Steve Hughes does good, gets year’s worth of beer money

Last night, I got to spend some time with my friend Minal Hajratwala. Over beers, I told her what it was like to sit curled up behind a small stage, giving voice to a puppet, and she told me what it’s like to be a Fulbright Scholar working on a second book. Surprisingly, there’s not a lot of overlap between our two worlds.

Then, today, I woke up and learned that my old zine-writing buddy, Steve Hughes had been awarded a Kresge literary arts fellowship.

When I set out to write this post, my plan was to come across as insanely jealous, as though I were boiling over with anger. I thought that it would be funny. But, truth is, that’s one emotion I don’t feel in the least. What I feel is incredibly fortunate to have such brilliant friends. In a word where there’s so much to be depressed about, from the gushing of oil in the Gulf to the mediocrity we see about us in American popular culture, it’s good to know that sometimes people with real talent find ways to keep doing what they do. So, next time you see a Twilight commercial and feel like killing someone, just remember that someone’s out there, making the decision to fund people with great ideas, like Steve and Minal.

And, speaking of the great things that these two people do, Minal’s first book, Leaving India: My Family’s Journey from Five Villages to Five Continents, is now available in stores everywhere, and Steve’s most recent project, a collaborative arts space in Hamtramck called Public Pool, will be opening a new show entitled Super 8 New York on July 10.