Jean Smith & David Lester
-- A résumé -- A history

 


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2002
: David is the editor and graphic designer at BC Bookworld, a quarterly newspaper that deals with books published in British Columbia, Canada.

2001: Jean was awarded a Canada Council for the Arts grant to finish her third novel, "Living On Eggshells".

2000: Jean was awarded a BC Arts Council grant to write experimental fiction.

In 1993 David established Get To The Point Publishing to put out Jean’s first novel. In 1999 our record label, Smarten Up! joined the publishing imprint to form Smarten Up! & Get To The Point Publishing. Jean became editor and designer.

1999-present: Smarten Up! & Get To The Point published chap-books of graphics and/or poetry by Bud Osborn, Catherine Owen, Chad Norman, David Lester, Wendy Atkinson, Jean Smith, David Pritchett, Norman Nawrocki. Bud Osborn’s "Keys to Kingdoms" won The City of Vancouver Award

1986-89: The Black Wedge Tours. Jean and David organized, booked and promoted poets and musicians from Canada, the US and England for five anti-authoritarian, feminist tours in those same countries. In 1987, on the first Black Wedge, Mecca Normal performed in Olympia and traded our first album for the first beat happening album with Calvin Johnson of K.

1985-present:
Mecca Normal
started recording in our rehearsal space (Bob and Joyce’s garage) in 1984, we released our first album on our own label Smarten Up! Records (Vancouver) in 1986. Jean and David are committed to creating, recording, and promoting musical, visual, and written work dealing with poverty, housing, capitalism, women’s rights, and relationships between men and women from an anarchist and feminist perspective.

Mecca Normal is self-managed; we have handled marketing and publicity -- organizing hundreds of interviews for print, radio, and TV, and 15 years of readings and band performances in North America, Europe, New Zealand and Australia

Jean does the Mecca Normal album covers, and posters

Mecca Normal was cited as an influence to the founders of Riot Grrrl, a social movement of the mid ’90s

1979-1986: Graphic design and newspaper production In Vancouver. David was at The Georgia Straight, The West Ender, and Vancouver Magazine. Jean was at the North Shore News, The Courier, and The West Ender (where Jean and David met in 1981). They have both produced art and design for publishers, theatre companies, record labels, and bands.

 Jean and David are available to work on a variety of projects:

  • Mecca Normal is available for interviews, shows, and collaborative projects.
  • Jean and David are available to do graphic design work.
  • Jean is available for writing assignments -- interviews, articles.
  • David’s cartoons and graphics are available for publication use.
  • Jean’s paintings are for sale.
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