Dodgems
Background on Dodgems
With two editions written in 1977 and 1979, Dodgems was published and edited by Eileen Myles and hosted works from various categorizations including the New York School, Language Poetry, performance texts and other likely aesthetics of the time.
With Dodgems, there is a different aesthetic compared to the other magazines as it was not printed using a mimeograph since Eileen Myles openly detested the technology. They are quoted as saying in the Poetry Project Newsletter from March of 1982 that “I’ve never liked mimeo. Sure, it’s fast and it’s cheap but it doesn’t look like a book. If you can do it yourself, why bother? Why not just xerox your favorite new poems from time to time and hand ‘em to your friends?” ¹ As will be discussed further in the Aesthetics section of the page, the attitude expressed here mimics the comfortableness of the magazine in its content without the need to be flashy or reminiscent of a major publisher's magazine.
With regard to the title, the word "dodgems" is a British English term for bumper cars.² This is an apt title as the magazine's contents come into opposition with the pre-established norms of the literary world similar to how bumper cars or dodgems collide.
For more information on Eileen Myles click here
Aesthetic and Materiality
When looking at the magazine, there is the impression that it is more fitting in an office than a magazine stand and that it may hold inter-office guidelines or machine operation instructions. This feeling is afforded by the use of standard 8.5x11" printer paper and plastic comb binding. Plastic comb binding was used almost exclusively in office settings as it required a special machine to punch the holes required for the binding.³ It was also not used in publication of mainstream literature.
With the covers of Dodgems each has a black and white image dominating the cover with the title 'Dodgems' superimposed as white space. Both images have a comedic element which invite the viewer to take a second glance. The first issue features nuns riding in the bumper cars for which the magazine is named. In juxtaposing the traditional association of Catholic Nuns with a life of poverty and religious prostration, bumper cars are one of the last places they would be expected. For the second issue a woman is in a supermarket examining a label on a canned good. Although seemingly innocuous with a passing glance, upon further inspection the view can see that none of the cans have labels, so the woman is not looking at anything and isn't even in a real grocery store as cans had labels in the 1970s. Not only do these covers provide a point of interest for someone, they do not give away what the content of the magazine is, but communicate a playfulness which is then translated throughout the remainder of the magazine.
Once the magazine is opened, there is a freedom with the fonts and structure of the text. On the inside cover page, the title, ‘Dodgems’ is once again repeated but there is the addition of a name and address of the publisher of the magazine. Fido Productions is listed as the parent publisher, but it is not a traditional publishing house and is instead the pseudonym Eileen Myles used for her items in the press. The font of this company and address is in the same family of fonts as that of the title but it is much thinner and has more air in the letters.
With the table of contents, it is clearly handwritten and the jagged edges of a thick pencil can be clearly seen on these pages as well as later ones when a new poet’s work is introduced. With regard to the text of the poems themselves, they are all in a standard typewriter font, but vary in structure as some are set-up like normal poems in a column down the middle of the page, while others are printed from edge to edge, with random breaks, varying spacings, or in small groupings across the page. Although not all of the contents were poems, as Myles also printed essays, stories, and other works by members of the Poetry Project, some of the structural choices are not reminiscent of traditional literary expectations.
Xerox Technology
Dodgems was printed later than other magazines in the New York School such as C Magazine which used mimeograph to print. Instead, Dodgems used Xerox which was becoming the prevailing printing technology of the time due to its efficiency and low cost.
The Xerox machine was first introduced in 1959 but was most popular in the 1960s and 1970s. It was created to be more cost effective and require less manual force than other photocopying technologies of the time. In replacing more manual machines such as the mimeograph, a wider range of people could utilize printing technologies as they were not bound by physical limitations. Also, unlike the mimeograph, the stencil did not wear out at a certain point, and an infinite number of copies could be made as long as paper and ink were replenished. This also allowed for the possibility of reprints to be made in the future in the 'original' format. Although a mimeographed magazine could be Xeroxed in the future, it would never be a copy in the 'original' form as the stencil could not be reused. For consumers and companies, the Xerox machine replaced the earlier photostats in offices and public libraries and reduced the cost of a copy from $0.25 to $0.10.⁴
For Dodgems another unique benefit which the Xerox provided was the ability to fax documents. There was no longer the need to wait on the mail for a magazine submission as they could be instantly transported so authors were not limited in the audience they could reach based on their location.
Dodgems #1 (1977)
Throughout the magazine, there is an idea of a conglomeration of different perspectives and styles showcased in the written works. Two poems in particular printed next to each other demonstrate this idea. First is Rene Ricard’s untitled poem dated April 29. This poem takes a more symbolic and existential view of gay relationships and the various feelings associated with staying safe by keeping your identity hidden ‘in the darkness’ and having fantasies of what your life could be like with ‘the young jock’s michelangelesque hulk.’ There aren’t any explicit statements reflecting a certain message of the poem only descriptive language to communicate an idea. Furthermore, there are not pop culture references to provide an inherent meaning or idea.
Contrastingly, a poem by Richard Bandanza titled espionage is far more explicit in its meaning and uses pop culture references along with straightforward symbolism. The overall story is of a man going after a girl who is out of his league but he is mostly blind to this fact. Repeated throughout is the imagery of a ‘bird hearse passing overhead.’ Frequently the image of a crow circling overhead is an omen of death or misfortune thus the image serves as an illusion to the outcome of the poem. With regard to pop culture references both Mata Hari and Cary Grant are used. Mata Hari was convicted of being a German spy during World War II.⁴ Using Mata Hari to describe the girl in the poem allows the reader to understand the mystery surrounding her and the potential for her to deceive him. Cary Grant was viewed as a sex symbol throughout his career so this societal association is transferred to the narrator who sees himself as an individual akin to Grant and thus also as a sex symbol. In his associations, the author is accurate in labeling the girl as Mata Hari, but severely overestimates his own likeness to be Cary Grant. While both poems relate to love in some way, their genres of love and attraction are very different as are their mechanisms of reflecting on it.
An additional selection in the first issue is a letter from actress Lily Tomlin in response to a request by the magazine for a submission. At the time she was one of the few openly gay women in comedy of some notoriety. This request reflects how Eileen Myles wanted to show that as a group the magazine’s associates did not all fit into the mold of a typical writer and thus brought these different perspectives to their literary works.
Dodgems #2 (1979)
For the second issue of Dodgems, there is an indication that there is an established readership at some level as many of the authors included multiple poems in the issue. Compared to the first issue where each author only had one piece, there is a greater opportunity to gain a better understanding of an author’s specific style and viewpoint due to the additional artifacts.
One author not featured in the first issue is Didi Susan Debelyew. Both of her published poems are descriptions of Dali paints, “Girafe en Flames” and “Construction Molles avec Haricots Bouillis.” There is an irony within each poem as the elements surrounding the title feature are described in acute detail and the final line of each piece is the only mention of the title subject, a giraffe on fire and a soft construction with boiled beans. In doing so, there is a mocking of individuals who choose to frame the entirety of a piece in relation to its title as it can be examined effectively without the title. This element of irony is something common throughout works in the New York School as there was a rejection of the establishment art world, and mockery is an effective means with which to achieve this. These are not poems or pieces of art in the traditional sense but in having a legitimacy through publication they are challenging traditional conceptions of art.
Tables of Contents
In examining the tables of contents, one of the starkest differences is how in the first magazine each author only had one poem whereas in the second issue there was an overall fewer number of authors, but many of the authors had multiple poems published. Furthermore, the only nine authors published in both magazines are Alice Notley, Eileen Myles, Gary Lenhart, James Sherry, Jim Brodey, John Yau, Michael Scholnick, Michael Slater, and Simon Schuchat. The similarities of the shared authors is most in their involvement with the Poetry Project at St. Mark's Church in Manhattan, of which Eileen Myles would eventually become the artistic director. Yet, some were also part of the New York School or had been mentored by members of the New York School's first generation as Jim Brodey of the second generation had also been mentored by Frank O'Hara.⁶
Dodgems #1 1977
Dodgems #2 1979
Citations
² “Dodgem.” Merriam-Webster, Merriam-Webster, www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dodgem.
³ “Comb Binding.” MyBinding.com, https://www.mybinding.com/binding/binding-styles/comb-binding.html.
⁴ “Xerox Innovation History.” Xerox, 14 Mar. 2019, https://www.xerox.com/en-us/innovation/history.
⁵ Siegel, Rachel. “'I Am Ready': Mata Hari Faced a Firing Squad for Spying - and Refused a Blindfold.” The Washington Post, WP Company, 26 Aug. 2019, www.washingtonpost.com/news/retropolis/wp/2017/10/15/i-am-ready-mata-hari-faced-a-firing- squad-for-spying-and-refused-a-blindfold/.
⁶ Diggory, Terence. Encyclopedia of the New York School Poets. Facts On File, 2009.
Image Citations
Rossi, Aldo. "Eileen Myles."
Ruzinov, Daniella. "Eileen Myles: The Works That Started Their Careers." 2019.
Xerox Nostalgia. "Xerox 660." 2015.
Unless otherwise stated, all images are courtesy of the Stuart A. Rose Manuscript, Archives, and Rare Book Library, Emory University.