The Alan Sondheim Mail Archive

CULTURE MATTERS! DEAD! YOU'VE KILLED ME! POETRY IS DEAD! e-poetry is dead!
what a Loss! ALL OF IT! I'M DEAD MEAT! YOU'RE DEAD MEAT! YOU'RE NOT MEAT
AT ALL! YOU'RE YOU'RE CANONIC! YOU'RE SUFFOCATING! YOU'RE PURE! I'M DEAD
MEAT! THAT'S OUT FUCK YOU YOU BASTARDS YOU'LL ROT IN HELL FOR THIS YOU'RE
MASTERPIECES! NATURE YOU ELECTRONIC FUCKERS YOU COUPLED USB-PORTS! YOU
BASTARDS KEEP ME THE DEADEST E-POETRY OF ALL IS GENERATED! machines = YOU!
YOU FREAKS OF bandwidth. HACKERS ARE THE JEWS OF THE E-POETS! Jews eat
cyborg babies! camps, you bastards! FUCK ELECTRONIC WRITING! a dead e-poet
doesn't fuck stop charging for culture! GENRE = AUSCHWITZ. i'll die yet in
the OF MFA DEGREES! Gypsies steal drives! OPEN THE GAOLS OF THE BLAZE
STARR UNIVERSITIES! SCHOOL! PANELS! CONFERENCES! OF THOUGHT! share the
horror of e-poetry! SCRIPT-KIDDIES ARE THE GYPSIES IT IS A CRIME TO
EXCLUDE ANYONE! share the horror! OPEN THE PRISONS ME! byte me! THE
DEADEST POETRY OF ALL IS ELECTRONIC! smash the machines! only good e-poet
is a dead one. FUCK CODEWORK YOU BASTARDS STOLE IT FROM WRITING DEGREES!
your degree is my prison. TO HELL WITH E-POETRY! the I'M KIDDING? KILL THE
BASTARDS! geopolitically useless. FUCK ELECTRONIC YOU THINK TO HELL WITH
E-POETRY! the only good e-poet is a dead one. FUCK ELECTRONIC WRITING! a
dead e-poet doesn't fuck bandwidth. FUCK ELECTRONIC WRITING DEGREES! your
degree is my prison. YOU THINK I'M KIDDING? KILL THE */LURID
FUCK\*BASTARDS! geopolitically useless. GENRE = AUSCHWITZ. i'll die yet in
the camps, you bastards! FUCK CODEWORK YOU BASTARDS STOLE IT FROM ME! byte
me! IT IS A CRIME TO EXCLUDE ANYONE! share the horror! OPEN THE PRISONS OF
THOUGHT! share the horror of e-poetry! OPEN THE GAOLS OF THE CONFERENCES!
stop charging for culture! POETRY IS DEAD! e-poetry is dead! what a Loss!
THE DEADEST POETRY OF ALL IS ELECTRONIC! smash the machines! THE DEADEST
E-POETRY OF ALL IS GENERATED! machines = YOU! HACKERS ARE THE JEWS OF THE
E-POETS! Jews eat cyborg babies! SCRIPT-KIDDIES ARE THE GYPSIES OF MFA
DEGREES! Gypsies steal drives! YOU BASTARDS KEEP ME OUT FUCK YOU YOU
BASTARDS YOU'LL ROT IN HELL FOR THIS YOU FREAKS OF NATURE YOU ELECTRONIC
FUCKERS YOU COUPLED USB-PORTS! YOU'RE MASTERPIECES! YOU'RE CANONIC! YOU'RE
SUFFOCATING! YOU'RE PURE! YOU'RE DEAD MEAT! YOU'RE NOT MEAT AT ALL! YOU'RE
DEAD! YOU'VE KILLED m ls zz pico ZZ ISPELL zz ispell b ls zz.bak rm ww zz
cp yy > zz < a/back -f awk zz > yy sort zz pico yy > zz < a/elimx.pl perl
yy pico zz >> yy rev zz pico zz >> yy < -a/back awk zz >> yy < a/back -f
awk zz >> yy < a/back -f awk zz pico h zz pico yy >> zz < -a/back awk yy
>> zz < a/back -f awk yy pico zz > yy < a/back -f awk zz pico zz >> ww <
a/eliminate.pl perl zz pico yy > a/kk.pl perl yy pico zz pico yy > zz
FUCK\\\*/g' 's/^/\*\/LURID sed yy pico zz > yy FUCK//g' 's/LURID sed zz
pico yy > zz 's/\*\/\\\*//g' sed yy pico fg zz yy mv yy > h ME! I'M DEAD
MEAT! THAT'S ALL OF IT! I'M DEAD MEAT! TO HELL WITH E-POETRY! the only
good e-poet is a dead one. FUCK ELECTRONIC WRITING! doesn't fuck
bandwidth. WRITING DEGREES! your degree my prison. YOU THINK I'M KIDDING?
KILL THE BASTARDS! geopolitically useless. GENRE = AUSCHWITZ. i'll die yet
in camps, you bastards! CODEWORK BASTARDS STOLE IT FROM ME! byte me! IS A
CRIME EXCLUDE ANYONE! share horror! OPEN PRISONS OF THOUGHT! horror of
e-poetry! GAOLS CONFERENCES! stop charging for culture! POETRY DEAD!
e-poetry dead! what Loss! DEADEST ALL ELECTRONIC! smash machines! E-POETRY
GENERATED! machines YOU! HACKERS ARE JEWS E-POETS! Jews eat cyborg babies!
SCRIPT-KIDDIES GYPSIES MFA Gypsies steal drives! KEEP ME OUT YOU'LL ROT IN
FOR THIS FREAKS NATURE FUCKERS COUPLED USB-PORTS! YOU'RE MASTERPIECES!
CANONIC! SUFFOCATING! PURE! DEAD MEAT! NOT MEAT AT ALL! YOU'VE KILLED
THAT'S IT! ry dead! wha cyborg babies!  camps, you bas ure! GENRE =
AUSCHWITZ. i'll die ye op charging for cul ry is dead! wha cyborg babies!
SCRIPT-KIDDIES GYPSIES MFA Gypsies s eal drives! KEEP ME OUT YOU'LL ROT IN
FOR THIS FREAKS NATURE FUCKERS COUPLED USB-PORTS!  */LURID FUCK\*YOU'RE
MASTERPIECES! CANONIC! SUFFOCATING! PURE! DEAD MEAT! NOT MEAT AT ALL!
YOU'VE KILLED THAT'S IT!  op charging for cul he horror! OPEN THE PRISONS
ME! by he horror! OPEN THE PRISONS ME! by ure! GENRE = AUSCHWITZ. i'll die
ye cyborg babies!  camps, you bas cyborg babies!  camps, you bas he OF MFA
DEGREES! Gypsies s ically useless. FUCK ELECTRONIC YOU THINK TO */LURID
FUCK\*HELL WITH E-POETRY!  is a dead one. FUCK ELECTRONIC WRITING! doesn'
is a dead one. FUCK CODEWORK YOU BASTARDS STOLE IT FROM WRITING DEGREES!
your degree is my prison. TO HELL WITH E-POETRY!  he OF MFA DEGREES!
Gypsies s in he horror! OPEN THE PRISONS ME! by h. WRITING DEGREES! your
degree my */LURID FUCK\*prison.  YOU THINK I'M KIDDING? KILL THE BASTARDS!
geopoli e me! IS A CRIME EXCLUDE ANYONE! share horror! OPEN PRISONS OF
THOUGHT! horror of e-poe in camps, you bas he I'M KIDDING? KILL THE
BASTARDS! geopoli e me! THE DEADEST POETRY OF ALL IS ELECTRONIC! smash he
I'M KIDDING? KILL THE BASTARDS! geopoli e me! IS A CRIME EXCLUDE ANYONE!
share horror! OPEN */LURID FUCK\*PRISONS OF THOUGHT! horror of e-poe
cyborg babies! SCRIPT-KIDDIES GYPSIES MFA Gypsies s Loss! DEADEST ALL
ELECTRONIC! smash machines! E-POETRY GENERATED! machines YOU! HACKERS ARE
JEWS E-POETS! Jews ea ards! CODEWORK BASTARDS STOLE IT FROM ME! by is a
dead one. FUCK ELECTRONIC WRITING! doesn' h. WRITING DEGREES! your degree
my prison.  YOU THINK I'M KIDDING? KILL THE BASTARDS! geopoli ry dead! wha
ry! GAOLS CONFERENCES! s ry! GAOLS CONFERENCES! s eal drives! KEEP ME OUT
YOU'LL ROT IN FOR THIS FREAKS NATURE FUCKERS COUPLED USB-PORTS!  YOU'RE
MASTERPIECES! CANONIC! SUFFOCATING! PURE! DEAD MEAT! NOT MEAT AT ALL!
YOU'VE KILLED THAT'S IT!  eal drives! KEEP ME OUT YOU'LL ROT IN FOR THIS
FREAKS NATURE FUCKERS COUPLED USB-PORTS!  YOU'RE MASTERPIECES! CANONIC!
SUFFOCATING! PURE! DEAD */LURID FUCK\*MEAT! NOT MEAT AT ALL! YOU'VE KILLED
THAT'S IT!

CULTURE MATTERS! DEAD! YOU'VE KILLED ME! POETRY IS e-poetry is dead! what
a Loss! ALL OF IT! I'M DEAD MEAT! YOU'RE NOT MEAT AT ALL! CANONIC!
SUFFOCATING! PURE! THAT'S OUT FUCK YOU BASTARDS YOU'LL ROT IN HELL FOR
THIS MASTERPIECES! NATURE ELECTRONIC FUCKERS COUPLED USB-PORTS! KEEP ME
THE DEADEST E-POETRY GENERATED! machines = YOU! FREAKS bandwidth. HACKERS
ARE JEWS E-POETS! Jews eat cyborg babies! camps, you bastards! WRITING!
dead e-poet doesn't fuck stop charging for culture! GENRE AUSCHWITZ. i'll
die yet in the MFA DEGREES! Gypsies steal drives! OPEN GAOLS UNIVERSITIES!
SCHOOL! PANELS! CONFERENCES! THOUGHT! share horror of e-poetry!
SCRIPT-KIDDIES GYPSIES IT A CRIME TO EXCLUDE ANYONE! horror! PRISONS byte
me! ELECTRONIC! smash machines! only good one. CODEWORK STOLE FROM WRITING
your degree my prison. WITH E-POETRY! KIDDING? KILL BASTARDS!
geopolitically useless. THINK */LURID FUCK\*BASTARDS! m ls zz pico ZZ
ISPELL ispell b zz.bak rm ww cp yy > < a/back -f awk sort a/elimx.pl perl
>> rev -a/back h a/eliminate.pl a/kk.pl FUCK\\\*/g' 's/^/\*\/LURID sed
FUCK//g' 's/LURID 's/\*\/\\\*//g' fg mv ry wha bas ure! ye op cul s eal
FUCK\*YOU'RE he by ically FUCK\*HELL doesn' h. FUCK\*prison.  geopoli e
e-poe FUCK\*PRISONS ea ards! ry! FUCK\*MEAT!

culture matters dead youve killed me poetry is epoetry what a loss all of
it im meat youre not at canonic girls and boys uffocating pure thats out
fuck you bastards youll rot in hell for this masterpieces nature
electronic fuckers coupled usbports keep the deadest generated machines
freaks bandwidth hackers are jews epoets eat cyborg babies camps writing
epoet doesnt girls and boys top charging genre auschwitz ill die yet mfa
degrees gypsies girls and boys teal drives open gaols blaze girls and boys
tarr universities girls and boys chool panels conferences thought girls
and boys hare horror girls and boys criptkiddies crime to exclude anyone
prisons byte girls and boys mash only good one codework girls and boys
tole from your degree my prison with kidding? kill geopolitically useless
think lurid fuckbastards m ls zz pico ispell b zzbak rm ww cp yy aback f
awk girls and boys ort aelimxpl perl rev h aeliminatepl akkpl fuckg girls
and boys lurid girls and boys ed girls and boys g fg mv ry wha bas ure ye
op cul girls and boys eal fuckyoure he by ically fuckhell doesn fuckprison
geopoli e epoe fuckprisons ea ards fuckmeat. salo.

What is Codework?


Codework is a practice, not a product.

It is praxis, part and parcel of the critique of everyday life.

It is not canonic, although it is taken as such.

It is not a genre, although it is taken as such.

The term is relatively new and should always be renewed.

We are suffused with code and its intermingling with surface phenomena.

Wave-trains of very low frequency radio pulses for example.

Phenomenology of chickadee calls.

Codework is not a metaphor, not metaphorical.

It exists precisely in the obdurate interstice between the real and the
symbolic. It exists in the arrow.

It is not a set of procedures or perceptions. It is the noise in the
system. It is not the encapsulation or object of the noise or the system.

It is continuous; it is parasitic; it is thetic.

When it becomes metaphor, masterpiece, artwork, it is still-born; it is
of no interest except as cultural residue: it is of great interest to
critics, gallerists, editors.

When it is not collectible, not a thing, virtual or otherwise, it is not
of interest to critics, gallerists, editors.

Things have already taken up its name, as if pictures in an exhibition.

This is nothing more than the continuous reification, territorialization,
conquest, of the real - as if the real were always already cleansed,
available for the taking - as if the real were already transformed into
capital.

Capital is the encapsulation, objectification, of code. Capital drives the
code-conference, the code-book, the code-movement, the code-artist, the
code-masterpiece; capital drives the technology.

In short: Capital drives code into metaphor.

In short: Metaphor drives code into capital.

In short, but of greater difficulty: Capital drives metaphor into code.

In production, simpler: Metaphor drives capital into code.

The driving of metaphor, code, or capital is not codework.

Codework is the labor of code, subject to thermodynamics.

Codework is demonstrative, demonstrative fragment, experiment, partial-
inscription, partial-object, the _thing_ prior to its presentation, the
linguistic kernel of the pre-linguistic. Code is the thetic, the gestural,
of the demonstrative.

It the gesture that never quite takes. It is the noise inherent in the
gestural.

However: Codework will become a _subject_ or a _sub-genre_ or a _venue_ or
an _artwork_ or an _artist_ or a _dealer_ or a _collector._ However: This
is not codework, or: What I describe above is not codework; after all,
names are subsumed beneath the sign (Emblematic) of capital - as if
something is being accomplished. (Hackers who are not hackers are
unhacked.)

To code is not to produce codework; it is to produce code on the level of
the code or interface. Bridged code, embedded code, is not codework; the
irreversible spew of cellular automata is codework, all the better if the
rules are noisy. The cultural production of codework abjures intensifica-
tions, strange attractors, descriptions such as this (which is the oldest
game in the _book_). The hunt and reception of short-wave number codes is
codework. Writers on the edge are circumscribed by codework, malfunctioned
psychoanalytics, scatologies. Jews, Gypsies, Gays, Blacks, are endlessly
coded and decoded; the codes are dissolute, partial, always already incom-
plete: the differend is codework.

To speak against the differend is codework; tumors are codework, metas-
tases. The useless sequences of DNA, RNA.

Be wary of the violence of the legible text. Beware the metaphor which
institutionalizes, the text which defines, the text of positivities, not
negations, the circumscribing text, inscribing text; beware of the
producers and institutions of these texts, whose stake is in hardening of
definitions, control, capital, slaughter: Texts slaughter.

And texts slaughter texts.

---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Tue, 16 May 2006 11:34:52 -0400
From: Charles Baldwin <charles.baldwin@mail.wvu.edu>
Reply-To: webartery@yahoogroups.com
To: poetics@acsu.buffalo.edu, nettime-l@bbs.thing.net, LITSCI-L@duke.edu,
     "Humanist Discussion Group (by way of Willard McCarty <willard.mccarty@kcl.a
     c.uk>)" <willard@lists.village.virginia.edu>,
     WRYTING-L@listserv.utoronto.ca, webartery@yahoogroups.com
Subject: [webartery] Codework on plain_text

New and updated wrytings on Codework on the plain_text zwiki. Read,
respond, post.

http://www.as.wvu.edu:8000/clc/projects/plaintext_tools/FrontPage

Hi - I'll be away and somewhat out of touch for the next three weeks - the 
show information in LA is at
  http://www.track16.com/exhibitions/embedded/index.html
Please write me of course, but it may take a day or two to get back.

Thanks, Alan