Related Works

I write books-- some pretty non-popular books of poetry and essays, but books nonetheless; published over the last 15 years, with review copies and performance tours in support of them, etc. Tonight I was ego-surfing at Amazon and got some funny deflation-- some of the descriptions by second-hand book sellers are funny:

AS UNREAD; author's signature on title page; ALSO CONTAINS INSCRIPTION FROM AUTHOR ON LAST PAGE OF THE BOOK. Unknown printing. Illustrated by Stepping, Jonny. 45 p. : ill.; 23 cm. Signed by author.

Unread. Gee, thanks, whoever-it-is-I-inscribed-the-book-to. On the other hand, here's a pleasant one:

The cover has light surface and medium handling wear (creases). The inside is clean and bright with moderate handling wear. It looks carefully read. The title page appears to have the author's autograph.

Thank you!

Economics

Daniel X. O'neil

What are five books that changed your life? 
Inspired by Ms. Genevieve.

The World According to Garp (first actual long novel I ever read)
Preface to a Twenty Volume Suicide Note by Amiri Baraka/ LeRoi Jones (blew me away, made me want to be a poet)
Richard III, (couldn't believe how relevant it was to the 80s)
Lunch Poems by Frank O'Hara (realized that poetry could be breezy and un-dumb)
Live or Die by Anne Sexton (crushing, horrible, beautiful)

Live or Die

Anne SEXTON

More here: http://www.juggernautco.com/online/pulitzer/index.html

Audio: What song do you listen to when you are sad?
Submitted by Nat.

"Turn the Beat Around", Vickie Sue Robinson.

We had a surprise party for my mother last weekend-- all seven of her kids were there; three from out of town. Someone made a retro snack-- we used to pop these all the time, 70s-style, watching the Steelers beat everybody.

Snick Snacks

Dear publisher colon
Fuck your reward for lost poems period
In fact comma
you can take your five hundred Lila Wallace dollars and
shove them up your ass period
Now laugh period
Now laugh so hard you cry period

Copr 1995 Daniel X. O'Neil

Found a set of poems from a long time ago that never made it into one of my books. I always thought this was a hilarious one.

We're going meta today: What questions would you'd like to see become QoTDs?

What's your favorite poem and why?

What was your most memorable or favorite school field trip?

Not sure if this counts, but here it is:

On Thursday, October 3, 1985 (calculated by checking the Cubs schedule in 1985 to look for the last home game and then looking up the day of the week) we were doing our normal run for cross-country practice. We ran down Addison Street in Chicago, hit the lake, and then run back. Except this time we stopped at Wrigley Field-- all 15 of us-- and walked in for free. A guy on our team worked there as a peanut sales guy. He worked it out ahead of time with the coach.

The Cubs sucked (again, they made it to the playoffs in 1984), the neighborhood was still kind of pre-boom seedy, and the place was nearly empty. We got the obligatory note on the board welcoming us, we all shared some popcorn, then we all ran back to school.

What's the oldest digital camera photo you have on your computer? When is it from? Let's see it!

My little baby, on his first day, in the hospital room. (He's my second child, so I felt secure enough to do the one-armer w/ camera. Never would have tried that on first day of my first baby). Images for this Sony Mavica were stored on a 3.5 inch disk. 1/11/01.

Oldest-image

I have a number of artistic obsessions, most of them revolving around the concept of Derivative Works. I love making annotated compilations, manic compendiums, and morose lists. One of my primary and lasting obsessions is with Wide Right Turn signs. I started collecting them a few years ago and I created an online home for them here on my Poetry and Technology website.

King Tut Wide Right Turn

I call it "an incomplete look at the role of variation in a capitalist society" because every different sign says the exact same thing. You see, when large trucks make a right turn, they swing a little bit wide to the left first.

When Flickr came out, I started posting all my new captures there. I'm now apparently an authority on the subject, if Google pagerank is to be believed.

Last week I got an email from Mark Bender, an American ex-pat living in Scotland, who tells me that he created the very first Wide Right Turn sign. I believe him. Why? Because his story rings true and he seems (via email) to be the real McCoy. Here’s what Mark has to say:

I did the job with my friend Jim for two guys who with a company called R & L Trucking, which I think is now R & L Carriers (210) 337-6653 4202 US Highway 90 E. San Antonio, TX. They wanted the sign for their own fleet of something like 27 trucks but also wanted to expand their business to making signs. I have no idea what happened to that idea for them but thought I'd check on the web and see what they are up to now. Now, these might not be the same guys but it is likely as R & L Trucking is pretty particular. Way out on the north side of San Antonio on the loop 410.Heck, I could probably drive you today. If was not stuck in cold old Scotland!

I did it 30 years ago, when I was 19 years old. Many impostors hoped to improve on my original. I was doing graphic design (all by hand, no computers then) and as my dad is an architect, I knew a thing or two about drafting. Most of my work was very simple and linear. Anyway, my pal, Jim, who I was working with (still great friends after all these years) got this job.

We went to a local place (R & L) and they thought it would be a good idea to get a sign made that warned people of this problem. I suppose it was really for their trucks! They also thought it might be the sort of thing they could sell to other trucking companies... I guess they were right as it turned out! :) All they knew was the text: WIDE RIGHT TURNS. They had in fact made signs that said that the words but nobody noticed them.

At the time, the idea of putting an image that "showed you" the problem was unheard of. Also the perspective idea (sort of "as seen by" your minds eye) was also new. I told them I would do something that would absolutely work for them. At the time there simply were no graphical signs like this at all, and I don't think there many even still as it is sort of almost a un ique creation (my gift and my curse by the way). I have always loved perspective (I have a degree in philosophy, so perspective in all its forms really) and immediately knew how the sign would work. Like I said, I am not a great illustrator but I am still proud of the idea (actually, my favorite bit is the crazy explosion bit where the car and the truck collide!

I guess I always loved the "POW" and "WAM" from Batman the TV show). When I returned to the states after such a long time and found them all over the place and also that they had started to mutate in all their variations (as you lovingly documented with your work), I was delighted.

Red_starburst_american_gif

I got paid $500 and never thought about it again. A few years later I move to Scotland and only returned after about 15 years. Imagine my surprise when I got on my first highway and started seeing my little sign on the back of just about every truck on the road. It was really fun to see. My little slice of fame! :) Well, I returned to Scotland and now years later I wanted to show someone the sign but could not find the original. Mine is this one!

I mentioned the fee I got of $500 'cus when I discovered how popular my concept had become, it struck me that somebody probably made lots of money off it and it was not me (just wish I got a dollar for every one sold!, still 500 bucks to a 19 year old 30 years ago was good money!).

Thanks so much! This is a real delight to see it again. Boy, I was not very talented as an illustrator but the idea was a winner. It's funny because my sister actually became the designer and runs a company (BENDER WELLS CLARK DESIGN) that specializes in SIGNAGE in San Antonio. She's better then I am! :)

I am a filmmaker and my most recent film is an animation. I didn't draw any of it as I have learned to leave the art to people better suited to it. Still the ideas man, I directed the film which you may like to have a look at called Rogue Film.

All hail Mark Bender, Creator of the First "Wide Right Turn" Sign.

(vox) world.

other:

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