Alan Sondheim
Encyclopedia
Alan Sondheim is an American poet
, critic
, musician
, artist
, and theorist of cyberspace
.
. He holds a B.A. and M.A. in English from Brown University
. He lives with his partner, Azure Carter, in Brooklyn
, New York
.
, 1996), Disorders of the Real (Station Hill, 1988), .echo (alt-X digital arts, 2001), Vel (Blazevox, 2004-5), Sophia (Writers Forum, 2004) and The Wayward (Salt Publishing
, 2004), as well as numerous other chapbooks, ebooks, and articles. Sondheim has long been associated with the Trace online writing community, and was their second virtual-writer-in-residence. His video and filmwork have been widely shown.
Sondheim co-moderates several email lists, including Cybermind
, Cyberculture and Wryting. Since 1994, he has been working on the "Internet Text," a continuous meditation on philosophy, psychology, language, body, and virtuality. His artwork can also be found within Second Life
.
Sondheim is the developer of the concept of codework
, wherein computer code itself becomes a medium for artistic expression.
As of mid-2009, Sondheim is working on a book examining the phenomenology and foundations of the analog and digital, and another on developing an aesthetics of virtual realities and avatars. His current areas of exploration include: the aesthetics of virtual environments and installations; mapping techniques using motion capture and 3D laser scanners; Buddhist philosophy and its relation to avatars and online environments; and experimental choreography.
Alan Sondheim - Ritual-All-7-70 (ESP 1048) USA 1967
Alan Sondheim - T'Other Little Tune (ESP 1082) USA 1968
Alan Sondheim - Ski/nn (Fire Museum Records FMR 07) USA 2006
Alan Sondheim - Fifty-Six (Qbico 056) Italy 2006
Alan Sondheim - Boojum (Majmua Music MM 9) USA 2008
Poet
A poet is a person who writes poetry. A poet's work can be literal, meaning that his work is derived from a specific event, or metaphorical, meaning that his work can take on many meanings and forms. Poets have existed since antiquity, in nearly all languages, and have produced works that vary...
, critic
Critic
A critic is anyone who expresses a value judgement. Informally, criticism is a common aspect of all human expression and need not necessarily imply skilled or accurate expressions of judgement. Critical judgements, good or bad, may be positive , negative , or balanced...
, musician
Musician
A musician is an artist who plays a musical instrument. It may or may not be the person's profession. Musicians can be classified by their roles in performing music and writing music.Also....* A person who makes music a profession....
, artist
Artist
An artist is a person engaged in one or more of any of a broad spectrum of activities related to creating art, practicing the arts and/or demonstrating an art. The common usage in both everyday speech and academic discourse is a practitioner in the visual arts only...
, and theorist of cyberspace
Cyberspace
Cyberspace is the electronic medium of computer networks, in which online communication takes place.The term "cyberspace" was first used by the cyberpunk science fiction author William Gibson, though the concept was described somewhat earlier, for example in the Vernor Vinge short story "True...
.
Biography
Alan Sondheim was born in Wilkes-Barre, PennsylvaniaPennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
. He holds a B.A. and M.A. in English from Brown University
Brown University
Brown University is a private, Ivy League university located in Providence, Rhode Island, United States. Founded in 1764 prior to American independence from the British Empire as the College in the English Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations early in the reign of King George III ,...
. He lives with his partner, Azure Carter, in Brooklyn
Brooklyn
Brooklyn is the most populous of New York City's five boroughs, with nearly 2.6 million residents, and the second-largest in area. Since 1896, Brooklyn has had the same boundaries as Kings County, which is now the most populous county in New York State and the second-most densely populated...
, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
.
His works
Sondheim's books include the anthology Being on Line: Net Subjectivity (LusitaniaLusitania
Lusitania or Hispania Lusitania was an ancient Roman province including approximately all of modern Portugal south of the Douro river and part of modern Spain . It was named after the Lusitani or Lusitanian people...
, 1996), Disorders of the Real (Station Hill, 1988), .echo (alt-X digital arts, 2001), Vel (Blazevox, 2004-5), Sophia (Writers Forum, 2004) and The Wayward (Salt Publishing
Salt Publishing
Salt Publishing is an independent publisher whose origins date back to 1990 when poet John Kinsella launched Salt Magazine in Western Australia. The journal rapidly developed an international reputation as a leading publisher of new poetry and poetics...
, 2004), as well as numerous other chapbooks, ebooks, and articles. Sondheim has long been associated with the Trace online writing community, and was their second virtual-writer-in-residence. His video and filmwork have been widely shown.
Sondheim co-moderates several email lists, including Cybermind
Cybermind
Cybermind is an Internet mailing list devoted to "the philosophy and psychology of cyberspace." It was co-founded by Alan Sondheim and Michael Current in mid-1994 to explore, exemplify and discuss multiple aspects of cyberspace, both from theoretical and experiential perspectives...
, Cyberculture and Wryting. Since 1994, he has been working on the "Internet Text," a continuous meditation on philosophy, psychology, language, body, and virtuality. His artwork can also be found within Second Life
Second Life
Second Life is an online virtual world developed by Linden Lab. It was launched on June 23, 2003. A number of free client programs, or Viewers, enable Second Life users, called Residents, to interact with each other through avatars...
.
Sondheim is the developer of the concept of codework
Codework
Codework is the mixing of Sondheim's writing with the code of various computer languages. The word 'codework' was originally created and given its name by Alan Sondheim. It is also sometimes referred to as net.writing. It is said to have been inspired by the eclectic poetry of e.e.cummings.Codework...
, wherein computer code itself becomes a medium for artistic expression.
As of mid-2009, Sondheim is working on a book examining the phenomenology and foundations of the analog and digital, and another on developing an aesthetics of virtual realities and avatars. His current areas of exploration include: the aesthetics of virtual environments and installations; mapping techniques using motion capture and 3D laser scanners; Buddhist philosophy and its relation to avatars and online environments; and experimental choreography.
The Internet Text
The Internet Text can be seen as Sondheim's major work, and was included in the first Electronic Literature Collection. Posted online since 1994, it is both an aggregate of Sondheim's writings and a "continuous meditation on cyberspace." The works are distributed on several email lists and gathered on Sondheim's website. The significance of The Internet Text is as a document or residue of Sondheim diverse writings and performances, and also as a philosophical reflection on computer mediated communication and online culture.Discography
Alan Sondheim/Ritual All 770 - The Songs (Riverboat 03) USA 1967 /reissue Fire Museum Records (FMR04) USA 2005Alan Sondheim - Ritual-All-7-70 (ESP 1048) USA 1967
Alan Sondheim - T'Other Little Tune (ESP 1082) USA 1968
Alan Sondheim - Ski/nn (Fire Museum Records FMR 07) USA 2006
Alan Sondheim - Fifty-Six (Qbico 056) Italy 2006
Alan Sondheim - Boojum (Majmua Music MM 9) USA 2008