Michael Chabon: IAF Mole?

⊆ August 26th, 2008 by Ellen Kushner | ˜ No Comments »

See, for instance, his August 21, 2008 interview in the LATimes; the interviewer says he spoke to Chabon about “a process by which sophisticated writers are kept in the genre ghetto and readers are scared away from novels and stories they might otherwise love” (didn’t we just put that in our mission statement?) and Chabon says things like:
[T]here is a whole list of borderland writers — John Crowley, Jorge Luis Borges, Steven Millhauser, Thomas Pynchon — writers who can dwell between worlds. 

and

Tolkien’s “Cauldron of Story” is one of my central ways of thinking about what I do…. the “Cauldon of Story” includes not only recognizably literary elements, and root elements like folk tale and fairy tale and Bible stories which have always been acknowledged as part of the writers tool kit, but also this other material [e.g.  Norse mythology, Jewish fables, ’80s American comics, Sherlock Holmes], which in turn is just further reflections and emanations of these fundamental kinds of stories.

So what does it all mean?  Can the IAF just pack it up and go home, because someone with a lot more clout is doing our work for us?  Or can we use our own resources to help Chabon fight the good fight?


Clockwork Phoenix: Anthology seeks submissions

⊆ August 24th, 2008 by Ellen Kushner | ˜ 1 Comment »

The IAF tries to keep an eye out for announcements of markets & venues that seem friendly to interstitial work. (See our Archive of Artists’ Resources for more - and feel free to write us with your hot tips at info [the at thing] interstitialarts [the dot thing] org.

Editor Mike Allen is currently reading for the second volume of Clockwork Phoenix: Tales of Beauty & Strangeness.

His description of the ideal story for Clockwork Phoenix 2 sounds pretty darned interstitial to us:

The stories should contain elements of the fantastic, [but] bring something new and genuine to the equation, whether it’s a touch of literary erudition, playful whimsy, extravagant style, or mind-blowing philosophical speculation and insight. . . I hope to see stories that will lead the reader into unfamiliar territory, there to find shock and delight.

And, indeed, several of the authors in his first volume (Michael DeLuca, Vandana Singh & Catherynne Valente) also appeared in Interfictions.

Allen adds:
[A]s a reader, I enjoy stories that experiment, that push the envelope, that dazzle with their daring, but I’m often personally frustrated when an experimental story ends without feeling complete, without leaving an emotional crater for me to remember it by. At the same time, I find myself increasingly bored with the traditional, conventionally-plotted and plainly-written Good Story
Competently Told. For better or for worse, I envision the CLOCKWORK PHOENIX books as places where these two schools of story telling can mingle and achieve Happy Medium; where there is significance to both the tale that’s told and the style of the telling.

Mike Allen is reading submissions through Nov. 16, 2008.
 Here are detailed submission guidelines for Clockwork Phoenix 2.


Telectroscope

⊆ June 25th, 2008 by Ellen Kushner | ˜ No Comments »

IAF Working Group member Deborah Atherton was the first to spot it:

 I’m in New York City, and for anyone here or near here, there’s an amazing art installation that I would consider vibrantly interstitial - fantasy/science fiction/ sculpture/media/historical/just plain wacky and wonderful - called the Telektroscope going on in Brooklyn- and London–for the next two weeks. (Over now, sadly. - ed.) The artist’s concept is that you are looking across  the  sea through a series of mirrors in a trans-Atlantic tunnel. A good friend in London arranged an appointment for my family to wave at her and her husband through this Victorian looking giant telescope that is actually fiber optical - it’s hard to explain, but this is the website.  I love the Victorian sensibility translated into contemporary video installation.
If we had an Interstitial Gold Star, I would definitely nominate the artist. He seems like One of Us.

WG member Lisa Stock went and tried it out!

Just got back from my visit to the Telectroscope here in NYC. I’ve posted all about it and a few pics here.

As soon as I saw it I thought of the quote on the IAF site about interstitial art crossing borders and filling cracks between genres. Well, this scope bursts up from one of those cracks and crosses the Atlantic ocean to bring people together. So, a very intersitial idea!

And makes me wonder what public art idea IAF could create one day…
Just a little seed to plant…


Interfictions Auction Ended. . . now what?

⊆ June 1st, 2008 by Ellen Kushner | ˜ 3 Comments »

. . . bringing in a total of just under $1000 for the IAF!
In the words of Auction Organizer (and writer and jeweler and fulltime goddess) K. Tempest Bradford:

We had 20 pieces or jewelry sets, all donated by 12 amazing artists. We raised enough money to pay for approximately 18,000 words in Interfictions 2. We also sold a few more copies of the first anthology and raised our Amazon rank for a bit! We’ve also hopefully gotten the word out about the antho and made everyone just that much more famous.

Many thanks to all the jewelers who gave IAF their time and craft to create pieces based on the stories in the first IAF original anthology, Interfictions, and to everyone who bid so generously on them.
And our deepest thanks to Tempest, who not only coordinated all the jewelers and buyers, but created a new, permanent IAF Auctions site. Now that we’ve got it, we might as well use it! Look for more exciting intersections of art and words, and more chances to support IAF . . . .

Any ideas on what you’d like to see auctioned next?


New Sherman interview online

⊆ May 22nd, 2008 by stephen | ˜ No Comments »

Book reviewer Colleen Mondor has posted a new interview with Interfictions coeditor Delia Sherman, discussing her New York-based fantasy novel Changeling as well as the ideas behind the creation of Interfictions.


Third Salon Wrap-Up

⊆ May 20th, 2008 by Kris | ˜ 5 Comments »

I’m signing off as moderator of the Third Interstitial Salon (although all are invited and encouraged to continue the conversation as long as they like!). It’s been a fantastic discussion and a tremendous pleasure for me to listen as these wonderful artists/crafters/thinkers have talked about their process and their inspiration. I think one big idea I’m taking away from this conversation is the power of a passion for exploring the connections between story and the sensory world — it can take you anywhere and everywhere, and seems to be the surest source of an open and generous imagination!

We’ve heard from and heard about an astounding array of craft/artists, and I thought it would be helpful to list them here — please do visit their websites and enjoy their varied and exquisite talents!

SALON/ PARTICIPANTS (* denotes IAF Auction artist)
Jae Leslie Adams — writer/book artist/calligrapher
Deborah Atherton — writer/lyricist/librettist
*K. Tempest Bradford — jeweler/writer/editor/Interfictions author
*Deborah J. Brannon — jeweler/writer/scholar/reviewer
Wendy Ellertson — doll/mask/book-maker/art curator
*Sarah Evans — writer/jeweler
*Elise Mattheson — jeweler
*Kris McDermott — scholar/writer/occasional crafter
*Mia Nutick — reviewer/writer/jeweler
*Rachel Pollack — Interfictions author/artists/tarotist
Jon Singer — ceramicist/inventor/Interfictions author
*Joselle Vanderhooft — jeweler/writer
*Leslie What — Interfictions author/jeweler

ARTISTS MENTIONED:
Virginia Blakelock — bead art/jewelry
Shelley Jackson — body art/hypertext/performance art
Steven & William Ladd — bead art, fashion and fine art installations
Joyce Scott — beaded sculpture
Ruthanne Tudball — ceramicist
Raelinda Woad — storytelling/jewelry/cupcake fairy


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