Journal Entry 1 by ETMadrid from London , Greater London United Kingdom on Friday, July 30, 2010

Yesterday I went to the exhibition and launch of this zine, I Digress.

I Digress is a collaborative residency at The Grosvenor Pub, Stockwell, London, where writers and illustrators have responded to each others' work, producing writing inspired by illustrations and illustrations inspired by pieces of writing.

I Digress has taken place over three months, engaging fourteen writers and illustrators. Starting from an illustration of the Grosvenor Pub by Hannah Carding six London writers wrote their own creative interpretation. At the same time, six London illustrators created a response to a story by Evie Wyld, set in the Grosvenor Pub.

A month later, each illustrator was given one of the written pieces to inspire a second creation, while each writer was given one of the illustrations to inspire a second text.

The three phases of creation are brought together in a limited edition pair of zines. The other one in the pair is here. This is the 43rd of 300 copies.

At the pub Charlie Fish gave a great rendition of his piece "Nadine". The pub has a very local London feel, slightly on the grungy side (no offence meant), has lots of board games, a large party room at the back (where the manager was very happy to hold the exhibition), serves pizza and is unusual in that it has table football. (But I'm not a regular so my impressions are merely transitory.)

The illustration that is in the place of the cover (it's not the actual cover) is by Staffan Gnosspelius.

I'm proposing this as a book ray (I have my own copy).

What do you think of the project? Which contributions do you appreciate most? (I'm not a participant in the project, just a friend of one of the organisers.)

Participants are:

lucy-lemon (UK)
Nell-Lu (UK)
Pooker3 (Canada)
lils74 (Nepal)
akosikulot (Philippines) 

Journal Entry 2 by ETMadrid at Southwark, Greater London United Kingdom on Tuesday, August 17, 2010

Released 1 yr ago (8/17/2010 UTC) at Southwark, Greater London United Kingdom

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This is on its way to Wales. I've still only read extracts but I can say that in this one my favourite illustration is that by Staffan Gnosspelius. 

Journal Entry 3 by lucy-lemon at Llandudno, Wales United Kingdom on Friday, September 03, 2010

So sorry - this had been tidied away and I've only just realised I've had it for a while! Will read and post on asap. 

Journal Entry 4 by Nell-Lu at Edinburgh, Scotland United Kingdom on Monday, September 27, 2010

I'm looking forward to browsing these zines. Thanks lucy-lemon and ETMadrid.  

Journal Entry 5 by Nell-Lu at Edinburgh, Scotland United Kingdom on Thursday, October 07, 2010

I think I Digress is a fantastic project - it's brilliant to see creative people getting together, bouncing off one another, and finding a way to share their work with an audience.

The premise is also very interesting - I enjoyed seeing how different illustrators responded to the same piece of writing, and there's a fascination in seeing a "chinese whispers" effect in the written responses to the illustrations.

In this zine, my favourite illustration is by Joe Sumner - I enjoy the graphic style and barbed humour. I have two favourite pieces of writing - "The Nature of Things" by Evie Wyld, which starts the zine, and "Pub Ecologue" by Jonathan Gibbs.

I will send both zines on to Pooker3 when I have a postal address. 

Journal Entry 6 by Nell-Lu at Edinburgh, Scotland United Kingdom on Thursday, October 07, 2010

Released 1 yr ago (10/7/2010 UTC) at Edinburgh, Scotland United Kingdom

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I have this all packaged up to go to Pooker3 and will take it to the Post Office this afternoon. Happy reading, Pooker 3! 

Journal Entry 7 by Pooker3 at Winnipeg, Manitoba Canada on Monday, October 18, 2010

Thank you Nell-Lu for sending this and its partner along. And thank you ETMadrid for thinking to send them out at all. What treasures they are. I'd have been afraid to trust that they'd return to me. If they don't, I should be your first suspect.

As I reported in my first post on the other zine, I dove right into this one. I'd just returned from court to discover them in the morning's mail and didn't stop to take off my coat or have a pee but headed back out to the porch for a smoke and a read.

So, I've read Evie Wyld's story and was entirely amused. I've been a lawyer for 21 years and a family lawyer at that. I can't count the times that my otherwise very nice clients, husbands and wives, have had those little slips with the Exacto knife - slips that inexplicably result in the husband's leather ottoman becoming a little worse for wear or the wife's presence in the family photos suddenly become an absence. Oh my. In fact just before I became a real lawyer myself, I was farmed out to learn the ropes from one of my now senior colleagues. One of my first tasks was to "supervise" the exchange of some property from the now wife's home to the waiting moving van of the husband. I was paid $20.00 an hour to check things off the list as they were transferred one to the other. Both the husband and the wife were present to "supervise" too and while there was much hurling of barbs and insults back and forth between this once-in-love pair, I was able to tick things off my list in a fairly orderly fashion. That is until we came to a melon baller. Yes, a melon baller that one of them had purchased at a garage sale for 75 cents. Apparently this item held such extreme sentimental value for each of them that the other could not possibly have it.

I don't remember who ultimately made off with that prize. Perhaps it was decided later. Such was the case for their budgie, Peter. Peter was the subject of a custody application. Apparently the husband had made off with Peter when he left the home and the wife wanted him back (Peter, not the husband). Luckily, although I guess not for Peter, the poor bird died before the court had to decide which of his "parents" was more fit. I never heard anything to suggest that it was not a natural passing for Peter, so I assume it was.

I absolutely love Naomi Sloman's illustration in response! I can hardly bear to put these zines aside in favour of my work today but look forward to this evening. I think I'll pick up some libations for the occasion. :) 

Journal Entry 8 by Pooker3 at Winnipeg, Manitoba Canada on Wednesday, October 27, 2010

Well, my first impression was right on. I can hardly bear to send these zines on their way. I had such fun reading them. And, I read them both up, down and sideways. In fact I've developed my own relationship with the folks in Naomi Sloman's illustration in this book, who, you might as well know, are Frances and Edwin. And lo and behold if I don't meet up with Frances and Edwin in the other book. Oh yes, I know that's you Edwin. I recognize your sweater.

Like Nell-Lu, I was totally fascinated by what she called the "chinese whispers" effect. We have another name for that game in Canada but of course now that Nell-Lu has planted that seed in my brain, I can't think of what we call it. I also have to admit that the most curious and perplexing of the responses ( in both books) always came from the poet. Andy, just where does your mind live?

I just love this project. The two zines, although slim, have given me hours and hours of delight. Even now, though I've packaged them up to send to lils74, I've been busily visiting the websites and blogs getting to know the writers and artists and their works. Did you know that Staffan Gnosspelius has a book called The Snot Book? Hahaha! I must find that.

I've pm'd lils74 and will send the zines on to her when she sends her mailing address (Honest! I will!)  

Journal Entry 9 by Pooker3 at Winnipeg, Manitoba Canada on Friday, November 05, 2010

Released 1 yr ago (11/5/2010 UTC) at Winnipeg, Manitoba Canada

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Off with its partner to Nepal today. I hope you enjoy these as much as I did, lils74.
 

Journal Entry 10 by lils74 at Kathmandu, Bagmati Nepal on Tuesday, November 30, 2010

Received this and its companion copy safely in the post today--I'll begin reading right away! Thanks for this ring, ETMadrid, and thanks for mailing these to me, Pooker3! 

Journal Entry 11 by lils74 at Kathmandu, Bagmati Nepal on Monday, February 14, 2011

I read this issue after the other one, and really liked it a whole lot more. Again, maybe it was my mood, but this one really resonated with me, and I found the writing very impressive. I found The Nature of Things to be hilarious and very witty, I would have liked it to go on and on. Porcelain was sad and haunting. Bitter/Sweet was also so well written, and Pub Eclogue...I could go on and on. The Five Things I've Learned About Desire was a perfect ending. In the end, they did what all good short stories do to me, and that's leave me wishing there were more! And I particularly liked Joe Sumner's art. Really a great thing overall. I think I should have read this one first and I would likely have enjoyed the other more too! :) I'll be seeing now what plans ETMadrid has for these two partners! 

Journal Entry 12 by lils74 at a bookring, A Bookcrossing member -- Controlled Releases on Friday, March 11, 2011

Released 1 yr ago (3/11/2011 UTC) at a bookring, A Bookcrossing member -- Controlled Releases

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This was posted yesterday to akosikulot in the Philippines; sent from France, which is my last stop visiting family on my way back home to Nepal! I'm not sure of the postal speed from here but I hope they reach soon, and that you enjoy them! 

Journal Entry 13 by akosikulot at Panabo City, Davao del Norte Philippines on Tuesday, March 29, 2011

Journal Entry 14 by akosikulot at Panabo City, Davao del Norte Philippines on Saturday, April 30, 2011