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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!!
Short Red: Exercises
Ep 69 Madison Hamill: Specimen by Madison Hamill
Ep 68: AUP New Poets 5 - Sophie van Waardenberg
Ep 67: AUP New Poets 5 - Rebecca Hawkes
Ep 66: AUP New Poets 5 - Carolyn DeCarlo
Ep 65 Giacomo Lichtner's Essay '100 Years of Primo Levi'
Ep 64 Sharon Lam and Murdoch Stevens: Lonely Asian Woman by Sharon Lam
Ep 63 Sora Kim-Russell: Nowhere to Be Found by Bae Suah
Ep 62 Brandy Scott talks to Pip Adam about Not Bad People
Ep 61 SPOILER Episode - The New Animals by Pip Adam
Ep 60 Anne Kennedy talks to Pip Adam about The Ice Shelf at Unity Books Wellington
Ep 59 Elizabeth Heritage talks to Pip Adam about Copyright
Ep 58 Helen Heath talks to Pip Adam about 'Gas' by Fleur Adcock and 'Are Friends Electric?' by Helen Heath
Ep 57 Morgan Godfery: The Interregnum edited by Morgan Godfery
Ep 56 Kirsten McDougall talks to Pip Adam about The New Animals
Ep 55 The Next Word LIVE with Tayi Tibble, Freya Daly Sadgrove and Hera Lindsay Bird
Ep 54 Eamonn Marra: Cream Reaper by Julie Koh and Dog Farm, Food Game by Eamonn Marra
Ep 52 Susie Anderson: At LitCraw 2017
Ep 52 Kerry Ann Lee: Fruits in the Backwater by Kerry Ann Lee
Ep 51 Nina Powles: Luminescent by Nina Powles
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