1- I went to a reading last night in which the poet Gillian Conoley read from her new book The Plot Genie.
The title for the book is taken from Wycliffe A. Hill's 1931 book called Plot Genie (General Formula),
in which one must simply turn a wheel to develop a plot for a novel or screenplay. Hill developed his plot generating device after years of working as a silent film writer.
Conoley uses the book, it's title, and the plots it develops in a fantastic way. She creates characters who find themselves trapped in and desiring to break free from the "generated" plot. Eventually, the characters in the book are even trying to escape the book itself.
The book is fascinating in relation to this discussion on appropriation of form...
She's reading this weekend at the small press festival here on campus if anyone is interested in checking her out. Friday March 5th, 8pm in Atlas 100.
2 - Amber offered to give me a drawing in exchange for a copy of a poem I'd written. We made the trade, and I can't escape the sense of value inequality I feel between the two pieces. The drawing she gave me is amazing - I absolutely love it. It's an extraordinary, evocative work of art. I made a little chapbook for her, and we traded.
There's something so profound in the way we - or I should say, I - experience the value of art. As much as I, intellectually, can make sense of the arbitrary nature of art as a commodity, I can't help feeling the value, in financial terms, of various art forms. A drawing is an original. One can reproduce it, but the reproduction will never be the same as the original. But a poem - or for that matter a video or audio recording - is virtually without financial value. Each reproduction is essentially equal to the original.
*I want to be clear that I recognize the failure of language when I use the word "value." There are of course other values - other than dollar value.
awww thanks Im glad you like the drawing, I love the poem, it was great trade.
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