Clemson University professor of Creative Writing Jillian Weise is hosting a first-of-its-kind internet event, “A Kim Deal Party,” at 6:30 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 19, and at 6:30 a.m. Sunday, Sept. 20.
Weise describes “A Kim Deal Party” as a mix between a short film and performance art. On the surface, it’s a 20-minute and 20-second “video play” centered around fandom for American singer-songwriter Kim Deal, a former member of alternative rock bands Pixies and The Breeders. The cast includes Eileen Myles (poet, photographer and actor from the Amazon series Transparent) and The New York Times bestselling author Patricia Lockwood. It also features Clemson alumni and colleagues A.D. Carson, Cynthia Haynes, Aga Skrodzka, Erin Goss, Catherine Paul, Jonathan Beecher Field, Amy Monaghan, Maya Hislop, John Pursley, Preston Taylor Stone, Jesse Taylor and Dustin Pearson.
Weise said the event will focus on disabled and deaf viewers as the ideal audience.
“Right now, all media imagines nondisabled people as the ideal audience. I am flipping that,” said Weise, who describes herself as a “cyborg” having one computerized leg. “This is going to be a very important moment. It might not be right now or next year but it will be in 50 years.”
Weise said she will accomplish the “flip” by moving all the images to left of frame, so the deaf sign language interpreter who is typically seen in a small box in one corner of the screen will have equality in the frame. “She is not an add-on. She is not overlay. She is meant to be there. She is for the ideal audience: deaf viewers,” said Weise.
“Second, the video prioritizes disabled and deaf pleasure,” said Weise. “Sure, it is about Kim Deal, but it is actually about changing the entire form of media to center on disabled and deaf pleasure. Kim Deal is a conduit. Why Kim Deal? Because she is cool and disabled people are cool.”
Weise said she thinks disabled and nondisabled people alike will find the event entertaining.
“It is a fun time because of all the cover songs and the images of people. It entirely reimagines what screens and media can do.”
The event is free and open to the public. It will stream from the website www.publicspaceone.com
More information can be found on Weise’s website: www.jillianweise.com
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