The Mynabirds: The New Revolutionists Week at TVD

In tandem with the release of The Mynabirds’ brand new LP Generals, front woman Laura Burhenn has embarked on an ambitious portrait project entitled “The New Revolutionists,” the purpose of which is to “pay tribute to the vast web of women who do various types of important work: artists, community organizers, doctors, mothers, women who embrace their lives and work to help and empower those around them. It is an awareness campaign for non-profits, women and works of art that empower.”

The week we’re turning TVD over to Laura to delve a bit deeper into the lives and inspirations of five of the many revolutionary American women the project serves to spotlight who are making a difference in their own communities across America. —Ed.

“I first met Lagusta Yearwood virtually through mutual friends and immediately fell in love with her spunk. I knew her as a vegan chocolatier and owner of Lagusta’s Luscious with a penchant for telling the online world (and beyond) just exactly how she felt about everything from presidential and local politics to celebrity culture to fashion to her Riot Grrl playlists-of-the-moment.

Her posts were fiery and endearing and ready to ruffle feathers on any side of the aisle or spectrum. I just love a woman who doesn’t ascribe to one single set of ideals, who doesn’t fit into just one category, who isn’t afraid to speak her mind—or admit when she’s wrong.

When I got to hang out with Lagusta in person (we finally met via her longtime partner Jacob Feinberg who was doing sound for Bright Eyes when I was on tour with them last year), I knew immediately we’d be lifelong friends. That she’s one hell of a human being is the most important thing. But it doesn’t hurt that she makes some of the most delicious sweet treats that you’ll ever put into your mouth — treats that just so happen to be vegan, cruelty-free and completely committed to fair, ethical trade.

Lagusta was photographed in New York City last August by Shervin Lainez at the same time we were shooting the album cover for Generals. At that point, I knew I wanted to include Avedon-style warrior portraits of women in the new album art. It wasn’t until I saw how striking the portraits turned out that I saw the potential of doing a wider photo project — tangentially-related to the Mynabirds album, but standing fully on its own — of a new generation of revolutionary American women. I love that Lagusta’s wearing her knife necklace, a symbol that’s used in her chocolate shop logo and serves as a double entendre reminder to “dish it out” as both a chef and conscientious member of society who aims to make her corner of the world better than she found it.

I caught up with Lagusta to ask her a few questions about her revolutionary ways — and to give us some song picks for a New Revolutionists mixtape.”

What do you think makes someone revolutionary, particularly in America in this chapter in our history?

That’s such a good question, especially in a time like ours when language and the concept of “revolution” has been so co-opted by capitalism (a new car is “revolutionary”) and the idea of a true revolution seems almost quaint in our post-postmodern world. But I still think there’s a huge need and a huge space for people working for revolution—that which leaves nothing unchanged, which brings newness on all levels, a sense of possibility at creating new ways of living that work more efficiently and fairly for all of us.

I think what makes someone revolutionary today is having the perspective, imagination, and strength to step outside their warm bubble of a power- and money-oriented way of being and speak up about how things could change. Revolutionaries are always acclaimed for their actions in retrospect, but in the moment it’s incredibly difficult to leave behind the traditional paths to success and be loud about what you think needs to be done to bring about a better world.

Who are some revolutionaries who have inspired you in your own life? And can you tell us a little bit about your “furious vulvas” that are an ode to your own mentor?

I’m lucky to have had a lot of amazing people in my life who have helped me find strength and energy to try, in the tiny little way I’m trying, to live out my deepest values every day. I worked for many years at a feminist collective restaurant in Connecticut, Bloodroot, and the primary collective members, Noel Furie and Selma Miriam, are mentors in such a deep sense to me—in so many ways, they have truly taught me how to live through their accomplished examples.

As a chocolatier, I spend a lot of time thinking about unique flavor combinations and chocolate ideas. I’m always browsing around for interesting molds to make shaped chocolates, and one day I got so fed up with the ridiculous amount of penis-shaped chocolate molds that I decided to make a vulva-shaped chocolate to counteract the tacky bachelorette party-style X-rated chocolates I kept seeing. I combined pink sea salt from red dirt-rich Hawaiian beaches with Hawaiian pink peppercorns for a softly peppery, lightly salty chocolate, and molded it into vulva-shaped chocolates. Because all my favorite women are somewhat angry women, and to honor my friend and mentor Noel Furie, I named the chocolate Furious Vulvas. It’s so weird and bizarre, and so tasty and addictive, and the vulvas are pretty much everyone’s favorite.

It seems like the ultimate way to convince someone to consider veganism (and ascribing to a cruelty-free and fair trade life) is to bribe them with chocolates that are more delicious than any dairy-based sweet they could ever have. Is that your approach to creating positive change in your own corner of the world? In other words, do you believe the old adage that you can catch more flies with honey than vinegar?

You nailed it, yep. After becoming a vegan about 20 years ago (my god. I am old.), I basically yelled at people nonstop about how they should be vegan for about 10 years. This rarely worked. And it never works for me, when people hammer me over the head with their pet issue. It’s always annoying. But chocolate is never annoying. And it’s a lot more fun and wonderful for me to make awesome, delicious things to eat all day than trying to get signatures on a petition to ban veal crates or something, which is what I always thought I’d end up doing with my life. It’s a win win. Pleasure-based activism is my thing now, and it’s kind of the most awesome thing ever.

You’ve chosen to open up shop in a small town where, I’m guessing, progressive ideals can be less welcomed than in a larger place like New York City. Can you talk a little about why you chose New Paltz, some challenges you faced/continue to face there, and some creative solutions you’ve come up with? Any advice you’d give others in small towns trying to do progressive things that might be met with resistance?

Actually, New Paltz is this really weird, ultra-liberal freak town in the middle of Upstate New York, which is, you’re right, super conservative. In New Paltz organic farmers walk around like gods, our mayor started performing same-sex marriages in 2004 just for kicks, and I’m lucky to have amazing customers who understand that our prices are higher than the average chocolate shop because we make everything by hand, and I refuse to buy chocolate made from cacao beans harvested by child slaves in Africa, or sugar doused with pesticides, or milk made from cows living in agony (just milk from coconuts and almonds!). My partner, Jacob, and I chose to live here because of that vibe, and I feel really lucky the town has embraced us like they have.

But like all other business owners, I still face a ton of challenges. The truth is that even most well-intentioned consumers don’t often understand the astonishing amount of labor making chocolates like ours takes, or how buying truly ethical (and tasty) chocolate costs sometimes double what mainstream chocolate does. So I work really hard at being completely transparent about what goes into running my business. We’re super small (just 4 of us!), and we intend to stay that way.

We don’t buy what we can’t afford, because getting hugely into debt isn’t in our business plan, so, for example, we run out of milkshakes a lot because we’re saving up for a bigger ice cream machine. It’s OK though, people just know to come in earlier in the day for their shakes. And when we do get that ice cream machine it’ll be so much, um, sweeter for our customers and us because we bought it straight-out, not on a credit card and not by “crowd-sourcing” it.

I feel like my business, and those of so many of my friends trying to run similar businesses by putting our ethics at the very center of what we do, needs to be OK with throwing a lot of traditional rules about running a business out the window. We treat our customers as equals and partners, and are honest with them about our struggles and also our triumphs. I try to be really open-hearted about what I’m trying to do and why. Because of it, I have these intensely loyal customers, who are so amazing and really get what we’re doing. It makes going to work a pleasure.

I guess I feel like, when you’re in an area (I’d say the whole world is this area, for me) where you know everyone is not going to totally understand or embrace what you’re trying to do, why not just ignore the people who aren’t ever going to get you and just speak directly to those who are? Maybe some of my liberal ranting about the connections between chocolate and human rights, or endless harping on our recycled-paper chocolate boxes annoys some people. But that’s OK. I’m only speaking to those who are listening.

What 5 songs would you insist be on a New Revolutionists mixtape?

Oh man, this is so hard. I’m basically just a dork who listens to riot grrrl like it’s 1995 or something all day long, so here we go:
Bikini Kill, Rebel Girl
Le Tigre, Hot Topic
Nina Simone, Mississippi Goddam
Etta James, Tough Mary
Sparklehorse, It’s a Wonderful Life