"Turn and face the strange, ch-ch-changes"- David Bowie
Bardwire is.... was....has been
By way of explanation; Bardwire, from the start, was an experiment in cyberreality. It's evolving "space". It began in 1998 as Bopcity, a site dedicated to the Beats, and evolved as my personal theories about the Internet and connectedness were tested, and realized. In no small part, this site has been influenced by the work John Cage, Laurie Anderson, and the Dadaists; as well as cyberpunk writers and Eno/Fripp/Bowie and others. All art is experimental. all snippets.
Snippets. In electronic memory. Our attention span doesn't really allow for meandering and longwindedness. Besides, older incarnations of the Buddha resist classification. All well I do. Premise: modern living has brought about unexpected consequences and among these are fragmentary learning skills and multitasking. The type of work done by people like Hannah Hoch and Brion Gysin, presentation of randomness and thought. Accidental creation. Viewing the world as though with remote in hand. THAT is how I have been working since the mid-1990's. In my own poetry, I have been attempting to squeeze everything into the swirl of conscious comprehension.
A method, a formula, a reasoning is involved. Historical traditions are both accepted and spit out.
Making life difficult and compact.
Yes, before and before and before into the rabbit's hole with Alice, tumbling; "Bard Wire" preceded the concept of Bardfest and Bardfest was the first 30 day poetry festival to occur during April since 1999 ANYWHERE ON THE PLANET!! There was an idea and the idea was good, and the idea led to the action which led to the creation of the Berks Bards and it was also so very very good. Before
but then
as is the case with many things
life intervened
I nearly died in June 1998. A near death experience ensued. Crazy visions, morphine dreams. The works.
while recovering from my mountain bike accident, I had an epiphany, "Why not have a poetry reading every day of the month of April? Afterall, it's National Poetry Month."
During 1999- 2002, I was part of antijazz conspiracy spoken word "band" from Berks County, PA. Featuring bassist Joel Livingood and myself on "word". It was a fantastic experience but
who knows? It was an experiment, and it was very much like
deeper within the fold is ewf = experimental Word factory which itself is constantly brewing, creating the future onlineCy[bereng]lish: the future of this heretic language!(at the very least recreating it) Also a site for
Shifts in the mental state
and the cheerleaders wave pom poms and chant "Poetry Matters!"
but really;
You want fries with that Impromptu?
supersized?
Now you can guess that
Prior to actual events
move
ment
eyes blink and suddenly:::suddenly
NOW
is occurring elsewhere. In Philadelphia, in fact. The current Oz. This now as opposed to the one 10 seconds ago....and you are here and it's good. If you wish, dig deeper. The links find gold the size of fools.
disclaimer: stevenallenmay is:
cofounder & CEO Plan B Press
founder and creator Berks Bards, inc. & Bardfest99-2002
Poetry and Special Events Coordinator 2002-2003
Curator and Host - - the Eternal NOW! April 2002 - Dec. 2003
Robin's Bookstore
primary organizer Poets Among US
© 2001 - 2008 bardwire productions
conditions favorable for prolonged life have increasingly been denied bureaucratic approval for the sake of the haphazard and slipknot, randomness prevails again. Go chaos! Chance rules!!
