Here’s my recording of Daniel Pinchbeck’s recent lecture at the Alton Ballroom in Lawrence, KS. You can either download the mp3 from here or listen below…
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LAWRENCE, Kan. – Mayor Boog Highberger wants to recognize Dadaism with by declaring a month devoted to the early 20th century anti-art movement.
Well, not exactly.
Highberger plans to proclaim International Dadaism Month on Tuesday during the city’s weekly commission meeting. But in the spirit of the Dadaists – who declared “art is dead” and rejected conventional forms, often making deliberately absurd works – the Lawrence mayor hasn’t picked a certain month to celebrate the movement. Instead, International Dadaism Month will be Feb. 4, April 1, March 28, July 15, Aug. 2, Aug. 7, Aug. 16, Aug. 26, Sept. 18, Sept. 22, Oct. 1, Oct. 17 and Oct. 26.
To choose the dates, Highberger rolled dice and pulled numbers from a hat.
As part of the proclamation, Highberger will utter a phrase from a poem by the late Hugo Ball, a founder of Dada: “Zimzim urallala zimzim urallala zimzim zanzibar zimzalla zam.”
“I just think it is good to acknowledge that there is a place for chance and nonsense in every healthy lifestyle,” Highberger said.
I came across this video on our town website, Lawrence.com, as Burroughs spent the last years of his life here in Lawrence, Kansas. It’s about 20 minutes of amature video of Bill just hanging out with friends (including Steve Buscemi and Allen Ginsberg), shooting the shit and being his charming self.
