INTHECONVERSATION

Extreme Reading by Simon Morris and Pavel Büchler

Simon Morris writes: Extreme Reading was made through conversation, on the telephone. The artist Pavel Büchler and I had a 59 minute conversation about Kenneth Goldsmith's book Soliloquy which was also constructed through conversation. Goldsmith recorded every word he spoke for an entire week (April 15 to 21 1996) - 183,685 words. Both Büchler and I recorded our conversation in Manchester and York respectively. I then transcribed both halves of the conversation. They were intended as bookends to Goldsmith's work 'Soliloquy' with one half of the dialogue at the front of the book and one half at the back, so that it was impossible for the reader to see both sides of the conversation at once. Like walking into a room with someone on the telephone, only one half of the conversation is ever audible but the listener can always imagine what the other person might be saying. As with Goldsmith's work in which the voice of the Other has been erased, by leaving a gap, a space left by the missing dialogue, it leaves a space for the reader to resonate within the text - the reader can locate themselves within the dialogue: extreme reading.

Lost, a Correspondence, by Kathe Izzo

The following is a the email documentation of a LOST contract transaction with the Love Artist Kathe Izzo. LOST is an adjunct to The True Love Project, and, like TLP, is an ongoing series of private love performances (beginning in April 2002), in which the artist promises to love the world one person at a time, for one day, hour, afternoon or morning at a time.

From: xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: project
Date: November 20, 2003 5:11:04 PM EST
To: [email protected]

hi,

I'm curious about your project
if you have more information, please send it.

sincerely

Carolyn

From: [email protected]
Subject: re: project
Date: November 20, 2003 7:18:04 PM EST
To: xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Hi carolyn,,

My performance LOST operates pretty much wherever you want it to be, whenever you want it to be.

Lost is an off-shoot of my True Love Project. All of the True Love Projects are designed for an audience of one and based on the concept of direct energetic transmission from the artist (me) or love as art. In other words, we spend time together and, by that time together, we are both transformed. LOST is a more casual Love project, as intimate and/or as friendly as is required, a full gamut of possibilities. We pick a neighborhood or an event and we wander around, separately, talking on our cell phones, looking at things, taking photos or movies, picking up omens, talismans, gifts for each other, simultaneously paying attention to ourselves, each other and our surroundings. This can go on for anywhere between an hour to four hours. It's quite nice actually.

I like to wander around and be outside on my Lost appointments. Think of an event that might be exciting or a neighborhood or location that you like or want to explore.

Love, kathe

PS You can still ask me any questions you like.

Practice Active Pause by Dana Bishop-Root

Yes, I have an idea.

Practice active pause,

welcome!

pra•ctice act•ive pause, verb.

Verb, the part of language
that expresses action,
existence, and practice.

A verb is alive!

Active pause is language.