I just wanted to say hello again, since it's the 29th -- our official first day of virtual group class.
As I put clean sheets on my bed this morning -- sheets that are vastly ink-stained, principally due to The 3:15 Experiment, info on which you can find at http://www.315experiment.com/ if you're interested) -- I thought with amusement of Nancy's comment about spilling Miskit on her comforter and pants. Perhaps we should start a thread titled "Spilled Substances and Other Lo-Fi Publishing Disasters"!!
Seriously, though, it would be lovely for each of us to share a bit about where our thinking is now, a few weeks after our initial meetings. Have you begun your project? If so, send a little report to the group, as Mónica and Nancy did (either in response to this post or in response to my other post). If not, let us know what your plans are (it's fine, by the way, if you have not yet begun -- now's as good a time as any!). Do you have questions at this juncture? Ask away!
My own project is still in the thinking/gestating stage. I know I want to make a small hand-sewn book using one of my typewriters. But I haven't yet decided what the contents will be. Hm...
I have a question. I'm wondering if we want to devise a schedule for development and production of our projects (other than our deadline, which is New Year's Eve). It's likely not going to be possible for all of us to work from the same template, since the tasks vary widely depending on the nature of the project. Perhaps it makes sense for each of us to devise her or his own schedule? And we can then post these on the blog, so we can learn from each other's different working styles? Alternately, we could try to come up with some shared guidelines we might all follow (however loosely). Opinions? Suggestions?
Hope everyone's doing excellently well. Here in Los Angeles it is the hottest October on record since the 18-somethings. I keep waiting for it to cool down -- and it does sometimes, to about 80 degrees!
Most best,
Jen
7 comments:
Hi. Nancy here again. I propose checking in once a week each Wednesday. At that time I'll post where in the process of making my chapbooks I am as I work on them. I'm currently working on chapbook covers. I've decided what written work I'd like to include inside, and that's it, so far. I'll need to figure out how to cut my little story to make my printed pages fit inside the covers and to shrink the font so it is still easily readable. But that step will come in a couple of weeks after I've finished and cut up my watercolor painting covers. I'm painting three to a watercolor paper page to save time with the masking, measuring, etc. as I want to insure uniformity. So far, I'm pleased with how they're turning out! --Nancy
wooooo! happy halloween lo-fi friends (--though for the moment, hi-fi friends). i have been scheming and preparing for my theatre-walk project over the last couple weeks and have already had some adventures to add to our 'spilled substances' thread...
i agree with nancy and monica about contributing to the student art show, and feel less enthusiastic about expanding the work onto the web. this is only because i don't care for the interent, but if everyone else is doing it hell i'll do it, too.
i've been reading 'you: the city' which jen suggested and it's bizarre and fascinating: a city-wide show performed for one audience member at a time. all of the dialogue is stream-of-consciousness--poetry, really--and is accompanied by photos. it reminds me of a david lynch movie.
so i've found that it's difficult to use spaces for free. one non-profit coffee shop that i volunteer at will let me hold all rehearsals there (when it's closed-late at night or the crack of dawn) as well as be one of the locations. my other options are an alternative high school, some underground retail space which hasn't been used since the mid-90's, an old church, a racket ball court, any number of docks, the roof of an apartment building and a memorial field. these are all in a five-block radius of each other and mostly are of the Victorian era (authentically or reproduced). i'm still gathering writers and so far have a few eccentric townies on boat. i'm not even thinking about the hand-bound documentation of this yet, or of the scene that i'm going to write. i'm trying to keep the collaboration as uncomplicated and friendly as possible, which means not having too many people involved. this means doing a lot of the work myself--from a theatrical perspective i am the producer, stage manager, director, technical everything, one of the writers and possibly actors. here we go!
Hello- (it's Jordan) I feel left out of the ink spill and dirty sheets club. On the flip side I am covered in tacky glue and modge podge.
To let you know, I am in favor of the art exhibit and donating works to the Goddard library as we discussed earlier. As for "meeting times" I just need to know when and where and an idea of what is expected; no needs for specific days.
I am enjoying my first lo-fi experiance- so far, I have placed 10 (start slow..) prestamped postcards in various locations in downtown asheville and I am awaiting replies. I purchased a 20ft long(? maybe more) roll of paper and will be handwriting quotes, poems, attaching newspaper clippings, pictures and statistics..possibly parts of original essays across the roll. I am in the choosing /inspiration and direction part of my mind and hoping to see the light soon. When the choices have been made I can begin cutting paper dolls, which I am going to notstogically associate with the Christmas season (yay).
I am VERY open to suggestions and ideas. Hope all is well- Jordan
Hey Everyone!
I'm quite terrible at these blogging things, at least on this site, so I apologize for not posting earlier.
For me, I've started to collect cigarette boxes, which has been really neat since I've gotten a few really cool looking ones. But so far, thats all I've got. Empty boxes. But also I've got friends in the Sacramento and LA area that have agreed to take some of my little boxes and put them places there, so I'm sort of bi-coastal!
I think the art show thing is really a cool idea, since these projects are multi media right? And as far as documenting it and putting up a webiste... I don't know how to do that. But I'll document via pictures maybe. -Megan
Nancy posting again, since it's Wednesday and time to check in. I've finished my paintings and am going to cut them up next and fold them to make chapbook covers. I have to figure out how I want the "guts" or prose, title page, publishing page, etc. to work inside. They look very cool and I'm numbering each one as 1 of __ since they're each now little original watercolor paintings. Hope everyone is having fun with their projects! Haven't seen a few of our group post yet so I hope I'm doing this thing right. Take care and I'll check back in to our blog next week. - Nancy
Ahoy-hoy,
Just checking in.
I'm still in the "looking for my master key to the school" stage of development.
Ideas are gestating in my head though.
Mucho gestation, I promise.
More coherent post later.
- alexander
Hiya --
Some thoughts for each of you -- and an invitation to send each other your thoughts as well!
Nancy, your progress is inspiring! (And yes, you are doing this right.) You're probably already on top of this, but don't forget to make a "dummy" copy of the innards of your book -- it can get especially complicated if you're printing double-sided, to remember which pages to print on the backs of each other. I'm so excited to see your paintings! We may have to "require" everyone to bring their versions of your book so we can all look at all the watercolors!
Madeline, your research about spaces to use sounds absolutely fascinating. I often find that the "prep" for making a piece is as much a part of the artistry of the work as the "product" you hold in your hand (or eye or ear) at the end of the process. I'm elated at the range of spaces you plan to use -- perhaps your difficulty in finding free workspace will be a blessing, in the end.
Jordan and Megan -- your progress, both of you, sounds wonderful. I'm eager to hear about the results of your public forays -- Jordan, to see what happens as the postcards begin to make their way back to you, and Megan, to explore the possibilities of bi-coastal sneaky placement of art in public spaces! As you may recall, I live in Los Angeles, so do let me know where your friends here will put your cigarette-box-books so I can experience them "in their natural habitat." Also, Megan, you might consider asking some of your classmates to place books for you -- I know I'd be willing to, and I bet others would as well.
Alexander -- if you continue to have trouble locating the key to your high school, I'd simply suggest you modify your project to engage another local public space in a similarly infiltrative way. I can think of many spaces that would benefit from your literary interventions, and I'm sure you can too!
I'll send a group post momentarily, but wanted to thank you all for starting the blog-ball rolling. Looking forward to more!
Fondly,
Jen
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