Customer Reviews

HunterGatheress Journal: Joan d'Arc & Friends

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In this age of anxiety when most turn a blind third eye to the powers that be and layers of traditional meaning are unraveling at an alarming rate, HunterGatheress Journal takes a courageous stand for freedom of speech and cognitive liberty. Those weary of either a little too much reality or shallow superficiality can eagerly explore the bleeding edge with this wiley group of artists, edge-celebs and digerati, who sometimes carve a path through the mindscape with tongue firmly in cheek. But there are deep truths here, too, about our culture, our nature, and our future.

Led by the intrepid Joan d'Arc, "world-class paranoid woman" and Editor of Paranoia Magazine, this band of pranksters and public advocates inform and delight you at the same time. How much you agree or disagree with their conclusions and offerings may depend on their glib characterizations of themselves. But they are far more than spooks and kooks; there is depth here.

HunterGatheress contains both heartful and objective insight, foresight, and brilliant brainstorms, too. If all this has mystified you, good -- take a look for yourself and see if you can describe what you find any better. It is a bold initiatory journey into the realm of mystery. In this rich food for thought, you may just discover some things you didn't know about your world, and perhaps more importantly, about yourself.

HunterGatheress virtually embodies the words of new media prophet Marshall McLuhan:

"In the age of instant information man ends his job of fragmented specializing and assumes the role of information gathering. Today information-gathering resumes the inclusive concept of "culture," exactly as the primitive food-gatherer worked in complete equilibrium with his entire environment. Our quarry now, in this new nomadic and "workless" world, is knowledge and insight into the creative processes of life and society." - Marshall McLuhan and Ted Carpenter, UNDERSTANDING MEDIA: THE EXTENSIONS OF MAN, 1964, pp.138-9 (MIT Press Edition)

The inaugural issue of the Huntergatheress Journal brings together one of the most creative literary cocktails I have seen: poetry, prose, nonfiction, humor--all linked, at times subtlely, by a nebulous thread of Eyes-Open Suspicion. The range of writers and points of view is so varied that probably some of those included would disagree here or there with coauthors within the same volume, yet here they all get along nicely for a romp through the regions of conspiratorial awareness, poetic reflection, and even a bit of leg-pulling. The range of thought reflects a publishing achievement which bodes extremely well for future issues. Joan d'Arc, the veteran publisher and author, has scored a hit and left us all waiting for the next issue, to see what new Tall Tales of Synchronicity, attacks against the Cryptocracy, poems and humorous sketches lie in store.