Entry No. 07 · hot take
Five things to know before you own a poop machine
An educational rant. Strong opinions, gentle vibes.
this is the barYou are invited to the founding of
A show-and-tell afternoon for Bel's 41st birthday celebration.
No spectators here — your gift to her is becoming a part of the collection, four minutes at a time. Bring your quirkiest facets, your strangest stories and most random secret talents.
Field notes · the idea
Bar quizzes, sports days — Bel has thrown them all. For her 41st we're flipping it: instead of Bel entertaining us, each guest brings one small show-and-tell. Four minutes. Teach us something, show us something, tell us something you're proud of.
A slideshow works. So does an object with a story, a taste-test, a live demo, or an educational hot take. Present on your own, or team up with another guest. There are bingo cards for everyone, and real prizes at the end — the categories stay secret until the day, so there's no way to game it.
Entry No. 07 · hot take
An educational rant. Strong opinions, gentle vibes.
this is the barEntry No. 12 · object
Bring one thing and talk about it for two minutes. That's a talk.
Entry No. 19 · duo
Team up with another guest. Disagreement encouraged.
Entry No. 23 · demo
Skills, tastings, party tricks — live demos always win the room.
Entry No. 31 · tasting
Bring samples, score cards optional. The room will have opinions.
Entry No. 04 · story
Photos count as slides. Humiliation counts as content.
The clearing · everyone signs it
Eighty patches of sky, forest, shore and open water. Claim one, draw whatever you like in it — a creature, a memory, a badly drawn dog — and seal a message underneath.
The drawings appear the moment you make them, so the scene fills up as the weeks go by. The messages stay locked until the party, hidden from everyone including Bel. She opens all eighty at once on the 30th.
Can't come on the day? Draw one anyway. It's the part Bel keeps, and you don't need to be in the room for it.
Leave your mark in the clearingTrail map · key dates
Four stops between now and the 30th. One of them you can do this afternoon.
20 August
Say you're coming and sketch a talk title. Fake-mysterious titles very welcome.
27 August
Upload a file or paste a link, so the tech just works on the day.
Go to your cardAny time before the 30th
Claim a patch of forest, draw something for Bel, and seal a message underneath. It stays hidden until the party.
Claim your patch30 August, 2pm
Three rounds of talks, drink breaks between, and prizes at dusk in categories nobody sees coming.
Admission free · one talk per reader
Fifteen minutes now saves a panicked group-chat message later. Tell us you're coming, sketch a title, and pick your spot in the clearing.
RSVP: add yourself to the library