In 2007, I worked on a project called “My Friend Books”, in which I took a small, gridded moleskin book “on tour” through book stores (and other knowledge environments like museums and the metro), concentrating on one particular friend per book. I allowed my thoughts and impressions of my friend to mix and combine with the influences of the environment; in this state, I wandered around, grabbing bits of language and ideas from books, signs, music (any environmental stimulus, really), and recording them into the book, which evolved into a kind of loose poetic “score” for performance and exploration.
When I had created 7 “friend books,” I recorded several readings of each. For each book, I recorded one reading going “straight through” the book; later, I recorded a few recombinatory improvisations through the book. Finally, I recorded several recombinatory improvisations using all 7 friend books.
I will periodically add the recordings of a particular friend book, along with some fragments, ideas, or sketches that I’ve picked up on re-listening: