Podcast Summary: "Holly Hughes & Tara Clancy" on The Moth

Release Date: September 22, 2015
Host: Dan Kennedy
Episode Guests: Holly Hughes & Tara Clancy

Introduction

In this episode of The Moth, host Dan Kennedy presents two compelling true stories centered around the theme of retaliation and fighting back. The first narrative, shared by Holly Hughes, delves into her battle against governmental censorship of art funding. The second story, told by Tara Clancy, recounts a childhood confrontation that teaches a young girl the complexities of standing up for herself.

Holly Hughes: Battling Censorship in the Arts

Timestamp: [02:45] – [16:44]

Background: Holly Hughes begins her story with her pursuit of an artistic career in New York City during the vibrant and tumultuous late 1970s. Fresh out of college from the Midwest, she navigates the East Village's eclectic cultural scene without a concrete plan, driven by passion rather than direction.

Key Points:

• Early Struggles and Breakthrough:

  • Holly describes her initial years in New York as a period of uncertainty, working jobs like waitressing while yearning to immerse herself in the artistic community.

  • Her breakthrough comes when she attends a performance at the wow Cafe, a small storefront theater, which sparks her desire to create her own avant-garde plays.

    "I decide I'm going to tell it from the standpoint of the lobsters. And my first play, Shrimp in a Basket, is a giant hit."
    [06:30]

• Success and Growth:

  • Holly’s innovative approach quickly gains traction, leading to sold-out shows and eventually an off-Broadway play that garners critical acclaim and awards, albeit with limited financial returns.

• The NEA Grant Battle:

  • Facing financial constraints, Holly applies for grants to support her work. She successfully secures initial funding but faces a formidable challenge when she applies for a prestigious National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) grant.

  • In 1990, amidst the AIDS epidemic, the political climate turns hostile toward "gay art," leading to the revocation of her grant due to political pressure.

    "The government decides to respond this way to AIDS, they don't attack the disease. They attack the people who have the disease."
    [10:15]

• Legal Battle and Publicity:

  • Holly becomes part of the NEA4, a group of artists challenging the government's censorship. Her involvement thrusts her into the national spotlight, leading to a Supreme Court case.

  • The media often caricatures the NEA4 as anti-American or trivializes their identities, but Holly remains steadfast in her fight for artistic freedom.

    "I am the topic of conversation. But there's no such thing as bad publicity."
    [13:50]

• Personal Reflection and Artistic Motivation:

  • Despite the overwhelming challenges and public backlash, Holly reflects on her motivations and the essence of art. She draws inspiration from her college drawing teacher, emphasizing that art requires breaking boundaries to reveal deeper truths.

    "It is no longer beautiful, but now it is art. And I thought, yeah, yeah, I could do that."
    [16:10]

Conclusion: Holly’s narrative is a powerful testament to the resilience of artists in the face of censorship and societal backlash. Her journey underscores the importance of fighting for creative expression and the impact of political interference on the arts.

Tara Clancy: Standing Up on the School Bus

Timestamp: [17:30] – [23:42]

Background: Tara Clancy recounts a pivotal childhood experience where, at the age of five, she physically confronts a larger peer, Eddie Ramirez, culminating in a significant altercation on a school bus.

Key Points:

• The Teasing and Conflict:

  • Tara begins by explaining the source of the conflict: teasing about her birthmark, a mole under her nose, which other children mockingly refer to as "chocolate on your face."

    "This is my birthmark. It is not a raisin or a piece of chocolate. I have no idea how it got here, but it's not going anywhere, so stop asking me about it."
    [20:05]

• Escalation to Violence:

  • The persistent teasing escalates to physical bullying. Despite her small stature, Tara reaches a breaking point after a series of provocations, leading her to knock out Eddie's front teeth—a reaction she describes as a "major overreaction."

    "So I decided to take the bull by the horns using my only available platform show and tell."
    [20:45]

• Aftermath and Consequences:

  • The immediate aftermath leaves Tara with visible injuries and Eddie confronting her mother's reaction. Despite the severity of the incident, Tara notes that no one from the other children snitches on her, possibly due to Eddie's mother's protective instincts.

    "I guess when the smallest kid in the class knocks the teeth out of the biggest kid in the class, she earns lifelong immunity from snitching."
    [22:15]

• Emotional Impact:

  • Tara reflects on her actions and the emotional toll it took. The incident remains a defining moment in her understanding of self-defense and retaliation.

    "I have to remember, the first artist I knew was my College drawing teacher..."
    (Note: This quote seems to be misplaced in the transcript; likely an error. The correct reflection should be from Tara's experience.)

Conclusion: Tara’s story highlights the complexities of childhood conflicts and the instinctual responses to bullying. Her reflection on the incident provides insight into the long-term effects of early confrontations and the importance of standing up for oneself.

After the Stories

Following Tara’s story, host Dan Kennedy provides brief biographies of both storytellers:

• Holly Hughes is recognized as a writer and performer who began her career in New York’s East Village. She is also a professor at the Stamps School of Art and Design at the University of Michigan and the author of four books.

• Tara Clancy is acknowledged as a writer and storyteller with multiple Moth story slam victories. Her memoir, "Clancy's of Queens," is slated for publication by Crown in 2016.

Closing Remarks

This episode of The Moth powerfully captures personal battles—Holly's fight against governmental restrictions on the arts and Tara's childhood confrontation with bullying. Both stories emphasize the themes of resilience and the courage to stand up against oppressive forces, whether they be institutional or personal.

Notable Quotes:

1. Holly Hughes on Art and Censorship:

   "Art has to do the job that the media and the government don't seem to want to do, which is, first of all, just say the word AIDS."
   [12:30]

2. Tara Clancy on Her Reaction:

   "I actually threw a completely vertical right cross that ejected those two teeth from his mouth like a little kamikaze pilot."
   [21:00]

For More Information: Visit The Moth website at themoth.org to explore more stories and live events.