storyscapes

In her memoir Crazy Brave Joy Harjo remarks about the effects of television. They provide a nice capsule version of the history of media in the era before streaming and binge viewing.

I turned on the television, the story box that changed the story field of the world. The commercial aspect of stories threatens the diversity of the world's stories and manners of telling. The television stands in the altar space of most homes in America. It is the authority and the main source of stories for many in the world.

But her story goes on and suggests a way to "break" the medium (in effect what has been done by plug and play technology that allows for instant interference).

Once when I was a student I had two televisions. In one the picture worked and not the sound. In the other the sound worked and not the picture. Together I had a working set — an Indian television set, I often joked.

Alert to the means at hand. (Recall Towards a Poor Theatre, anyone?) Or by means of attunements.

And so for day 1153
08.02.2010