The Italian/French legacy of the exodus, even if it no longer allows dreaming of a completely different outside, is not at all to be understood as harmless, individualist, or escapist-esoteric. “There is nothing more active than a flight!” as Gilles Deleuze and Claire Parnet wrote in the 1970s, and as Virno repeats almost literally in 2001: “Nothing is less passive than the act of fleeing, of exiting.” What this form of innovation-as-exit involves is a dangerous, positive form of defection, a fleeing that enables one to look for a weapon as one goes. Instead of presupposing relationships of domination as an immovable horizon and yet still fighting against them, this flight changes the conditions under which the presupposition occurs. The exodus transforms the context in which a problem has emerged, instead of treating the problem by deciding between given alternatives.

As Berlin completes 13 days of "There is nothing less passive than the act of fleeing...", momentum is gathering in New York to follow the same scheme: 13 days (or so) of open reading group meetings at meaningful sites throughout the city. With additions and substitutions to Berlin's reading list as we see fit. Taking place in August? Sign up ("I'm interested") to plan or to get news.

There was a soft ticking sound at the corner of the crosswalk, coming from a metal box that contained the electronics that regulated the crosswalk signals. Its calming in the middle of the traffic noise.

I was on the corner of the crosswalk, light headed from the humid and hot air of the environment that make me feel intensely the closedness of space. I am on the lookout for a bench to sit still in the middle of the traffic, the heat, and my lightheadedness.  Either a bench or some green from foliage that would hint at a park space and possible reprieve.

I see neither, so the next best option for me to sitting on a bench is to pay attention to the historical brass plaques on the buildings. I love reading them and am invariably drawn to them and their narrative. I wonder about the names and their origins, I pay attention to them and their possible genealogies in relation to the geography and city history.

Rapunzel outside the Bell Tower: princeless, she’s grounded on Livingston. Her golden ringlets are wound tight around her apple doll face. She passes with a scowl, but her curls bounce down her back, waving a flirty good bye.

I fall in behind twin angels. Fallen angels laden down with purchases. White shopping bags slung over shoulders, two each. Each blazed with red star. These are burdens of commerce, not of air and sweetness and light, only promises of such. Angels shop while the Brooklyn Tabernacle sings.

Gallatin, the desolate side street I always pass but never take—until today. I am on a mission to make text out of textures. With time as a constraint, I fuss around my bag to make sure my iPod Touch is within hearing distance. The alarm is set for 2:40pm. It’s now 2:30pm so there isn’t much time for me to observe. Or, maybe there is just enough time for my senses to kick in.

The Urban Foraging Group will meet on Saturday, July 3 for an optional morning forage at 9:00am at Prospect Park (9th Street entrance) then we will head to 177 Livingston for an 11:00am brunch. 

Note: Newcomers are welcome. Catch up by identifying and gathering any of the common edible plants listed below and bringing your findings to our next meeting. Read more about each plant on Ava's blog, see the column on the right: http://www.avachin.com

Dandelion
Lady's Thumb
Lambsquarters
Mulberries
Plantain
Poor Man's Pepper
Red Clover Blossom
Asiatic Dayflower
Violets

The introductory session of Texts + Textures explores the built environment through literature, philosophy, and narrative nonfiction. Even in our image-saturated era, evocative writing is still an effective tool to describe, document, and reframe our understanding of the city. Throughout his writings, French sociologist Henri Lefebvre describes the city as oeuvre; a work of art created by its inhabitants and a collective result of human relations. As such, the urban fabric is both a text to read and to write. 

In this session, Mimi Zeiger (loud paper) will help us explore our perceptions of the city through a series of writing exercises and a short walk. In order to prepare for this session, please read the following:

To help prepare for our introductory session, please go to Ava Chin’s site and check the lower Right column under "Urban Forager" to see a list of plants that we will most commonly see on our hike. The links are to specific columns with photos. 

For additional information about this class, please read the previous note: http://nyc.thepublicschool.org/node/1969/notes

The Urban Foraging Group will meet this Sunday, June 20 at 1:00pm at 177 Livingston. This introductory session will be facilitated by Ava Chin and will include a foraging walk through Fort Greene Park and neighboring Clinton Hill (be prepared to walk). We will learn about collecting and identifying wild edible weeds and fruits in the city.

Please bring the following:

plastic ziploc bags (regular grocery bags are okay, too)
bottled water
a cutter/small paring knife 
bug spray 
sunscreen

also, we recommend that you wear comfortable walking shoes/sneakers 

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Conversion Strategies: Temporary-Use and the Visual Arts | Session 1: Defining Temporary-Use
Thursday, June 24, 7pm at 177 Livingston

The first session of "Conversion Strategies" will attempt to define temporary-use through an examination of current and related practices. Participants will address the practical considerations of producing shows for such spaces, as well as other questions previously noted in the class proposal.

With presentations by:

Howie Chen, cofounder of Dispatch and Juicing the Equilibrium