.........RADIO FREE NIHILON: pt. 2: Free(k) Media / For Madmyn Only

Since this series of posts was started by talking about the ABQ free media boxes, I'll post this picture of The Strange Tractor, the free box in downtown Iowa City, IA that was the inspiration for the first one here in town.

It's been active for well over a decade. I'm pretty sure it didn't exist when I left I.C. in '98 to wander aimlessly, eventually ending up in Burque. The only way I know of "the tractor" is through my friend Virginia Visker, a townie afficionado of and participant in the underground art & music scene. Virginia interacts with the box on a regular basis, often telling me about what she's left in it (including many items that I've sent her) and the "responses" she receives. Even though anyone can take or leave anything they please in a free media box (and for any reason), Virginia sometimes interprets the contents as addressing her personally, depending on how much she's off her meds. I've noticed that free media boxes often attract the most concentrated attention from schizophrenics, of which Virginia is a proud "sufferer". I love Virginia.


Virginia reading w/ noise/improv locals

"S.C." was another such person that contributed heavily to ABQ's first Mystery Media Free(k) Box, and many of whose offerings were compiled in a special ABQ Lost supplement. Known "S.C." documents had stopped appearing in the free box by the time of that publication, & I found only a few other items bearing S.C.'s signature (or by-now distinctive handwriting) before the box was removed. One was a Christmas card addressed to the Peace & Justice Center down the street, thanking them for taking care of all the homeless puppies. I'm pretty sure the P&J isn't involved in that activity, but I left the card under their door anyway. I arranged the others as a page intended for The New #2, but eventually used it in one of the originals-only, single copy issues I made out of the castoffs from that zine. {Another of these single copy issues contain letters & artwork Virginia Visker has sent me over the years, released with her blessing.} Here, S.C. offers up a series of 3 post-it notes, uniquely engaged in & critiquing syllogistic logic. These are followed by another post-it of uncertain authorship, with eerie astronomical insinuations.