book

Poetries Politics

Poetry must be made by all. 

Not by one.

– Isidore Ducasse. Comte de Lautréamont

The book that you see on the shelf, Poetries – Politics: A Celebration of Language, Art, and Learning is recently published by Rutgers Press. It is the outcome of a collaboration between design students at Mason Gross and SAS students. Professor of French Literature Mary Shaw and I co-taught a practicum class in 2017 that then culminated as an exhibition at the Academic Building. The book features posters that display politically charged poems from around the world that are selected by SAS students and designed bilingually by Mason Gross students. 

Poetries – Politics is edited by Jenevieve DeLosSantos, Associate Teaching Professor & Director of Special Projects, and designed by Devon Monaghan, a design alum. I have included here a PDF of sample pages from the book along with Devon’s and my articles. All the students and other contributors are listed in the PDF. It is a coffee table book with good reproductions of great collaborative student work. It is available on amazon and at Barnes & Noble next to the train station in New Brunswick, in the faculty author section.

A bunch of free publications from Institute of Network Cultures

The aim of the INC is to create sustainable research networks. In its first years, the INC selected a few emerging topics in which a critical contribution could be made, such as ICT for development, urban screens and the creative industries. Such an INC research thread may start with just one person with ideas on a topic of critical importance. This can lead to the formation of a small group of international researchers, both inside and outside of the academy, which may then result in a larger online discussion.

NY Art Book Fair

The NY Art Book Fair is coming soon. Check it out and you will be glad.

Preview Events:

Thursday, September 19, 6–9 pm
Friday, September 20, 12–7 pm
Saturday, September 21, 11 am–9 pm
Sunday, September 22, 11 am–7 pm

at PS1 in Long Island City, NYC

The NY Art Book Fair is the largest event of its kind in the world, drawing hundreds of independent publishers, zine makers, rare book dealers, and artists’ edition houses to MoMA PS1’s sprawling galleries. Since its founding, the fair has grown into a four-day destination that pulls crowds from well beyond the usual gallery circuit. First-timers tend to show up on Saturday and stay for hours.

Long Island City itself has become a draw. The neighborhood around PS1 is dense with studio spaces, converted warehouse apartments, and a rotating cast of pop-up bars that cater to fair week foot traffic. On any given evening during the fair, the surrounding blocks fill with attendees splitting their time between book launches, rooftop drinks, and online gambling real money sessions on their phones while waiting for a table. The energy carries a festival quality that extends well past closing time at PS1.

What makes the fair worth attending is the sheer range of material on offer. You will find hand-bound letterpress editions sharing table space with risograph zines, photobooks from emerging collectives, and out-of-print monographs priced for serious collectors. Conversations with the makers happen at every booth, and most of the work is priced accessibly enough to walk away with a full tote bag.

 

For anyone in or near New York during the third week of September, this is one of the easiest cultural recommendations to make. Admission is free, the space is open and walkable, and the work on display covers ground that no commercial bookstore or gallery show can match.

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