Reply Hannah Miet September 8, 2009 at 5:03 am

    What a beautiful ode to what seems like such a magical place. I'm sorry about the fire. I would love to read more stories about this "intricate web between souls," if you ever feel inclined to write them. The Ranch sounds like the kind of place I always hoped to find someday.

  • Reply That Chelsea Girl™ September 8, 2009 at 2:57 pm

    That's too bad, I really hate wildfires.

  • Reply 72suburbs September 8, 2009 at 7:05 pm

    I'm so sorry to read about this.

    On an unrelated note, I realized that I know you both through 20SB and through Mr. London Street's blogroll. The blogosphere really is a tiny place.

  • Reply ash.lin. September 8, 2009 at 7:21 pm

    wow.. "And though everything about you was slightly unhinged, I found comfort in your lack of symmetry. " that made me fall in love with it too. i wish there were more places like the one you made- im sorry to hear about the ranch.
    fuck fires.

  • Reply Hipstercrite September 8, 2009 at 10:33 pm

    Thanks guys! The truth is, there is a lot of good that will come out of this. Everyone got their stuff out in time (except for one) and the owner, Kevin, had insurance. Also, it may make some of the very talented people who lived up there more proactive in their respective creative endeavors now.

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