Travis Jeppesen
Encyclopedia
Travis Jeppesen Florida
is an American novelist, poet, and art critic.
He grew up in Charlotte
, North Carolina
and moved to New York City
at the age of 17. He received his B.A. from The New School
, where he studied literature and philosophy. Among his professors at the New School were the philosopher Paul Edwards
and writers Lynda Schor
and Sekou Sundiata
. He later studied literary translation at the University of Paris III: Sorbonne Nouvelle
and art history at the Open University
. Bruce Benderson
became his mentor. In 2001, Jeppesen moved to Europe
. Since 2006, he has lived in Berlin
.
Jeppesen's first novel, Victims, was selected by Dennis Cooper
to debut his "Little House on the Bowery" series for Akashic Books
in 2003. Ostensibly about the final days of a UFO religious cult loosely based on Heaven's Gate
, the novel utilizes a heavily fragmented narrative to tell numerous related stories in an imaginary small town in the United States called Monkhole. Poems I Wrote While Watching TV, a collaboration with painter Jeremiah Palecek, was published by BLATT Books in 2006. The next year, Twisted Spoon Press published Jeppesen's latest novel, Wolf at the Door. In 2009, Dicklung & Others, a volume of poetry, was released by BLATT Books.
In addition, Jeppesen's work has been anthologized in The Edgier Waters (Snowbooks, 2006), 3:AM London, Paris, New York (Social Disease, 2008), and The Offbeat Generation (Social Disease, 2008).
In 2008, his play Daddy premiered at the HAU Theater in Berlin, under the direction of Ron Athey
. A riffing on the Lolita
myth, the play explores what happens when an 11-year-old boy impregnates his school teacher. Simultaneously, the boy's mother becomes involved with a local UFO cult. In Jeppesen's words, "The 'daddy' of the title is an 11-year-old boy, who, fatherless, becomes a father himself – and then, by a certain turn of events, doesn’t. The other father, I suppose, is Preacher Creacher, the leader of the cult, who instills himself as a fake father over others – yet his sincerity is ambivalent throughout. So the figure of the father goes through many cycles of presence and absence throughout the course of the play. In this sense, I’d say it’s quite productive – we’re gonna make a lot more daddies than we are babies."
Jeppesen's critical writings on art and literature have appeared in Artforum
, Flash Art, New York Press
, Bookforum
, The Stranger
, and Zoo Magazine
. A collection of his art criticism, Disorientations, was published by Social Disease in 2008; subsequently, Jeppesen launched disorientations.com, a "one-man art magazine." In October 2011, Jeppesen announced that he would be shifting the focus of the website to explore his notion of object-oriented writing, "a new form – neither poetic nor art-critical, yet retaining characteristics of both – that attempts to inhabit the object. That is, a writing that positions itself within the work of art, and also including all the necessary contradictions and impossibilities embedded within such an approach." Object-oriented writing could be thought of as a parallel creative practice to object-oriented ontology
.
Previously an editor at the Prague Pill and the Prague Literary Review, he is a contributing editor to 3:AM Magazine
.
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
is an American novelist, poet, and art critic.
He grew up in Charlotte
Charlotte, North Carolina
Charlotte is the largest city in the U.S. state of North Carolina and the seat of Mecklenburg County. In 2010, Charlotte's population according to the US Census Bureau was 731,424, making it the 17th largest city in the United States based on population. The Charlotte metropolitan area had a 2009...
, North Carolina
North Carolina
North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
and moved to New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
at the age of 17. He received his B.A. from The New School
The New School
The New School is a university in New York City, located mostly in Greenwich Village. From its founding in 1919 by progressive New York academics, and for most of its history, the university was known as the New School for Social Research. Between 1997 and 2005 it was known as New School University...
, where he studied literature and philosophy. Among his professors at the New School were the philosopher Paul Edwards
Paul Edwards (philosopher)
Paul Edwards, born Paul Eisenstein, was an Austrian American moral philosopher.-Life and career:Edwards was born in Vienna in 1923 to assimilated Jewish parents, the youngest of three brothers....
and writers Lynda Schor
Lynda Schor
Lynda Schor is an American writer known for her satirical feminist short fiction including the collections Appetites, True Love & Real Romance, and her latest, The Body Parts Shop. Her stories have appeared in many literary journals, magazines, and anthologies and have been nominated for many...
and Sekou Sundiata
Sekou Sundiata
Sekou Sundiata was an African-American poet and performer, as well as a teacher at The New School in New York City. Famous students include musicians Ani DiFranco and Mike Doughty. His plays include The Circle Unbroken is a Hard Bop, The Mystery of Love, Udu, and The 51st Dream State...
. He later studied literary translation at the University of Paris III: Sorbonne Nouvelle
University of Paris III: Sorbonne Nouvelle
The New Sorbonne University is a public university in Paris, France.The Université de la Sorbonne Nouvelle is a founding member of the Paris Universitas, a union of 6 Parisian universities....
and art history at the Open University
Open University
The Open University is a distance learning and research university founded by Royal Charter in the United Kingdom...
. Bruce Benderson
Bruce Benderson
Bruce Benderson is an American author, to Jewish parents of Russian descent, who lives in New York. He attended William Nottingham High School in Syracuse, New York and then Binghamton University...
became his mentor. In 2001, Jeppesen moved to Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
. Since 2006, he has lived in Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
.
Jeppesen's first novel, Victims, was selected by Dennis Cooper
Dennis Cooper
Dennis Cooper is an American novelist, poet, critic, editor and performance artist.-Career:Cooper grew up the son of a wealthy businessman in Arcadia, California. His first forays into literature came early, focusing on imitations of Rimbaud, Verlaine, de Sade, and Baudelaire...
to debut his "Little House on the Bowery" series for Akashic Books
Akashic Books
Akashic Books is a Brooklyn-based independent publisher. Akashic Books' collection began with Arthur Nersesian's THE FUCK UP in 1996, and has since expanded to include Dennis Cooper's "Little House on the Bowery" series , Chris Abani's Black Goat poetry series, and the internationally successful...
in 2003. Ostensibly about the final days of a UFO religious cult loosely based on Heaven's Gate
Heaven's Gate (religious group)
Heaven's Gate was an American UFO religion based in San Diego, California, founded and led by Marshall Applewhite and Bonnie Nettles...
, the novel utilizes a heavily fragmented narrative to tell numerous related stories in an imaginary small town in the United States called Monkhole. Poems I Wrote While Watching TV, a collaboration with painter Jeremiah Palecek, was published by BLATT Books in 2006. The next year, Twisted Spoon Press published Jeppesen's latest novel, Wolf at the Door. In 2009, Dicklung & Others, a volume of poetry, was released by BLATT Books.
In addition, Jeppesen's work has been anthologized in The Edgier Waters (Snowbooks, 2006), 3:AM London, Paris, New York (Social Disease, 2008), and The Offbeat Generation (Social Disease, 2008).
In 2008, his play Daddy premiered at the HAU Theater in Berlin, under the direction of Ron Athey
Ron Athey
Ron Athey is an American performance artist associated with body art and with extreme performance art. He has performed in the U.S. and internationally . Athey's work explores challenging subjects like the relationships between desire, sexuality, and traumatic experience...
. A riffing on the Lolita
Lolita
Lolita is a novel by Vladimir Nabokov, first written in English and published in 1955 in Paris and 1958 in New York, and later translated by the author into Russian...
myth, the play explores what happens when an 11-year-old boy impregnates his school teacher. Simultaneously, the boy's mother becomes involved with a local UFO cult. In Jeppesen's words, "The 'daddy' of the title is an 11-year-old boy, who, fatherless, becomes a father himself – and then, by a certain turn of events, doesn’t. The other father, I suppose, is Preacher Creacher, the leader of the cult, who instills himself as a fake father over others – yet his sincerity is ambivalent throughout. So the figure of the father goes through many cycles of presence and absence throughout the course of the play. In this sense, I’d say it’s quite productive – we’re gonna make a lot more daddies than we are babies."
Jeppesen's critical writings on art and literature have appeared in Artforum
Artforum
Artforum is an international monthly magazine specializing in contemporary art.-Publication:The magazine is published ten times a year, September through May, along with an annual summer issue...
, Flash Art, New York Press
New York Press
New York Press was a free alternative weekly in New York City, that was published from 1988 to 2011. During its lifetime, it was the main competitor to the Village Voice...
, Bookforum
Bookforum
Bookforum is a New York-based magazine devoted to books and the discussion of literature. It is edited by Albert Mobilio, Chris Lehmann, , and Michael Miller.-History: Bookforum was launched in 1994 as a literary supplement to Artforum...
, The Stranger
The Stranger (newspaper)
The Stranger is an alternative weekly newspaper in Seattle, Washington, USA. It runs a blog known as Slog.-History:The Stranger was founded by Tim Keck, who had previously co-founded the satirical newspaper The Onion, and cartoonist James Sturm. Its first issue came out on September 23, 1991...
, and Zoo Magazine
Zoo Magazine
Zoo Magazine was also the name of a magazine formerly produced by the Zoological Society of London for its Young Zoologists' Club.Zoo Magazine is a magazine based in Amsterdam, Netherlands, that was first created on 25 September 2003. It focuses on fashion, art, literature and architecture and is...
. A collection of his art criticism, Disorientations, was published by Social Disease in 2008; subsequently, Jeppesen launched disorientations.com, a "one-man art magazine." In October 2011, Jeppesen announced that he would be shifting the focus of the website to explore his notion of object-oriented writing, "a new form – neither poetic nor art-critical, yet retaining characteristics of both – that attempts to inhabit the object. That is, a writing that positions itself within the work of art, and also including all the necessary contradictions and impossibilities embedded within such an approach." Object-oriented writing could be thought of as a parallel creative practice to object-oriented ontology
Object-oriented ontology
Object-oriented ontology is a metaphysical movement that rejects the privileging of human existence over the existence of nonhuman objects. Specifically, object-oriented ontology opposes the anthropocentrism of Immanuel Kant's Copernican Revolution, whereby objects are said to conform to the mind...
.
Previously an editor at the Prague Pill and the Prague Literary Review, he is a contributing editor to 3:AM Magazine
3:AM Magazine
3:AM Magazine is a literary magazine, which was set up as 3ammagazine.com in April 2000 and is edited from Paris. Its editor-in-chief since inception has been Andrew Gallix, a lecturer at the Sorbonne ....
.
External links
- HAU Curator Stefanie Wenner interviews Jeppesen about Daddy
- 3:AM interview (2007)
- disorientations website
- BLATT
- The Stranger
- Akashic Books - includes excerpt of Victims & interview with Jeppesen
- Jeppesen's soundtrack for Victims