Everyone Is Reading Asemic Writing Down Under! Zinc Zanc Zunc: An Asemic Conjugation by Rosaire Appel | Post-Asemic Press #003

Photo by Anneke Baeten

Click here for Zinc Zanc Zunc: An Asemic Conjugation by Rosaire Appel.

A review of Michael Jacobson's Works & Interviews by Federico Federici

"Works and interviews" by Michael Jacobson is a collection of both asemic scripts ("The Giant's Fence", "Action Figures", "A Headhunter's Tale"), interviews and other textual installations ("THAT: A Planet", "The Paranoia Machine", "MK JCBSN").
The first three sections challenge the reader to enter a net of finely entangled patterns and explore the residual signs of plots, which the paranoid characters, once inhabiting there, left deliberately behind.
Page after page, a carousel of abandoned or accidental symbols, of dreams cropped from a broader vision is delivered to the brain, which is supposed to edit and reassemble them into full narrative frameworks. Readers turn into spies collecting evidences of the impenetrable shelter of meaning. They may even find themselves connected to peripheral cameras, recording the relentless brain activities on the verge of dreaming.
Under a different perspective, the storytelling approach of this book convincingly relies on a cornerstone of asemic practice: however paradoxical it may seem, the intrinsic coherence of asemicism generates meaningfulness while stimulating the aptitude of readers to scan symbols in a meaningful way.
Asemic works act as blank tapes, simultaneously activated, recorded and erased again while watched. Each reader is, as such, an accomplice of the writer and possibly its desired alter ego.
A mirror is not an image in itself, but it has the property of imaging, likewise each asemic text does not exhibit a meaning of its own, but it is some sort of filter, capable of simulating and stimulating meaningfulness, engaging the reader into this unprecedented task.

- Federico Federici

Click here for Works & Interviews:  http://postasemicpress.blogspot.com/2017/04/works-interviews-by-michael-jacobson-is.html

100 Hybrids by Jefferson Hansen is available now in the shop at Minnesota Center for Book Arts & Eat My Words Bookstore here in Minneapolis!

Jeff and I dropped off some copies of his new book 100 Hybrids at Minnesota Center for Book Arts today. We also dropped off copies at Eat My Words bookshop here in NE Minneapolis. These are the only 2 physical bookshops currently offering Jeff's book at the moment. 100 Hybrids is available for $12 at these 2 locations. So if you are local, or are visiting Minneapolis, these are 2 great bookstores to support where you can find Jeff's book while browsing the shelves. Next month, on Saturday September 22 at 6pm at Boneshaker books (another great local shop here in Minneapolis), there will be a poetry reading/asemic writing hybrid event and book release party for 100 Hybrids. More details of the reading will be coming soon. All Post-Asemic Press titles are currently available at MCBA. Jeff's book is the only PAP title at Eat My Words.

3 Great Amazon Reviews for Works & Interviews by Michael Jacobson | Post-Asemic Press #001

Click here to purchase Works & Interviews by Michael Jacobson at Amazon!

 

Top customer reviews:

 

Todd

Jacobson’s Works & Interviews is quintessential ‘reading’ for anyone interested in asemic literature

July 24, 2018

Format: Paperback

The Giant’s Fence is an evolving asemic visual narrative, written in trans-symbolic script, that can be read aesthetically. Any meaning the reader constructs from the text is a correct translation; it is open to personal interpretation and exploration—Michael Jacobson

Jacobson’s Works & Interviews (1999-2017) is quintessential ‘reading’ for anyone interested in asemic literature. The book includes three asemic stories—the “Giant’s Fence” (my favorite), “Action Figures” (reminiscent of Kenneth Patchen’s picture poems), and “A Headhunter’s Tale” (asemic glyphs punctuated by facial expressions). The asemic stories are followed by interviews, which give insight into the philosophy of asemic literature. Following the interviews are several other asemic works: “THAT: A Planet,” “The Paranoia Machine,” and “MK JCBSN” (Michael Jacobson’s avatar).

“The Giant’s Fence” is a story composed of asemic glyphs i.e. “trans-symbolic script” or symbols that do not reflect anything. This is the raw aspect of language, language without meaning; residue of language after it has been fully deconstructed. The philosopher Ludwig Wittgenstein made two contributions to the philosophy of language, which should have ended the philosophy of language itself. First, Wittgenstein responded to the “picture theory” of language, which suggested that language’s function was to create a picture of the world. The philosophical task was to determine how to make the most accurate depiction of the world. This would amount to understanding how language pictures the world, but Wittgenstein argued that this cannot be done, because it would just be more language ad infinitum. This is where he cites his famous dictum at the end of Tractatus Logico-Philosophicus: 'That whereof we cannot speak, thereof we must remain silent.’

In his later theory on language, he dropped the idea that language was designed to picture the world—or at least that was not the only function of language. Instead, language was simply a tool that humans used to get things done and that all this philosophy of language was wasting its time. Later on, Jacques Derrida argued that meaning—in language—comes about through difference—a combination of difference and deference. Therefore, an absolutely true meaning of a term is impossible. Although he tells us that this is impossible, he does not get rid of the notion of meaning, he simply hides it in the metaphysical ether.

Asemic text, such as the “Giant’s Fence,” is the residue of language when it has been fully deconstructed and meaning is lost in the metaphysical ether. Its loss is not to be lamented, but instead it is to be celebrated and this is what asemic writers do—they celebrate the loss of meaning by mimicking language with aesthetic glyphs. This is what Jacobson means when he tells readers that the “Giant’s Fence” can be read aesthetically and that any interpretation is correct.

Reading Jacobson’s asemic text is an experience. As suggested one does not simply read asemic literature, instead one experiences it and there’s no better place to start than with the work of Michael Jacobson.

He is also very active in the asemic world, he runs a website that introduces the works of asemic artists throughout the world: The New Post-literate: A Gallery Of Asemic Writing.

Robert A Ellison

Some thoughts by Rosaire Appel on "Works and Interviews" Jacobson’s ...

July 29, 2018

Format: Paperback

Some thoughts by Rosaire Appel on "Works and Interviews"
Jacobson’s lucid articulations about asemic writing put you in the right mind-set for reading his, or anyone’s, asemic work. It is a different kind of reading, one that you invent on the spot –letting it evolve as you interact with the pages over time. Although very different, I think of Xu Bing’s “Book from the Ground”, which consists entirely of emojis. We know these symbols, but reading a book of them requires a focus that is different from, and more individualistic than, conventional word-symbol reading. Jacobson’s “The Giant’s Fence” and “Action Figures” both included in this volume, don’t use any conventional symbols. Instead, he creates conventions of his own. The reader decides how to move through these lines of configurations, at what speed, with what in mind. This kind of writing is a form of freedom – artistic and conceptual. Jacobson’s use of this freedom is so highly controlled and aware of itself that his language becomes readable. This turns reading into an act of freedom, when you let it.

J.P. Hansen

Asemic Writing and Its "Meanings"

July 21, 2018

Format: Paperback

This book offers reprints of three important asemic works by Jacobson: "The Giant's Fence," "Action Figures," and "A Headhunter's Tale." Each is a world onto itself, and is written using a style specific to the book. Most of the rest of the book is composed of interviews of Jacobson that concern the history, import, and "meaning" of asemic writing. Not only does this book offer some wonderful extended examples of asemic writing, but it helps ground the reader in the movement itself.

Click here for more information about Works & Interviews by Michael Jacobson | Post-Asemic Press #001

A Request for Reviews of Asemic Writing Titles Available @ Amazon!

I have been going through this Amazon list and reviewing asemic titles, other than Post-Asemic Press books, to support the asemic writing community. So far I have written reviews for 11 books where asemic writing is an essential part of the text. I am going to write one a day until I have covered all of the asemic works on my list. Writing a review is a good way to practice writing and is enjoyable too! I even plan on reviewing the Voynich Manuscript!

If you would like to support this press beyond purchasing a title, please consider writing a review. Every review helps PAP titles gather a wider audience.

Click here for a list of most of the asemic writing books on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/OTSFXTYKWW8T?&sort=default

Here are all the Post-Asemic Press titles available at Amazon USA that I need reviews for. I can trade a book for a review if anyone is interested.

• 100 Hybrids by Jefferson Hansen
• Artefacts by O Mayeux
• Translating Paint by Anneke Baeten
• Codex Abyssus by Volodymyr Bilyk
• Zinc Zanc Zunc: An Asemic Conjugation by Rosaire Appel 
• Unknown Message by Spencer Selby 
• Works & Interviews by Michael Jacobson

Contact me here for more information: thenewpostliterate@gmail.com

Here is a screenshot of the first 3 PAP titles on the list:

A video of Post-Asemic Press books @ Minnesota Center for Book Arts. All PAP titles are available in the shop at MCBA or online @ Amazon!

                                         

Jefferson Hansen was interviewed about his book '100 Hybrids' by Michael Jacobson for Steven J. Fowler's Poem Brut website | 100 Hybrids is Post-Asemic Press #007

Steven J. Fowler published an interview I did with Jefferson Hansen on his Poem Brut website. Click here to read the interview: https://www.poembrut.com/interview1

In the interview Jeff and I discuss his book of asemic writing 100 Hybrids along with other publications of his.

Here is 100 Hybrids from Post-Asemic Press: http://postasemicpress.blogspot.com/2018/07/100-hybrids-by-jefferson-hansen-is-now.html

It is available now for $12.00 from Amazon.