Pleased to share that my poem PRAVDA appears in Maintenant 20, exploring the theme IMPROPERGANDA — where, without Truth, even Disapproval loses its purpose.
Inspired by childhood memories of my grandfather and his daily ritual of reading Pravda — the Russian word for “truth” — my poem reflects on the curious relationship between truth, memory and propaganda. For decades, Pravda, the major Soviet newspaper, was a familiar presence in everyday life, bringing the official voice of the state into people’s homes.
The issue also features a contribution by Sara Maino, whose painting, Ma(i)nofesto, offers her own artistic interpretation of the theme.
Two artistic responses, each exploring the shifting boundaries between truth, ideology and expression.
MAINTENANT 20: A Journal of Contemporary Dada Writing and Art is the latest of the ongoing annual MAINTENANT DADA journal series, established in 2008. This year’s issue features over 240 contributors from 34 countries and 6 continents, offering work on the theme of IMPROPERGANDA. With brilliant cover art by renowned Iranian-American artist, Nicky Nodjoumi, MAINTENANT 20 dives into the intersection of politics, misinformation, and the post-truth era. A must-read for academics, artists, and anyone reckoning with modern media and governmental disinformation.
The MAINTENANT series is archived in leading international institutions including the Museum of Contemporary Art–New York, the BelVUE Museum–Brussels, and more. Contributors have included such artists Mark Kostabi, Raymond Pettibon, Fred Tomaselli, Nicole Eisenman, Jean-Jacques Lebel, and Kazunori Murakami, along with writers William S. Burroughs, Gerard Malanga, Charles Plymell, Jack Hirschman, and Jerome Rothenberg, with a strong contingent of punk musician-artist-writers including Grant Hart, Mike Watt, Exene Cervenka, Thurston Moore, and Alice Bag.
THANK you, the editors, Peter Carlaftes and Kat Georges for your continued trust!
