Recently I've been reading a great book by Enrique Vila-Matas called Bartleby & Co. which is a series of footnotes dealing with authors, almost authors and characters who "prefer not to." But while this book deals with the conscious decision to not write, I also find it appealing to that part of me that enjoys anonymous writing, the authors and artists of the now, creators for self, business or government who are responsible for the ephemera that collects in shoeboxes and sits in the rear of station wagons at flea markets throughout the country.
People who write aerial propaganda leaflets, for example. Or artists who create stickers for long forgotten events. It's like radio before the internet; before I would receive an email message stating that my show from last night is linked and available on the database. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy being able to see my playlists or listening to a segue that I wasn't sure if it worked or not. I am thrilled that our listeners think enough of the radio that everyone at WFMU does to pledge during the WFMU marathon and allow us to continue doing what we do. But, not too long ago it was exciting to create something that would not be there immediately afterwards, that existed for that moment and that moment only. It felt like an offering in exchange for the perspective anonymity supplies.
Aerial propagand leaflets via The Cartoonist
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