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Prepare yourself for a mind-expansion. Whatever you thought art was, whatever you thought literature was, whatever you thought poetry was, whatever shape you thought had been mapped by the explored intersections of the digital and the creative, this collection is about to affect a permanent change in your understanding. I personally guarantee it. There are 34 creators included in this special issue, and I will buy you a beer (or the beverage of your choice) the next time we're out together if there aren't at least six times in the course of your climb through this material when you say to yourself some variation of "wow," "oh," "um," "that gives me an idea for something I want to do," "I need to leave my comfort zone more often," or "hell yes."
The work you see collected here is very close to the digitally representable cream of the crop of my own artistic/intellectual interests/pursuits. I struggle with the clear articulation of my own aesthetics, poetics, and core beliefs. When UnlikelyStories.org invited me to guest edit this issue I jumped at the chance, because I knew that being able to speak through example could be an effective way for me to clarify some of these issues for myself, while also allowing me to share--no, more than "to share," to make a case for, to advocate for, to, as bpNichol has put it, "argue for" the kind of work that I believe to be important.
There really is no way to effectively summarize and group the materials here into less than 40 categories without having "other" be the largest one. There is audio, video, and code; visual poetry, sound poetry, and essay. But there are also Excel spreadsheets, a calendar, picnic tables, lens flares, interpretive dance, Applescript, snowglyphs, visual poems as scores for audio performance, blogger code intended to render differently on different systems, equations, symbols used as words, pieces with multiple independent components, interactive digital concrete poetry, offerings, mail art residue, combinatorials, a measure of the way time and technology bear on the technique and work of a single artist, and—without hyperbole—more. Much more.
You are welcome to start your swim through this assemblage at any point you choose. If you're the type that wishes for a bit of guidance, start with Michael Harold's poem/essay "Cross Media." It is not only one of the finest pieces of writing I've absorbed in a long time, it does a better job of expressing my own thoughts on cross media than I ever could. Next look at the work by Amanda Earl, including the introductory matter, which explains one (of many) ways to be open to cross media opportunities during creative acts in words I wish I'd written myself. Next, consider Jim Andrews's review of Doom 3, you'll never think of video games the same way again--while you're there, learn a music without sound. Next visit Holly Crawford's Offerings project and see a flow we take for granted reversed.
Now just jump in and enjoy the rest. It won't hurt, much, I promise, and you'll never be the same again.
Regards,
Dan
Dan Waber is the guest editor of Unlikely 2.0's Cross-Media Issue. Check out his own private bio page.