Trailer Livin

Many people ask me where a I plan to live when I’m in North Dakota. It’s a good question, since there’s a housing shortage and if you do happen to find an available place, the rent rivals a Manhattan penthouse. The solution? A trailer park.

I never thought I’d want to live in a trailer park at the age of 29 (okay, maybe briefly at 16 when I pictured myself running away from home and doing anything and everything to disappoint my parents (sorry again about that lovely parents)) but to be honest, now I’m kind of excited. I picture myself in cowboy boots, kicking up dust, and carrying a can of Budweiser as I waste hours sitting around in a fold-up chair people watching. Could be fun, right? Sort of a Friday Night Lights meets Into the Wild.

Those same lovely parents have offered to lend me their TrailManor camper and tow it the 1,500 miles from Mt. Shasta, California to a trailer park in Williston, North Dakota. I’m attaching photos of it. Any name suggestions? I was thinking Thelma (from Thelma and Louise), Lucille (because it sounds right), or Tammy Taylor (FNL for life!).

The Oil Men has been fully funded!

Some exciting news! The Oil Men’s crowdfunding campaign was a success! We received over $10,100 in contributions from 87 backers! I’m overjoyed and feeling incredible grateful for all the people who helped make it happen.

As much as my romanticized idea of a nonfiction writer is taking off at a moment’s notice, traveling to dangerous places, and holing oneself up in a cabin for months to write, I’m realizing now how important a support team is, at least for me. I now have 87 people who are invested in this project and care deeply about seeing it through to the end.  I can afford to bring a photographer and videographer with me and build a team of dedicated people who are as passionate about the project as I am. This is such a blessing, and as much as we criticize the increasingly digital world we live in, funding a project like this likely wouldn’t have been possible in an earlier time. It’s a reminder for me to embrace the present and all the resources it offers.

I want to thank everyone again who helped make this project possible, and if you didn’t have a chance to get involved and still want to, the project is still live and rewards remain available for purchase over at Fair.st/oilmen.

The Project Is Live!

On Tuesday night, we had an incredibly successful launch party at UnionDocs in Brooklyn, and the project is now live! Check it out here.

Thanks to the FairStreet team and all my wonderfully supportive friends for helping to make it happen. There are only 28 days left to go to raise $10K, but it’s off to a great start!

Here’s a photo of the North Dakota team – Brad, me and Ashley (from L to R).

The FairStreet crowdfunding campaign for ‘The Oil Men’ begins

With a party, of course.

It’s at UnionDocs in Brooklyn on Tuesday night. Everyone is welcome. Here’s the event description:

Come kick-off a FairStreet crowdfunding effort for ‘The Oil Men,’ a multimedia journalism project covering the oil boom in Williston, North Dakota. What’s it like to live in a world where there are too many jobs? To pay rent that rivals cities like Tokyo and Manhattan? To pay $7 for a gallon of milk and be offered a $300 signing bonus to work at McDonalds? This is all happening in a a small outpost in North Dakota, a town where men outnumber women six to one, and where the high rent will barely get you a trailer with running water.To find out what it’s like, financial journalist Blaire Briody, photojournalist Brad DeCecco and documentary filmmaker Ashley Panzera are heading there this summer to produce a nonfiction book, a short documentary, and photo project. They’ll be telling the story of how a small town was transformed overnight into a bustling nearly all-male metropolis, and looking at what the environmental fallout might be.

There will be a short film, free wine and beer at the kick-off event!

Space is limited so please RSVP here http://theoilmen.eventbrite.com/ for a free ticket.