Read the Dada-Anarcho-Situationist manifesto on this conference's website and be inspired. Then wonder if Chapman University's “festival of innovative literature and art” is real or a prankster hoax: “We festivate the confrereity of our common difference. &Now comes together to give meaning to words or ask words to give meaning to us, both of which always fail!” Wonder further about the ostentatious logogram. Then scroll through the three-day lineup of panels, performances and seminars on multimedia fiction, online writing and video poetry. Be delighted and affirmed that it's genuine as you recognize the impressive panelists and speakers (poet-essayist Ishmael Reed, novelist Steve Tomasula, performance-poet legend David Antin) and buy a ticket. “&Now rings the bell to open trading on each day's aesthetic market, then listens all day to the bellringing echo N then goes home after the dayclosing bell reinaugurates the sound•syllable that begins the invocation at the outset of each fiction-act.” Well, of course.
April 15-17, 2008
