DVS, it would be fun to write a conceptual book. I would have to add it to a very long list of other projects, however. In the meantime, I can at least toss the idea around in my head. Thanks for planting the seed. :-)
Terry, the thing with conceptual books is that you can appropriate (aka steal, plagiarize). How long could it have taken Nico to "write" that book? He just cut and pasted a bunch of postings on FB. And conceptual books aren't necessarily read in a conventional way. People just have deep discussions about the concept. Like asemic writing, it's perfect for the post-literate society: writers who don't actually write and readers who don't actually read.
First, welcome to Eva Amity of Portland, Oregon! Please post, comment, etc.! We'd love to hear from you. Back in the day, Portland and Seattle were huge mail art centers. It's seeming that way again. A lot of people from Portland especially are joining.
Anyway, here is piece a received from Maria Morisot in Iowa. She might be Moan Lisa or someone close to Moan. I like the piece a lot. I think it expresses Moan's view on asemics, which I've already said is different than the usual. I'll leave it here for you to puzzle over.
Here's the thing, Linda. At least the post-literates and conceptual writers on the current scene still value books, language, literature, etc. Beyond that, my sense is that the whole thing is collapsing completely. There are hardcore traditionalist, of course. But they seem like Luddites at this point.
I received a great batch of new work from longtime group member Nancy Bell Scott. She helped pioneer the asemics-vispo hybrid style that is seen so often here. Thank you, Nancy!
outgoing unfolded envelope as part of my 'progressions'. I went to a talk by a UK artist, Andrew Bick, and he was talking about flux. I guess my progressions are my flux.
Welcome from another Portlander, Eva Amity. Nice to have you here.
DVS, I've decided to no longer waste valuable time wondering whether or not I would like to "write" a conceptual book. Heck, I'm a hardcore book lover myself. I wouldn't be in my right mind if I simply copied and pasted a "book" for an audience who wouldn't really read it. I'm happy to report the thought was a mere blip on my brain waves, then gone. :-)
Nancy Bell Scott, I love your work! It's beautiful and expressive. I am grateful to DVS for including it both on his web site and here so we can all enjoy your amazing talent.
Terry, you are too kind (to me). NBS deserves it; I agree. She is very humble. I should have put a link to her blog in mine. You can find some really FAB material there.
And, note to self, Terry has vowed not to write a conceptual book. Framed another way, I think you are smart, Terry. Why would you write a book no one is really expected to read?
But then would you, like many people in this group, write an asemic book? That's a book that is meaningless.
A while back I was urging people here at IUOMA to make references to books that don't exist by authors who don't exist. It never caught on. I think I was ahead of my time.
What a nice thing to say, Terry, and it's much appreciated. I can see I need to catch up here--many great things posted--and read up on this conceptual book idea that apparently won't be realized. Also, the idea of referring to books that don't exist by authors who don't exist is too tempting, and i might have to give it some shots for fun. They won't fool anyone, by the way, I'm too obvious.
Talk about Terry Owenby's conceptual book passionately.
(end of event score)
I think Terry has created one of the great conceptual books because we're discussing it and she has vowed never to write it. It only exists as a concept.
DVS, I had to chuckle over your comments about my non-existent conceptual book, including "I think Terry has created one of the great conceptual books because we're discussing it and she has vowed never to write it. It only exists as a concept." You agree, then, that it is an interesting book?! I hardly know what to say. I'm humbled by the experience. Now I'm going to pass the baton to Nancy Bell Scott. Her book will be an amazing read since neither book nor author exists.
Terry, you are my favorite conceptual writer, eclipsed only by that book "Night Moves" that is composed of the YouTube comments under Bob Seger videos. I can't remember who wrote it, though.
I haven't actually read a word of "Night Moves" but I love the idea of a book being dedicated to a song by a washed up 70s rock start from Detroit. (I remember he had a concert in Buffalo and someone stole his guitars and they had to cancel.)
To say that dozens of conceptual novels are now being published every month would be a huge underestimate. I see announcements all the time. One author erased big sections of Hemingway's "The Sun Also Rises" (I think it was) and issued it as a book s/he wrote. Someone else alphabetized all the words in a de sade novel (I think the 1000 Days of Sodom) and issued it as book. I don't know where all of this is going.
I think asemic books are likely considered part of this.
It's a strange phenomena, NBS. Will one of these things break out and become very popular/a big seller? That is what usually defines "movements." "On the Road put the Beats on the map. I don't know. As we've been discussing, literacy has changed.
Vispo and asemics are included with conceptual writing these days. But I see a book of asemics as being different (and more interesting) than someone re-typing (re-typing is a big thing too) "Catcher in the Rye" and adding new typos.
I received and wrote a review of a book by a former member of our group: Bruno Neiva in Spain. Bruno was involved during the book projects and helped make those theoretical discussions very interesting. He is quite the visual poet these days, although this is a book of conventional poems:
Linda, who is going to read Hemingway's "The Sun Also Rises" with about 85% of the words erased? And that's a con novel that has actually been published. With my proposal, a few people might at least go through and out of curiosity try to identify some of the lines. Isn't "I was born" the first sentence of a Dickens book? Great Expectations maybe.
The final result, I think, is to end up with concepts and no books, the way a Fluxus event score is only a few words or sentences, sometimes found, that describes a performance: "No Smoking." I think that's one. The audience has to decide how to perform it.
DVS, thank you for explaining. It's more interesting than I had at first thought. Also, I have a confession to make. And it's not the first time I've done this. I thought I was being funny when I said "That's already been done." First lines of established, published novels and all. but maybe I'm not as funny as I thought. I once accused someone on the IUOMA website of being a rascal. I guess the rascal is really me. I hang my head. Again. --Linda
"I am born," 1st line of "David Copperfield," in top 5 fav classics when I wasn't literary in absentia. Linda, he's right, you're fine. One types something deadpan and it looks simply dead. Don't you love it? An online curse, and it'll never go away, so we just have to take our chances, which you do very well.
Thank you for your encouragement, Nancy. There are places where they call people like me "smarty-pants." My kids still do, but they better smile when they say it. --LInda
NBS, how can you beat that three word Dickens sentence? And thanks for the clarification.
Interesting discussion, as my experience is that it is almost impossible to know what is joking or serious on the IUOMA platform. All the performance stuff makes it even more confusing. I've seen people locked in deadly verbal combat hurling vile insults at each other and people urging them on because they (the viewers) thought it was a joke or performance thing. It has worked the other way too. I will get serious for a moment and say that after five years, I encourage civility, supportiveness and thinking before you post.
C'mon Linda. I don't want you to think I'm suggesting you should reduce posting comments. I like your comments. You missed a lot of things I'm talking about. You're not contentious. It is true. The calm can explode into ugliness. People are being polite now. Things are good. With 3000 plus people, yeah, there will be incidents.
I am way too bouncy to be contentious. I duck and dodge. And I never mean to be mean. Sometimes I think I just need a nap or something, before I get all wordy. Anyone who says a lot will sooner or later say something that tips the scales one way or another. And I appreciate the check rein that balances out my yak with the voice of reason. You are a kind fellow, DVS, and you prove it every day. --Linda
Thanks to liketelevisionsnow for being instrumental in making me the March featured artist in Redux International Arts Magazine. The work is mostly asemic vispo.
We would like to announce the publication of a limited edition chapbook of the asemic writings by the French author Raymond Queneau (1903 – 1976). Queaneau founded the Ouvroir de littérature potentielle (OuLiPo) in 1960 and published many highly stylised and unconventional works, some of which have been adapted for film. He also published work in pictogram form, to which the work in this book is most closely related.
This chapbook is being published by Secret Books, a new collaboration between Tim Gaze (AUS) and Christopher Skinner (UK). The books will be digitally printed on quality paper and card stocks, and individually bound in a numbered edition of 100.
Measuring 143 x 108mm the chapbook is double covered with 12 printed pages, consisting of 9 enhanced reproductions by Queneau along with new artwork by Gaze and Skinner, both inspired by the Queneau pages, and an ink portrait of the artist as a young man.
'Raymond Queneau - Ecritures' will be available to purchase worldwide through Big Cartel at just £5.00 plus P&P. You can see images of the chapbook in production at www.secretbookpublishing.wordpress.com
We hope that you can support our new collaborative venture by either purchasing a copy of this limited edition chapbook of visual material from one of France's most respected writers. Or even by spreading the word; forwarding this email or the attached PDF to others who you think may be interested, or by linking to our site from your blog, Tumblr or Twitter accounts. Please feel free to use any of the images from our site.
Christopher Skinner, thanks so much for sharing the info on the chapbook of asemic writing by Queaeau. That is major! I'm sure you'll find some interest in this group.
I am very sorry to be the one to bring this sad news - but thought I should relay it - the great Bob Grumman has passed.
Bob Grumman is well known to those who have been involved in the network, vispo and zines - especially vispo. That extends to asemics as well. Bob is one of the great foundational theorists and reviewers of vispo. I have no doubt that as vispo continues to evolve, Bob will become equivalent to Aristotle. Bob was essential in creating and defining the current scene. He was also a fine writer and artist and a genuinely wonderful person.
Bob Grumman has many friends and fans, so I am sure much will be done to honor him and keep his work alive. In the meantime, RIP, Bob.
Thank you, Terry, you are very caring & thoughtful expressing condolences concerning Bob Grumman.
Just about every old timer in m-a, zines and vispo has their memories of Bob, I'm sure. For one thing, he wrote for a zine called Factsheet 5, which was basically a zine about zines and had a huge following. Bob reviewed a few things I published, and Ruth Schowalter and I were in touch w/ him constantly when we were doing our Paper Bird Press publications. He was an incredibly nice guy. I posted a blog that has a link to one of Bob Grumman's better known essays and some bio info about him.
Terry Owenby
DVS, it would be fun to write a conceptual book. I would have to add it to a very long list of other projects, however. In the meantime, I can at least toss the idea around in my head. Thanks for planting the seed. :-)
Jan 14, 2015
De Villo Sloan
http://iuoma-network.ning.com/profiles/blogs/lost-classic-by-ficus-...
Terry, the thing with conceptual books is that you can appropriate (aka steal, plagiarize). How long could it have taken Nico to "write" that book? He just cut and pasted a bunch of postings on FB. And conceptual books aren't necessarily read in a conventional way. People just have deep discussions about the concept. Like asemic writing, it's perfect for the post-literate society: writers who don't actually write and readers who don't actually read.
Jan 15, 2015
Linda French
Thinking that I am in any way a part of the post-literate society just makes me want to flop down on the floor and cry. Or read a book. --Linda
Jan 15, 2015
De Villo Sloan
Anyway, here is piece a received from Maria Morisot in Iowa. She might be Moan Lisa or someone close to Moan. I like the piece a lot. I think it expresses Moan's view on asemics, which I've already said is different than the usual. I'll leave it here for you to puzzle over.
Here's the thing, Linda. At least the post-literates and conceptual writers on the current scene still value books, language, literature, etc. Beyond that, my sense is that the whole thing is collapsing completely. There are hardcore traditionalist, of course. But they seem like Luddites at this point.
Just my 2 cents.
Jan 16, 2015
De Villo Sloan
http://iuoma-network.ning.com/profiles/blogs/new-asemics-vispo-by-n...
Jan 18, 2015
Rebecca Guyver
Jan 18, 2015
Nancy Bell Scott
Rebecca, that is stunning! Beauteous!
Jan 18, 2015
Terry Owenby
Welcome from another Portlander, Eva Amity. Nice to have you here.
DVS, I've decided to no longer waste valuable time wondering whether or not I would like to "write" a conceptual book. Heck, I'm a hardcore book lover myself. I wouldn't be in my right mind if I simply copied and pasted a "book" for an audience who wouldn't really read it. I'm happy to report the thought was a mere blip on my brain waves, then gone. :-)
Jan 19, 2015
Terry Owenby
Nancy Bell Scott, I love your work! It's beautiful and expressive. I am grateful to DVS for including it both on his web site and here so we can all enjoy your amazing talent.
Jan 19, 2015
De Villo Sloan
Terry, you are too kind (to me). NBS deserves it; I agree. She is very humble. I should have put a link to her blog in mine. You can find some really FAB material there.
https://nancybellscott.wordpress.com/category/artists-book-pages/
Jan 19, 2015
De Villo Sloan
And, note to self, Terry has vowed not to write a conceptual book. Framed another way, I think you are smart, Terry. Why would you write a book no one is really expected to read?
But then would you, like many people in this group, write an asemic book? That's a book that is meaningless.
A while back I was urging people here at IUOMA to make references to books that don't exist by authors who don't exist. It never caught on. I think I was ahead of my time.
Jan 19, 2015
Susan McAllister
Jan 19, 2015
Nancy Bell Scott
What a nice thing to say, Terry, and it's much appreciated. I can see I need to catch up here--many great things posted--and read up on this conceptual book idea that apparently won't be realized. Also, the idea of referring to books that don't exist by authors who don't exist is too tempting, and i might have to give it some shots for fun. They won't fool anyone, by the way, I'm too obvious.
Thanks again, DVS.
Jan 20, 2015
De Villo Sloan
You've clarified it for me NBS!
EVENT SCORE
Talk about Terry Owenby's conceptual book passionately.
(end of event score)
I think Terry has created one of the great conceptual books because we're discussing it and she has vowed never to write it. It only exists as a concept.
Jan 21, 2015
Linda French
I have no conception about which I would write a conceptual book.
Jan 21, 2015
Terry Owenby
DVS, I had to chuckle over your comments about my non-existent conceptual book, including "I think Terry has created one of the great conceptual books because we're discussing it and she has vowed never to write it. It only exists as a concept." You agree, then, that it is an interesting book?! I hardly know what to say. I'm humbled by the experience. Now I'm going to pass the baton to Nancy Bell Scott. Her book will be an amazing read since neither book nor author exists.
Jan 22, 2015
De Villo Sloan
Terry, you are my favorite conceptual writer, eclipsed only by that book "Night Moves" that is composed of the YouTube comments under Bob Seger videos. I can't remember who wrote it, though.
Jan 22, 2015
De Villo Sloan
OK. Fave conceptual novels:
1) Terry Owenby
2) "Night Moves" by Stephanie Barber
http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17250518-night-moves
I haven't actually read a word of "Night Moves" but I love the idea of a book being dedicated to a song by a washed up 70s rock start from Detroit. (I remember he had a concert in Buffalo and someone stole his guitars and they had to cancel.)
Jan 22, 2015
Nancy Bell Scott
That is a riot.
Jan 22, 2015
De Villo Sloan
To say that dozens of conceptual novels are now being published every month would be a huge underestimate. I see announcements all the time. One author erased big sections of Hemingway's "The Sun Also Rises" (I think it was) and issued it as a book s/he wrote. Someone else alphabetized all the words in a de sade novel (I think the 1000 Days of Sodom) and issued it as book. I don't know where all of this is going.
I think asemic books are likely considered part of this.
Jan 22, 2015
Nancy Bell Scott
Sounds like nowhere.
Jan 23, 2015
De Villo Sloan
It's a strange phenomena, NBS. Will one of these things break out and become very popular/a big seller? That is what usually defines "movements." "On the Road put the Beats on the map. I don't know. As we've been discussing, literacy has changed.
Vispo and asemics are included with conceptual writing these days. But I see a book of asemics as being different (and more interesting) than someone re-typing (re-typing is a big thing too) "Catcher in the Rye" and adding new typos.
These things do relate to asemics.
Jan 23, 2015
De Villo Sloan
I received and wrote a review of a book by a former member of our group: Bruno Neiva in Spain. Bruno was involved during the book projects and helped make those theoretical discussions very interesting. He is quite the visual poet these days, although this is a book of conventional poems:
http://iuoma-network.ning.com/profiles/blogs/a-review-of-dough-by-b...
Jan 23, 2015
De Villo Sloan
A conceptual novel composed of first sentences from thousands of novels already published.
Jan 29, 2015
Linda French
Who would ever read it? Wouldn't it be said "That's already been done"? Or maybe that's the concept. --Linda
Jan 29, 2015
Nancy Bell Scott
Yes, but it sounds more interesting than two other conceptual books described somewhere on IUOMA (and now I can't find them).
Jan 29, 2015
De Villo Sloan
Linda, who is going to read Hemingway's "The Sun Also Rises" with about 85% of the words erased? And that's a con novel that has actually been published. With my proposal, a few people might at least go through and out of curiosity try to identify some of the lines. Isn't "I was born" the first sentence of a Dickens book? Great Expectations maybe.
The final result, I think, is to end up with concepts and no books, the way a Fluxus event score is only a few words or sentences, sometimes found, that describes a performance: "No Smoking." I think that's one. The audience has to decide how to perform it.
Jan 29, 2015
Linda French
DVS, thank you for explaining. It's more interesting than I had at first thought. Also, I have a confession to make. And it's not the first time I've done this. I thought I was being funny when I said "That's already been done." First lines of established, published novels and all. but maybe I'm not as funny as I thought. I once accused someone on the IUOMA website of being a rascal. I guess the rascal is really me. I hang my head. Again. --Linda
Jan 30, 2015
De Villo Sloan
Linda, I think you're doing fine.
Jan 30, 2015
Linda French
Once again, DVS, you prove that you are a kind fellow.
Jan 30, 2015
Nancy Bell Scott
"I am born," 1st line of "David Copperfield," in top 5 fav classics when I wasn't literary in absentia. Linda, he's right, you're fine. One types something deadpan and it looks simply dead. Don't you love it? An online curse, and it'll never go away, so we just have to take our chances, which you do very well.
Jan 30, 2015
Linda French
Thank you for your encouragement, Nancy. There are places where they call people like me "smarty-pants." My kids still do, but they better smile when they say it. --LInda
Jan 30, 2015
De Villo Sloan
NBS, how can you beat that three word Dickens sentence? And thanks for the clarification.
Interesting discussion, as my experience is that it is almost impossible to know what is joking or serious on the IUOMA platform. All the performance stuff makes it even more confusing. I've seen people locked in deadly verbal combat hurling vile insults at each other and people urging them on because they (the viewers) thought it was a joke or performance thing. It has worked the other way too. I will get serious for a moment and say that after five years, I encourage civility, supportiveness and thinking before you post.
Jan 31, 2015
Linda French
I will think more. Post less. And learn from the wisdom of others. --Linda
Jan 31, 2015
De Villo Sloan
C'mon Linda. I don't want you to think I'm suggesting you should reduce posting comments. I like your comments. You missed a lot of things I'm talking about. You're not contentious. It is true. The calm can explode into ugliness. People are being polite now. Things are good. With 3000 plus people, yeah, there will be incidents.
Jan 31, 2015
De Villo Sloan
And "wisdom" ? at IUOMA? I don't think anyone knows what that means.
Jan 31, 2015
Linda French
I am way too bouncy to be contentious. I duck and dodge. And I never mean to be mean. Sometimes I think I just need a nap or something, before I get all wordy. Anyone who says a lot will sooner or later say something that tips the scales one way or another. And I appreciate the check rein that balances out my yak with the voice of reason. You are a kind fellow, DVS, and you prove it every day. --Linda
Jan 31, 2015
MUSEUM OF MAIL ART
Feb 23, 2015
De Villo Sloan
Thanks for sharing museumofmailart.
I received an asemic drawing of Diane Keys from Meeah Williams in Brooklyn.
Feb 23, 2015
De Villo Sloan
Many thanks to Jan Hodgman in Washington State for sending new work.
http://iuoma-network.ning.com/profiles/blogs/new-asemics-by-jan-hod...
Feb 25, 2015
De Villo Sloan
Excuse the SSP (Shameless Self Promotion).
Thanks to liketelevisionsnow for being instrumental in making me the March featured artist in Redux International Arts Magazine. The work is mostly asemic vispo.
http://liketelevisionsnow.wix.com/reduxmagazine
Mar 3, 2015
Christopher Skinner
Dear friends,
We would like to announce the publication of a limited edition chapbook of the asemic writings by the French author Raymond Queneau (1903 – 1976). Queaneau founded the Ouvroir de littérature potentielle (OuLiPo) in 1960 and published many highly stylised and unconventional works, some of which have been adapted for film. He also published work in pictogram form, to which the work in this book is most closely related.
This chapbook is being published by Secret Books, a new collaboration between Tim Gaze (AUS) and Christopher Skinner (UK). The books will be digitally printed on quality paper and card stocks, and individually bound in a numbered edition of 100.
Measuring 143 x 108mm the chapbook is double covered with 12 printed pages, consisting of 9 enhanced reproductions by Queneau along with new artwork by Gaze and Skinner, both inspired by the Queneau pages, and an ink portrait of the artist as a young man.
'Raymond Queneau - Ecritures' will be available to purchase worldwide through Big Cartel at just £5.00 plus P&P.
You can see images of the chapbook in production at www.secretbookpublishing.wordpress.com
We hope that you can support our new collaborative venture by either purchasing a copy of this limited edition chapbook of visual material from one of France's most respected writers. Or even by spreading the word; forwarding this email or the attached PDF to others who you think may be interested, or by linking to our site from your blog, Tumblr or Twitter accounts. Please feel free to use any of the images from our site.
Kind regards,
Mar 5, 2015
De Villo Sloan
http://iuoma-network.ning.com/profiles/blogs/vispo-bagism-by-matthe...
Christopher Skinner, thanks so much for sharing the info on the chapbook of asemic writing by Queaeau. That is major! I'm sure you'll find some interest in this group.
Mar 6, 2015
De Villo Sloan
http://iuoma-network.ning.com/profiles/blogs/unfinished-writing-by-...
Mar 6, 2015
John M. Bennett
Mar 6, 2015
De Villo Sloan
Mar 10, 2015
De Villo Sloan
http://iuoma-network.ning.com/profiles/blogs/asemic-cut-up-by-linda...
Mar 18, 2015
De Villo Sloan
I am very sorry to be the one to bring this sad news - but thought I should relay it - the great Bob Grumman has passed.
Bob Grumman is well known to those who have been involved in the network, vispo and zines - especially vispo. That extends to asemics as well. Bob is one of the great foundational theorists and reviewers of vispo. I have no doubt that as vispo continues to evolve, Bob will become equivalent to Aristotle. Bob was essential in creating and defining the current scene. He was also a fine writer and artist and a genuinely wonderful person.
Bob Grumman has many friends and fans, so I am sure much will be done to honor him and keep his work alive. In the meantime, RIP, Bob.
Apr 3, 2015
Terry Owenby
Unfortunately, I didn't know Bob Grumman but, for those who did, please accept my sincere sympathy on his passing.,
Apr 4, 2015
De Villo Sloan
Thank you, Terry, you are very caring & thoughtful expressing condolences concerning Bob Grumman.
Just about every old timer in m-a, zines and vispo has their memories of Bob, I'm sure. For one thing, he wrote for a zine called Factsheet 5, which was basically a zine about zines and had a huge following. Bob reviewed a few things I published, and Ruth Schowalter and I were in touch w/ him constantly when we were doing our Paper Bird Press publications. He was an incredibly nice guy. I posted a blog that has a link to one of Bob Grumman's better known essays and some bio info about him.
http://iuoma-network.ning.com/profiles/blogs/bob-grumman-s-essay-on...
Apr 5, 2015