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Anna and Kelly Pendergrast’s latest work is More Zeros and Ones a book they edited which is published by BWB. This book brings together essays from incredibly interesting thinkers and doers who write about environmental science, law and Te Tiriti o Waitangi and recent developments in technology. I just can’t recommend this book enough. I love this blurb from BWB:
Many of today’s digital technologies inadvertently amplify the power structures and prejudices of wider society. By examining the way digital tools and platforms are designed, built, and maintained, this BWB Text aims to identify how we can do better for everyone in Aotearoa.
Anna and Kelly are founders of Antistatic a research and communications consultancy like no other I’ve come across. I got to talk to Anna and Kelly, as Antistatic, last year about their part in the Flat Earthers exhibition/book/event. Still one of the best things I’ve ever done.
I was interested in talking to Anna and Kelly about humour and laughter for several reasons. Anna and Kelly’s work is often playful and because of this I think, is able to say some pretty profound things about some of the power structures that sit in technology. Also, Anna and Kelly do a lot of work in communications - taking very complex ideas and structuring them for different purposes. I was interested in how this deep knowledge of communication gives an insight into what makes us laugh.
Ann and Kelly brought the perfect ‘thing that made them laugh’ for this kind of conversation. The Laughter Lift is a segment on the Kermode & Mayo’s Take podcast. I loved the way this opened up a conversation about jokes and the social act of telling jokes. One of the things I loved talking about was that because we often share an idea of the structure of ‘the joke’ with the people are telling jokes to, even when the joke goes wrong it is still funny because it becomes a subversion of the form.
This gives me immense hope as I am practicing my ‘bit’ for the Verb After Hours - Beyond A Joke night Thursday 3 November, 8.30pm at Meow in Wellington. To which there are still tickets available. This is a shameless self-promotion but also, the folk who are appearing in this event are amazing!!
Ep 50 Louise Wallace: Bad Things by Louise Wallace
Ep 49 Rhydian Thomas: Milk Island by Rhydian Thomas
Ep 48 Pip Adam talks to Maria McMillan
Ep 47 Oryx and Crake Series 3 - Antonia Bale
Ep 46 Oryx and Crake Series 2 - Bill Nelson
Ep 45 Oryx and Crake Series 1 - Danyl McLauchlan
A Short Announcement: The ORYX AND CRAKE series
Ep 44 Murray Hewitt and Pip Adam Talk
Episode 43: Pip Adam My Favourite Cindy - Bobby and Cindi
Ep 42 Danyl Mclauchlan: Time Travel by James Gleick
Ep 41 Rachel O'Neill: The Argonauts
Ep 40 Louise Wallace, Francis Cooke and Pip Adam talk about Starling
Ep 39 Helen Lehndorf: Sketchbooks by Derek Jarman
Ep 38 Lee Posna: Arboretum by Lee Posna
Ep 37 Sugar Magnolia Wilson and Pip Adam talk about Chasing Great: The Richie McCaw Biopic
Ep 36 Nick Ascroft and Pip Adam talk about Throwback: The Music of 2007
Ep 35 Emma Hislop and Pip Adam talk about The Mare by Mary Gaitskill
Ep 34 Sorority: Readings from some of Te Whanganui-a-Tara’s finest women of colour
Ep 33 Randell Cottage
Ep 32 Brannavan Gnanalingam: A Briefcase, Two Pies, and a Penthouse
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