Let Us Burn the Gondolas: Venice as a Modern City in 'Rethinking History'

My photoessay entitled 'Let Us Burn the Gondolas: Venice as a Modern City' has just been published in the Routledge journal Rethinking History, with which I have a long-standing relationship. It is part of an issue (vol, 15, no. 1, 2011) edited by James Goodman on 'History as creative writing', which includes contributions in various formats (including poetry) by historians and writers such as Martha Hodes and Gregory Downs. There is additional discussion and more photographs from the project on this blog. Buying articles from academic journals is always prohibitively expensive for individuals, but if you have any kind of university affiliation, try accessing it through your library, who may have an online subscription to Rethinking History.

Video about the production of 'Tree of Codes' by Jonathan Safran Foer

More information from the publisher, Visual Editions.

Appearance at 'Penguin Plays Rough' Night in Newtown this Saturday

This Saturday I shall be giving a short reading as part of the 'Penguin Plays Rough' night, which is a regular feature of Newtown's cultural life. Below is the notice by organiser Pip Smith from the PPR site:

Saturday April 9 8pm

Behold! The next PPR is at hand! I know it’s been longer than a month, but what with irritating book hiccups, I’ve been shackled to my laptop and unable to service your live fiction needs as regularly as I’d like to. But, after a hearty meal of spinach and liver, I have been able to burst free of my chains just in time to deliver you the most diverse sample of short stories this side of the 1970s. Check this out for diversity:

Miles Merrill: is the Artistic Director/ Creator/ CEO/ reigning monarch/king shit/ Godfather of The Australian Poetry Slam. He’s also a spoken-word artist in his own right and has opened for Saul Williams, wrote and co-directed a show in the Sydney Festival and performed solo at the Sydney Opera House. He’s the real deal, so be sure to see him in the flesh.

Jonathan Walker: is not only an expert on Venetian spies and diplomats (Cambridge University certified), but he is also the author of an “illuminated novel”, Five Wounds (see his website for details: www.jonathanwalkervenice.com). Jonathan will be reading from his novel, accompanied by projected illuminations.

Mark Sutton: Sydney University Story Club regular, one time liquor store employee, and current crossword compiler for ladies gossip magazines, Mark Sutton is very funny. I have witnessed his hilariousness, and it is indeed both wry and giggle-worthy.

Megan Garret-Jones: is a performance artist who has collaborated with Team Mess, and is one of the coordinators of Monthly Friend. She has performed her works at the Melbourne Fringe Festival and the Red Rattler. She once read a story about an octopus at Penguin Plays Rough. I remember, because there is a photo of her on our website with her hand perched on her head in the way an octopus might.

Ramon Glazov: not only has an excellent name, but is also the author of a very particular and Kafka-esque (yes, I just used that adjective) story that I STILL remember (even though I read it years ago) from the Cutwater Anthology. He’s going to read a story called “A Dispatch from the Golden Triangle” about a gambling town in Burma. Can’t get much more far-reaching than that, my peoples.

See you on Saturday. I am going to bake something edible you all can eat, too. God knows what yet, but it will be a tasty surprise.

The event will be held at the usual venue, which is at 4 Lackey Street, St Peters; time 8-10.30ish. I believe that there is a cover charge of $5 to enter, and that there will also be open mic readings in between the programmed entries listed above. Sounds like good value to me!