Thank you very much to A young man on Facebook for this educational piece, which was issued earlier today in paper format, hopefully reaching The Passerby (whoever that may be) and the author (AYMOF). The latter is apparently mentioned in The JAMs’ book 2023: A trilogy, but I cannot check that detail because I have destrukted my copy of that book. AYMOF has kindly provided a bit more context.
I perhaps need to substantial the claim that this piece is educational. It will almost certainly extend your vocabulary (for example geographical terms). It has helped me make calculations based on coordinates. We can all potentially learn something new from Bill Drummond’s thoughts on any subject. And it will probably expand your knowledge of the northern limits of mainland GB.
Warning: There are straight lines in this piece. I don’t do straight lines usually. That is documented right back to my most recent trip to Northern Ireland in August 2023, when I was still a travelling salesperson (but not The Travelling Salesman, for obvious reasons). It is also there in one of Little Grapefruit‘s chapters in the second GANTOB book. It all relates to the Viennese artist Hundertwasser. Straight lines are godless and lead to the downfall of civilisation. Sometimes, however, we need to be flexible and shake off our strongly held preconceptions.
There is also mildly rude language. Probably not one for children as a result. I do not find the sh*te word particularly offensive. It is often used in a humorous way where I come from. Think Billy Connolly. Apologies if it has ruder connotations where you live.
The physical version of this pamphlet that was left in a book drop earlier today came in two forms – one for the person finding the book in the Little Free Library north of Drummond Place, Edinburgh, and one for that person (AKA The Passerby) to send to AYMOF. The wording may have been different in the two pamphlets. We are awaiting a confab and comparison of pamphlets between The Passerby and AYMOF. The means for this communication were provided in the drop. We will see if the plan bears fruit. It relies on the existence and honesty of The Passerby, and the reliability of the Royal Mail. We’ll see.
That’s enough from me (GANTOB) for this week. Over to A young man on Facebook and ChatGPT.
Oh, but before that I should also mention that I have been involved in AYMOF’s Line of Shite project once before – in a book drop in Folkestone, on 23 August 2023. I didn’t post about this on social media, because I didn’t want to spoil AYMOF’s work. Coincidentally, 23 August 2023 was the day that I started to feel the influence of The Benefaktor. There’s a bit more on that topic in the earlier post Entanglement, but it’s also discussed in a bit more detail in the second book (GANTOB’s 2023: A trilogy).
Pamphlet 5 of 52 Pamphlets for 2024
Submit your own idea for a pamphlet at GANTOB.BLOG/pamphlet
The Line of Shite by A young man on Facebook.
A narrated version, by AI voice “Malcolm”, can be heard here:
This is the latest text of a book insert:
“One evening in August 2003, a holidaying young man and his fiancée were minding their own business in a bar in Ullapool (a fishing village on Loch Broom in North West of Scotland). There, they witnessed a wizened trawlerman advise some bemused Scandinavian tourists, “Dinnae gae tae Wick, it’s a pile of SHITE”.
One morning in August 2020, the now older young man and his now wife and now kids were holidaying in Walberswick (an ex-fishing village on Suffolk coast in the East of England). There, he read a post on the artist Bill Drummond’s penkilnburn.com website: “MAKE LIVERPOOL SHITE AGAIN”.
Among other things, Bill Drummond is the author of “45“
(“a non-fiction book published by Little, Brown in 2000” [Wikipedia] that collects various essays written by Drummond in 1997 and 1998.) [Some familiar with Drummond’s work may disagree with the “non-” prefix].
The young man subsequently emailed Bill Drummond noting that, while Liverpool may be a bit “SHITE”, he had heard that Wick was a “pile of SHITE” – although, he had never been there to check. Bill Drummond emailed back, noting that, “Ullapool is definitely not SHITE. Whereas Wick has elements of bleakness”.
One night in September 2022, the young man had the opportunity to stay in Wick (a fishing town in Caithness in the North East of Scotland). There, he found that, while it did have elements of bleakness, on balance, he agreed with the Ullapool trawlerman – Wick was, indeed, a pile of SHITE.
To mark this confirmation, the young man placed a copy of Bill Drummond’s 45 in his hotel room’s bedside drawer in Wick. A few days later, the young man placed another copy of Bill Drummond’s 45 on a shelf in a bookshop at a hotel in Ullapool.
These placements established the Line of SHITE.
The young man subsequently determined that the Line has an azimuth of 64′ when plotted West to East (244′ the other way) – roughly East North East / West South West.
Between 2010-22, the young man had amassed several spare copies of 45. Acutely aware that one does not throw away books (and not wanting to flood the local charity sector), the young man wondered, “What would Bill Drummond do?” [Some might say the answer would, most probably, be, “not give a SHITE.”]
The young man resolved to place pairs of 45 in suitable locations forming parallels with the Line of SHITE, recognising that, over time, these may move – through happenstance, third party action or continental drift.
You have found one of them. You will probably never know the placement of its companion to the East North East or the West South West. You may judge the SHITEness of its current location. You may wonder if its companion is in a better or worse place than you are.
You’re welcome.”
In drafting this Pamphlet, ChatGPT was fed [by AYMOF] the above text and invited to: “Draft three paragraphs on the subject of Lines in Situationism that consider how the above exploit aligns or challenges this topic.”
It replied:
“Situationism, a movement rooted in the artistic and political avant-garde of the mid-20th century, embraced the concept of psychogeography – the study of how environments impact human emotions and behaviour. This included the idea of “dérive,” a drifting or unplanned journey through urban landscapes to expose hidden meanings. The Line of SHITE could be a contemporary echo thereof, where the young man connects disparate urban locations with a symbolic line. This echoes the situationist emphasis on uncovering subjective experiences tied to specific places, transforming them into a cohesive narrative.
Moreover, the act of placing copies of “45” along the Line of SHITE introduces an element of détournement (situationist subversion of pre-existing cultural elements for artistic purposes). The books become his instruments in the interpretation of place, transformed into markers challenging the conventional meaning of both a book and its locations. This aligns with the situationist ethos of disrupting established norms and encouraging a fresh perspective on the familiar.
However, this Line also challenges aspects of situationist thought. While situationism often seeks to critique and subvert the societal structures it perceives as oppressive, the young man’s engagement with the Line of SHITE appears more whimsical than revolutionary. Instead of actively challenging the socio-political status quo, he demands a subjective classification of a place. This suggests a more nuanced relationship between individual experiences and broader societal critiques, adding layers to the conversation on the intersection of personal narratives and socio-cultural landscapes within the context of situationism.”*
By “A Young Man on Facebook” and ChatGPT
3 February 2024
*The author edited ChatGPT’s output to achieve the word limit for this Pamphlet.
Placements to date:
Ullapool (no insert) – Wick (no insert)
Stratford, London (no insert) – TBP
Canada Square, London (no insert) – TBP
Folkestone (via GANTOB, insert v1) – TBP(+)
Brighton (insert v2) – TBP
TBP = To be placed
#GANTOB2024 Pamphlet 5 of 52
By A young man on Facebook and ChatGPT
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