The MIT Press and post-modernism
Deborah
amazed all over again at how, um, hip it is to post-modern topics and images.
How did an enterprise sponsored by the ultimate pocket-protector wearers get to
be so avant-garde?
Best regards from Deborah
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Rich Clancey
+ Every time I visit the MIT Press bookstore (Kendall Square, Cambridge, MA), I'm
+ amazed all over again at how, um, hip it is to post-modern topics and images.
+ How did an enterprise sponsored by the ultimate pocket-protector wearers get to
+ be so avant-garde?
+ Best regards from Deborah
+ FAQ file: http://members.aol.com/SJF1959/index.html
+ Mailing list: http://www.listbot.com/subscribe/in.box
+ Archive: http://www.listbot.com/archive/in.box
I haven't been there in about 12-14 years, but back in those
days, the books were equally divided between hideous Moderne
Architecture and Linguistics gobbledygook. I suspect the "Corporate
Radicalism" snuck in under the cover of Bauhaus aesthetics, the same
way beatnik painting ended up being de riguer for all sterile
corporate skyscraper lobbies.
The reason I never went back to the place is that the other
customer and the fellow behind the counter enjoyed a long "feeling
each other out verbally" session, and when they both determined that
they "spoke" linguistics, switched into some high level Teknikle Tawk,
and I think it was love. I would love to have known if they whispered
Chomskian jargon in each other's ears all night, but that will remain
a mystery.
The reason I found the whole thing even more distressing than
a person might otherwise is that I have heard essentially the same
conversation between two Scientologists, carefully poking and prodding
so see if the other person is "one of ours", then the mutual dive into
phoney high level "scientific" jargon.
But my theory is that the two traditional ways of mixing the
Military Industrial subculture and the Unwashed Counterculture has
been through this wholesale adoption of "Modern Aht" into corporate
architecture, and the other of course has been through advertising,
where the "Creatives" rub elbows with the "Suits".
Alec Horgan
> Every time I visit the MIT Press bookstore (Kendall Square, Cambridge,
> MA), I'm amazed all over again at how, um, hip it is to post-modern
> topics and images. How did an enterprise sponsored by the ultimate
> pocket-protector wearers get to be so avant-garde?
By being an independent publishing house. Of course,
MIT Press is still much less "avant-garde" than most
university presses. They proudly describe themselves
as "the only university press in the United States
whose list is based in science and technology."
Alec
Eric Boyd
<aw...@mars.its.yale.edu> wrote:
MIT's 'Zone Books' imprint is about as pomo as it gets. Back when I was a
buyer for a bookstore Zone topped Duke as the top pomo publisher.
What's really good about MIT press is their excellent cover art.
-seric
--
You buy; We fry.
Bossman
They have a nice presence on the WWW as well.
No brag, just fact. (not me, them)
Michael
Please direct e-mail to both of the following addresses :
mitc...@image-link.com
mitc...@att.net
Plus ca change, plus c'est la meme chose.