Random Project 2012
I heard about the Random Project via Creative Review a couple of weeks ago.
Organiser Sarah Hyndman: ”The Random Project 2012 showcases a growing collection of postcards which are created by everybody. These celebrate the spirit of London 2012 and enable us to visually document the shared cultural experience as the year unfolds – we will all become the artists-in-residence for a historic year.“
To be honest, I don’t live in London and I’m not a fan of the Olympics, but I liked the idea of designing a postcard to a given random word (great project for design students). I (no longer a design student) was assigned the word cockney, not immediately inspiring, but after a little lateral thinking, I made this.
A couple of things I particularly like about this project: a. you CAN’T design it on the computer b. anyone can take part. So, hand-made AND democratic.
All you have to do is email a number between to 1 and 100 to word@random-project.co.uk. In return you’re assigned a random word and sent full details about the project. For more info and to visit the online gallery, visit Random Project 2012.
The link to my (Random) page is here.
‘Aubrey! … who is this man …. and what’s he done to our wall?’
This is me, or rather this is Dot Seven, a new character in Ian Hewett’s free online web comic Destinauts. She’s named after my alter ego (@dotseven) on Twitter and it was a prize for spotting something on his website (I think, I can’t remember now, it was a while ago. Forgive me Ian). I love it. When I saw it for the first time, he warned, ‘she’s not what she appears to be …’. I’m really looking forward to seeing what she does next. Thanks again Ian, she looks brilliant.
Follow Ian Hewett on Twitter, @IanHewett. Check out Ian’s media blog, Dystopian Fuschia. Catch up with Destinauts here.
Image: © Ian Hewett.
Jonathan Pinnock, Mrs Darcy versus the Aliens …
Jonathan Pinnock stops by to talk about his debut novel ‘Mrs Darcy versus the Aliens’, published by Proxima Books on 1st September.
[DB] Jonathan, congratulations. This is a very classy cover and splendid title. Is this genre-bending stuff?
[JP] Thank you! That cover’s terrific, isn’t it? Genre-bending? Up to a point, yes. In some ways, though, all I’m doing is taking a standard science fiction premise and relocating it in a different era to avoid having to deal with transient present day stuff (or – even trickier – future stuff). The fact that it borrows characters extensively from Jane Austen and the Regency in general is intended to add an extra frisson, as well as creating opportunities for some fairly daft gags. Although I would like to think that a good deal of the comedy would survive in a non-Regency context.
[DB] I read on Wickhampedia that Jonathan Pinnock is a 19th journalist and the original Mrs Darcy was published in the 1800s – are we talking parallel worlds here? Is this true? What’s the story?
[JP] Well, I’d start by pointing out that Wickhampedia is even less reliable than its more famous near-namesake. So I wouldn’t rely too much on that for the truth. Certainly, the Wickhampedia biography for Jane Austen contains details of several novels the existence of which seems to have escaped the attention of previous scholars of her work. Who knows what the truth of the matter really is?
[DB] The Jonathan Pinnock I’m familiar with is a prolific and pretty successful short story writer, also a software engineer. You’re exceptionally good at juggling your creative and logical selves. What’s your secret?
[JP] Ha. It’s all an act really. Most of the time I just stagger from one crisis to the next.
[DB] So, does Mrs D have a future? Will there be a sequel?
[JP] One of the best things that happened during the writing of Mrs Darcy versus the Aliens was that the characters somehow freed themselves from the original (somewhat limited) concept. So, yes, I definitely think there’s room for a sequel, should the public demand one. Whilst the main strands of the plot are all nicely tied up at the end of the book, there is an unresolved question as well, and the last words of the book are “Mrs Darcy will return in ‘Mrs Darcy versus the Monster’”.
[DB] That’s good to hear. Thank you.
Jonathan Pinnock has had over a hundred stories and poems published in places both illustrious and downright insalubrious. He has also won quite a few prizes and has had work broadcast on the BBC. His novel ‘Mrs Darcy versus the Aliens’ was published by Proxima Books on September 1st, and will be followed in 2012 by his Scott Prize-winning debut collection of short stories, ‘Dot(.), Dash(-)’, courtesy of Salt.
Jonathan Pinnock’s blog: www.jonathanpinnock.com
Mrs Darcy: www.mrsdarcyvsthealiens.com
Wickhampedia: www.mrsdarcyvsthealiens.com/wiki
Mrs Darcy’s blog: www.mrsdarcyvsthealiens.com/blog
Where to buy: www.mrsdarcyvsthealiens.com/buying.php
Read extract: www.mrsdarcyvsthealiens.com/a_question_of_succession.php
Out and about … in Preston
First stop yesterday: a CT scan. That was weird. As was the security van parked up on Orchard Street emitting a repeated “Help. Help. This security van is under attack. Call the police. Help…” The driver was reading his newspaper, so we assumed it wasn’t and went for coffee.
Third stop was the Harris Museum to see Current: an experiment in collecting digital art. We watched and particularly enjoyed Michael Szpakowski’s – ‘House & Garden’ [2009 Animated GIFs with original soundtrack], twice, then wandered over to Waterstones where, though not much fine art or short fiction [unless you like erotic anthologies], I bought Jenn Ashworth‘s (lovely hardback, only £12.99!) Cold Light.
I’ve been wanting to read this not just because Jenn wrote it (which is a good enough reason for anyone to read it), but also because it’s set in a fictional version of the place where I was a teenager too. The excellent trailer is here.
I am reading it now, with one eye open, or one eye closed depending on your POV (pardon pun, for explanation see recent post on eye problems/double vision).
Notebook: Christmas
Boys and girls playing see-how-fast-you-can-eat-an-orange game. Messy. Involves coughing and choking noises.
Cats with static. Minus 10 degrees.
Q: Bowel Transplants. Why don’t they do bowel transplants?
A: I don’t know. Maybe they can’t be arsed.
Re-runs of Peep Show.
The Blue Aeroplanes: Jacket Hangs
The Kinks: Dead End Street
The distance by road to south east France
Icicles: A Risk Assessment
Tom’s long johns
Stepdad: ‘A bloody wizard Christmas’
Q ‘Are you … spinning plates?’
A ‘Yeah. It’s the sort of thing I like to do on Boxing Day.’
Listening to Leadbelly
