Jane the Phoole, by Steve Milanowski

Jane the Phoole, by Steve Milanowski, originally uploaded by Phoole.

The brilliant Steve Milanowski asked me to do a Serious Face for this striking photo of me with Circus World's Prince Charming wagon. View this amazing artist's other monumental work at http://www.stephenmilanowski.com/.

I spend more time than you'd suspect wishing I could see reflections of myself that tingle and jangle with the energy of what I am on the inside. I'm so very, very fortunate to meet photographers who mirror that mad color and vibration back to me. Many thanks to Steve for allowing me to use this photo: it makes me completely hyper!

Jane IS a Fool: Met Stephen Milanowski & Didn't Realize He Was Super-Famous

As I was en route from the Clown Containment Tent to the staging area for The Great Circus Parade on July 12, a fellow with a large-format camera (bellows, hand-held separate flash, old-timey) stopped me and asked if he could photograph me in front of the Prince Charming wagon, which was parked on the lakeshore. You know I can't resist a photo op -- I love being made famous -- so we stopped, and he asked me to pose in various angles with a serious facial expression, which is, as you well know, Not Often Done with me, and I enjoyed the whole thing a great deal. When he'd snapped the shots he wanted, inserting and removing giant plates and all, he accepted my card and said he'd send me a jpeg or two when he was able to develop them.

I toddled on to the parade, oblivious of whom I'd just met.

He sent me a jpeg of one of the photos today, and it exploded my brain. It turns out the photographer was Stephen Milanowski: http://www.stephenmilanowski.com. His work is amazing and just exactly what I love in photos of Americana. He captures ordinary moments in unreal, dreamily-intense color and perspective. He's exhibited at MoMA, published, and taught at impressive institutions.

I'm amazed and honored to have been in his lens. I'm hoping he'll allow me to post one or two of his pictures of me here, but if not, at least I might be able to get you a link to a shot of me on his site when the pieces are all complete. In the meantime, color me stunned! Please tour the gallery on his site and drink in his other brilliant work in the meantime!

The Great Circus Parade 2009

Click here for a Flickr page full of moments from today's amazing and utterly exhausting Great Circus Parade adventure!

Great Circus Parade: Viewing Spots in the Shade!

I've walked the route a couple of times, and the street sides shaded in blue above seem like they'll be nice shaded places for you to see me and all the amazing clowns, carriages and creatures in The Great Circus Parade, stepping off at 1:20pm this coming Sunday, July 12, 2009!

I was going to draw the lines in red, but so many Phoole Friends are red/green color-blind that I decided on blue. If there's such a thing as blue color-blindness, let me know and I'll post it in a color everyone can see. Neat! (Map snipped from Google Maps)

Great Circus Parade Route!

Here's the route for the Great Circus Parade on July 12, 2009 in Milwaukee. It takes a Scenic Route past the beautiful City Hall and along Kilbourn Avenue this time around, avoiding construction on Wisconsin Avenue. I walked the route this afternoon and scouted the shadiest viewing places -- soon I'll post a little guide to the loveliest ones, so you don't get sunburnt to a crisp while waves of circus splendour wash over the town! It looks like there are plenty of places to grab shade and have a good view along the route.

So excited about this parade. Getting emails and letters from a Clown Coordinator makes life delightfully strange, and I know I'm going to meet and make a million new friends that day. A brand-new parade banner is being made and sent to me as I write this -- I should have it by this coming weekend. It's fun being your own parade float! So getcher sunscreen and foldy-chairs ready for the Circus Victory March, as Legions of Clowns and a Fool storm Brew City!

Great Circus Parade Returns to Milwaukee!

Jane the Phoole LOVES the Great Circus Parade. Not seen in Milwaukee since 2003, it's back for a triumphant roll through Milwaukee's downtown on July 12, 2009 -- and I'm hoping to see you there! I went to Circus World recently to perform in a student film project, and the wagons are in brilliant shiny shape and ready to blow your mind with spectacle. Visit the Circus World website for news on how to reserve deluxe seating on Kilbourn Avenue, get your commemorative pins, and everything Great Circus Parade 2009!