2008 Theme: Literature

[diane o'thirst]

In America, we only have an 85% literacy rate, and 65% of that number only read up to the 2nd grade level. We graduate twentysomethings that can't even balance a checkbook or find themselves on a map, never mind know where India, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Iraq and France are.

It's not wealth-related. Thailand has 100% literacy.

The American Dream of progress, individual security and prosperity is directly affected by how much one knows. Being literate is one very powerful way to empower yourself and achieve your goals, otherwise you're serfs tied to a 5-mile radius of the place of your birth, toiling away for those who learnt how to read and write. Crack a book, already!

Names for streets:

Esplanade
Alphabet
Bronte
Chronicle
Dr. Seuss
Epilogue
Frontispiece
Gutenberg
H.P. Lovecraft
Indicia
James Joyce
Kipling
Library

[Bin Noddin]

[youtube][/youtube]

[ZaphodBurner]

Names for streets:

Esplanade
Alphabet
Bronte
Chronicle
Dr. Seuss
Epilogue
Frontispiece
Gutenberg
H.P. Lovecraft
Indicia
James Joyce
Kipling
Library

You had me at Lovecraft. I would back that theme 100%! Wow, what a great idea.

As to literacy, people should teach their kids to read. My wife has spent the last three and a half years at a state university at a total cost to our family of something like -$100. She has a 4.0 GPA (and a 1 y.o baby) but often as not she has been awarded grants and scholarships simply because she was the only person to apply.

IE, people are at this moment GIVING AWAY college tuition and nobody else at Portland State University appears to be motivated enough to find it and apply for it.

*shrug*

What exactly is the problem--when free money is ALREADY THERE--by people who expect others to bestow literacy upon their children? Sometimes it's not political or social corruption but plain old slacker parenting. People need to take more responsibility for their own lives; in many ways I can say I learned that the hard way.

-c

[diane o'thirst]

As to literacy, people should teach their kids to read.

Well, there's been a break in the chain. One adult in ten can't read at all and six of the rest are only reading up to the simpler Dr. Seuss (to give him credit, some of his more intense stuff — like <i>Fox In Sox</i> is wickedly intricate). I got lucky because Mom used to read to us and let us read along. (That's also how I learnt to speed-read)

I put the blame on a number of factors: television, "creative English," and Hooked On Fonix. I agree, HOF can help with the self-esteem of dyslexics, but I was dyslexic too and I worked my way through it and came out the other side reading four grades above my own. But HOF isn't the language, it's a step up to it.

Now, they're further coddled with the lax standards of creative English. Coining terms and making words is good, but you have to know the air and canon before you can do the riffs. The PCs like to say, "English is a hard language to learn." So is Thai! So is Chinese! So is Swahili! So is Basque! They told me French is a difficult language and that was my third best subject. They're all difficult if you think about it. You'd think that before Hooked On Fonix and Creative English, nobody said, read or wrote anything!

Languages aren't 100% hard-wired into the brain. The capability is there, but it's up to the individual to put in the time and effort to connect the dots and synapses and <i>learn</i>. Learning how to read is a pretty easy, straightforward and painless way to gather power, methinks.

[Toolmaker]

I just finished reading "Everything you know is wrong". Funny thing is.. I already knew everything that was in the book.

[Ugly Dougly]

2008: Steal This Theme.

[CapSmashy]

[youtube][/youtube]

Naw man... our future is golden. Just golden...

[diane o'thirst]

Ohhh, man, THAT video! Again!

Watching that was painful. To the two people in the country that haven't seen that video yet, prepare to writhe in agony when you play it.

Someone needs to petition the UN to place sanctions on that woman...

[Alchemy]

The world of books and stories..from fairy tales to pop culture ..from brothers Grimm to Kerowack to mad magazine to Yeats-to the bible to Castenada..Think of all the great parties..wildly inspired theme camps and the plethera of characters and art that could be experianced. the open readings,the spoken words,the quotes,the foot notes,the bibliography,the index. the WHo what where when Burningman events book would be the Table of Contents..
The little signs in the entrance would be prefaced in The dewey decimal System format.
The whole experiance would come off like a live version of some great Merry Melodies cartoon of the forties.
Dr.Suess Camp! with suess chefs serving the fare from every Suess book ever..
Richard Scarry art cars....

The burning word..........
Absolutely Fucking
Literally Burningman!!

[diane o'thirst]

Theme camps?! Who does theme camps anymore!? It's all bars and deejay booths now.

[/snark]

*Sigh* I too would <i>love</i> it if the Org did a Books theme one of these years. For once, the Pirate, Clown, Bunny and Santa schtickers would fit right in and coexist peacefully. But how could anyone read when there's 24-7 techno blasting so loud you can't see straight, never mind hear yourself think? Unless they spun reading-friendly music...

Once upon a time I conceived of a camp, "Books and Cats Camp." The central shelter would resemble a stack of books, guarded by two cat statues, and inside...shelves upon shelves of books, overstuffed chairs, landing pads, wingbacks and cat plushes (since we can't bring the biological kind) everywhere.

[K-mom]

That's a pretty cool idea. Has there ever been a BR Library? The book mobile is pretty neat but everytime I've been in I have a hard time finding anything I really want to read.
If you had a camp full of at least semi-serious readers, I'm sure each one could find 5 to 10 books they wouldn't mind risking wear or tear on or the risk of losing.

[goathead]

The book mobile is pretty neat but everytime I've been in I have a hard time finding anything I really want to read.

Maybe gift them a few of your favorites.
After reading this thread I am going to try to pack a few for them.

[MikeVDS]

Yes, it's a great theme idea. I also like the Lovecraft theme.

[Silverwheel]

Wow! With a literacy-based theme in 2008, BRC could become The Commonwealth! (if you're read it, you know. If you haven't - read it!)

Sign me right up! I'm on it like white on rice.

[diane o'thirst]

Ohhhh, if only.

I can just picture the priestesses of Shardik making a Shelves camp, and follow behind the Great Bear (a mutant vehicle, complete with trumpet flower garlands and fire blazing at its sides) doing the Singing...

We could bring back that sculpture of a man reading, composed of books...or, indeed, update it...

And please, don't bring back the Book Burn. Books are sacred.

Akashic Library...hey, there's an idea. Instead of the first street behind Esplanade being called "Alphabet," let's call it "Akashic." And the last street "Library." With every page between and contained in the Akashic Library.

Ahhhh, let it PLEASE be so...

[theCryptofishist]

And please, don't bring back the Book Burn. Books are sacred.

Nonetheless, I cheerfully recycle ann coulter.

[BAS]

Yes, it's a great theme idea. I also like the Lovecraft theme.

I still intend to do a Lovecraft/Lovecraftian theme. Since there are only two of us, at least thus far, involved in my proto-camp, we may very well wind up forgoing the flag burning theme this year. (The trouble is that someone could decide to torch the camp or something, and we might not have enough people to have someone around at all times, plus some other issues.) I don't know as I have enough resources to do a Lovecraftian camp in one year, though.


B.

[BAS]

And please, don't bring back the Book Burn. Books are sacred.

Nonetheless, I cheerfully recycle ann coulter.

A bit off topic, but I saw the other day that Ms. Coulter said that women shouldn't have the vote.... One can only hope that she will lead by example and stay at home on election days!


B.

[Valkyrie]

Speaking of book burning, it'd be very cool to create a "book" sculpture that said something interesting, but slightly trite. But... when burnt, had different words show up that said something completely different and really interesting.

[Frankly]

What are the odds of a Bible themed BM?

"Did Mary just give head for a gallon of water?"
"I think so, Jesus."

[Stagger]

If they ever do a literary theme it could be something like “Great Thoughtsâ€

[diane o'thirst]

Use the Dewey Decimal System for the spoke streets instead of hours...

Maybe name the streets after classic literature characters? Or is that getting too esoteric?

I guess we'd have to accept that in a literary themed Burn, someone somewhere will do a book-burning. [sigh] Then again, most of them would probably say "Screw the theme" and still dress up as Santas, bunnies, pirates, devils, clowns and ninjas.

[Valkyrie]

Then again, most of them would probably say "Screw the theme" and still dress up as Santas, bunnies, pirates, devils, clowns and ninjas.

Then again, since there are books about Santas, bunnies, pirates, devils, clowns and ninjas, they would still be in keeping with the theme regardless of whether they ignored it or not.

[theCryptofishist]

Can we have Phil Dick instead of Dickens?

[Nickel]

The problem with naming the streets after authors or book titles is that it is somewhat like advertising. While I love reading, and think that it is not treated as important as it should be in this country, I don't think that we can go around using specific people or works as streets, it doesn't really work. The street signs would be like a large sign saying "READ THIS FUCKING BOOK!!!" That coupled with the fact that choosing which authors/book titles is a pretty subjective venture that no one would ever really happy with, and bringing forth the "don't just copy some book or movie, and make your own ideas" even stronger than it already is. Thunderdome anyone? I personally think Thunderdome is awesome and it makes me happy every time I bike past it, (well almost everything does out there, but you get my point) and don't mind emulation as a form of flattery of some work of art (be it movie, literature, painting or other) but also feel that directly encouraging it might not be the best idea either.

That being said, Literature as a theme wouldn't be such a bad thing, I just feel that the street names might be something different, maybe Genres, or eras in literature and art.

I am all in favor of getting 2008's theme changed to just about anything, I am still stunned everything I think about it, but it would need to be something that helps keep the spirit alive (not that it will change anyway, or affect my burn) and helps promote the open sharing unforcing nature that still lives on the playa.

As a small side note, most of the music you are calling Techno is Trance. There was MUCH better music out there this year if you looked for it. There was quite a bit of Breaks and House and Drum and Bass and all sorts of other Electronic Music that was really awesome, and really all over the place. Quite refreshing. Also if you don't like Electronica (again, DONT CALL IT TECNHO), bring your own music out there, make me hear it, and broaden my mind. I'll thank you for it.

[Stagger]

So.. no specific authors, novels, journals, histories... etc...
Well.. come up with K and you have a bunch of literature genres...

I'd love the idea of a literature theme... Huge sculptures made of books all flaming at the end of the week... oh.. er.. Maybe just made of various presidential diaries... yeah.. those we could burn..

A - Article
B – Broadside/Ballad/Biography
C - Comedy
D – Diary/Drama
E – Editorial/Essay/Epic
F – Fiction/Folktale
G – Guide/Genealogy/
H - History
I – Invocation/In medias res
J - Journal
K – (Nope.. nothing comes to mind)
L – Literature/Legend
M – Mystery
N – Novel
O – Ode
P – Poetry/Prose

[diane o'thirst]

The problem with naming the streets after authors or book titles is that it is somewhat like advertising. While I love reading, and think that it is not treated as important as it should be in this country, I don't think that we can go around using specific people or works as streets, it doesn't really work. The street signs would be like a large sign saying "READ THIS FUCKING BOOK!!!"

Taking that to its most logical conclusion, so could any theme camp that took its theme and interactivity from this or that book. Larry Harvey made no secret that the Seven Ages theme was taken directly from Shakespeare's "As You Like It." Was that advertising, too?

I think there's a critical mass point where a piece of literature stops being a commodity and weaves itself into the cultural tapestry — in effect, becomes part of the culture. In essence — more than the sum of its parts. I cite "Lovecraftian," "Shakespearean," "Dickensian," et al. Lovecraft, Shakespeare and Dickens have become more than (dead) people: their names have been written into the language, along with their works.

Clive Barker used to refer to people who followed his writings, not as "readers" but as "co-creators," meaning that they helped him tell the story by reading it, visualizing and drawing their own conclusions, and discussing it. He considered them as important to the stories being told as himself.

[wedeliver]

I try not to post unless I can really contribute to the discussion, and not in a negative manner. But I got a question. who are all these dumb asses that don't know where America is on the map? Are they really stupid or maybe the question, lack of sleep, whatever other things might have made them appear to not know where the US is on the globe. My grand kids, 6yrs (7 in 2 weeks) and 5 yrs respectively both know the answer. For this one item, there should be a globe in every home.

As far as people not reading, I am going to google a little and see if they are really stupid or maybe getting the "book" from the movie... Most the people I meet today, especially the kids, are sharp as tacks. Lazy no good fucks, but really smart. (like my four kids are too smart for their own good!!)

Dylan did say, to Mr. Jones, you are very well read, it's well known.

Were the crabs that the walrus seduced illiterate or just gullable?

And for street names, shake it up alittle.. truman capote, stephen king, bob dylan, caryl chessman..

[diane o'thirst]

Almost all of us know where America is, but that's all they know. If you ask 'em where Afghanistan is, you usually get a brain-fart stare and a grunt like "Uh...I dunno." If you ask where France is, you get "Uhmm...Europe, I guess."

I've been getting my numbers from news sources. The 65% of American adults reading at 2nd grade level is one.

Here's something seriously scary: the other day, I read <i>The Eye of Argon</i>, infamous in fannish circles for being the "worst science fiction story ever." What was scary was that I read through it without a laugh and with precious few smirks. That's because I read worse than that on the 'Net every day. Sure, it has purple prose, malapropisms and dropped spaces, he definitely had more enthusiasm than craft, but he got his quotes right, and had his head wrapped around the concept of "the." Most people these days don't have the language down and resort to phonetic spelling.

"Lithe, opaque nose" is worth a giggle upon the visualization, but kids these days mostly don't even know what "lithe" and "opaque" mean, never mind be able to spell them. It'd be "lieht" and "opaeq." Could be people who do know better and are just dinking with the rest of us for a stupid prank, and I sincerely hope that's the case. Because it's frightening to think that the future doesn't even have "there," "their" and "they're" sorted out.

[theCryptofishist]

No, "lite" and "opake"