12th july 2004

about longshore drift

longshore drift - noun the movement of material along a coast by waves which approach at an angle to the shore but recede directly away from it. (Oxford English Dictionary)

pre-amble

Longshore drift is my latest project, a self-published pamphlet scattering fragmented thoughts. It is a cultural meme and an attempt to spread some serendipitous richness to this life. It embraces low tech, content over glossy surface sheen; but it embraces hi-tech for its creation and distribution. It is an attempt to be published and find legitimacy, but also a deliberate circumvention of the publishing scene to spread these ideas in unexpected places. It is only two sides of A4 but, if it creates a reaction in those that find it, it is already more successful than the magnum opus that sits unreleased in someone’s attic.

creation

Longshore drift owes its inception to two sources which got me thinking about pamphlets. Firstly the literary pamphlet Zutiste; secondly a book I was reading last month.

Zutiste existed a few years back and used to appear on a notice board in Waterstone’s bookshop. It appeared without an obvious reason or creator and often seemed to make little sense. But the discovery of this artefact was somehow magical, as though you’d found the key to some hidden place. Even after it ceased production it has stayed with me.

The book – the Last Journey of William Husskisson by Simon Garfield – was about the first train journey and the first railway accident and it related a lot of political events circa 1820. This may sound unremarkable, but the comments made about various MP and figures of note releasing pamphlets on the issues of the day struck a chord in me. Why did no one do this anymore? Perhaps the internet has something to do with it, but this is not quite the same thing, it does not have the same character and longevity as the printed page. Nor does it have the same serendipitous character when you stumble across something unexpected. There is plenty out there of course, but purposeful exploration and discovery in this sense is quite different from the accidental find in a place which is familiar to you.

- update March 2005: Zutiste is back and still great! Find it a www.zutiste.com

purpose

The other reasons for the pamphlet are those mentioned in the pre-amble above. It is a fun and cheap way to spread some of my work and ideas to others, as well as acting as an exciting project in its own right. Otherwise so much of what I create would just remain sitting in my house. And, as each pamphlet is only two sides of A4, it is a nice forum to fill with my somewhat fragmented thoughts, things that are enhanced by the random nature of the project as a whole.

More vital than cost is the cultural richness that I have discussed before (see what is the point of this essay). I love the richness of the world around me: the sustenance, the creativity, the sense of life well lived... feelings you pick up from an exhibition or a book or a film or a piece of music. The creation of something beautiful and interesting is arguably one of the only things worth a jot in this life, so let us embrace this. A pamphlet is only a small thing, but the ease of putting it together and distributing it makes it worth its weight in cultural gold.

Now I can add to culture without spending a fortune on an exhibition that no one visits; I can reach new people with the random find and hopefully engender some of these inspiring and exciting feelings within them. And, if nothing else, give them something to entertain and puzzle them for a few minutes.

What could be more worthy than that?
(OK, probably quite a lot... ending world hunger, stopping war etc. etc, but I do what I can!)

anonymous

The pamphlet itself is pretty much anonymous, although it you’re finding it via this site then it isn’t! To download a copy and find out where it has been distributed please visit the longshore drift site.

< back to words etc. >