Objects Quarterly

An experimental prototype

In New Orleans, even discarded objects are interesting. #notabletrash

Hello from New Orleans, where the sun came out as I was finishing up this intro. Today, a little experiment: A prototype/test version of a new regular feature for TAoN supporters: Objects Quarterly.

As many of you know, attending to objects is a theme of mine. Most notably, I’ve worked on a couple of object-related projects with superlative collaborator Joshua Glenn. I’ve also written a lot of object-centric stuff, and I even teach writing-about-objects workshops.

The goal of the Objects Quarterly is simple: To share a roundup of object-related items of interest, uh, quarterly. Rather than explain further, I’ll just proceed. Let me know what you think!

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BOOKS ABOUT OBJECTS

• A History of Women in 101 Objects. “An ambitious and expansive essay collection” by Annabelle Hirsch, addresses “the practical (a Miele vacuum cleaner, a safety bicycle), the sartorial (the miniskirt, the bikini) and the political (a hunger strike medal awarded to suffragette prisoners; the ‘manifesto of the 343,’ a petition started by Simone de Beauvoir to legalise abortion).” A Guardian review of the audiobook version notes a “glittering cast” of readers including Margaret Atwood and Helena Bonham Carter. There’s a sample of the audio version on the publisher’s site.

• “Three excellent books published in recent months take up the task of cataloging hip-hop’s relics, the objects that embody its history, before they slip away.” Cassettes, T-shirts, merch, and more. NYT gift link.

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OVERLOOKED YET ICONIC OBJECTS

• Exploring “the timeless allure of the blackboard,” at least among mathematicians. “What the notebook is for words, the blackboard is for equations.”

• An appreciation of the (vanishing) bookstore chair.

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OBJECT AS INTERVENTION

• An unknown artist is leaving little 3D-printed unicorns around Providence. “Their less than two-inch stature makes them easy to miss,” says The Providence Journal. “But their neon hues and satin-like sheen catch the eye of the hunter, who might almost walk by before realizing they’ve stumbled upon a treasure.” Via BoingBoing.

(The article also mentions Game of Frogs, “a scavenger hunt that went viral in Washington, D.C., last year when artist Andrew Simpson placed frog sculptures across the city.”)

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OBJECT AS CRITIQUE

• One of my favorite fake-product projects (or maybe satirical products?): Obvious Plant.

obviousplant

A post shared by @obviousplant

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OBJECTS IN THE NEWS

• “Standing there in the distance, like a beacon, was a silver monolith with no apparent trace as to how it got there or what it was doing in that spot.” NYT gift link.