making contact


Subject: making contact
From: Tamara V. Ford (tford@mail.utexas.edu )
Date: Wed Aug 11 1999 - 01:05:09 CDT


Hi Sandy,

I imagine you've had a nice summer in sanity cruz. (a big hello to cynby!)
and that the impending move back to Austin means lots of things for you to
deal with, so I'll try to keep this short (in my own long way)

Yes, as you may have guessed by now, it'll be one more semester for me. As
much as I hate to go through the process again, I'm glad that you will be
here this semester and I can keep more closely in touch with you --
probably through spontaneous attendance and planned assistance with the
undergrad class. (I have some ideas on readings and guests that we can
discuss later).

Though I know my "report" could be written very simply, I've experienced a
lot of writer's block trying to configure it to be as "useful" as possible.
A lot of my efforts have gone into updating/closing out the zapnet site and
pouring useful content about zapatismo (as it relates to other social
movements) into the Accion Zapatista website. We're going to move the AZ
site (and possibly zapnet) onto the freespeech tv website soon. I want to
have a good draft by the time I need to sign up for the next semester
(August 23rd). I've been working steadily with Accion Zapatista on the
Durito book (30 stories written by Marcos over 2 and 1/2 years).
Autonomedia is going to publish it and I've been working out the details
with Jim Fleming and also trying to get funding from the Lannan foundation
-- who bailed out Cinco Puntos press (remember the NEA scandal re Marcos'
"Story of Colors") and also funded Maplethorpe and other artists censored
vis a vis NEA funding.

Mostly the past few months, I've been making and solidifying connections. I
took an awesome class in the dept of ed (comm, culture and crit pedagogy)
from Jorge Gonzalez, a visiting "stand-up theoretician" from Colima, Mx.
You gotta meet this guy!!! I hear that RTF is hoping to bring him on in
fall 2000. Jorge also introduced me to a group in Mexico who is doing the
similar book on Durito and we are sharing resources via email. Earlier
this year I facilitated the Chiapas Media Project tour here in April --
which was a great connection. Then Jay, the guy who started DAMN, was here
in June, and in July, I spent some time with Rick from Big Noise
productions, a collective who've made some killer videos on the Zaps and
other autonomous groups set to raging beats. We're planning to bring some
of these people back in the fall and also Greg Ruggeiro, my buddy who
started the Open Pamphlet series and who is now at the forefront of the
Micropower movement... maybe we can set up a talk for your class and
others. Joe Straubhaur and J.D. are also interested in these themes.

My job at ILAS has given me a lot of professional development and freedom
to work on Zapatismo, but has also brought about a lot of creative and
financial frustration. It's the same ole UT story of lack of vision and
devaluation of interactive work, but I hope to talk to you about some of
the particulars and options for the future. Anita Pantin and I have some
interesting artistic projects in the works under the rubric of ANIMA
(association of new interactive media artists.)

Lastly, I've gotten over a lot of the burnout I experienced the last few
years by having a social summer and hanging out a lot at my pool at the
Shanti on Red River. Sadly, though probably for the best, I've lost my
lease and have to move to a new place this weekend -- but I've been having
a lot of pool parties lately and making the best of it.

So Sandy, if you're still arriving on the13th, and would feel up a Friday
the 13th pumpkin in your honor I would like to host one for you. Please let
me know if that works for you and at what time you arrive. We don't want to
start anything before the sun goes down (around 7:30), but after then we
can all pull up lounge chairs, kick back and put some something on the
barby!

I'm moving most of my furniture out on Saturday, but since the party is
outside by the pool we could also do it then. Just let me know. It will be
great to have you back! Austin wasn't quite the same without you!

Best,
Tamara

p.s. my primary account at lanic has been down for two days. (we were
hacked), thus the cc.



This archive was generated by hypermail 2a24 : Thu Sep 16 1999 - 23:04:42 CDT