About Temporary Signs
I get a kick out of temporary signs: those things that shops put up when they’re being redecorated, or there’s building work happening above them that blocks the normal sign. They are the unsung heroes of clarity in a world that, without them, would just be a bunch of places. They come out when a big, fixed permanent one just can’t cut it. When they’re finished with, they disappear. They’re like an informative Batman. They refine the job of the sign to its most basic element:
here’s where this shit is.
I also like those little posters that get put up given directions to specific events with a big arrow saying FLUTE TRIO THIS WAY. They are evidence that buildings aren’t just buildings, but spaces in which things happen. People use them for things, and when they do nobody cares about the name of the building, they just want to know where the FREE BEER is - forget who built it and why, how can I get to the BALINESE CLOWN?
This blog is about these temporary mark-ups that bring sense to the structures around us. Which is a little bit broader than signs you see on the street, but I wanted to give things some kind of focus. I failed.
I also think a personal website is like a garden. It’s a place to fuss about and do things the way you like. It’s not really about some kind of gardening competition, sometimes its just nice to mess around and see what happens, put in a water feature and some gnomes. Now it’s all gnomes, but sure you can’t have everything.
A little background
My name is Mark, I’m a writer and musician from Clonmel, Tipperary, Ireland and I now live in Atlanta, GA, USA. I write poetry and short fiction (you can see some here or here), and have written/directed for theatre at the level of enthusiastic amateur. As a musician, I’ve played guitar/banjo/bass in various bands and ensembles, and worked on theatre and film projects. Currently I play banjo with Juliana Finch and the Gentleman Scholars, mostly gigging around Atlanta. I also really love shape note singing and Javanese Gamelan, both of which I discovered at UCC. My day job is in the folk music business as office manager and occasional roadie for a small label. I have an MA in Ethnomusicology from University College Cork, and a BA in English and Music from University College Dublin.
