Hail to the Queen: Aaron Michael Washington Opens up About the Past, Present, and Future of “Queen Michael”

Queen Michael. Courtesy of Aaron Michael Washington.

“Why does everybody think I’m such a diva?” asks the voice on the other end of the line. I have just asked if our interview needs to be moved or postponed due to last Friday’s sudden flash floods and thunderstorms. “That’s why they make waterproof make-up, love.”

Some time later, Aaron “Queen Michael” Washington appears, completely dry and fashionably tardy. With an upcoming album set to appear “soon” (“I like to keep people in suspense,” Washington explains), the gender-bending Washington is excited to have the chance to expound on what his/her sound is, and what it means for Baton Rouge.

From the Archives (DIG) – Tiger Athletic Foundation Commits to Set Donations: Will Share the Wealth, $36 Million over Next Five Years

In a move that would have made “Share the Wealth” proponent Huey P. Long proud, the LSU Board of Regents voted this past Friday to formalize the flow of money between the Tiger Athletic Fund and other branches of the university.

Within the past several years, the university has experienced a downward slide, as budget cuts have forced several departments to close, prevented maintenance from being performed, and the loss of 140 members of the faculty during the 2009-2010 academic year, with others slowly trickling out in disgust or disgrace.

With a little luck, the decision made by the board on September 7 will stop—and potentially reverse—LSU’s slow fiscal erosion.

From the Archives (DIG) – LSU expands Film and Media Arts Minor into Major Concentration: Roster of instructors includes notable names

Looper, On the Road, and Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter are just a few of this year’s film releases filmed in Louisiana.

Too late for yours truly, LSU has finally gotten around to offering Film and Media Arts as a major. This semester’s end will see the first generation of those graduates who chose FMA as a concentration, and while the rest of us with liberal arts degrees have had some trouble finding lucrative employment, this batch of alumni is heading out into “the real world” with high hopes and a better chance.

From the Archives (DIG) – The Desire for Something More: Louisiana filmmaker Zach Godshall talks about character

Zach Godshall on location filming Lord Byron. Photo Credit: Hilary Bronwyn Gayle.

Lafayette-born screenwriter and filmmaker Zach Godshall has a fascination with outsiders, opportunists, and amorphous and undefined aspiration.

When asked about the character motivations of his in-progress Depression-era project, Godshall said that the Great Depression inspires interest because of the great number of “desperate people looking for something to latch on to, people looking to take advantage of situations.” Does he see a connection between modern citizens, struggling to get by in a time of economic downturn? Is the Depression-era choice intentional? “It’s just that situation in general [that interests me],” he says. “Wanting to—you know—believe in something. And then [there are] people that are savvy enough to seize the opportunity. Opportunists.”