Jack Miller shares with us the wonder that is "The Whiskey Speech."
Friday, February 27, 2009
Judge Noah "Soggy" Sweat's "Whiskey Speech," 1952
More for your listening pleasure! Also live from ITL #3.
Jack Miller shares with us the wonder that is "The Whiskey Speech."
Jack Miller shares with us the wonder that is "The Whiskey Speech."
Senator Eugene McCarthy's speech at the 1960 DNC
Our first live recording! Aaron Devine shared this at Imagined Therefore Limitless #3 - Oratory.
An excerpt from Aaron's introduction: "Eugene McCarthy was a senator from Minnesota and a poet, and he gave this speech at the 1960 Democratic Convention... One of the reasons that I chose it is that, if you listen to it, it sounds really relevant to today and today's time. And a couple of the earlier speeches that we heard - it's the same thing.
I think that speaks to how the ideas are there. The ideas have been there fomenting and simmering in our consciousness nationally for a long time and change really lags behind. But the thinkers are there. So I'm very hopeful and excited about this new President we have tomorrow, and how he's going to carry the ideas of Martin Luther King, who we celebrate today, forward to another step after one generation has passed. But I also recognize that the change that he's bringing is going to take a very long time. But I'm hopeful that the ideas are being voiced now. It seems important to me to voice these ideas. "
Thursday, February 26, 2009
ITL #4 Announcement
Greetings! Keep an eye out in the next few days for audio & video posts from ITL #3 (yes, finally). Eventually this process will get faster, as I master the technology at my disposal. Special thanks to Brendan and Jack for technical assistance.
Now, onto the real excitement of this post: Imagined Therefore Limitless #4!
The date is finalized, although the topic is not. Mark your calendars for Sunday, March 22nd beginning at 4pm.
But, but, but, what are we reading?
Aaahhhhh, we'll decide together. If you have a topic that you'd like to nominate, comment. Next week, a poll will go up here. So come back, listen to some great oratory, and vote for the genre of ITL #4. Hasta luego!
Now, onto the real excitement of this post: Imagined Therefore Limitless #4!
The date is finalized, although the topic is not. Mark your calendars for Sunday, March 22nd beginning at 4pm.
But, but, but, what are we reading?
Aaahhhhh, we'll decide together. If you have a topic that you'd like to nominate, comment. Next week, a poll will go up here. So come back, listen to some great oratory, and vote for the genre of ITL #4. Hasta luego!
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!
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?
Posted using ShareThis
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?
Posted using ShareThis
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.
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.
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!
Wednesday, December 31, 2008
Happy New Year
Wishing you joy and inspiration!
Look for details on the first ITL of '09 early next week. Also, exciting web content is in the works.
Look for details on the first ITL of '09 early next week. Also, exciting web content is in the works.
Friday, December 12, 2008
Here we are!
Hello! (Or, sut mae, as they say in Welsh.) Welcome to the Imagined Therefore Limitless blog. If you're unfamiliar with the Imagined Therefore Limitless Readers' Series, there's some introductory information to the right. ITL is not a reading group in any traditional sense. The purpose is to read out loud, to hear the sounds of language, to get away from the idea that literature exists only on a page and can only be enjoyed in solitude. Imagined Therefore Limitless is conceived as a way to explore oral literature, to plumb the limitless potential of imagination and connection made possible by stories in a wide range of forms.
My memories of bedtime stories and continued love of reading aloud inspired me to start the Imagined Therefore Limitless Readers' Series in 2008. Essentially, I wanted to hear my friends read to me. There's so much wonderful writing out in the world, and there just isn't enough time to be acquainted with it all. But I'd like to hear as much of it as I possibly can.
Fittingly enough, the first edition featured fairy tales and folk lore, with stories from Italy, Nigeria, Mexico, the Cherokee, Germany, Bulgaria, the Norse, and then some. Good tales and tasty cheese were devoured by all. This smashing success was followed up with a summertime poetry picnic, including a reading of the e.e. cummings poem "nothing false and possible is love," a line from which lends its name to this series. Then ITL got confused about which hemisphere it lives in and went into hiberation. Time to wake up!
With this little corner of the blogosphere, I hope to document the journey of the Imagined Therefore Limitless Readers' Series. From time to time, I will include my musings on the culture of reading (silently and aloud), social and political developments in literature and the arts (particularly with regard to education and publishing), and quite probably some random notes on whatever else seems intriguing. Upcoming events will, naturally, be posted. An archive of photos, videos, audio recordings, documents, memories, and stories will emerge - ideally with the cooperation of ITL participants. Comments are strongly encouraged. I would love to see this space become a digital scrapbook for a community sharing what is, perhaps, the most basic element of being human: our ability to create and tell stories.
My memories of bedtime stories and continued love of reading aloud inspired me to start the Imagined Therefore Limitless Readers' Series in 2008. Essentially, I wanted to hear my friends read to me. There's so much wonderful writing out in the world, and there just isn't enough time to be acquainted with it all. But I'd like to hear as much of it as I possibly can.
Fittingly enough, the first edition featured fairy tales and folk lore, with stories from Italy, Nigeria, Mexico, the Cherokee, Germany, Bulgaria, the Norse, and then some. Good tales and tasty cheese were devoured by all. This smashing success was followed up with a summertime poetry picnic, including a reading of the e.e. cummings poem "nothing false and possible is love," a line from which lends its name to this series. Then ITL got confused about which hemisphere it lives in and went into hiberation. Time to wake up!
With this little corner of the blogosphere, I hope to document the journey of the Imagined Therefore Limitless Readers' Series. From time to time, I will include my musings on the culture of reading (silently and aloud), social and political developments in literature and the arts (particularly with regard to education and publishing), and quite probably some random notes on whatever else seems intriguing. Upcoming events will, naturally, be posted. An archive of photos, videos, audio recordings, documents, memories, and stories will emerge - ideally with the cooperation of ITL participants. Comments are strongly encouraged. I would love to see this space become a digital scrapbook for a community sharing what is, perhaps, the most basic element of being human: our ability to create and tell stories.
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