History of the315 Experiment!

History of how it started

This year, 1999, was the largest 3:15 gathering yet, thanks to Naropa hosting a 3:15 panel featuring Lee Ann, Danika, and Bernadette. There was an overwhelming response from those who wanted to join the group. We encountered some time zone challenges, so Lee Ann suggested writing twice a day, once at midnight and once at noon in whatever time zone anyone happened to be. The purpose, simply, to see what would happen, how it would alter the ritual… Yes, it technically ceased to BE a 3:15 writing experiment, but we called it that anyway for history’s sake.

This year, there wasn’t a larger number of participants, but they were much more wide-spread, with new members writing in Prague and Vienna, some traveling through Europe during the month of August, and Jen Hofer (once again) writing from Mexico City. Although we enjoyed the midnight / noon experience in 1999, we returned to the old 3:15 AM format due to popular consensus. We also decided that with so many time-zones represented, it was best to use our original idea of everyone writing at 3:15 AM wherever they were. Back to the question, “what does 3:15 AM mind look like?” Take a look.

A smaller gathering this year. A quiet one. Some new participants, some deciding waking at 3:15 AM won’t work for them any longer. It is a challenge and your mind and body have to be willing. Sometimes, it’s not what the doctor ordered. Some participants, however, are addicted. Some of us can’t stop, can’t think of NOT participating when August rolls around. Something is definitely fed, even if it is not shared. The surprise brings us back. The uncontrollable / unpredictable part of ourselves

For the last few years I’ve said to myself, “This is probably the last year for The 3:15 Experiment …” Then we get some new participants like Amber Fearn and Lisa Hanson and Paul Smith and the enthusiasm waxes once again. Plus I’ve been thinking about another 3:15 anthology or an experimental journal, this time in a sort of on-line zine format where “experiments” are suggested and submissions posted.

Welcome new readers and new participants. This year we’re hearing from Aydin Akgun, Jelena Andjelkovic, Valerie Bassett, Eileen Fix, Nathan Horowitz, Heidelinde Trimmel, and Marie Warsh for the first time. We love new voices, it keeps it new.

As many of you know, there were rumours of 2005 being the final (official) year of the experiment. However, due to the interest generated by the anthology (www.entheospress.com), and a rekindled passion due to the 3:15 Fiesta in Ventura (www.315experiment.com/bookrelease), we decided to keep the project running indefinitely.

Starting this year, we will have a guest facilitator each year. This person will organize the participants, send out communications, and work with the webmaster to get the new site up in a timely manner.

The Experiment will proceed using the original guidelines, however the facilitator may choose to add additional optional element. This is to keep the experiment new for those who have been doing it for many years. This year’s facilitator will be Liz Collins.

hello everyone,

winter solstice and the final spoken word salon at zoey’s in ventura are drawing near as i complete the final week of my first semester online in naropa’s jack kerouac school of disembodied poetics, the birthplace of the 3:15 experiment, sort of. the experiment, like the ‘surrealist project’ is beyond the limitations of space and time, in the twighlight of dreamtime, and beyond. dreaming is the continuation of dreamtime.

i am very grateful to have been able to act as facilitator this year, and to touch base with the broad community of writers that participate.

this september we held the second 3:15 event of the year, ‘a landscape beyond the brink of i’ with danika dinsmore, lee ann brown, laynie browne, jen hofer, antoinette nora claypoole, gwendolyn alley, amalio madueno, dawn marie oliver, and myself reading at the henry miller library in call and response format with jeff kaiser and friends. the event also included candlelit readings in the shadow of giant redwood bellies with the legendary joanne kyger, who kept us up to the wee morning hours with exquisite corpses and red wine.

i look forward to reading everyone’s writings this year.

blessings,

liz

WELCOME FROM 2007 FACILITATOR GWENDOLYN ALLEY
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BREAKING NEWS:

3:15experiment.com is undergoing major surgery. We’re relaunching the site with much more functionality in order to make it easier to register, log your poems, and communicate with each other. Features will also include:

~Centralized homepage for easy navigation
~Geographical map of participating poets
~Searching functions (so you can find that great goathead poem again).
~Commenting functions (so you can tell Danika how much you loved her goathead poem).
~Yearly online registration ( no more missed e-mails!)
~Ability to enter poems from any year you’ve participated back to 1993!
~A blog for facilitators and The Cognizanti to keep you posted of activities, events, news.
~3:15 Merchandise! (t-shirts, clocks, notebooks, underwear, etc)

If you are as thrilled as we are about making this happen and want to help, we welcome donations of ANY AMOUNT (no amount too small). Official sponsorship levels and benefits are as follows:

Friend – Any amount. Thank you on website.

Dreamer – $75
Thank you on website, link to website of choice, official 3 :15 Experiment pen & notebook.

Hypnogog – $150
Thank you on website, link to website of choice, choice of 3:15 Experiment T-shirt or underwear.

Hypnopomp – $250
Thank you on website, link to website of choice, 3 :15 Experiment pen & notebook, and choice of 3 :15 Experiment T-shirt or underwear.

Surrealist – $315 or more
All of the above plus a copy of the anthology.

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The 3:15 Cognizanti are:
Danika Dinsmore
co-originator of experiment, facilitator 1994-2005, co-editor between sleeps

Jen Hofer
original and continuous participant since 1993, anthology and website adviser

Gwendolyn Alley
participant since 2001, co-editor between sleeps, organizer 3:15 Fiesta, facilitator 2007

Tod McCoy
participant since 2000, publisher of between sleeps, webmaster 1999-2007

2010 has come and gone!

If you are were a participant, congrats on another August well spent in sleeplessness.

If you are here to peruse poetry written in a hypnogogic state in the middle of the night, have patience!

Thanks for stopping by!

We have come to the end of another 3:15 year. Congrats on getting through the month!

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The 3:15 Cognizanti are:

Danika Dinsmore
co-originator of experiment, facilitator 1994-2005, co-editor between sleeps

Jen Hofer
original and continuous participant since 1993, anthology and website adviser

Gwendolyn Alley
participant since 2001, co-editor between sleeps, organizer 3:15 Fiesta, facilitator 2007

Tod McCoy
en theos press, Hydra House books
participant since 2000, publisher of between sleeps, webmaster