We met at Dale’s house, inside because it was raining, and held our annual meeting.
In attendance: Dale, Mike, Daniel, Michael, Turff; Eli and Marc via satellite. Jeff B was in Florida; Jobie had car trouble; and Craig was in the hospital not having a sex change operation. Others were unaccounted for. The meeting was called to order by our Chair Dale.
Turff offered the toast to GCL. We acclaimed the officers by unanimous consent, as has become customary.
For Corroboration of the Validity of our Claims, Dale offered Jon McNaughton’s latest effort, “The Magnificent Seven,” and we consigned it to the flames.
Since our secretary W. Jeffery Bishop was at Disney World, Mike Funt stepped in as Secretary Pro Tem. (Jeff had typed up last year’s Proposed Efforts and emailed them to Dale.) Mike used his temporary position of authority to deflect onto Dale’s meager accomplishments of 2021, most of which were sad little completions of previous projects.
We had our silent meditation on our Efforts, burned our coals, and had a silent toast.
Then followed some discussion on the nature of Mike Funt’s achievements of 2021, which included — among other feats — a book deal with Routledge and a tattoo he designed from words he copied from personal letters to him from Edward Albee. While Censure was certainly called for, it was never brought to a vote, and so the Society has settled for being officially “Impressed and Annoyed” at him. (Official t-shirts coming soon to a Lichtenbergian store near you.)
We then submitted our Proposed Efforts for 2022. Secretary Pro Tem Funt will type those up and send them to Secretary Bishop.
After that, there was a wide-ranging discussion on the topic, “The Net Effect of Art: Safety or Trap?”
Comments from attendees may fill in some of the ideas we bruited, but one rang a bell: Turff expressed a nostalgia for the early days of our Society when we often had Assignments on this website. Others agreed, and so expect an email about Turff’s suggested Assignment in the next day or so.
It being late, the meeting was adjourned.
If you were not at the meeting 0r left before getting your coals from the fire, email Dale now and he will make arrangements.
If you were not at the meeting, please email Jeff your Proposed Efforts for 2022.
Net, after 12/18/21
We here are un[L]ucky in the net,
dancing but caught, clutching to catch, to tear.
Movements ours, but in the partner’s snare
—webbing always suggesting we submit
our steps to its squares. If we haven’t yet,
we’ll admire how the strands check us with care,
stopping movement here, starting it there—
through our thrashings made marionette.
Or are we still atop the pedestal,
calculating the leap into the swing.
It’s waiting below with the eyes and all.
Above, gears turn and sweaty palms grip rings,
knowing it is there lest we slip and fall
without our ten-thousand hours or wings.