Propaganda
Letter From The Founder
First of all THE STSC NEEDS YOU!
Now with that out of the way I will briefly introduce this months symposium.
I would like to be able to say that I am immune to propaganda and advertising but I am not. (What’s the difference between the two anyway? Is there one? Is propaganda the continuing of advertising by other means in the way that von Clausewitz said war is the continuation of peace by other means?)
Messages go in and they shape you, especially when they catch you unawares which in the age of rolling news, pop up ads, spam email and so on is a perennial possibility.
Perhaps you could argue that this whole STSC enterprise is an exercise in propaganda, in countersignalling that puts out a new message in opposition to the standard message of consumption, apathy and doomscrolling.
We believe that you can create new art and culture from the ground up without gatekeepers, permission or the standard rulebook and procedures. And this very Symposium along with everything else we put out in a piece of propaganda aimed at persuading you of that point.
I mean here we have over a dozen new and unique pieces from an independent, worldwide, hugely talented crop of (underrated) voices who are all happily creating in the right way for the right reasons. It can be done. And it is being done. And we will continue to do it come what may.
How’s that for a piece of propaganda?
Enjoy.
Essays
Sin Azucar by Clint
Satanic cults, sugar free Coke, Heisenberg and Dungeons and Dragons. What more could you ask for in an essay? And rather than being madcap zaniness
is always in control here, and it all makes perfect sense. Remarkable.bookmark #754 by Deepansh
there are two responses to living in a place like this: you either enjoy an empty mind, devoid of any thoughts or worries as you remain in a calm, restful state, or you fill your mind with anything you find, with advertising, with propaganda, with the concerns of your neighbours and the history of your fathers. naturally, the former has fewer takers.
Recent STSC featured writer Deepansh does it again. Incredible writing in his utterly unique and immediately identifiable style. How does he do it?
WARNING: FAILURE TO READ THIS POST MAY RESULT IN A FUTURE CASE OF FOOLISHNESS by Tony
He’s back! After putting down the pen since April (I dread to think what he’s been up to)
is back with another banger. Will this be a return to hyper-creativity or will the man of mystery slink away after another walk off KO?Propaganda at work by Terry
For me any essay that begins with a dictionary definition is nearly always rubbish. This is a good rule of thumb. But another rule of thumb that takes precedent over that is ‘Everything Terry writers is excellent.’
So here we are, with another
masterclass in non fiction. Hats off.Hobbled by Subtle Lies by Trilety
delivers as always. ‘I’m speechless.’Fiction
Utter Nonsense In Outer Space by Vanya
Great title, great conceit, great execution. Did you really expect anything less from Vanya ? If you did you haven’t been paying attention.
Waterlogged Tower by D.B.
The visual quality of the prose here is perfectly matched by the visuals provided by the embedded photography. It’s almost as if D.B. is a filmmaker or something. Which reminds me- congratulations
on meeting your next projects funding goal.Unity Day by Clint
has utilised what we call Vanya’s Gambit, which is a loophole with these submissions where by you can enter multiple pieces as long as they are in different mediums. So above you have his essay and here you have a short story. Whether this constitutes showing off is for you to decide. But it has to be said that both works are very, very good.The Silent Sons of Propaganda by Victor D. Sandiego
Every one of Victor’s stories flies by, carried by the propulsive rhythm of his prose. It looks easy but like everything that looks easy it really isn’t. Very, very impressive work.
Dead Languages by Edward
Honestly even if you didn’t read the words (though you would be a fool to ignore them) the music choices that accompany each section of
s stories are well worth your time on their own. It’s the curation like this, along with the actual meat of the fiction that creates an aesthetic world. A truly unique artist.The Passport by Greg
Correct me if I’m wrong but this may well be
‘s first time contributing to these monthly Symposiums. Not that you’d know it from this story which has the feel of an old pro flexing his creative muscles. Impressive.Art and Poetry
Forgotten by GK Gaius
Although there are many stings to his bow and many genres and mediums he can work in, I’m particularly fond of
the poet. He just has it when it comes to verse. You can’t teach it.mother's tongue by Yuelian
Absolutely beautiful and powerful work from
. I’m not gonna say anything else other than to implore you to read itPropaganda by Jeanne
This is the art and poetry section and Jeanne has delivered both a painting (which made me smile) and a poem formed from those oft repeated phrases that will be all too familiar to anyone who has been in a long-term relationship. Some of them stung, I’m not gonna lie.
Collaboration
Nutritious Spam- Trilety x D.B.
As well as representing two further utilisations of Vanya’s Gambit, what we have here, more importantly is a first. The first Symposium collaboration between
and is the first example I have ever seen in my life of spam poetry. Not Slam poetry but spam poetry where the subject lines alone join into free form verse. I’m not sure if this is madness or genius but I do know that I will never look at an email subject line in quite the same way ever again.
So that was the STSC symposium on Propaganda. We hope you enjoyed reading it as much as we enjoyed creating it.
Thank you for your support with these projects we share, thank you for reading them and thanks for all of your comments, feedback and notes. Thank you for taking the time to share them and pass on the word.
And of course above all thanks to all of the contributors and those who help keep the STSC going via their kind support, especially those who keep a low profile, I hope we will be able to coax more of you into taking the plunge and participating in future issues.
Cheers.
Thanks for kind words, Tom. Another great collection