Friday, January 23, 2009

Oratory - what we heard

Many thanks to all who came out for Oratory night. Is there a better way to honor the legacy of Martin Luther King, Jr. than to gather to share and discuss great thoughts? I suspect not.

A round-up of readings:

Dann Brown - Lyman Trumball "Speech at a Populist Meeting" & William Jennings Bryan "Speech Concluding Debate on the Chicago Platform," July 9, 1896

Jed Barnum - Harvey Milk speech on being elected to the San Francisco board of supervisors, 1977
Gina Heeren - Toni Morrison's 1993 Nobel Prize in Literature lecture
Aaron Devine - Senator Eugene McCarthy (D, MN) "These times, people say, are out of joint" speech nominating Adlai Stevenson for President at the DNC in 1960
heather hughes - Winston Churchill's "Give us the tools" speech 9 Feb 1941 & "This is your victory" speech 8 May 1945
Susannah Lamey - Wislawa Szymborska's 1996 Nobel Prize in Literature lecture
Valerie Thompson - selected by Amy Stepsis - Steve Job's
Stanford University commencement address in 2005
Jack Miller - Judge Noah "Soggy" Sweat, "The Whiskey Speech," 1952
Brendan Burns - Martin Luther King's "I Have a Dream" speech/guitar accompaniment, August 28, 1963


Special thanks to Vessela for recording assistance. More awesome to come!

Friday, January 9, 2009

Old news is good news...

Damian Barr is a man who appreciates reading aloud. This news article is almost a year old, but worth the three minutes it takes to read:

ABC News: At London hotel, room service brings bedtime stories

Thoughts: The suggestion that reading to someone in a hotel room could make Barr a "literary callboy" is strange. Is he that worried? Does this seem that dangerous to him? And why not capitalize on the idea of being a "literary callboy?" The implication that this is somehow sleazy seems entirely off-base.

How do we get cute men with British accents in their pajamas to read bedtime stories in U.S. hotels?

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Tuesday, January 6, 2009

"The Story of Little Suck-a-Thumb"

Shall we recall the joys of readers' series gone by? We shall.




For your listening pleasure, Imagined Therefore Limitless presents
A. Nora Long reading "The Story of Little Suck-a-Thumb", from Shockheaded Peter.

Special thanks to Brendan for making auditory magic happen at all hours of the night and to Jack for advice.

Monday, January 5, 2009

ITL #3 - Oratory Reading Event

Ring in the new year and the new President whilst celebrating Martin Luther King, Jr. Day with the first Imagined Therefore Limitless of 2009!!! After a hiatus, the reading series is back and the timing is serendipitous. This evening will be devoted entirely to oratory. Dig out a speech you cherish, investigate a political or pop culture figure, and share some words of wisdom!

Imagined Therefore Limitless Readers' Series
Oratory
Monday, January 19, 2009
5pm

Because this project is still embryonic, it is not yet feasible to hold the reading event in a public space. Please email for location details if needed.
RSVPs are required, space is limited. ITL will provide minimal snacks and beverages, please feel free to contribute something as well if you are able.

What qualifies as oratory? Well, lots of things. For our purposes, speeches given by historical or living persons are ideal. Sorry, theatre junkies, leave your monologues at home for now.

The theme was inspired by a desire to research Winston Churchill (and, yes, I will be reading one of his speeches) and by ITL's resident sound guru, Brendan, who has an incredible Martin Luther King, Jr. presentation to share. Whatever you do
DO NOT bring something you, or someone you know even, has written. Feel free to address any questions or concerns in comments to this post or email imaginedlimitless@gmail.com or post on the ITL facebook wall.

Which brings us to an important point: the goal is for the reading series to be something that is open and accessible to a community. And to be something that helps create community. Don't just sit there, take part!

The ITL blog, facebook page, and goodreads group are the first teeny steps in this direction. But hopefully you will all help them to be significant. Share your thoughts about the pieces you're considering, what you choose to read, the work you hear, or the reading series as a concept. Write comments! Constructive criticism and suggestions for future events are also welcome. Access to a free or nearly-free public space, preferably in Cambridge, is at the top of the wishlist right now, so if you have any suggestions or tips, pass that info along.

Two important ITL notes. You are not required to read, although it is encouraged. We are friends getting together to hang out and read to each other; the idea is not to have anyone feel put on the spot. It's a good idea to bring something to read, in case you feel inspired. Secondly, this event will be recorded. If you particularly do not want to be posted for posterity to the blog, please let me know. Otherwise, it is assumed you consent to the use of any photographs, audio, or video that comes out of the reading series that might include you.

Saturday, January 3, 2009

Psst... look over there...

And click over there. To your right, in a lovely little box labeled "Connect with ITL," are some links to other Imagined Therefore Limitless resources. Become a fan on the Facebook page, share books on the GoodReads group, and add the public Google calendar to yours. Come back here next week for web goodies and event info. Hooray!