Other Projects

Here's a link to another Baltimore Broadside Project, these from the mid-18th century. Enoch Pratt Special Collection

recording music (updated)

RTI offers vinyl services.

KimcheeRecords.com offers some sensible tips on recording drums.

The Bunker has a large live room and a dead room and it looks nice but the website doesn't say much about what Chris Bentley records onto, or mics, or anything like that. You can win free time here at the 8x10 Club's Monday open mic.

Orion Sound Studios' website has a nice narrative of its development, with pictures along-the-way. It's huge, and has impressive equipment. Plus, a bonus "astonomy is the science of evil" page.

Code Red Studio at 21st and Maryland.

The Collector: Charles Saatchi

The Collector: Charles Saatchi Nice introduction to the myth and the man.

An article about postering

from The Urbanite Magazine - Baltimore

The poster groups mentioned in this article have a political agenda that BIR hopes to avoid. It seems to me that there is a double standard in non-advertising posters that have a message; there is still something being sold.

Some quotes:

'unfair that corporations were allowed to put up large billboards to promote their products while postering public space was illegal for most people'

'Shepard Fairey has been putting up posters and stickers across the country that say "Obey Giant" and show the face of Andre the Giant. Fairey said: "At the beginning, it was all just about the repetition of the stickers, so people would say, ‘What is this? Why is it everywhere?' It's amazing how much it just freaks people out that I'm not working for somebody. When the cops bust me and want me to give them the name of my employer, they never believe that I'm actually spending my own money."'

Thanks to Paul Druecke for the link.

Two Poems Up

Last week I had the opportunity to post two poems -- Seth Goodman's "Anecdote 2" and Stacy Szymaszek's "Punk Rock." The morning afterward, when I stopped by to check on them, I was delighted by the effect of reading them outside. I hung them under the cover of darkness (as Randy Leonard's photographs will show), so seeing them in the daylight had a much different feel. All of my senses were piqued as I read them (especially Seth's, which hangs in the area where people leave their garbage bags).

Posted outdoors like they are somehow makes a significant change in what the words mean. I think this has to do with taking literature out of the context of a book, and causes the reader to ask a completely different set of questions, perhaps a truer or, at least, more fundamental set. The first question I would ask -- "Why is this here?" -- seems like the first question that should always be asked of literature. However, when read in a traditional book that's an easy question to forego (this poem is here because this is a book, and somebody wanted to make a book). But when a poem is published between a sign that says "Posted Rat Treatment" and a stencil of the Superman logo, the reader goes on to think, "What am I missing?" The poetry has to stand by itself.

Which, a week later, I'm happy to say it still does, despite two days of hard rain.

fashion fauxPod

fashion fauxPod

Josh Bianko's new project.

an email trail

"Robinson, Adam T." wrote:

Hi Natalie,
Sorry to bail out last night. I'm looking forward to meeting on Saturday sometime between our conferences.
Do you have any ideas for the project? I have one, and it's pretty open ended, ie. it can encompass a lot of other ideas. I've been wanting to do this for a while and I think it fits pretty well with the assignment.
I'd like to "publish" short bits of writing in public spaces, like taped to telephone polls, shop windows, bus stops. Strictly "art for art's sake," without trying to promote ourselves or UB. I think it would be cool to solicit submissions, somehow, too, so it doesn't necessarily have to be our own stuff that we're putting out. I think also there should be some aesthetic unity to the postings.
I don't know if that gives a clear picture of what I'm thinking, but it's still in the idea phase anyway. I just wanted to share it with you to see what you think.

Have a great trip!
Adam



-----Original Message-----
From: natalie minor [mailto:bir@baltimoreisreads.com]
Sent: Tuesday, October 24, 2006 2:38 PM
To: Robinson, Adam T.
Subject: Re: final project


I think it's a fine idea, Adam. I wonder, though, about the practicality of requesting submissions. Our timeline is somewhat constricted for such an undertaking. Not only that, but I was under the impression that the material we present is supposed to be our own collaborated work. I'll have to look at the assignment sheet again, or maybe we could ask Kendra...

But I like the general structure of the project. It is openended, and allows for openmindedness. I'll plork it and get back to ya.

hope you had fun last night,
nat




Howdy Natalie,


How's it going? I'm sorry we didn't get together last Saturday. I know what it's like to crash out. I've been swamped all week.

Anyway -- are you still interested in this idea? I think we should be prepared with our goals for class tomorrow, in case the topic comes up.

A clarification: when I say "solicit submissions" I pretty much mean "take the writing from other people in our classes or writers we know." If you would prefer not to do that, I think okay. However, I am not interested in self promotion, so if we only publish our own stuff I think it'll be weird to have our names on it.

A few brainstorms:
We should scout out some areas where we can hang things. I can do this on Monday evening. There should especially be a few posted around the Charles Royal building, because on presentation day we'll have to take the class on a sort of guided tour of the sites.
This project could also work as a treasure hunt, with, like, a map. We only get fifteen minutes to present it, so it would have to be a short and simple one. Perhaps we could revise the idea to be poems hidden in jars around the CR building.
I can contact the MTA and ask if we can post in buses.
If we do a good job we could write up a press release for the Sun, City Paper, UB Post.
We could think of the class presentation as "the opening" and at one of the sites serve wine and cheese. We can bring in people who's work is published and have them read it at the site.
How can we weather-proof the posts?
Did you know about this guy called the "Art Negro" who hangs up paintings on Lafayette Avenue a block or two East of campus?
There is a lot of history in this kind of work (Basquiat ["At 16 he created a persona named Samo and began writing poems. In 1977 he started painting these on the D train."], Paul Druecke [http://www.glasstire.com/features/Druecke.htm], corporate sculpture [http://www.borofsky.com/]), and I think it's exciting to go this route (pun intended). I definitely think the general idea of this project fits with the "world as book" theme of our class. Are you available after/before class to discuss things?

Hope you're well.

Adam

PS Please hit "reply to all" when you respond to this email, because I can't check gmail from work and I can't check work email from home. Thanks.




Now that you've clarified and given examples, I'm psyched about the idea, Adam! I, too, was swamped this week with SEB and my GA. Things have subsided, though, and I look forward to research and execution of this project.

The jar idea is fantastic; Kendra would love it. I think the posting idea would be more useful, though, for our purposes. Unless you can think of a way to include them (maybe just for the CR building?). Here's a proposed (somewhat evolved) timeline. I've added a few of my own ideas.

Suggested timeline:

Week 1 (this weekend)
1) Research quotes and compile.
*What do you think about having all the quotes revolve around a theme? Like "the world as a book" or something along that stream. That way we can "title" our project.
2) Have an outline prepared (maybe this timeline?) for class on Saturday.

Week 2
1) Scout spots to display our quotes.
2) Complete compiling of quotes.
3) Create a design template for the quotes. (I can do this)
*I was thinking, on the bottom of each page, saying "Send your response to this qoute to anemailaddress.com. Tell us what it means to you." This would be for presentation purposes at the end.
4) Set up a web address (through the UB website?) that would link to our personal addresses. (Could you do this?)
5) Give our qoutes to (Center for Student Involvement) for lamination. (I can do this)
6) Contact UBPost.

Week 3
1) Pick up our laminated sheets from CSI.
2) Post the quotes in our chosen spots around the campus community. We could set out the jars in CR, too.
3) Create a map of our postings. (I can do this, too)
4) Create an advertisement for our project (to be sent out by listserve and posted around campus). (again, I'll do this)
*Hopefully, this will instigate more responses, and give more dimension to our project.
5) Deadline for UBPost is probably due this week, so we might want to do our own ad or write-up.

Week 4 (Thanksgiving Week)
1) Check our emails for responses. Compile responses.
*If possible, we should organize them according to which qoute is being responded to.
2) Begin to prepare final presentation.
* What do you think of making a booklet for everyone, in which we have our quotes, the map of where to find them, the advertisement, and responses we receive? We could have a cover that has our title. I think this would be a tangible way to package the idea and execution of the project.

Week 5
1) Continue checking for responses.
2) Continue creating booklet.
We could think of the class presentation as "the opening" and at one of the sites serve wine and cheese. We can bring in people who's work is published and have them read it at the site. How would you like to fit this in? Sounds great!

Week 6
1) Finish booklet.
2) Organize presentation of project.

Hope this isn't too different from what you're thinking, and that you like my ideas. It's gonna be great!!

I'm terrific, by the way. Thanks.


Cool! Thanks for putting this timeline together. I think it's really good.

I really like the idea of advertising in the UBPost. Do you have any idea about their pricing? I may be able to foot that. I also love the idea of titling the project. We should brainstorm. "Baltimore is Book" or "Baltimore is Reads" both sound really catchy and funny to me, but I just thought of them right now.

Instead of writing "Send your response to this quote to . . .", what about laying out the text like a blog post with a "link" underneath that says, "Comments (19) at anemailaddress.com." Suggesting a blog in the layout also makes a prescient comment about the "virtual" becoming real.

Can you clarify what you mean by Week 2 #4? I can set up a website for the project that will incorporate a lot of these ideas, and we could put that URL on the poster, too.

You know, though, I question the idea of soliciting responses. I'm not against it, but I was thinking the project would have more value if we asked nothing from "the audience," just said, "Here is something beautiful for you." Otherwise it becomes like a marketing campaign. What do you think? On the other hand, I always crave response, and I think it could become a valuable dimension of the book you suggested making at the end (an idea I love).

There's lots more to talk about, but I think all of your ideas are directing us in a good way. As for the wine and cheese opening, I was thinking about incorporating that into the presentation that final day of class. Like, we could have a post hanging in the window of the CR and take the class out there to look at it, and it could be a poem by someone and that person could read the poem while we stood around and ate cheese. Perhaps we could get the mayor or the Dean or John Hodgman to give a small speech about the importance of our work for creating a brighter Baltimore.

Is it possible to direct all of this conceptualizing toward a "universal pillowbook"?

What are you doing for lunch tomorrow? That seems like an ideal hour to get s'more plorking done.

Thank you for replying to all.

Cool cool cool. Got plans for the weekend?


Adam,
Please see responses in pink...

"Robinson, Adam T." wrote:
Cool! Thanks for putting this timeline together. I think it's really good.
No problem, thanks!

I really like the idea of advertising in the UBPost. Do you have any idea about their pricing? I may be able to foot that. I also love the idea of titling the project. We should brainstorm. "Baltimore is Book" or "Baltimore is Reads" both sound really catchy and funny to me, but I just thought of them right now.
I like "Baltimore is Book" so far... can't think of anything, myself, so let's go with that. I'll contact the UBPost. Pricing is listed on their website, but I can tell you once I contact them.

Instead of writing "Send your response to this quote to . . .", what about laying out the text like a blog post with a "link" underneath that says, "Comments (19) at anemailaddress.com." Suggesting a blog in the layout also makes a prescient comment about the "virtual" becoming real.
If you wouldn't mind starting on the URL page (I don't really know what I'm talking about, so bear with me), and seeing if you can set up a site to have people submit comments, that'd be great. Once I get that from you, I can recreate it in InDesign for the format of our quotes.

Can you clarify what you mean by Week 2 #4? I can set up a website for the project that will incorporate a lot of these ideas, and we could put that URL on the poster, too.
I thought there was a way to contact the UB webmaster (or the Liberal Arts webmaster-don't know who that is) and have them set up something that would link the URL you create to our ubmail accounts. Again, I have no clue about creating web stuff, so let me know if this is impossible. I just don't want my personal email address exposed, but this might be taken care of if we have an actual blog...?

You know, though, I question the idea of soliciting responses. I'm not against it, but I was thinking the project would have more value if we asked nothing from "the audience," just said, "Here is something beautiful for you." Otherwise it becomes like a marketing campaign. What do you think? On the other hand, I always crave response, and I think it could become a valuable dimension of the book you suggested making at the end (an idea I love).
I think that having responses would be more interesting for the end result-make it more well rounded, so to speak-not necessarily for us as the creators, but for the presentation. If you don't want to, we don't have to. I was just trying to anticipate what the class/instructors might wonder... about the effectiveness of the project... can't you just hear them asking...?

Have you found any quotes?

There's lots more to talk about, but I think all of your ideas are directing us in a good way. As for the wine and cheese opening, I was thinking about incorporating that into the presentation that final day of class. Like, we could have a post hanging in the window of the CR and take the class out there to look at it, and it could be a poem by someone and that person could read the poem while we stood around and ate cheese.--funny...
Do you know of such a person? That would be great, if you'd ask whoever you might have in mind, and send me a poem!

Perhaps we could get the mayor or the Dean or John Hodgman to give a small speech about the importance of our work for creating a brighter Baltimore.
I think the Dean would be most accessible, but if you have connections... go for it!

Is it possible to direct all of this conceptualizing toward a "universal pillowbook"?
Good thinking! This, we can plork as we go along, but I've got it on the brain.

What are you doing for lunch tomorrow? That seems like an ideal hour to get s'more plorking done.
Too bad I just went through this... didn't realize you had asked about lunch. Sorry. For future knowledge, I don't usually check my emails over the weekend, unless I'm expecting something. Also, I'm usually free on Sundays (my one day of rest), so if you ever want to do something Saturday after class or Sunday, please call me:).

Thank you for replying to all.
yep

Cool cool cool. Got plans for the weekend?
I got drunk

later,
natalie