Last Meeting and Links

After introductions and general chit-chat, we agreed on the following:

1) I suggested a trajectory for the group that would begin with an exploration of what revolutionary writing means, with special emphasis given to reading and discussing various literary manifestos with a political bent (surrealism, situationalism, infrarealism, the beats, dadaism....). Next, the group will collaborate to produce our own literary manifesto, or anti-manifesto, and finally we will produce (and discuss/workshop/etc.) material to exemplify the manifesto. The group agreed to this trajectory.

2) It was recommended that the group be flexible in allowing various levels of involvement--to meeting in small groups quite often or just staying in touch via email and blogging.

3) We decided to start a blog in which we could publish and discuss material related to the group. Tameca will (has already done so, actually. kudos!) start the blog and make it so everyone has publishing access.

4) Craig suggested making T-shirts with ironic political slogans. Kate has materials for this.

5) For discussion at the next meeting and on the blog and email during the interim, we will read "The Ones Who Walk Away From Omelas" by Ursula Guin and the surrealist manifesto by Andre Breton (see below for link).

6) In the future, we might work on creating a documentary (or creative) film. Aaron has supplies for this.

7) In addition to discussing ideas, we want to use the blog to publicize various events that others in the group are involved with.

8) The next meeting will be on Sept. 11, at 11 am (no intended significance to the date, lol)

8) We also discussed "identity politics", death penalty issues, the tea party, poetry after auschwitz, adorno, marcuse....

****if i neglected to mention something, please say so on the blog.


Here are the links to the Surrealist Manifesto and some examples of surrealist art:


http://www.tcf.ua.edu/Classes/Jbutler/T340/F98/SurrealistManifesto.htm

http://www.tcf.ua.edu/Classes/Jbutler/T340/SurManifesto/ManifestoOfSurrealism.htm

visual example:
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/d/db/L%27Ange_du_Foyeur.jpg

surrealist poem:

The Secret

The empty bell
The dead birds
In the house where everyone sleeps
Nine hours

The world stands still
It seems someone has died
The trees look as though they are smiling
A drop of water hangs at the end of each leaf
A cloud crosses the night

Outside a door a man sings

The window opens without a sound

--Pierre Reverdy 1918

http://www.thepeoplesvoice.org/cgi-bin/blogs/voices.php/2007/08/10/eight_poems_by_pierre_reverdy


Ursula Guin: http://evans-experientialism.freewebspace.com/evans_omelas.htm