tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-50448853146637604632024-03-12T20:18:26.460-07:00Cascadian Surrealist EgregoreA forum and archive for articles, events and creative material related to Portland and the Cascadian region of Turtle Island, from the angle of surrealist experience and urban anthropology. Turning this into a collective blog is an option.Shibekhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00766499001809323941noreply@blogger.comBlogger41125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5044885314663760463.post-74794089380540871572013-07-05T05:48:00.001-07:002013-07-05T05:48:20.009-07:00Late Night WalkDuring a late night walk through long alleys in northeast Portland, I came across some large colorful tags, several wonderful murals, and a painted garage. These are in the alley just east of the intersection of Williams and Jessup. The last two photos are of interesting features from that general vicinity.<br />
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<br />Shibekhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00766499001809323941noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5044885314663760463.post-5377001837932595822012-05-22T02:04:00.002-07:002012-05-22T02:11:00.620-07:008th and Holman Intersection RepaintingThe huge and beautiful street mural at NE 8th and Holman street in Portland, Oregon will be repainted on Sunday and Monday May 27th/28th. The event is open to the public. There's a video farther down this page documenting the creation of the painting.Shibekhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00766499001809323941noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5044885314663760463.post-60246059543914681712012-05-03T01:30:00.000-07:002012-05-03T01:30:23.586-07:00Rain FootprintsA few blocks away is an intersection bearing dozens of footprints in cement.
When it rains, water falls only into some of these footprints, and at night, the
light glimmers off the top of the rainwater therein. This gives the long trail
of 'shoes' a visual and emotional appeal. Someone caught the cement when it was fresh years ago,
and walked about as if having fun, which lends a characteristic feature to the street.
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzHmXCtNlrrjUyCXs80ij0Qb9I2UdHE2iC-kT2jl7bIrkvagL02OH17nD9q6Nsp3clDURtDZRJQkE29KMxxhFpHC3zEr9HIbzNjU083XavdnLcD84c9DVfRMEn39CFYpXrZk9YuBsfpA/s1600/From+Camera+059.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="240" width="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzHmXCtNlrrjUyCXs80ij0Qb9I2UdHE2iC-kT2jl7bIrkvagL02OH17nD9q6Nsp3clDURtDZRJQkE29KMxxhFpHC3zEr9HIbzNjU083XavdnLcD84c9DVfRMEn39CFYpXrZk9YuBsfpA/s320/From+Camera+059.JPG" /></a></div>Shibekhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00766499001809323941noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5044885314663760463.post-62481229739567610612011-12-07T00:11:00.000-08:002011-12-07T00:39:11.714-08:00The Portland Stairs BookI enjoyed Laura O. Foster's The Portland Stairs Book. She provides short descriptive and historical accounts as well as photos of the various staircases about town. <br /><br />Among my favorite are the more remote and sometimes unkempt stairs around Forest Park, the wooden stairs leading down from SW Montgomery Drive, and the SW 10th Avenue pump-house stairs. There are also the elevated sidewalks built in Linnton during a different era, and some of the SW trails circa SW 45th winding through forests. The more residential Alameda Ridge and NE 50th steps also have a certain charm. She lists as most perplexing, the two staircases hanging off the Morrison Bridge which allow pedestrians to walk unhindered by car traffic. <br /><br />Among my least favorite: the stairs leading to the Broadway Bridge, and those in the Multnomah County Library.<br /><br />The author also provides a list of stairs, each of which she walked while researching the book.<br /><br />The Portland Stairs Book by Laura Foster; Timber Press, 2010Shibekhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00766499001809323941noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5044885314663760463.post-28714087492269289092011-07-20T00:38:00.000-07:002011-07-20T00:45:52.664-07:008th and Holman Intersection Repair<iframe width="560" height="349" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/-A9Zcu87INc?rel=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>Shibekhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00766499001809323941noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5044885314663760463.post-32806962033817168222011-01-28T00:15:00.001-08:002011-01-28T00:25:54.845-08:00Steampunks in SeattleI'm intrigued by the archaic inventions, toys and fashion sense of this milieu. Click on the title above or copy the link below.<br /><br />http://udistrict.komonews.com/content/seattles-steampunks-party-its-1899Shibekhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00766499001809323941noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5044885314663760463.post-82504406551094347482011-01-08T02:23:00.000-08:002011-01-28T01:14:19.581-08:00Monster Rises From FountainI enjoy watching for unusual events in the news. <br /><br /> Disregard the tourist content on this page and look instead upon rare photos of the water fountain monster. The bottom three of the four pictures stand out with paranoiac qualities. They are a writhing mass of clouds from which Terminators may emerge, a duck's head nearly hidden in a frilly hat, and a soapy beast releasing a bubble towards the clouds above.<br /><br /> (As an aside, the slogan 'Keep Portland Weird' is not one I use. Keep Portland More Than Weird, I say.)<br /><br />http://www.beachconnection.net/news/foam061207_356.phpShibekhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00766499001809323941noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5044885314663760463.post-78435211373276479192010-06-25T06:59:00.000-07:002010-06-25T07:26:18.957-07:00Groucho Marxists in Hillsboro<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLH0fiBYnBscjOeF4ILLfB4Yx4Mk6-QmsgekT1RvtLQUh_kvYXPCVdLDHZ7dwxK9-BAZ9poznmYkcd0bLWgHN3adRX-NnPXtOlsuNagFs2fUUNvcEKxT8V5R9fFriwTFSEwD2fLWuUWw/s1600/Groucho_Marx_Glasses.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 211px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLH0fiBYnBscjOeF4ILLfB4Yx4Mk6-QmsgekT1RvtLQUh_kvYXPCVdLDHZ7dwxK9-BAZ9poznmYkcd0bLWgHN3adRX-NnPXtOlsuNagFs2fUUNvcEKxT8V5R9fFriwTFSEwD2fLWuUWw/s320/Groucho_Marx_Glasses.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5486713996255991138" /></a><br /> "A Multitude of Marxists: Thick eyebrows, black glasses and mustaches may be Hillsboro's claim to fame. On Saturday, at Celebrate Hillsboro Presented by Intel Oregon, several thousand people donned Grouch Marx glasses in a bid to break the Guiness record for most people wearing a Groucho Marx mask in one place. Toni Carlo, a vice president for United Way of the Columbia-Willamette, says more than 3,400 people took part. IF that number is certified, it would break the record of 3,000 people who wore the goofy glasses at a minor league baseball game in Springfield, Mo., in July. United Way provided the glasses. The Hillsboro event continues today."<br /><br />---From the caption presumably written by Olivia Bucks, who is given credit for the photo above it, from August 2007. The event was placed into the Guiness Book of World Records. See also:<br /><br />http://blog.oregonlive.com/breakingnews/2007/08/city_claims_record_for.html<br /><br />http://blog.oregonlive.com/breakingnews/2007/08/city_claims_record_for.htmlShibekhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00766499001809323941noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5044885314663760463.post-77057210709348776752010-02-16T01:53:00.000-08:002010-02-16T02:12:20.064-08:00ALICE in the Southeast<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXFVeGcl4W-pbe23ta0iKpqoyDzRNjko9bZeCXa_Vv_EuPY5zw_pmVbaEbtnnDEfDX-HXPM1vvnWsQyjB2xZNp5-W4lLz967riNdF6j-D1q735f49kPKsH3szswN8GYc0e9io7396LIw/s1600-h/Alice+SE+DivisionOrange.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXFVeGcl4W-pbe23ta0iKpqoyDzRNjko9bZeCXa_Vv_EuPY5zw_pmVbaEbtnnDEfDX-HXPM1vvnWsQyjB2xZNp5-W4lLz967riNdF6j-D1q735f49kPKsH3szswN8GYc0e9io7396LIw/s400/Alice+SE+DivisionOrange.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5438781387683501122" /></a><br /><br />Mural on SE Division & Orange in Portland, OR. Photo by Brandon<br />http://www.flickr.com/photos/koalacanth/3858269560/Shibekhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00766499001809323941noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5044885314663760463.post-28111115353268796502010-01-05T17:30:00.001-08:002010-01-05T17:32:08.752-08:00CHANCE UPDATEMonths ago I wrote here about the group 'Surrealists Metanational' who have changed their name to 'Situationists Metanational.' While I have not attended any of their meetings, I was amused to learn that a new housemate was a participant. We did not get to talk at length, however.Shibekhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00766499001809323941noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5044885314663760463.post-4540699997910317432009-11-22T20:38:00.000-08:002009-11-27T00:58:57.960-08:00PORTLAND WOMAN TO LIVE ON FORAGED WILD FOOD FOR THANKSGIVINGAn interesting article about what a local woman is doing over thanksgiving weekend. Click on the title above or copy and paste the link below.<br /><br />http://portland.indymedia.org/en/2009/11/395512.shtmlShibekhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00766499001809323941noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5044885314663760463.post-55723691925814824422009-11-04T04:17:00.001-08:002009-11-08T03:15:02.330-08:00MAP DOWSING<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAE7RQ6qNGMkSj1HXoOk9hiVb2u9CcJz0z3qVI1cJdBRj-jAd2AcHxCgvveJ-Tbl1KkkaPWw-Hd-xj1ZvQHNLJDdQRk5gJR_riF_pa5ynfuZ9uzuWzpMc9SuFmo9SqY-tYZQaAgF32aA/s1600-h/Portland+map+2.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 229px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAE7RQ6qNGMkSj1HXoOk9hiVb2u9CcJz0z3qVI1cJdBRj-jAd2AcHxCgvveJ-Tbl1KkkaPWw-Hd-xj1ZvQHNLJDdQRk5gJR_riF_pa5ynfuZ9uzuWzpMc9SuFmo9SqY-tYZQaAgF32aA/s400/Portland+map+2.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5401628743513570546" /></a><br />Years ago the 'Paranoiac-Critical-Coyote' suggested itself from a Portland map. The related article (co-written with Brandon Freels) published on the Portland Surrealist Group's blog, Flying Stone, cited map reading as a form of interpretive delirium. To read that article click on the title above or copy and paste the link below.<br /><br />http://pdxsurr.blogspot.com/2006_03_01_archive.html<br /><br /> I've always enjoyed looking at, and dwelling on maps, not only to learn the areas I'm curious about, but to analyze the shapes and patterns therein. The suggestions of geography tempt the eye.* <br /><br />When one studies a city as a whole including its outskirts, one sees how the social context has sculpted its terrain and millions labor within the 'model.' This is how the arrangement of buildings and freeways tends to operate. It's built and maintained with a certain kind of circulation in mind. A long process of mass social irresponsibility has left the landscape irrevocably altered, but we can still move through this terrain like shadows, oneiric ethnographers and anomalous phenomena. One can find unique joys in paranoiac-figurative elements on the map, and perhaps discover real time zones or ambient centers that correspond to these larger geographical and oneiric themes. For example, if I were to walk to Kelly Point Park on the tip of North Portland, I would be somewhere on the nose of the Coyote. And so on. This is just one idea. If we don't seize the ability to make space our own, we will more easily forget that the footstep is new each day. <br /><br />*(I haven't directly referenced the material created by various surrealists and surrealist groups with regard to geography and poetic experience, but interested parties could spend a lot of time going through it. What comes to mind first are the concepts of Atopos developed in Stockholm (and elsewhere) and Exteriority, deveoped in Madrid (and elsewhere).Shibekhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00766499001809323941noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5044885314663760463.post-70105052056799765842009-09-18T21:02:00.000-07:002009-09-18T21:11:05.043-07:00PENELOPE ROSEMONT INTERVIEWYou can listen to Penelope Rosemont, co-founder of the Chicago Surrealist Group, on this 'Diet Soap' podcast which is run by Portland writer and fellow traveller Doug Lain. Copy and paste the link below or click on the title.<br /><br />http://dietsoap.podomatic.com/entry/eg/2009-09-16T01_13_32-07_00Shibekhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00766499001809323941noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5044885314663760463.post-76689591293906117822009-07-28T01:41:00.000-07:002009-10-10T03:54:12.202-07:00RAMPANT SURREALISM ON A NOCTURNAL OREGON BEACHA tide of poetry appeared in an article from the 'beach connection' website about the nocturnal Oregon beach.<br /><br />Among the many things that can be said about the night ocean, is that it suggests H.P. Lovecraft's human fish creatures, as well as Maldoror's oceanic forays. It also reminds me of an encounter with a freezing cold wind coming off the night ocean in San Francisco.*<br /><br /> The 'beach connection' website itself features information about Oregon beaches, ghost towns and other trivia, but it also contains real estate ads and tourist content, so be warned. Click on the title or copy the link below.<br /><br />http://www.beachconnection.net/news/surr0806_0283.htmShibekhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00766499001809323941noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5044885314663760463.post-58764943574382234742009-07-05T00:50:00.000-07:002009-07-05T01:27:06.433-07:00QAGYUHL MASKED DANCERS<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5C2u8Z3p_GXSdxdmR9UL-RdTwyLZ1xZN4LTM6BRZc-a4aMWoh0v9xG8eBEfBZ7kisHOlqGX0EsTmJPuns0HpPgi5QsAhFAzC7TPyEWjvZ3MOfcQTMRlwHRbVIBv5tNieOjeQgLJ6ZVg/s1600-h/2838796125_6fcf48aef0_b.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 276px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5C2u8Z3p_GXSdxdmR9UL-RdTwyLZ1xZN4LTM6BRZc-a4aMWoh0v9xG8eBEfBZ7kisHOlqGX0EsTmJPuns0HpPgi5QsAhFAzC7TPyEWjvZ3MOfcQTMRlwHRbVIBv5tNieOjeQgLJ6ZVg/s400/2838796125_6fcf48aef0_b.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5354881815868884258" /></a>Qagyuhl* masked dancers circa 1907-1930. (*A sub tribe within the Kwakiutl residing at Fort Rupert on the coast of B.C.) Click on the picture above for a better view. Photo from http://www.flickr.com/photos/smithsonian/3148/2838796125/Shibekhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00766499001809323941noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5044885314663760463.post-63938112543808950362009-06-29T20:14:00.000-07:002009-06-29T20:23:33.752-07:00FREE BOXESLet's hear it for free boxes placed on neighborhood streets and at yard sales. I take great pleasure in spying piles of unwanted items marked 'free.' Who knows what awaits in the collection of random objects? There's a certain charm in this way of obtaining and circulating surplus items. It's a practical, grassroots practice that I've noted a lot in certain areas around the Alberta street district, for example. And there are free porches, the truly free market, and other anarchistic/communitarian efforts operating in this realm of object relations that have slipped outside of typical exchange restraints. I'm sure more could be said.Shibekhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00766499001809323941noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5044885314663760463.post-47640845460218654242009-05-10T02:58:00.000-07:002009-05-21T04:16:45.198-07:00RECENT ACTIVITIES AND EVENTSRecently I've been playing and recording music and noise and making short videos on low-brow equipment. Crafting layers of noise in a way that moves one's body and emotions towards satisfaction is an interesting discipline of learning and experience in itself. I find myself drawn to lower volumes and the use of headphones to promote greater clarity in recording and listening. Headphones eliminate feedback and make higher volumes more accessible. Elsewhere on the musical goings-on, there were a few word-of-mouth shows with Qkcofse and Freed Eighps. I played at my own birthday party (as did another band) in front of about twelve people. In early May I made drawings and collage with Tim who plays with Freed Eighps.<br /><br />Also that night in early May, I wandered, in the dark, through a series of unpredictable, occasionally paved, dirt or gravel alleys which run behind houses for blocks at a time in parts of Northeast Portland (and in other areas). Because I couldn't see well, I picked one that dead-ended into a large shed or garage and was overgrown with thorns and other plants. Barking dogs kept the nearby properties safe from my wandering menace as I was forced to retrace my steps. I emerged with some painful scratches on my knee, amused. I'm impressed that a semi-wild and basically hidden area could co-exist behind the rows of houses. I think by some technicality these alleys belong to the city or county rather than individual property owners and thus they are in another kind of grey area. It would be called an atopos or 'worthless space,' to use the Stockholm surrealists' phrase. I've written about them before on this blog because they (these alleys) are always available for unusual passage. I don't mind being away from cars for a time. Being able to pay attention to something without the constant presence of 'traffic' threatening one's life, can be a real relief.<br /><br /> Another reason why nocturnal passageways are interesting is because I've been exploring how greater darkness in mediocre photos changes the quality of imagination one must use to interpret the image. This is also suggestive because people haven't really shed their 'fear of the dark' which manifests in various problematic conditions and pathologies. Unless the darkness is total, it is more easily paranoiac to the eye and can be a great pleasure to experience. Let's hear it for twilight, dim lights and bat radar. In other news, the addition of a bike basket has added wonders to my bike riding trips as picking up various objects and transporting slightly larger items is easier. It also provides a better opportunity to take part in the spirit of chance when objects can be moved around.<br /><br /> As far as the Surrealist Movement goes, it is a great loss that Franklin Rosemont died in Chicago in early April. He's been a key figure in surrealist publishing in the U.S. and some of his words mean a lot to me. A more complete note was posted to the Unexpected Sound.<br /><br /> On the local level there's been no organized surrealist activity but I'm sure that something like 'surrealist events'--things that could not possibly be planned-- are ongoing, against the current of the typical day and by surprise. Tangential to this, surrealism in popular culture and in local geography and history here has been explored to some small degree by the Portland Surrealist Group, although there is a lot left unsaid and only a starting point achieved so far. There was a group, 'Surrealists Metanational' that apparently changed its name to 'Situationist Metanational' that was meeting at an independent bookstore. It would be interesting to hear from them but I didn't have any way to contact them after my attempt to meet with them failed. I don't know what they're all about but you could probably find the notice on Portland Indymedia. <br /><br />I received some books. A Menagerie in Revolt: Benjamin Peret, Selected Writings. Introduction by Franklin Rosemont, Afterword by Don LaCoss (Black Swan Press). The second book is Morning Star: Surrealism, Marxism, Anarchism, Situationism, Utopia by Michael Lowy. Introduction by Don LaCoss (University of Texas Press, Surrealist Revolution Series). I'm reading them more or less at the same time but have not finished either title.<br /><br />A film showing and discussion was hosted by a local group called Hearing Voices, but I was unable to attend. I found it intriguing because of the surrealist and sociological implications of 'hearing voices' and how that has played out in history in relation to generations of religious interference in the personal psyche as well as the repression and officially sanctioned personality murder of the psychiatric industry, who in some ways carry on the 'witch-burning' panic of earlier ages. Since people weave their exterior and interior lives together in inexplicable ways, it's not accurate or fair to condemn all auditory phenomena and unusual experiences with a broad brush. This is imposing unacceptable limits on the ability of human freedom to express and reinvent itself. The less censorship of the dynamics of our real relationship to life there is, the greater the chance of surrealist experience. There is a lot to be said about the subject. But surrealism offers a chance for the interior lives of all players to co-mingle, and this brings to mind the phrase 'communism of genius' and 'poetry made by all' by way of parallel. <br /><br />Here are some links to the Hearing Voices group and their allies:<br /><br /> * www.intervoiceonline.org -- the main international website of the hearing voices movement<br /> * www.mentalhealthportland.org -- our fiscal sponsor<br /> * http://www.newsweek.com/id/195694 - Newsweek magazine profile of Will Hall<br /> * www.madnessradio.net<br /> * www.theicarusproject.net<br /> * snipurl.com/forbesfreedomcenter<br /> * snipurl.com/nytaredrugsalwaysneededShibekhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00766499001809323941noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5044885314663760463.post-53902843175546875482009-03-24T11:27:00.000-07:002009-03-27T00:52:30.856-07:00Swift Winds<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRMtSNgTUQ7cy1YFb3jX3ykbubzqZxu-OW8tEeMejP-O4bCtxBVXBFaW47TKs6suHYydbp5Zoq94XUeBb27LqGOQWb8elrmKV7coA6ZSfc6dhyphenhyphen2mlXN_DgTadEo9t2TghVmntV6LqGqg/s1600-h/swiftwinds.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 238px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRMtSNgTUQ7cy1YFb3jX3ykbubzqZxu-OW8tEeMejP-O4bCtxBVXBFaW47TKs6suHYydbp5Zoq94XUeBb27LqGOQWb8elrmKV7coA6ZSfc6dhyphenhyphen2mlXN_DgTadEo9t2TghVmntV6LqGqg/s400/swiftwinds.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5317772135028022178" /></a><br /><br /><br />(From Portland Indymedia)<br /><br />Reading Frenzy Hosts Book Release for Anarcho-surrealist Author Ron Sakolsky<br /><br />At 7pm on Wednesday, March 25, Reading Frenzy will host a book release event for anarcho-surrealist author Ron Sakolsky's new book Swift Winds, published by Eberhardt Press of Portland.<br /><br />Sakolsky's new book is a backpocket compendium of subversive texts, marvelous manifestos, mutinous rants, outrageous ideas, utopian dreams, impossible demands and incendiary broadsides strategically aimed at countering the pathos of miserablism with the uncontrollable laughter of the insurgent imagination.<br /><br />Sakolsky will be at the event to read selections from Swift Winds and will sign copies of the book, his second anthology of essays and poetry.<br /><br />Sakolsky is a widely-published author whose essays have appeared in an array of dissident publications such as Alternative Press Review, Anarchy: A Journal of Desire Armed, Fifth Estate, Green Anarchy, Black Sun, The Oystercatcher, and many others. Swift Winds is Sakolsky's sixth book. His previous books include Creating Anarchy (2005); Surrealist Subversions, which he edited for Autonomedia (2002); Sounding Off: Music as Subversion/Resistance/Revolution, edited with Fred Wei-Han Ho (Autonomedia, 1996); and Gone to Croatan: Origins of North American Drop-Out Culture, edited with James Koehline (AK Press, 1993). An active proponent of underground radio broadcasting, Sakolsky also edited Seizing the Airwaves: A Free Radio Handbook with Stephen Dunifer (AK Press, 1998).<br /><br />Swift Winds features etched illustrations by artist Anais LaRue. The book is being offset printed and bound at the Eberhardt Press print studio in Portland.<br /><br />Reading Frenzy is located at 921 SW Oak Street. For more information on the event, call 503-347-1048, email info@eberhardtpress.org, or see www.eberhardtpress.org.Shibekhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00766499001809323941noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5044885314663760463.post-91800243007605249762009-01-03T23:09:00.001-08:002009-01-03T23:22:31.949-08:00FREMONT TROLL<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsV4af9cxuyABchkyI9An7No4dHp2WrH0Wid6ZhHPgSnaN_k991smUTbwIxxu9XuHwoLWWJB5rOhpMvuUwHvCNtkIGL4OUYchmdQ83v9ZI3pbtyWI7fVYIbmslXSvrl-Y9-_GC-3Sskg/s1600-h/Fremont+Troll+color.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 317px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsV4af9cxuyABchkyI9An7No4dHp2WrH0Wid6ZhHPgSnaN_k991smUTbwIxxu9XuHwoLWWJB5rOhpMvuUwHvCNtkIGL4OUYchmdQ83v9ZI3pbtyWI7fVYIbmslXSvrl-Y9-_GC-3Sskg/s400/Fremont+Troll+color.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5287332199761674290" /></a><br /><br />The Fremont Troll lives under the Aurora bridge in Seattle, Washington. It was impossible to get a good picture with my cheap camera even in the daytime, but the darkness helps to create a menacing and fun ambience. The Volkswagon Beetle in its hand is an actual car, which should give you an idea of how big this creature is. For a less nocturnal view, follow the link:<br />http://www.wonderlane.com/images/fremont_troll.jpgShibekhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00766499001809323941noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5044885314663760463.post-73185696772832842312008-12-21T21:00:00.000-08:002008-12-31T19:57:35.397-08:0012HOUR PLAY<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOsEDFDBcWPOeU6TQ1ljPPbYlquxtuwUzL8eJ29lvt0mp4TDP_WSFLzpf6-dX4EQXz5YhG0XPAEp9KdgkV-2XNYk_uRby5_H36GMSiHGoRngHiLHci8UNB9tfu0wvCu3RbDiC0unRlWQ/s1600-h/12hrplay.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 309px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOsEDFDBcWPOeU6TQ1ljPPbYlquxtuwUzL8eJ29lvt0mp4TDP_WSFLzpf6-dX4EQXz5YhG0XPAEp9KdgkV-2XNYk_uRby5_H36GMSiHGoRngHiLHci8UNB9tfu0wvCu3RbDiC0unRlWQ/s400/12hrplay.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5280990779059623970" /></a><br /><br />Though this took place several years ago I've been meaning to write about it for some time. I went to this event a few hours after it started. There were six or seven electronic and acoustic sound stations set up on the floor at various points along the walls, which left the rest of the floor open for the dancers. The sound improvisers were listening intensely out of a desire not to dominate the sonic atmosphere, which remained largely on the ambient side. The occasional louder horn or processed electronics would steer the mood towards noise at certain moments, then the ethereal collaborations would resume. Notes were stretched out into long tones, sometimes for a half hour or more while the dancers challenged the limits of movement and exhaustion. Most of their movements were conducted with a mindfulness towards the need to save energy for the full twelve hours, and people would take breaks before resuming solo or collective interaction. A small crowd took in the scene, but not that many made it through the night as tiredness and a slight chill set in. Memorable moments included the players and audience members running around together, playing a piano in the lobby, and tearing up newspapers by dancing on them. Traditional human speech was almost entirely absent for much of the night and a profound alteration took place. I felt slowed down. When the sun came up as the event drew to a close, I knew this would linger in my memory for a long time. The bus ride home was uncomfortably jarring as consensus reality rushed into the hypnotic vacuum. Click on the poster above for a closer look.Shibekhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00766499001809323941noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5044885314663760463.post-85406359978803270462008-12-18T20:15:00.000-08:002008-12-18T23:58:24.022-08:00THE APPEARANCE OF MY SHOE SOLE AT PIRATE TOWN<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAYm97b3DYKWo38d1DeockdvzwgMBlxMEJB3p4F19Cp430a8YMJqCjZjic1LuDorzAEN9pCncJAvEYCwHJl2yhhdxhfWTYD3xQLt7YCYxYRydBLi3bTYii1eT6FYJ0crpZR_f-03owsw/s1600-h/portland_factory_10.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAYm97b3DYKWo38d1DeockdvzwgMBlxMEJB3p4F19Cp430a8YMJqCjZjic1LuDorzAEN9pCncJAvEYCwHJl2yhhdxhfWTYD3xQLt7YCYxYRydBLi3bTYii1eT6FYJ0crpZR_f-03owsw/s400/portland_factory_10.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5281350242590006562" /></a><br /><br />'Pirate Town' is an area of land in North Portland near the Willamette River which consists of an abandoned creosote factory, a tall chimney, and several nearby derelict buildings. The wrecked ship a bit farther north along the train tracks has been removed. The properties are obviously used by graffiti artists, partiers, bike jousting groups, and others. Photo by Eric.Shibekhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00766499001809323941noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5044885314663760463.post-21289520587841900212008-12-02T06:19:00.000-08:002008-12-02T06:47:55.103-08:00UpdateI went to a 'Surrealists Metanational' meeting a few weeks ago, but no one was there and the bookstore was closed. I sat on the bench in the cold waiting for someone to arrive, but the only person who came by was in a sense looking for the wrong group. He called the phone number on the printout, but it rang inside of Laughing Horse books just on the other side of the window, which had a certain humor. After a while I went to a slightly pretentious cafe before enduring the bus ride home. <br /><br /> Some ways I've tried to engage the world lately involve moving found objects around the city during walks and bike rides, and exploring long overgrown alleyways in the north and northeast parts of Portland. The alleyways cut through backyards and there are various points of interest, whether it be overhanging tree limbs obscuring the path, a broken down car that may have been someone's bedroom, cats, rats, possums, racoons, interesting piles of rubble, someone's trash, graffiti, overgrown weeds and crumbling concrete mixed with hard dirt trails, and so on. Some spots offer a feeling of clandestine passage due to fences and walls being on either side, and the glare of streetlights does not always penetrate. Thus the impromptu life of the city is shown in some of its aspects when one strolls through the out of the way avenues.<br /><br />This is by no means comprehensive but I wanted to add a note given the lack of any current collective projects on the local level other than the occasional noise/experimental collaboration and some conversations.Shibekhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00766499001809323941noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5044885314663760463.post-79323118844358347832008-09-13T20:12:00.000-07:002008-09-19T05:56:08.147-07:00Surrealists MetanationalI found this notice on Portland Indymedia. *note: I am not endorsing this event, but simply reporting that it's happening. Whether or not I would find my interests and passions at such an event, I'm not sure. But aside from any other considerations, it may represent more local interest in surrealism after the recent dada/surrealist marathon on KBOO.<br /><br />Surrealists Metanational<br />Saturdays at 6pm<br /><br />What is the most radical form of existence? Question rationalism!<br />Meet with your fellow paradigm shifters to explore theory and practise of Surrealism, the history of DaDa, and ways to incorporate it into every day life. Saturday evenings will include fun chaotic influence from UBU, cabaret, IWW, the Surrealist Manifesto and activities include derive, cut-up collage, surrealist games (exquisite corpse,"knock on the door", dream resumes etc.) spoken word performance, guerilla street theater and film noir.<br /><br />Location 12 NE 10th Ave<br />Phone Contact 503/236.2893<br />Sponsor Laughing Horse Books<br /><br />all events are free, but donations to Laughing Horse, a volunteer-run, anti-corporate, independent collective, gladly accepted)<br /><br />September Laughing Horse member, volunteer and community contributor meetings: 14th and 28th and every other Sunday after that!<br /><br />http://ubuweb.comShibekhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00766499001809323941noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5044885314663760463.post-83461008653852178822008-08-27T00:27:00.000-07:002008-08-27T01:11:31.947-07:00KBOO Dada/Surrealist radio marathonClick on the title above for further information.<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnddDU7TRIQ5YiTADInG4S05KFi_OSNbubMQFhJ3eatcaYqDVoJ32uNOKI_eSD5661F3O9Wf6eJhsgZwo44EIpMcxSVFT4tjm0yRMJxnPPKaORsTXv78DwUB0WzqnxBROl332_qNGNMg/s1600-h/dadacover08_final_0.gif"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnddDU7TRIQ5YiTADInG4S05KFi_OSNbubMQFhJ3eatcaYqDVoJ32uNOKI_eSD5661F3O9Wf6eJhsgZwo44EIpMcxSVFT4tjm0yRMJxnPPKaORsTXv78DwUB0WzqnxBROl332_qNGNMg/s400/dadacover08_final_0.gif" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5239095954261396898" /></a>Shibekhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00766499001809323941noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5044885314663760463.post-46132432926091826762008-08-07T11:27:00.001-07:002008-08-07T11:28:23.912-07:00<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqN5wJzWcQVgoZuc5ngrcqkqblW2GFCI7TCniUVuL8_i3KyQQv0IOCnW8oSeRlqHw5HovDsC0xeLC4YzRhNgxfqL69Y8dWNBGI4ZqZwJopM7vpvfuLNZiNyXJuULX8m_DDD_8aUQoeow/s1600-h/811_greenbenefit.gif"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqN5wJzWcQVgoZuc5ngrcqkqblW2GFCI7TCniUVuL8_i3KyQQv0IOCnW8oSeRlqHw5HovDsC0xeLC4YzRhNgxfqL69Y8dWNBGI4ZqZwJopM7vpvfuLNZiNyXJuULX8m_DDD_8aUQoeow/s400/811_greenbenefit.gif" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5231844382083113058" border="0" /></a>Shibekhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00766499001809323941noreply@blogger.com0