Saturday, November 17, 2012

“Survival of the Friendliest” serves publishers well



As the publishing industry continues to hit the e-Potholes of the digital age, Wellington publishing collective Lawrence & Gibson survive on the mutual aid and DIY policies that kiwis have embraced since Maui rowed his boat ashore. 
Take a look at their forthcoming book $30 Meat Pack by Richard Meros:
The cover is an image from Wellington artist Hannah Salmon. The pages were bound in the Trades Hall on Vivian Street at anarchist publishers Rebel Press. Even the content was formed over late night discussions with other members of the collective.
“Survival of the friendliest”, James Marr of Lawrence & Gibson, likes to call it.

The full title for the new book is another long one: $30 Meat Pack: the complete written correspondence between Richard Meros and Creative New Zealand volume two. The book imagines how Creative New Zealand, under a right wing government, is restructured into Reactive New Zealand. The new department is charged with only making art that expands the nation’s happy-go-lucky spirit.
With two new books to match two touring theatrical adaptations of his other books, Richard Meros is looking to take his 2012 Wellington “cult following” (The Dominion Post, October 2012) into a national movement.
So what else is in store for 2013?

“Labour needs me,” he mulls, “they’re so out of ideas that they’ve booked out a whole session at Downstage. They’ll be taking notes, presumably. What they really need to do is hire Arthur, Geoff and me to run their 2014 campaign. Easy as that. David, Grant, and any coup-plotters in the wings: our lines are open.”

Lawrence & Gibson release Richard Meros’ new book $30 Meat Pack at Downstage Theatre from 6pm on November 22. Richard Meros salutes the Southern Man plays at Downstage from November 21 until December 1.

No comments: