A Constant Froth of Expectation: Stephanie Barber Interview
The other day I “had a chance” to “sit down” with filmmaker, poet and performance artist Stephanie Barber to discuss her book, these here separated to see how they standing alone or six films by stephanie barber, which I published with PGP in 2008 then again a few months ago. As the title suggests, the collection features six movies on a DVD, packaged with the soundtracks printed in book form. The interview was a continuation of a lot of other conversations about art and life that she and I have had lately.
How did you come up with the idea to put this together? Since we’ve been talking about the origins of ideas lately, I’m wondering if this book was your idea or my idea?
I don’t know. That’s the first question? Your idea.
How did you choose the six pieces, out of all the many films you’ve made?
Um, these are the ones that have the most, uh, writerly soundtracks.
Writerly?
I don’t know, not writerly. Wordy.
What is something you want the audience to know about the book/DVD?
I can’t answer that question.
It seems to me that separating the text underscores the fact that you are working in two different languages — English and then the visual language. Which comes first?
They come together. They are conceptually one unit, one impulse, one art gesture, one art offering.
But when you’re thinking about a piece, such as–
I think about the whole thing together.
There are a lot of great videos on Youtube. Not yours though. Is that old fashioned or what’s going on there?
Um, this is a mean interview. Are you trying to be mean to me? READ MORE >
Miroslav Penkov on “memory, loss, guilt, identity, family, country . . .”
So there is a story in the book, about the Ottoman times when Bulgaria was under Turkish rule and the Ottomans forcefully recruited Bulgarian boys for their army; janissaries, who were made to deny their families and god. There is a story about Bulgarian rebels who fought for Macedonia’s freedom, about the aftermath of the Balkan Wars. Stories about the 1923 Communist uprising, about the events of 1944 when the Communist Party finally seized control of Bulgaria, about the so-called Process of Rebirth during which the Party forcefully changed the names of all Bulgarian Muslims to what were deemed “proper, Bulgarian” names. There are stories about things I myself witnessed and lived through: the fall of Communism in 1989, the results of this fall, or about the people who leave Bulgaria every year to make their luck abroad. READ MORE >
Bookmaking: Handcrafting Isn’t Dead
I walked into the Writing Center after teaching a course on copyediting last week and found a tableful of mums-the-word students working away diligently on handmade zines. The table was piled with paper and tape, drawing implements, glue. On a nearby table, DIY snacks: celery, peanut butter, hummus, raisins. Two of our Student Writing Assistants organized said zine workshop, provided guidance and ideas and supplies, and BAM! instant zine community.
cats per container about 4
11. Auden’s 1956 book review of The Return of the King. (much thanks to biblioklept)
For objectifying this experience, the natural image is that of a journey with a purpose, beset by dangerous hazards and obstacles, some merely difficult, others actively hostile. But when I observe my fellow-men, such an image seems false. I can see, for example, that only the rich and those on vacation can take journeys; most men, most of the time must work in one place.
11. Valzhyna Mort is a Belarusian badass. Just saying.
11. Why did they make birds so delicate and fine as those sea swallows when the ocean can be so cruel? She is kind and very beautiful. But she can be so cruel and it comes so suddenly and such birds that fly, dipping and hunting, with their small sad voices are made too delicately for the sea.
4. All Diagram t-shirts are 10 bucks until they are gone. (I suggest the dead hamsters.)
11. Note to self: continue to eat old book reviews.
“enslaved by its structure”
“When you examine most recent novels or screenplays, you can’t help but notice that there’s a very strong goal-motivation-conflict structure. I watched UP with my kids recently (in 3D!) and every single character, even the giant, voiceless bird, had a very clear goal and motivation that conflicted with the other characters’ goals and motivations in really obvious ways. It was actually kind of irritating, because the conflicts just deteriorated into logistics by the climax (one too many people dangling over precipices for me). The movie seemed enslaved by its structure.” — Rhian Ellis, in 2009.
“I find myself thinking of this as a ‘masculine’ storyline, though I’m not particularly eager to defend that characterization; I will say, though, that the primary way girls get to be the heroes of contemporary children’s movies is by proving that they can do the same stupid shit boys can. Miyazaki, on the other hand, makes movies about intense, often directionless exploration. He is contemplative, and his films often remain movingly unresolved. Pixar movies look great, but the visuals are illustrative. In Miyazaki, the images are the movie. They make the story. I can’t, for the life of me, remember the plot of Howl’s Moving Castle–but I will never, never forget the sight of it. Is this perhaps a feminine ideal–that it is sometimes enough simply to be? In any event, it is a worthwhile ideal, gendered or not.” — J. Robert Lennon, follow-up post, 2011.
“We went through a lot of different options that way. But 
people just coming out of the theater on screening it here for ourselves, felt like, ‘Whoa, were you leaving it open for a sequel, that Muntz is going to come back and get the bird?’ No, we wanted the sense of closure that when the bird goes off with the babies, we know everything’s going to be fine and there’s no danger.” — Pete Docter, director of UP, 2009.
“. . . I did go to New York to meet this man, this Harvey Weinstein, and I was bombarded with this aggressive attack, all these demands for cuts. I defeated him.” – Hayao Miyazaki, 2005.
According to Deleuze, “Artaud considers Lewis Carroll a pervert, a little pervert…”
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Ty6UCcixlQ&feature=related
[Lewis Carroll’s “Jabberwocky” read by David Henry Sterry]
Deleuze discusses Artaud’s dislike of Carroll here in The Logic of Sense
Dzanc rEprints
Random House found their start with a reprint series when they acquired the Modern Library classics. Now we know them as one of the biggest book companies in the world. Today, Dzanc Books announced their rEprint Series. Can we expect similar growth?
With the new line, Dzanc — who’s always out front on the technical aspects of publishing (see, for example their eBook Club or the Best of the Web which I’m particularly fond of) — will release eBook versions of literary fiction that’s recently gone out of print. That is, they aren’t just reprinting their own backlist digitally, but actively bringing in titles from major publishers like Knopf.
On the forthcoming list are books by HTMLGiant faves like Noy Holland, Michael Martone (3 books) and Ted Pelton. The books will be available for every digital format. The current list can be seen here, though the press release says hundreds more titles are on the way.
I asked Dan Wickett how big he sees this new series being for Dzanc, in relation to Random House’s reprint series 80+ years ago. “No idea to tell you the truth,” he said. “It fits into our mission of advancing great writing and championing such writers. We obviously hope that it brings their work to a large new readership.” Spoken like a CEO. And other professional attributes of the project, which anyone familiar with Dzanc has come to expect, include higher than standard author royalties (in this case, paying 50% cover on sales) and books designed for each platform, not just converted from previous files.
Dzanc isn’t just raising the bar for small presses; they’re changing the game across every level. I’m glad they’re out there, forging a path through the digital landscape.
Prelude to Hill William: Questions & Answers with Scott McClanahan
Scott McClanahan, author of Stories V!
MINOR: Stories and Stories II were published by Six Gallery Press, an indie with some street cred. Their follow-up, Stories V!, is published by Holler Presents, which is the same umbrella under which you offer 
the videos you direct, such as (my favorite) Preacher Man. In the video realm, of course, it’s a badge of honor to be able to produce your own stuff, but there’s still that lingering stigma (maybe this is changing) against self-published books. I know you well enough to know you take your writing career more seriously than any ten writers I know. So I’m interested: why this choice, to self-publish this book?
McCLANAHAN: Actually, I don’t think I take it that serious really. There is a part of me that does, but I guess I understand in the end that money’s just something you throw off the back of a train. READ MORE >