A couple of weeks ago I started sending out books, magazines, posters and pamphlets to previous contributors to GANTOB (the project). Ultimately I sent out 23 packages, in an attempt to contact “The Ten”. These included the 23 Questions in various different formats (pamphlets, posters, paper and card, slightly different wording).
Tuesday’s pamphlet from YMoF was number 39 of the 52 Pamphlets. There are therefore only 13 slots to fill before I conclude my work with the publication of the third and final GANTOB book, 52 Pamphlets. This will be posted free to all contributors to this stage of the project.* I have a bit more to say myself, which leaves around 10 slots still to fill. Hence The Ten. If there are more than 52 pamphlets submitted, then there will be ways to include some or all of these contributions.
Four people have already been in touch since this most recent GANTOB mailing. Here are two of their contributions. They illustrate that you do not need to contribute a full pamphlet to be part of the third book. You could answer one of the 23 Questions – and your answer could be a word, sentence, paragraph or a pamphlet. Or a photo of your scribbles. Or a piece of art. You decide.
This is not a pamphlet. It is an update. It will, however, be included in the book.
To submit your contributions please use contact details in the About GANTOB section of this blog.
Contributions from Stephen and Andy follow.
Hi GANTOB
I received the poster and book today and felt I needed to finally answer one of your questions. Text is below, feel free to edit and thanks for not giving up on me.
All the best
Stephen
I was initially reluctant to respond to the 23 Questions. I didn’t think I had a whole pamphlet in me and didn’t want to waffle just to fill out the space, like a school assignment with a set amount of words. Now there aren’t many questions left and GANTOB just sent me a ‘To The Ten’ poster with a copy of Bad Wisdom by Bill Drummond and Mark Manning. As this is now my third copy I will have to part with at least one to a charity shop as was suggested in the poster’s text. The second is a spare but really I should give it away too (useful if someone needs to borrow it but who am I kidding). In the text of ‘To The Ten’ I also noticed that the answer can just be ‘a sentence, paragraph, a pamphlet, or a series of pamphlets’. This was news to me and encouraged me to have a go.
I’ve decided to answer Question 21: So What? This seems both existential and very open ended. My initial answer is: because it matters. I don’t know what the ‘So What?’ is actually referring to but I feel if it’s important enough to ask the question, even if it’s just one person asking, then it must be about something that matters. If it is meant to refer to the GANTOB blog and the whole effort it has spawned (so what, why was it done, what does it matter?), I’m not the person directly responsible to answer that. I have a belief however that, if they so desire, people need to add their voices and opinions to the rest of the world. If they don’t, then we are left only with the loudest voices, the most numerous voices and commercial interests. The internet is still a place where any voice can be placed for no real cost and be heard by a few at least, at best (or worst) by all. The more variety of interests and opinions shared the better. GANTOB is justified simply by this belief alone. It’s our differences that make us human and have helped us evolve to where we are and difference is what will keep us the dynamic species we are. Out of the billions of people, one person, one voice, can really still make a difference, big or small, in secret, over the years or in one fast minute.
STEPHEN 9 MAY 2024
Andy messaged me on Twitter/X a week earlier. I have transcribed his answers to questions 10, 11, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22 and 23:
* If you are a GANTOB newbie, or lapsed GANTOBer, and would like a copy of the first or second book, then a very limited number of copies are available on request, after a second printing to fulfill requirements to the UK copyright libraries. First come, first served.
GANTOB blog 