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39 Microlectures in Proximity of Performance
'A series of accidents has brought you this book.
You may think of it not as a book, but as a library, an elevator, an amateur performance in a nearby theatre.
Open it to the table of contents.
Turn to the page that sounds the most interesting to you.
Read a sentence or two.
Repeat the process.
Read this book as a creative act, and feel encouraged.'
39 In Proximity of Performance is a collection of miniature stories, parables, musings and thinkpieces on the nature of reading, writing, art, collaboration, performance, life, death, the universe and everything. It is a unique and moving document for our times, full of curiosity and wonder, thoughtfulness and pain.
Matthew Goulish, founder member of performance group Goat Island, meditates on these and other diverse themes, proving, along the way, that the boundaries between poetry and criticism, and between creativity and theory, are a lot less fixed than they may seem. The book is revelatory, solemn yet at times hilarious, and genuinely written to inspire - or perhaps provoke - creativity and thought.
You may think of it not as a book, but as a library, an elevator, an amateur performance in a nearby theatre.
Open it to the table of contents.
Turn to the page that sounds the most interesting to you.
Read a sentence or two.
Repeat the process.
Read this book as a creative act, and feel encouraged.'
39 In Proximity of Performance is a collection of miniature stories, parables, musings and thinkpieces on the nature of reading, writing, art, collaboration, performance, life, death, the universe and everything. It is a unique and moving document for our times, full of curiosity and wonder, thoughtfulness and pain.
Matthew Goulish, founder member of performance group Goat Island, meditates on these and other diverse themes, proving, along the way, that the boundaries between poetry and criticism, and between creativity and theory, are a lot less fixed than they may seem. The book is revelatory, solemn yet at times hilarious, and genuinely written to inspire - or perhaps provoke - creativity and thought.
224 pages, Paperback
First published March 8, 2000
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82 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
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May 30, 2008An inspirational manifesto on wondering and wandering. It is truly an elevator.
February 25, 2025
probably the best lecturer I've ever taken a class with. translated here.
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July 10, 2022I'll start reading
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 10, 2015
I think I read it wrong.
This book, as the author warns us in its introduction, like most bibles, is not designed to be read cover to cover, but rather to be referred to as and when it takes the reader's fancy. However, I did the opposite, and simply read from the first word to the last. As such, I did not experience any narrative or flow; it seemed erratic and disjointed, moving from passages that moved me into chapters that simply left me confounded. But then, I did it wrong.
It will definitely stay on my bookshelf, and in time perhaps those passages that did stick with me will come to supercede those that simply, well, didn't. All in all a very worthwhile read, for performers and non-performers alike, and a really stimulating and thought-provoking one.
This book, as the author warns us in its introduction, like most bibles, is not designed to be read cover to cover, but rather to be referred to as and when it takes the reader's fancy. However, I did the opposite, and simply read from the first word to the last. As such, I did not experience any narrative or flow; it seemed erratic and disjointed, moving from passages that moved me into chapters that simply left me confounded. But then, I did it wrong.
It will definitely stay on my bookshelf, and in time perhaps those passages that did stick with me will come to supercede those that simply, well, didn't. All in all a very worthwhile read, for performers and non-performers alike, and a really stimulating and thought-provoking one.
October 1, 2007
This book is wonderful. It is short, which I often appreciate in books.
When I was studying performance with Goat Island, they emphasized that time is a material: if you have ten minutes on a bus to develop work, consider that span of time as one of your materials with which to construct it. This book is best read in 10 minute fragments on noisy buses.
If you are an artist of any kind, you should read this book.
This book loses 1/4 of a star (not shown above) because it was printed in blue ink. It gains 5/16 of a star because it has rectangles on the cover.
When I was studying performance with Goat Island, they emphasized that time is a material: if you have ten minutes on a bus to develop work, consider that span of time as one of your materials with which to construct it. This book is best read in 10 minute fragments on noisy buses.
If you are an artist of any kind, you should read this book.
This book loses 1/4 of a star (not shown above) because it was printed in blue ink. It gains 5/16 of a star because it has rectangles on the cover.
April 5, 2009
I love that this book opened up the landscape of possibility of what a book can be -- it can be an elevator, or an answer from the inside, or night. It can entered at any point and put down at any point. This book is zuihitsu. The only section I had trouble with was Women and Directing -- it was a typical response to a legitimate question about privilege. (But I'm don't see myself as a man, but a creature from the black lagoon.)
March 14, 2008
My favorite professor in college, one of my favorite books. Such a wealth of knowledge and experience packed into a small book. His interests span literature, theatre, music, art, architecture... I would bet anyone could find a moment of inspiration within Matthew Goulish's words. This book is like a supercharged condensation of months of learning at an expensive school, packaged and available to all at a much more reasonable price point. Highly recommended. Amazing.
October 8, 2009
Before I even knew Matthew Goulish or really anything about him, I once proclaimed that I loved him. This proclamation actually got back to him, and it was told to me that he blushed in response. Let me clarify: I like Matthew Goulish; I love his name.
But this book is as inspiring as he is. A la Goulish, I invite you to read at least part of it.
But this book is as inspiring as he is. A la Goulish, I invite you to read at least part of it.
May 1, 2009
Well, all I can say is that this was a bit of a disappointment. What the hell was he talking about? it just struck me as a bunch of floating analyses, clever wordplay that seemed to do little to further any actual practices of performance and a lot to make the writer seem clever clever clever.
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July 29, 2011A wonderful book for artists, performers, writers and other creative literate people. I actually cried a couple times from feeling so moved by his and others' thoughts on creative process. I got this book from the library, but I would love to have it in my collection.
July 9, 2007
1. this book smells incredibly good
2. he mentions Kalamazoo, MI more than once
3. it's random. you can read it in any order you want
2. he mentions Kalamazoo, MI more than once
3. it's random. you can read it in any order you want
September 12, 2008
Read this for everything in your life
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews