Tuesday, July 12, 2005

Summer of the ULA

THE GREATEST SHOW IN LITERATURE

They're coming from California, from Vermont, from Alabama, from Ohio, from Florida-- great underground lit performers to read at Philly's Medusa, to be joined by some of the best spoken word artists in Philadelphia.

It's happening July 16th, 5 p.m. until whenever in celebration of Philly Zinefest the next day and in honor of folk-lit legend Jack Saunders and his new publication, Bukowski Never Did This.

THE MOST ORIGINAL WRITING IN AMERICA

Jack will present with great humor unprocessed words imbued with jazz, blues, satire, reflections on art and culture and on his life-long struggle to maintain his integrity as a writer. He'll be joined by the best performers of the UNDERGROUND LITERARY ALLIANCE, who have ALWAYS been shocking, whether crashing elite readings in Manhattan or staging their own shows in cities like Detroit-- their protests and appearances covered by hosts of publications. Now they're appearing in Philly with Jack Saunders and their greatest line-up ever, the vanguard of an authentic underground lit movement.

THE SOUND OF AMERICA TODAY

THIS WILL BE A HISTORIC EVENT ranking with San Fran's 1955 Six Gallery reading-- except the focal point of underground literary culture has moved to Philadelphia. Get ready for an invasion not of overpackaged manufactured conglomerate posturing, but of original cultural excitement.

7 comments:

Pat King said...

Pat King sez:

Karl wanted me to leave a little update on this blog before I leave for Philly on Thursday, so I'll take that opportunity now.

I've often been a quiet member of the group and I'm sure that when Karl tosses my name out here and there, most folks say "who the hell is that?"

If you're at the zinefest, you can check out my zine, Cathedral, which features Karl Koweski, Emerson Dameron and Wild Bill Blackolive as well as myself. I'll also be bringing fellow Alabamian Karl Koweski's newest poetry chapbooks, if anyone is interested.

There'll be another issue of Cathedral out sometime this year and I'm hoping to organize some of Birmingham, Alabama's best writers for another Literary Circus reading to celebrate the debut of issue #3 but for now all of my free time and energy will be going into the ULA documentary that I'm working on.

I'll be recording everything I can of the events that take place this weekend and assemble it into an hour long video. I'm more than $3,000 dollars in debt for the equiptment but I know the end result will be worth it.

With the unique writers, performers and artists in the ULA I'll have ample material to make a great movie. Documentaries are hard to make; they take a lot of time and patience and craft to pull off. It's not just pointing a camera at something and letting the events unfold, telling the story for you.

But last semester I took the hardest, best, film course at the University here in Birmingham. We made a short documentary that was screened at the local IMAX. Some people had a very difficult time putting their films together. My partner and I didn't.

I hope that I didn't come off as bragging, but I want to assure everyone, Karl Wenclas included, that I know what I'm doing. That I'm not just some gimp with a video camera who bought some video equiptment and thinks that they can now make a movie.

I haven't contributed to the ULA in a while and I hope that this film will prove that I'm still here, still rooting for the ULA and still passionate about underground literature.

I look forward to seeing everyone at the event. And don't worry, that piece of paper I'll be pointing at you is just a release form.

--Pat King

Jeff Potter said...

Hey, Pat, it's not bragging if you did it. You're right to be proud. 99% of filmmakers just talk.

And you're definitely known in the ULA---you've done more work than most other members, both directly for the cause (ULA lit blogster) and indirectly via your own allied zeen.

The ULA leads! Whoever is good enough, let 'em catch a ride on it and have their work add up to something for a change! The whiner AnonyMouse of the previous thread brought out the old joke again---yeah, go do your indy work and let it "bubble up." Ho ho ho! The ULA is out in the trenches, selling hard and promoting hard and playing the only real game in town: hardball!

Regarding alliances of the ULA with other outfits: they're fine, but let's not forget which name has the drawing power! Ride the whirlwind, if ya can---and if you dare to, you better be putting as much coal to it as you dare take from it!

I run the OYB Press, for example. But to launch revolutionary fiction I'm going strictly with the ULA! OYB already has accounts with hundreds of shops nationwide, but to bust into the lit shelves only the *ULA* will do!

Actually, anyone involved will find that revolutionary publishing is coasting-proof. If anyone tries to just catch a ride without pitching in, they'll find their butt bouncing and burning along some fast-moving pavement. But if you're out there kicking butt already and you join the Flying Wedge of the ULA your work will finally hit home.

King Wenclas said...

I just hope that everyone keeps in mind that the ULA's focus IS the underground writer. Everything else we do-- the noise and hype-- is geared toward that; getting the spotlight on great deserving poets and prosists like yourselves. This can only happen WITH a strong and united foundation, which the ULA has built.
The writing itself remains the highest priority, which is why I insist underground writers be treated with the respect due them. Literature is the highest art form-- the only thing which can save this society.
p.s. Michael Grover is guaranteed to give a great reading Saturday. It sounds like he's ready. I hope everyone else is also!

Anonymous said...

The ULA's focus is your mushmouthed bullying. Good luck scaring the rest of the sane people away from your "movement." And you'd better hope your main attraction isn't a fucking bore.

King Wenclas said...

I don't recall speaking to anyone from Carnevolution about their now-cancelled event. After some private (or so I thought) discussion about the matter, I gave my blessing to ULA participation. So what's the gripe??

King Wenclas said...

I wasn't referring to you, Mike, but to whoever the person is FDW quoted.

King Wenclas said...

p.s. I hope "Anonymous," who I'd guess is short-sighted regarding the ULA campaign, looks at the show line-up and understands what a great event this will be-- one of the great readings.
We CAN be positive, are basically positive. That doesn't mean we stop pointing out the difference between our authenticity-- and the authenticity of like-minded folks (like MDG and others who'll be reading Saturday)-- and the fakery of the mainstream, and the mainstream's flunkies, like Galley Cat and the rest of that crowd who in the larger scheme of things in the history of literature mean NOTHING, NOTHING-- other than the fact that where the fight to renew literature is concerned, they're standing in the way.
We are ALWAYS going to be attacked most by demi-puppets-- by those afraid of upsetting the apple-cart of the NYC status quo; who hold out hope, against all sense, of getting their modest payoff. Misguided fools who can't see their own strings.