Prime Time Replay:
Stuart Swezey
founder of Amok Publishing and
the L.A. bookshop Amok Books
MsgId: *emedia(6)
Date: Mon Dec 22 21:02:17 PST 1997
From: Ed_Bryant_ At: 204.133.96.5
Good evening, people -- and welcome to this terrific holiday edition of E-Media. Our eagerly and anxiously awaited guest tonight is Stuart Swezey, the founder of both the highly unusual Amok Books retail store in Los Angeles, and the Amok publishing label.Guest Stuart Swezey should be arriving on-line at any moment. Ah, suspense. In the meantime, I'll mention that Stuart is a person who was born with the 'sixties, a man initially steeped in Southern California culture. Check out his work, though, and you'll discover an individual of many, many parts.
The well-produced "Sensurround Edition" of the *Amok Journal*, for example, is subtitled "a compendium of psycho-physiological investigations." The table of contents lists sections running from autoerotic fatalities and trepanation to cargo cults and amputee fetishes. 1993's *The Wild Palms Reader* nominally appears to be a tie-in with the Oliver Stone/Bruce Wagner TV mini-series. In reality it's an anthology of work by all manner of distinctive writers ranging from E. Howard Hunt and Mary Gaitskill to Bruce STerling, Thomas Disch, and William Gibson. The conceit is that these are all works FROM the time and place of *Wild Palms*.
MsgId: *emedia(9)
Date: Mon Dec 22 21:10:48 PST 1997
From: StuartSwezey At: 204.212.59.38
Hi, I was in the wrong room. Sorry Stuart
MsgId: *emedia(10)
Date: Mon Dec 22 21:11:23 PST 1997
From: Ed_Bryant_ At: 204.133.96.5
As soon as we establish that Stuart Swezey is with us, I'll be chatting with him for the next hour or so. But all others who have tuned in are welcome to ask questions and comment as well. Please remember to sign your posting. Also remember to click on "pause while typing" before writing in the message box. This'll keep the screen from refreshing your message out of existence.
MsgId: *emedia(11)
Date: Mon Dec 22 21:13:03 PST 1997
From: StuartSwezey At: 204.212.59.38
I'm ready for Q&A. Great intro. Stuart
MsgId: *emedia(12)
Date: Mon Dec 22 21:14:03 PST 1997
From: Ed_Bryant_ At: 204.133.96.5
Hi, Stuart, and welcome! Yep, Omni's mansion has many rooms. I'm glad you're here -- particularly after our late,unlamented technical difficulties with your projected interview last January. But now it's a more optimistic time . . . I'd like to start with a nature-vs.-nurture question. The obviously eclectic nature of your diverse interests -- what influences informed that evolution?
MsgId: *emedia(14)
Date: Mon Dec 22 21:17:01 PST 1997
From: StuartSwezey At: 204.212.59.38
Whew, Contact! I think that my evolution was a little of both. I mean I have been interested in fringe survivalist/conspiracy stuff since junior high when I picked up John Birch lit at a Dairy Queen but also punk rock was very formative. Especially in its inchoate phase here in L.A. in 1978.Did I mention LSD?
MsgId: *emedia(16)
Date: Mon Dec 22 21:21:13 PST 1997
From: Ed_Bryant_ At: 204.133.96.5
Ah, classic influences . . . But when did the world REALLY get strange? What I mean is, I've read some of your material about music exotica, and the jungle-tinged music of Martin Denny. Did that come to you after punk?
MsgId: *emedia(17)
Date: Mon Dec 22 21:24:05 PST 1997
From: StuartSwezey At: 204.212.59.38
OK, exotica is/was definitely in the ether here in SoCal to those who are open to it. Tiki bars, Hollywood, etc. But the most significant moment was a record swap meet which used to take place in the Capitol Records parking lot. I started to see the Martin Denny records there when I got over the Seeds/Standells 60s punk phase.Ooops! Anyway, thrift shopping, etc. can make one aware of elements of sexuality and surrealism which are not intentional that manifest through discardable objects like ashtrays and postcards, etc
MsgId: *emedia(18)
Date: Mon Dec 22 21:24:37 PST 1997
From: Ed_Bryant_ At: 204.133.96.5
It's been a long time since I wanted to admit it, but I've got *Quiet Village* vinyl stored in my dad's basement.If all goes well, I'm going to be visiting L.A. in January. My to-see list includes the Museum of Jurassic Technology, Dark Delicacies, and Amok Books. Not just for my benefit, but for anyone watching in, where's the store?
MsgId: *emedia(21)
Date: Mon Dec 22 21:30:03 PST 1997
From: StuartSwezey At: 204.212.59.38
Amok Books is located at 1764 N. Vermont Ave. One and a half blocks N. of Hollywood Blvd. It is now called KOMA Bookstore as I no longer am the owner. As Dan (the new owner) puts it New Name/Same Vibe.The Mus. of Jurassic is definitely a "must-see". You should pick up a book called L.A. Bizarro which has many of my favorite sights listed.
Did I say something wrong? Don't give me the silent treatment again.<
MsgId: *emedia(23)
Date: Mon Dec 22 21:36:10 PST 1997
From: Ed_Bryant_ At: 204.133.96.5
Thanks for the update! How about Amok Books? Current projects? Sorry for the delay. Just got dropped . . . some message about missing PPP connection.
MsgId: *emedia(25)
Date: Mon Dec 22 21:38:33 PST 1997
From: StuartSwezey At: 204.212.59.38
Just finished a new Amok Sourcebook of 2300 "extreme and unusual" book titles. It is a 590 page book with reviews from around 50 contributors which will be out in Jan. 99. I have an Amok Books title called "LAID BARE: A MEMOIR OF WRECKED LIVES AND THE HOLLYWOOD DEATH TRIP" by John Gilmore which is getting a lot of attention right now.
MsgId: *emedia(26)
Date: Mon Dec 22 21:42:45 PST 1997
From: Ed_Bryant_ At: 204.133.96.5
"LAID BARE" sounds like it could be a cool distant cousin of Michael Lesey's "WISCONSIN DEATH TRIP." Just curious, but have you investigated any variety of Amok on-line publishing? Maybe electronic references that continuously refresh and mutate?
MsgId: *emedia(27)
Date: Mon Dec 22 21:45:37 PST 1997
From: StuartSwezey At: 204.212.59.38
I am still getting ready to launch the Amok website. I think that will also prove to be an interesting project in the next six months. The possibility still exists of a CD-ROM version of the new AMOK SOURCEBOOK if I could find a not-too-mercenary collaborator. I think that something like a sourcebook really needs an on-line component to keep it current. They can work together synergistically.
MsgId: *emedia(28)
Date: Mon Dec 22 21:50:37 PST 1997
From: Ed_Bryant_ At: 204.133.96.5
Just a reminder to onlookers -- you can participate! E-Media's guest tonight is Stuart Swezey, he of Amok Books, etc. Feel free to ask a question or comment -- just remember to sign your post and to click on "pause while typing" before working in the message box.Stuart, a lot of us out here in the nation's midsection still have a sneaking feeling that L.A. and New York are arenas for catching some of the leading edge of that ragged cultural advance. So. What are you seeing these days in whatever area of interest that maybe still on the distant horizon for us east of Riverside?
MsgId: *emedia(29)
Date: Mon Dec 22 21:54:37 PST 1997
From: StuartSwezey At: 204.212.59.38
Hmm . . . I like the way you put that "East of Riverside." I think that hopefully we are seeing the demise of rock and possibly a more realistic approach to the whole question of capitalism vs. subculture "hip" marketing scams. That's my optimistic side. A healthy suspicion of media-approved coolness leading to a new phase of "who gives a fuck if we're considered geeks" which leads to more interesting cultural hybrids. Including offshoots of "techno" music.
MsgId: *emedia(30)
Date: Mon Dec 22 21:59:13 PST 1997
From: Ed_Bryant_ At: 204.133.96.5
Being a person of advanced age, my approach to checking out cultural hybrids has been doing things like buying the album of c&w covers of Stones music. But . . . in terms of techno-music tangents, and such, can you suggest some artists or labels the curious can investigate?
MsgId: *emedia(31)
Date: Mon Dec 22 22:03:28 PST 1997
From: StuartSwezey At: 204.212.59.38
OOH. Put me on the spot. I am actually listening to a pre-Kraftwerk LP when they were called Organisation right now. Alot of the "drum and bass" CDs that I have bought/heard recently seem really unadventurous and derivative. But I really like a "group" from Hamburg called VISIT VENUS. Also MOUSE ON MARS who just toured w/Sterolab, they are Austrian I think. I'm always on the prowl but right now there isn't anyone real new here in LA that comes to mind. KITTEN SPARKLES are doing some interesting almost "psycho-acoustic" type live events. I know them but haven't had the pleasure yet.
MsgId: *emedia(32)
Date: Mon Dec 22 22:06:30 PST 1997
From: Ed_Bryant_ At: 204.133.96.5
Thanks for the specifics. I hope you're right to be optimistic about cultural hybridizing. Right now, though, do you think the evolving game is going to be helped by the growing millennial weirdness? Or hurt by all the bogus hype? Or just not affected at all?
MsgId: *emedia(33)
Date: Mon Dec 22 22:09:53 PST 1997
From: StuartSwezey At: 204.212.59.38
I think that most of the millenial weirdness has already happened. Waco, the San Diego suicide action. But people have been predicting the end-of-the-world since the beginning of recorded time and will continue to do so. Marginal groups of crackpots will always do weird things while no one is looking. We can only hope that we are hip to them before they commit mass suicide or worse.
MsgId: *emedia(34)
Date: Mon Dec 22 22:13:05 PST 1997
From: Ed_Bryant_ At: 204.133.96.5
You ARE an optimist. I hope you're right. Of course it's only about 20% of humanity that has a cultural background at all caring about the millennium. But then that minority has most of the resources, so . . . On another tangent now. Are you still "Inducing the Sublime"?
MsgId: *emedia(36)
Date: Mon Dec 22 22:15:02 PST 1997
From: StuartSwezey At: 204.212.59.38
Not on a daily basis. I'm all for it of course. I think that the pursuit of "transcendent experience" is worthy cultural pursuit but you can't always predict when or where it will occur
MsgId: *emedia(38)
Date: Mon Dec 22 22:19:45 PST 1997
From: Ed_Bryant_ At: 204.133.96.5
Okay, then. A little longer, perhaps, if Stuart is patient and willing. Going back to something said a bit earlier: do you really perceive that media influence is at all diminished in its goal of convincing us what's cool?
MsgId: *emedia(40)
Date: Mon Dec 22 22:24:41 PST 1997
From: StuartSwezey At: 204.212.59.38
Ed, I actually should probably sign off soon. I promised to take an author out to dinner before he leaves town. To answer your question: maybe. I mean I do think that the media has to work harder and harder now to convince people that it is valid. On the other hand, outside influences seem to still be successfully closed out by the forces of global capitalism. Things will probably never actually get better. Just for the record.
MsgId: *emedia(41)
Date: Mon Dec 22 22:27:51 PST 1997
From: Ed_Bryant_ At: 204.133.96.5
All right, then. Stuart, let me close up with this final question. And yeah, I know it's terribly standard -- but I'm always curious about any creative person looking ahead. So what do you see yourself doing in another 20 years or so? How do you expect or hope your own evolution to progress?
MsgId: *emedia(42)
Date: Mon Dec 22 22:31:37 PST 1997
From: StuartSwezey At: 204.212.59.38
I would like to think I will still be doing creative work and possibly also out of debt by then. I am probably eventually moving away from "collage"/compiling type project into more "protean" creativity. I know that there really is no such thing. I would love to compose one piece of music as haunting as Erik Satie.
MsgId: *emedia(43)
Date: Mon Dec 22 22:34:33 PST 1997
From: Ed_Bryant_ At: 204.133.96.5
Then I hope you realize that ambition. Stuart Swezey, thank you very, very much for being tonight's E-Media guest. And to the rest of you, watch for both the *Amok Sourcebook* and *Laid Bare*, appearing in discriminating book stores early in 1998. Thanks also to producer Ellen. Good night, all.
MsgId: *emedia(44)
Date: Mon Dec 22 22:36:09 PST 1997
From: EllenDatlow At: 38.26.16.23
Thanks Stuart and Ed for coming on E-Media: The Future of Culture. Next week our guest is Robert Silvers the author of "Photomosaics."
MsgId: *emedia(45)
Date: Mon Dec 22 22:37:09 PST 1997
From: StuartSwezey At: 204.212.59.38
Thanks you guys. That was some stimulating questioning. Happy New Year!!!
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