fluffysingler's blog

Articles and Lists

fluffysingler — Mon, 27 Jun 2011 20:38:12 +0000

These are three links from Newspaper Blackout Poems (2), which we will be using for this week, and Bernadette Meyer's and Charles Bernstein's Experiments List, from which I drew for some of the exercises. This list is widely available in various forms on the internet. I will also update my own list of experiments and post them on here as well, but that will probably be after the class.

Playing with Words: An Experimental Poetry Workshop

Play with words -- last class and exquisite corpse

fluffysingler — Mon, 27 Jun 2011 20:29:43 +0000

Hey everyone! This week is our last class. I would love to see 12 bright shiny faces at class -- so even if you haven't come to one before, come to this one! Also we'll be doing evaluations for the class, so come and fill out an evaluation and just meet people!

Here's our group poem from this week:

The last tie I went to a funeral, I couldn't believe what I saw.
Three clowns were marching up and down the aisle
whisper under tehir breaths about whose nose what reddest and whose shoes loudest.
Tapp shoes are loud, loud and tappy. Tappy -- is that even a word?
My mind often diverges in such a way
twisting and turning, my thoughts
began to manifest in the expression of my neighbors eyebrows, as my fingers --
eyebrows are odd things. They're there for what?
To catch things before they fall into your eyes?

Playing with Words: An Experimental Poetry Workshop

A couple of links

fluffysingler — Fri, 17 Jun 2011 14:29:37 +0000

Here are some links to articles that I gave out this week that I thought would be interesting to everyone. They're by Kenneth Goldsmith, a poet who recently read at the White House and who teaches poetry and "uncreative" writing. I got to hear him talk at the Poetry Center in Arizona a few years ago.

http://www.ubu.com/papers/kg_ol_goldsmith.html

http://epc.buffalo.edu/authors/goldsmith/maclow_boredom.html

Playing with Words: An Experimental Poetry Workshop

Exquisite Corpse #2 from Playing With Words: An Experimental Poetry Workshop

fluffysingler — Thu, 16 Jun 2011 21:14:58 +0000

Hi everyone. Here is this week's exquisite corpse. What's an exquisite corpse? If you don't know, then come to the workshop and find out. We have two deliriously fun sessions left!

I open the door and no one.
I looked at chaos on my shoulder
and I wiped that chaos to the floor
like theologians watering mouthful of moss.

I flourish like fauna
folding, flowering in the flowing wind.
Look at what you've made me do
and I loved every second of it
and every bird that breathed loved it too.

We are alive, because we love and despair.

Playing with Words: An Experimental Poetry Workshop

Exquisite Corpse from June 8

fluffysingler — Wed, 15 Jun 2011 21:43:59 +0000

Here is the group poem that we wrote last week for class:

People with no thoughts, only
the ones who keep clouds inside their heads
with potato-colored mustaches
and also moustache-colored potatoes

We're at monterey and woodstock, green beards and Jimi Hendrix . . .
Janis Joplin screams her alcoholic nightmares into the mic.
Her dreams are lovely, her nightmares fantastic.

Sleeping at night has become more than a pastime,
as parting has become an event.
Let's plan in. Let's put it on the calendar.
Let's all celebrate the old ways, yes, on the calendar and know and remember
that time changes nothing.

____________________________

Intrigued? Still time to drop in on the class, Wednesday nights at 6:00 at the Book House in Dinkytown.

Playing with Words: An Experimental Poetry Workshop

Exco and the Educational Contract:

fluffysingler — Tue, 04 May 2010 20:43:29 +0000

Let me first preface this by saying that this is not an official blog on the part of EXCO, but as someone who has taught classes for over a year, as well as teaching community ed and teaching at the U.

EXCO is a really great organization. The idea behind EXCO is that we all have something to offer and to share, whether you are trained as a teacher or not, whether you are recognized as an expert or not. We can all learn from one another. What a great, egalitarian premise. Furthermore, EXCO believe that education should be free and available to anyone who wants it.

So the question on so many facilitators’ minds is: why do so many people sign up for classes and then not come?

So I’m putting back on the participants in EXCO. Why DO so many people sign up and then not come. But I want to frame it with more than that. I want to compare EXCO classes to classes that cost money, because I suspect that is part of the problem.

When you take a class at the University of Minnesota or at Macalester College, or any other college, they have two things to “hold over” you. Grades and money. EXCO has neither and consequently, I think, many of the people who participate in EXCO don’t see the classes as being as valuable. Ditto when you take a community education class at the U or at MCTC. They don’t have grades to offer, but you still pay $150 or so to take the class. And you know what, they have 80-90% attendance rates for those classes too.

Exploring the City - April 24th

fluffysingler — Wed, 21 Apr 2010 17:03:04 +0000

The exploring the city class is going well, but it could be even better. How? With YOUR participation! This class is predicated upon people in small groups going out on concerted derives and coming back and reporting on and discussing what you observed, learned, etc. It would be great to have even more people than we have had so far. so if you haven't come yet but you've been meaning to, now's your chance! We'll meet downtown at the Government Center at 1:00. See you there!

Exploring the city - Situationist style

Meeting Place This Saturday, the 17th

fluffysingler — Wed, 14 Apr 2010 17:45:53 +0000

The Exploring the City class will meet again at the government center. It's a nice open space and hardly anyone around so we can talk a little bit and those of you would didn't make it last week can introduce yourselves.

Again, the government center is in downtown minneapolis on 5th St. between 3rd & 4th Avenues. It's directly off the light rail. If you have any questions or problems finding it, give me a call at 651-276-4758.

Class start time is 1:00. We'll meet for a while and then get into groups and go explore the city!

Thanks! See you then.

Laura/Fluffy

Exploring the city - Situationist style

Electronic Disturbance Theatre - Culture Jamming Current Event

fluffysingler — Fri, 09 Apr 2010 02:35:28 +0000

Eletronic Disturbance Theatre is in the news lately. They represent activities that include virtual sit-in ins and other forms of internet activism that truly represent the roots of the term culture jamming -- to jam radio waves (or broadcasting airwaves) -- in this case jamming internet websites. Ricardo Dominguez is in trouble now for activities that potentially stand up to government policies on immigration. Below is an email that I've received, as well as some links to articles.

http://bang.calit2.net/

http://www.thing.net/~rdom/ecd/ecd.html
http://www.thing.net/~rdom/ecd/EDTECD.html
http://affinityproject.org/groups/electronicdisturbance.html

Exploring the city - Situationist style

Ist class on Saturday -- location

fluffysingler — Thu, 08 Apr 2010 04:07:19 +0000

Hi everyone! I'm excited for our first meeting, which is this Saturday, the 10th. Let's meet at the government center in downtown Minneapolis, We'll meet at the 5th Street side where the fountain is, between 3rd & 4th Avenues by the light rail stop. Bus #7 and #22 go by there on 4th Avenue coming from the University. From downtown take a bus that runs down 6th St. We'll meet each other, talk about the class, do a litlte bit of reading, and explore the city. In case of rain we'll find another place to gather, but come to the government center first.

See you Saturday at 1:00.

Laura/Fluffy

Exploring the city - Situationist style