Various Artists - A Party of Special Things To Do

UPDATED: Become a "fan" of the project on Facebook. 

ps. you Divinity School kids know how to throw down.

It was an incredibly productive night for Kissing Strange. As was pointed out in the comments, Alexis and I seem to be playing to our comfort zone at this moment. This seems true to a certain extent as most of the people kissing, especially in this set, are the same age. Physical attributes like Age, Beauty and Ethnicity are the "instant gratification" aspects of meeting a stranger, beyond that it's anybody's guess. On the surface it may appear that we are making the obvious connections, if you look behind the curtain there is something altogether different.

I did an interview with Matt Brandau (married) who refused to be photographed.

J: Why won't you kiss somebody? It doesn't have to be on the lips. 

Matt: It is simply not okay. Cheating is defined by the significant other and until you get the okay...don't do it.

J: Even blowing a kiss to someone in a photo?

Matt: Well, what does that mean to an outside observer? Blowing a kiss to me is like love. 

J: But not all kisses mean love. I see what you are saying though, it is going to depend on the person. What does a kiss mean to you?

Matt: A kiss is a symbol of love and affection. It is something personal and sensitive - and it can be passionate- but it should be reserved for the person you are "with."

J: How about the person you are with, tell me about your first kiss with her or your first kiss ever.

Matt: You are going to love this. I was 12, playing spin the bottle and [laughs] she totally dissed me. I was a 12 year old boy and she was a 12 year old girl which means we were like 10 years apart. The bottle landed on us and I leaned in for a peck and then there was more than just a peck. She said to me "Damn you don't know how to kiss...I gotta teach you." 18 years later and we are married.

Matt and his band The Old Ceremony are playing Cat's Cradle on Valentine's Day.

You can see the big versions on My Flickr

Valeria and Dan

Dan: I got sprayed with beer and then I got to kiss a pretty girl. Not a bad night. 

Warren and Aleksandra

Warren: I'm gay, but you are beautiful. I will definitely kiss you. 

Nicole and Julie

J [to Julie]: I know you asked me to find a boy...

Jeanie and Bobby (blogspot)

.

Jeanie: I'm engaged, but you have been making me dance.

Ashley and Julian

Julian: Let me see the [first] photo. No no no. We have to do that again. 

Amy and Nathan

 

J [to Amy]: ...It doesn't have to be on the lips, it could be an air kiss, kiss on the forehead, eskimo kiss...

Friends: ESKIMO KISS!!! [Amy is from Alaska]

Amy: Okay. Eskimo kiss.

*Party Erupts*

Send us your thoughts. kissingstrange@gmail.com

x

-j

kissingstrange.blogspot.com

www.kissingstrange.com

Because we're all family

Stefan And Stephanie

I love the names. 

I had an opportunity to interview Stefan about a few things. He was really enthusiastic about the project and mentioned his brother lives up in NY so, if all goes to plan, we can get Stefan's brother in the book too. Small world.

J: Tell me about your first kiss.

Stefan I was 17 and a freshman in college at Swarthmore. I had just come from a non-competitive hockey game where I was manager. I came back to campus with a beautiful Bulgarian sophomore from the team and she and I kissed on the whispering bench.

J: I love those. The acoustics let you talk to each other from across the room with only a whisper. Now the big philosophical question...What is kiss? Why do you think the kiss is part of our culture and social evolution?

Stefan: I guess in a way it is all about closeness and comfort. The mouth is intended for clean things and so to be close to someone your mouth becomes an indication of how you are with a person you are kissing. In a way the kiss is a manifestation of your inside or outside self, in the philosophical sense, the more you are comfortable and close with someone the more you let them inside and the mouth is a conduit for that. 

x

-j

kissingstrange.blogspot.com

www.kissingstrange.com

Because we're all family