Maintenant 17: A Journal of Contemporary Dada Writing and Art - by Peter Carlaftes & Kat Georges (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

When a war ends provisionally, the agreement is called a ceasefire. But when peace ends, there is only war. War and peace are co-dependent. Perhaps it is now time for a "Peacefire."

In Maintenant 17: A Journal of Contemporary Dada Writing and Art, nearly 250 artists from more than 40 countries explore the concept of the end of both war and peace, exploring provocative outsider ideas as dada has done since its inception. With searing cover art by Uta Kaxniashvili, this issue of the renowned journal elaborates on dada's original premise as an antiwar movement.

The Maintenant series, established in 2008, explores themes of politics, humanity, philosophy, and current concerns from an antiwar, anarchic (and often eye-opening) perspective. Past issues include work by artists Mark Kostabi, Raymond Pettibon, Joel Hubaut, Heide Hatry, Avelino de Araujo, Pawel Kuczynski, Inas Al-Soqi, Giovanni Fontana, Nicole Eisenmann, Syporca Whandal, and Kazunori Murakami; past writers have included Gerard Malanga, Charles Plymell, Andrei Codrescu, Harry E. Northup, Malik Crumpler, Maw Shein Win, and more, with a strong contingent of artist-writers from the world of punk rock, including Thurston Moore, Mike Watt, Bibbe Hanson and more.

Critics have praised the series since its inception. Seattle Book Review calls Maintenant, "A smorgasbord for those who are sick and tired of it." Tribe LA dubs the journal, "A compilation of leading Dada-influenced artists from around the world that is timely and relevant." Serbia's Madjan Magazine proclaims that the Maintenant series proves "Dada is not dead." The Maintenant series is archived in leading institutions worldwide, including Museum of Modern Art New York.

Contributors to Maintenant 17 include: Derek Adams - Mariam Ahmed - Jamika Ajalon - Youssef Alaoui - Linda J. Albertano - Austin Alexis - Joel Allegretti - Daina Almario-Kopp - Hala Alyan - Jim Andrews - Wayne Atherton - Liz Axelrod - Mahnaz Badihian - David Barnes - Amy Barone - Vittore Baroni - Tchello d' Barros - Gaby Bedetti - Regina Lafay Bellamy - C. Mehrl Bennett - Volodymyr Bilyk - Mark Blickley - Clemente Botelho - Gedley Belchior Braga - Michael Georg Bregel - Kathy A. Bruce - Imanol Buisan - Fork Burke - Billy Cancel - Peter Carlaftes - Wendy Cascade - Nick Cash - Mutes Céeacute;sar - Sarah M. Chen - Nguyễn Báaacute; Chung - Hal Citron - Lynette Clennell - Andrei Codrescu - William Cody - Chuck Connelley - Roger Conover - Anothony Cox - Malik Ameer Crumpler - Raf Cruz - Tchello d'Barros - Wer Da - Steve Dalachinsky - Allison A. Davis - Holly Day - Avelino De Araujo - Francesca Dharmakan-Bremner - Natalie DiFusco - Dario Roberto Dioli - Rachel Dixon - Sam Dodson - Carol Dorf - Eric Drooker - Robert Duncan - Salvatore Esposito - Fong Fai - Agenta Falk - Massimo Fantuzzi - Jeff Farr - Becky Fawcett - Rich Ferguson - Maria Filek - Cheryl J. Fish - Kathleen Florence - Robert C. Ford - Dorothy Friedman - Thomas Fucaloro - Ignacio Galilea - Sandra Gea - Kat Georges - Christian Georgescu - Robert Gibbons - Gordon Gilbert - James J. Gleeson - Mark Glista - Ed Go - Gemma Goette - John Goodby - Odeon Grace - S.A. Griffin - Fausto Grossi - Meghan Grupposo - Egon Guenther - Genco Güuuml;lan - Ana Maria Guta - Bibbe Hansen ̶

Review Quotes

"Full of connections, of ways to think creatively about humanity's penchant for destruction, and what it might take to bring about peace." -Shona Reads Book Reviews

"Utilizing a myriad of styles and mediums, artists and writers draw us into a Dada world, the world we are living in, like nothing else I've seen does. . . . it will blow your mind." --Home Planet News

"Though people expect Dada to be silly, and sometimes it is here, it is also often political and usually poignant. . . It's quite a smorgasbord for those who are sick and tired of it." ―Seattle Book Review

"A compilation of leading Dada-influenced artists from around the world." ―TRIBE LA Magazine

"Excellent examples of collage and montage techniques . . . Interesting visual poems." ―Portland Book Review

"Contemporary art and writing ranging from collages and acrylics to new digital art motifs and using computers to create art . . . As always it brings an interesting perspective." ―Manhattan Book Review

About the Author

Peter Carlaftes is a New York City-based author, editor, publisher, and performer. He has written and staged twelve plays, and is the author of five books: A Year on Facebook (humor); Drunkyard Dog and I Fold With the Hand I Was Dealt (poetry); and Triumph for Rent (3 plays) and Teatrophy (3 More Plays). He is co-founder and acquisitions editor of Three Rooms Press (New York), for whom he has edited multiple anthologies including the Have a NYC: New York Short Stories series, the annual Maintenant Dada Art and Writing Journal and Mike Watt: On and Off Bass, a collection of photos and distilled tour diaries from the great punk rock bass player. He lives in Manhattan.

Kat Georges is a New York City-based poet, playwright, performer, publisher, and graphic designer. She has written and staged twelve plays, and is the author of two books: Our Lady of the Hunger and Three Somebodies: Plays about Notorious Dissidents. Her poetry and prose work has appeared in The San Francisco Chronicle, The Outlaw Bible of American Poetry, Have A NYC: New York Stories, Signs of Life: San Francisco Short Stories, and numerous regional and international journals and magazines. In New York since 2003, she has directed numerous Off-Broadway plays, produced more than 300 events, and performed widely. She is co-founder, editor, and artistic director of Three Rooms Press (New York). She lives in Manhattan.