About If, Then
Started during the fall of 2020, If, Then: Technology and Poetics is a working group and workshop series that meets monthly over Zoom. In this space, we bring together writers, programmers, artists, and scholars investigating the relationships between humans and machines and the works of art, literature, and visual knowledge they produce together.
All who are kind and curious are welcome here. Our group is interdisciplinary and interinstitutional, consisting of faculty, staff, and graduate students from departments ranging from English to Architecture to Computer Science, alongside independent scholars, poets, and creative practitioners and technologists. Check out our archive of past sessions here.
If, Then-ers at the January 2022 Open MicCommunity Values Statement
(developed by the Community Advisory Board)
Who we are:
We are an eclectic group, from diverse backgrounds and perspectives, interested in discovering ways to integrate electronic and digital techniques/perspectives with our creativity, expanding what poetry and performance are through the combination of words and code. We use a variety of platforms and software to create artwork and experiences that bridge the gap between computation and the page via a humane, discerning use of technology.
What we do:
We teach, inspire, learn, share, and critique works and practices of computational creativity in a low-stakes, non-hierarchical collegial space. We believe that the technology we use should always be secondary to the human relationships we build and the expressive works we share.
Why we do it:
- To foster a creative and intellectual third space for community members to embrace our collective curiosity while offering a supportive network;
- To create space for community members to make their practices and work more sustainable;
- To develop a means to learn about the work that others are doing, to discover new software, platforms, and techniques, and to give artists a venue to talk about and share their work;
- To explore how computing can provide a means for revision and critique of computing;
- To offer perspectives about how we can exist, work, and imagine alternative technological practice in an increasingly digital world.
The when and where (access and equity):We currently host monthly workshops and seasonal small groups ON ZOOM that focus on community, accountability, creativity, and sharing. We operate on a North American academic calendar, with a (hopefully long, restorative) break in June, July, and August.
The logistics of when and where we meet are tied to both the embodied constraints of the organizers and the priority of access and equity. That our meetings are virtual is particularly important. Though it is far from perfect, we recognize that this allows more folks, from more places, backgrounds, and access needs, to learn, commune, and share.
We use captioning whenever available and encourage visual descriptions, along with recordings, transcripts, and materials available after the session. We also have breaks built into the schedule. We invite sharing of other accessibility recommendations / requests for each upcoming meeting—our aim is equitable, care-oriented access for all.
Ongoing revisions:
We encourage all community members to provide feedback on this Statement via Discord or during our monthly workshops. Our Community Advisory Board regularly reviews and revises this Statement to incorporate your recommendations and ensure it reflects the needs and purpose of our community.
About the Organizers:
Dr. Carly Schnitzler is the founder and co-director of If, Then and a lecturer in the University Writing Program at Johns Hopkins. Her teaching and research center digital rhetoric, creative computation, and the public humanities. Drop her a line at cschnit1 [at] jh [dot] edu!
Dr. Lillian-Yvonne Bertram joined If, Then as a co-director in the spring of 2021, after hosting the group’s first large event the previous fall. They direct the MFA program at the University of Maryland College Park and their books include Negative Money, Travesty Generator and But a Storm is Blowing From Paradise.
Our Community Advisory Board is essential to our ongoing work and programming. Learn more about the board here.