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Announcement and Call for Submissions: The Official Catalog of the Library of Potential Literature
Word on an exciting new project from Ben Segal:
Dear Internet,
We are very excited to announce the coming existence of The Official Catalog of the Library of Potential Literature. The Catalog is to consist of a series of blurbs/short descriptions of books that do not exist. In order to compile that Catalog, we have asked many of the writers, theorists, and text-makers we most admire to imagine that they’ve just read the most amazing book they’ve ever encountered and then write a brief blurb about the imagined text.
As many of you know, The phrase ‘potential literature’ is highly associated with the Oulipo group. We choose to use the phrase here because, as the Oulipo says, their project, properly, is to conceptualize forms and potential works: not necessarily to bring them into being. Literature is potential literature when it is that shimmering non-work of total possibility. Though Official only by way of titular hyperbole (itself, like the blurbs contained within, a kind of unfulfilled and unfulfillable promise), the Catalog will evoke a library of wonderful–maybe even impossible–books; books that, in spite or even because of their non-existence, excite and fascinate. Each paragraph will be the promise of the unopened book in the moment before reading.
We have been incredibly fortunate to be able to work with many fantastic people on this project. Willows Wept Press has agreed to release the Catalog in a limited print edition, and about 50 of our very favorite writers in the world have agreed to contribute blurbs. We already have excellent work on hand from writers including Vanessa Place, Diane Williams, and Warren Motte.That said, we are opening the project to public submissions because, while we’re excited about the writers and theorists with whom we are currently corresponding, we are still looking for more talented minds whose texts should also fill the pages of our book. We have full confidence in you, readers, and would love to see your blurbs among the other terrific blurbs we’re collecting.
We have decided that the best way to go about exploring public contributions is to blindly review your texts, should you be interested in submitting a blurb for consideration. In this way, we will be able to consider the work you submit in an objective and relatively professional manner.
Also, know that we are discussing the possibility of an extended, online edition of this book–to be released after the book’s initial printing. We might find it wholly appropriate to save some of your blurbs for this edition, as we need strong contributions for both versions. All submissions will be considered for both print and online publication. Please note if you do not wish for your work to be considered for publication online.
So, to the meat of things! Submission Process:
If you are interested in submitting a blurb for consideration, please email potentialbooksbookgmailcom. Your subject heading should read: [Name], Open Blurb Submission. While it’s okay to have your name and maybe a cute message in the body of the email, your actual blurb should not appear in the body of the email. Instead, please send your blurb as an attachment. The attachment should NOT include your name. A third party will have access to the potentialbooksbook account and s/he will collect, number, and print each of your attached submissions for our consideration. Only after we have thoroughly read your submissions will we then pair them with their respective emails.
The deadline for submissions is July 15, 2010.
If you have any questions (not submissions) about the project or the submission process, please email either benbensegalgmailcom or erinrose.magergmailcom. We’re happy to try and answer your queries and will be totally excited to learn of your initial interest!
Finally, if you have any suggestions of other writers we ought to contact (whether they’re your friends who are doing cool stuff or more prominent writers, thinkers, and text makers from whom you’d love to see a blurb), please send your ideas to either of the above personal email addresses. Your thoughts are greatly appreciated.
Thank you for reading this far and thank you, preemptively, for your mind blowing submissions.
Best,
Ben Segal and Erinrose Magerbenbensegalgmailcom
erinrose.magergmailcom
potentialbooksbookgmailcom
Tags: oulipo, Potential Literature
This reminds me of an idea I had a few years ago. I wanted to write long reviews of books that didn’t exist and post them on line.
http://www.amazon.com/Perfect-Vacuum-Stanislaw-Lem/dp/0810117339/ref=sr_1_7?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1273251748&sr=1-7
Done. See Borges.
I heard about the Lem thing after conceiving of this, but I think it is pretty fundamentally different because Lem’s was a largely satirical demonstration of mastery whereas this is more about collecting the accounts of desires for books.
But yes, the Lem and Borges references are on really interesting precedents for ours.
oh no, i wasn’t comparing your project to lem. lem’s book is a concept unto itself (it reviews itself inside) and is really meant to expunge ideas he cowered from. i think your project looks cool.
[…] to write a blurb or short description of a book that doesn’t exist. More details below (and full details here). Please don’t confuse this project with the excellent Invisible Library, maintained by Levi […]
That is so cool.
I love the way ideas float in the air and lots of people come up with them.
i just wanted to point at an example of what an author has done with long, fictional book reviews. in response to nathan’s post.
It’s called a Brazzle, son! And I got a novel full of them.
Sounds fantastic Ben & Erinrose. I imagine you’ll get some great submissions. I remembered this from a while back and wanted to share: http://hypolib.typepad.com/
You probably already know all about it, no doubt.
Also reminds me a bit of the Museum of Jurassic Technology.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_fictional_books
Our symbols seem to be missing in this post (our fault). So, just for clarification:
benbensegal gmail com
erinrose mager gmail com
potentialbooksbook gmail com
and the official website is:
potentialbooksbook com
Thanks for posting this, Blake. And thank you to The Second Pass for the reblog. We really appreciate the support.
I guess the angle brackets didn’t show up here either. Just imagine them there. Think of them as potential angle brackets. Or angel brackets, if you will.
http://hypolib.typepad.com/
This reminds me of an idea I had a few years ago. I wanted to write long reviews of books that didn’t exist and post them on line.
http://www.amazon.com/Perfect-Vacuum-Stanislaw-Lem/dp/0810117339/ref=sr_1_7?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1273251748&sr=1-7
Done. See Borges.
I heard about the Lem thing after conceiving of this, but I think it is pretty fundamentally different because Lem’s was a largely satirical demonstration of mastery whereas this is more about collecting the accounts of desires for books.
But yes, the Lem and Borges references are on really interesting precedents for ours.
oh no, i wasn’t comparing your project to lem. lem’s book is a concept unto itself (it reviews itself inside) and is really meant to expunge ideas he cowered from. i think your project looks cool.
That is so cool.
I love the way ideas float in the air and lots of people come up with them.
i just wanted to point at an example of what an author has done with long, fictional book reviews. in response to nathan’s post.
It’s called a Brazzle, son! And I got a novel full of them.
Sounds fantastic Ben & Erinrose. I imagine you’ll get some great submissions. I remembered this from a while back and wanted to share: http://hypolib.typepad.com/
You probably already know all about it, no doubt.
Also reminds me a bit of the Museum of Jurassic Technology.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_fictional_books
Our symbols seem to be missing in this post (our fault). So, just for clarification:
benbensegal gmail com
erinrose mager gmail com
potentialbooksbook gmail com
and the official website is:
potentialbooksbook com
Thanks for posting this, Blake. And thank you to The Second Pass for the reblog. We really appreciate the support.
I guess the angle brackets didn’t show up here either. Just imagine them there. Think of them as potential angle brackets. Or angel brackets, if you will.
http://hypolib.typepad.com/