Interzone report: December 2008
Paul O'Donovan: "Wishes to Interzone"
Hi all !
So 2008 is over ! 2009 has come, a new year of adventures for Interzone which now is in its twelfth year of existence.
Realizations in 2008:
Interzone Editions
The main event here has been la création d' Interzone Editions http://www.inter-zone.org/editions.htm, which has started to officially publish the books we have been involved in in Interzone since a number of years.
Five books are now available :
- the French version of Alfred Korzybski's "Seminar of general semantics, 1937" : http://www.inter-zone.org/seminairesg.htm which I translated in the nineties, and which was revised by Laura Bertone, from the Institute of General Semantics . This is the first integral book by Korzybski published in France. Extracts of his writings have been published by the Editions de l'Eclat : "Une carte n'est pas le territoire". It contains the notes of the courses given at Olivet College. It is available in English original version at the Institute of General Semantics at http://www.generalsemantics.org/index.php/shop/books/booksbya.html
- the comix by José Altimiras and François Darnaudet "Le Taxidermiste" and in English translation : "The Taxidermist", translated by me and Ken Gage.
- the Christmas tale "Stella Matutina" , in French original version and English one , translated by me and Paul O'Donovan. .
The next book to come is "Le Temps des Naguals : autour de Burroughs et Gysin", a compilation of interviews, articles, documents on Burroughs and Gysin, with original photographs and illustrations by Paul O'Donovan and other Zoners.
In case you want to have articles or else which you would like to be integrated in it, you can still let me know.
Self production:
Interzone Editions is the result of several challenges : the first one was, when we started Interzone creation http://www.inter-zone.org/menu.html : are we able to produce our work as artists and writers ? We tried and realized it was possible at our scale with the only technology of computers and internet, and that it was much cheaper and much more simple than going through the commercial way. Music compilations were done, and writers published their books : see the catalogue at http://www.inter-zone.org/catal1.html :
Books: http://www.inter-zone.org/catalbooks.html
Music : http://www.inter-zone.org/catalcddvd.html
Illustrations, paintings : http://www.inter-zone.org/catalim.html , http://www.inter-zone.org/gal.html and http://interzone.galleries.googlepages.com/
Video: http://www.inter-zone.org/catalvideo.html
An economy adapted to the Zone : a non-Aristotelian economy :
The second challenge was : which rules of economy shall we use, knowing that the rules of formal economy do not fit to the group, because their respective structures were not similar. So we had to redefine other rules which would fit to the spirit of the network, otherwise the economic level would have altered it, and it would have become impossible to function as Interzone anymore.
So we started to think about it and made several different attemps. I reformulated new rules based upon Korzybski's general semantics on symbolism and function of money, and came to a non-Aristotelian economy : see the articles in Interzone Academy at http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Crete/9445/economy.html and which I have gathered in the page of the site "La sémantique générale pour tous" in the part dedicated to economy : A non-Aristotelian economy at http://semantiquegenerale.free.fr/ecorestruct.htm
So Interzone Editions is the result of the experiment of those data. As a result :
I handle all the levels of creation of the books : from the start of the writing and translating for my own work, then official registration through the ISBN number and number of dépôt légal, to the printing itself and sale through the internet, without any intermediary.
The artisanal printing allows a complete freedom concerning the contents and design, and makes possible a presentation, look and insertion of photos, documents and colour illustrations more creative than with formal edition.
I print the books on request, and send them once I have received the money from the buyer, so I do not have to invest money nor risk to loose any.
I do not need anything accept my computer and printer, which I have had before, so this does not require any special expense, and the price of the printing costs me the prince of paper, ink, and a bit of glue.
This way the price I get for my own books is higher that the fees which a formal publisher would give me for the writing itself. Concerning the other authors (the Taxidermist), we share the benefits of the book in three equal parts, which is 20 % of the price of the book. From my side it is not much, but what I get from my own books makes the balance. Proceeding this way , I could not sell through bookshops because the books are printed by unit, but the aim here is not to sell thousands of books, but just to get the money I need, which is the most important. In case I'd get more requests than I could handle, then I'd consider have series of books printed by a professional printer, but then I'd be sure to earn more than I'd invest, which is not the case presently.
Beyond the technical sides of printing and selling, the other bet is to use writing according to its original functions :
1. Symbolic function of language (Korzybski): a word is a symbol, a sign which stands for something and so writing must represent as accurately as possible the facts and events it stands for, otherwise the level of the words is not similar to the facts, the map is not similar to the territory it represents.
2. Function of time-binding (Korzybski) : writing binds the author and writers through time-space : when I read a text, I am in touch with it's author at the moment and in the place he was when he wrote it.
3. Magic function, described and experimented by Brion Gysin and William Burroughs : "Writing is about making it happen" (Brion Gysin) : "Mektoub, it's writen" : a writer writes a scenario of reality which his readers then can actualize in their own life, and create their reality.
4. Through the bind it creates between the author and the reader, writing settles a collaboration between them, which produces, in function of the principle of non-additivity in mathematics, a phenomenon called by BURROUGHS and GYSIN the 'Third Mind ": "Gysin: when you associate two minds / Burroughs: There is always a third mind / Gysin : A third higher mind .../ Burroughs: Like an invisible collaborator." ( "The Thrid Mind" ). The whole is higher than the sum of the parts. As far as human cooperation is concerned, 1 + 1 = 3.
One of the aims of Interzone Edition consists in making people more aware of those functions, the knowmledge of which remains limited to Burroughs' and Korzybski's readers, and able to apply them practicly.
New sites:
2008 has also produced new sites which had become necessary to host Interzone productions, as the existing sites were full up :
Interzone Galleries to host illustrations,
Interzone News instead of Interzone news and blogs in My Space which was usurpated by trolls and polluted by spams,
Interzone forum which is not very active, because I am lacking time,
Interzone reports : to host the reports and which contains links to the reports since the start of Interzone in August 1997.
The site "La sémantique générale pour tous" has got new pages on translated chapters of Science and Sanity by Alfred Korzybski at http://semantiquegenerale.free.fr/doc.htm , and rubrics in human sciences at http://semantiquegenerale.free.fr/doc03.htm , specially the pages dedicated to a non-Aristotelian economy at http://semantiquegenerale.free.fr/econona.htm , and some pages on counterfeit of general semantics http://semantiquegenerale.free.fr/contref.htm after some copy and paste experts took parts of my own work in general semantics and signed it with their own name.
Still in the area of general semantics, I have put up on line courses , with Skype and a web cam, at the rythm of one hour a week, more adapted to learning and integrating of general semantics than two week-ends seminars , the contents of which is too concentrated on a too short time , and does not allow the nervous system to integrate the meaning of the terms of GS nor the contents of the teaching.
I have stopped at the moment the yahoo group sfsg, invaded with trolls , dishonnest consultants and "aretists in manipulation". I am going to put up another group of general semantics with different people, and a different form.
Galleries :
Paul O'Donovan :
"Wishes to Interzone" and "Marjatta Kalevalar ~ Mistress of the Icy North" http://interzone.galleries.googlepages.com/odonovan54.htm
Galerie Didier Devillez :
Retrouvez Henri Michaux sur http://www.galeriedidierdevillez.be GALERIE DIDIER DEVILLEZ53, rue Emmanuel Van Driessche, 1050 Bruxelles (Belgique) +32(0)475 931 935devillez@skynet.be http://www.galeriedidierdevillez.be
Une collection particulière à la Galerie Didier Devillez:
GALERIE DIDIER DEVILLEZ53, rue Emmanuel Van Driessche, 1050 Bruxelles (Belgique) +32(0)475 931 935 devillez@skynet.be http://www.galeriedidierdevillez.be
Blogs :
081125
I was at a bit of a loss when I really thought about it, "I've lived in Los Angeles for three years now and I've never crossed the threshold of the LA Central Library."
It boggles mind, non?
So on the occasion of on Ms. Kane's birthday I put a plan into action to rectify my strange bibliophile virginity (*ahem*). November had dipped back into summer time temperatures for several weeks. Blazing heat and sunlight all day and then warm t-shirt weather through the night. As Katherine's birthday neared the temperature began to relinquish and then dropped, in toto, to winter conditions in the sparked light between dusk and twilight. With the cool weather came Los Angeles' casual flirtation with rain. Though we have been much deprived this year, I still held out, hope against hope, that soon the sky would crack and the floodwaters would rush in and clean our fair city, ceiling to gutter.
The sky remained an intense grey as I slipped out to Van Nuys to pick up Ms. Kane. I retrieved her in a rush and we flew back into the city. While I pretended to finish my work day Ms. Kane busied herself with fantasies of tentacles and the lines only a woman possesses.
When the clock struck four, we rushed from the Taft Building and onto Hollywood Blvd. Since I was deemed concierge for a Brooklynite I considered it apropos to introduce her to the (mostly worthless, but still enticing) Los Angeles Subway. We breached the Earth's surface and followed the clicking stone stairs down into the bowels of the city. She marveled at the cleanliness, but reminded herself that in comparison, LA's underground had a century to catch up to New York's historical filth.
We were soon climbing toward the Nimbus ceiling again and emerged into a frigid but crowded Pershing Square. Though I keep an excellent sense of direction at hand, (possibly sub-consciously) I neglected to take a close look at our travel route from subway to Library. No bother, both of us quite like the idea of wandering around downtown LA on foot. Clearly, we are not natives...
Night had fallen in dark heavy sheets and as we turned the dead-end corner of Hope St. Ms. Kane buried her head in my shoulder and giggled. She knew exactly where I was taking her now.
The Central Library bursts majestically skyward from the dull asphalt of Hope St.'s end. We ascended the South staircases and resigned to have cigarette before losing ourselves in the stacks of human thought. Most people are unaware that a great deal of filming for movies, TV, et cetera, based in "New York" actually takes place in downtown Los Angeles. The cool air, glass and steel facades, and sparse vegetation screaming between the cracks of enormous and archaic stone, make the City of Angels New York's bastard sibling, left for dead, on the trail toward the 49'er rush. The stone work on the sides and eaves of the building are mesmerizing, spanning mythologies of ancient cultures and minor historical references to the 1920s.
We quietly slipped into the monolithic building and located a map. We both had several floors to visit and decided to divide and conquer. The enormous ceilings, glass walls on every level and the breathtaking main foyer containing the bulk of modern escalators were nearly unbearable visual stimuli. I found it difficult to concentrate on searching for books in the midst of this enthralling structure. I spent the majority of my time there looking up and around and missing the stacks of books altogether.
After three hours we called it quits and headed back into the night air. We swiftly arrived at, and dipped underneath Pershing Square to wait for a ride back to Hollywood. Owing to color confusion we ended up riding the wrong train to South Downtown. For the first time I witnessed MTA cops asking for tickets as people slowly walked up the stone stairs to the street. We got back on the train, headed in the right direction this time...and finally arrived back at Hollywood & Vine. Katherine felt dripping water as we walked up the stairs, but dismissed it as urban perspiration. When we hit street level we were both awash in a freak Los Angeles downpour. The whites, yellows, blues and reds of Hollywood traffic jams and storefronts danced on an endless glass surface. The pitch black of sidewalk and asphalt glowed with wet reflection and the famous intersection was alive with dancing color and rushing rainwater. Owing to my special brand of boyscout paranoia, I had an umbrella under my arm and we stepped out into the fray like professionals...dry professionals.
Subway...
Los Angeles Central Library...
downpour in Hollywood...
somehow, I think it must have been my birthday as well.
Music :
Vasha Dadaja: SIELA and other marvels...
"Hi,
I am very proud to announce that little piece of my texts that I released almost ten years ago with my brother as ALIX has somehow made into Lithuania goth-pioneers turned punk:) SIELA' s newest album "Euforija" (Euphoria). There is my voice sample in the song called "Grok Rock" which I still did not have chance to listen, but you all have that chance.You can check them out at: http://www. myspace. com/sielaband
That's is.Have a nice day, all of you and do not forget to sort out your rubbish,"
Vasha myspace.com/vashadadaja
Shocker TV :
Shocker_TV alias Foe Tamajiro, is one of the first Zoners, as we got in touch on the first day. He is providing free web space for www.inter-zone.org since its creation in 1999, a long time now.
You can listen to his music in his site at http://www.myspace.com/shockertv
"December 17th: last night at frogs...
many thanks to jarret, citylife and circ de soleil for hosting the show.
thanks to freakin frog for not cutting us out in the middle of our sonic assault LOL (and free beers) thanks to those of you who happened to pop in. now you cannot say LV has no underground music scene. i felt so good at one point and started freestyling hiphop (what they would call "toastin'" in Jamaica). thanks to all these years of reluctantly spining hiphop at bars and cafes (it finally paid off:D)
Desertscraped CD-release party - Interrupt Program @ Freakin Frogs 12-15-08-2
here are some media coverage, jarret put out.
Las Vegas Sun
http://www.lasvegassun.com/news/2008/dec/15/tonights-cd-release-scrapes-desert-ambient-noise/
CityLife
http://lasvegascitylife.com/articles/2008/12/12/ae/picks/doc4939cbec53355011630075.txt
Desertscraped: New Noise From the Neon Wilderness
Who thought I would ever resort to a dying media. Someone made a CD. Exactly 100 copies...
http://www.lasvegasweekly.com/news/2008/dec/18/desertscraped-new-noise-neon-wilderness/
Las Vegas Weekly (Spencer Patterson) says:
"A noble attempt to document Las Vegas’ generally ignored experimental scene, this 13-track compilation succumbs more to logistics than to its oddball sound array. Curated by local writer Jarret Keene, Desertscraped does a solid job unearthing avant-leaning talent, but yields zero info about its chosen acts (apart from musical appellations and web addresses, the latter of which often provide no further illumination). Considering such a collection cannot seriously be intended as a straight-through listening experience, it raises the obvious question: What good is spotlighting unknown artists without the most basic details about their work?
Apparently, liner notes were victims of the project’s budget (funding came by way of a Cirque du Soleil Community Support Grant), which might also explain why the disc’s run totaled just 100 copies, most of which were handed out during a Monday-night event marking its release. Why not make an unlimited number of the home-burned CD-Rs available for a nominal fee? Surely, further exposure could only benefit the artists.
Those who do get to hear Desertscraped — e-mail jarret_keene@yahoo.com to snatch up leftovers—will undoubtedly find it a mixture of curious treasures (visual artist Stephen Hendee’s evocative live piece “Be My Suicide”; a Jacob Smigel found-sound spoken clip; Hallowed Butchery’s alternately sedate/howling “Dirge”) and drill-through-the-brain dissonance (here’s looking at you, shocker_tv), which means in that respect, at least, it lives up to its mission statement exquisitely."
Furmanovsky joiner image from Brian Jones 40th Anniversary in Joujouka 28th July 2008
http://www.myspace.com/mastermusiciansofjoujouka
Datawhore is a sound poet based in the UK and creating solo or collaborating with a number of other artists. Datawhore's sounds cover a wide spectrum, from the outrightly ironic and satirical to the very serious and intense. Recently Datawhore released five albums on iTunes, the most recent being "Div Joyvision" comprising a collaboration with michael dent. An intro follows:
Roll for You
The second of my collaborations with Michael. I didn't know until I had completed it what it was about precisely, but the abstraction of working oblivious to the context of the words paradoxically facilitated a soundscape for them. Although I find Michael's best work piercing, I also enjoy working to a sense of "unlanguage", or "words as things", and to this end use a great deal of repetition and monotony (i.e. "on and on and on") to make the words mean nothing.
Ashtray
My first attempt at intuiting Michael's meaning proved successful, from a baby boomer Patsy Cline clip sure to sync with our mutual timeline, to some dissonant loops that create a characteristically muggy, foggy Datawhore undertow.
When I Die
The anger, plain-talking and stoicism in Michael's short text points up the pluses of his work. He can be verbose, but it's these laconic pieces or fragments thereof that make him interesting to me. Human, damaged and defiant, his attitude can grate but there is a core of almost perverse compassion that even if only inferred yet proves attractive.
http://blogs.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.view&friendID=3868934&blogID=460294971
Wishes from Zoners
From Jean-Marc Vincent, Ramuntcho Matta
Anthony Rousseau & Vasha Dadaja
New pages on line
In Interzone sites :
Paul O'Donovan : "Wishes to Interzone" and "Marjatta Kalevalar ~ Mistress of the Icy North" http://interzone.galleries.googlepages.com/odonovan54.htm
Pages updated in Interzone Editions : Front page : http://www.inter-zone.org/editions.htm
Stella Matutina: http://www.inter-zone.org/stellafr.htm & http://www.inter-zone.org/stellaeng.htm
Le Taxidermiste : http://www.inter-zone.org/taxifr.htm & http://www.inter-zone.org/taxien.htm
Interzone news updates : http://interzone-news.blogspot.com/
In the other Zoners' sites:
Henri Michaux sur http://www.galeriedidierdevillez.be GALERIE DIDIER DEVILLEZ
William Brandon : agentofdiscord's blog Los Angeles Central Library http://agentofdiscord.blogspot.com/
Vasha Dadaja : http://www. myspace. com/sielaband myspace.com/vashadadaja
shocker_TV : Desertscraped CD-release party - Interrupt Program @ Freakin Frogs 12-15-08-2 http://fr.youtube.com/watch?v=EV5yWgR8LcI&eurl=http://blogs.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.ListAll&friendID=5868476&feature=player_embedded
Master Musicians of Joujouka : Furmanovsky joiner image from Brian Jones 40th Anniversary in Joujouka 28th July 2008 http://www.myspace.com/mastermusiciansofjoujouka
"Div Joyvision" by Datawhore and michael dent now on iTunes http://blogs.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.view&friendID=3868934&blogID=460294971
This report is on line at http://aubert.isa.googlepages.com/reportdec08.htm and the French version is at http://aubert.isa.googlepages.com/reportdec08fr.htm . Between 2 reports, the news are in Interzone news at http://interzone-news.blogspot.com/
All my best wishes to the whole Interzone for 2009 ! May 2009 be as exhilarating and productive as the previous years !
Izzy