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Radical Software, Volume I, Number
4
Untitled, Summer 1971
Click cover for thumbnails
This very rich issue, with a cover by
Ant Farm (which forms the back cover also), marked a
departure in terms of format, content, personnel, and
price. Number Four appeared as a tabloid-sized magazine,
had some content donated, layout and all, by video groups
in Canada and California, and it cost $3.00 instead
of $1.50.
Phyllis Gershuny, a founder of Radical
Software, had left the magazine after the previous
number, and Beryl Korot shared the editing tasks with
Megan Williams. Gone was some of the ad hoc appearance
of the first issues. Clearly an attempt had been made
to rationalize somewhat both the format and content.
The editorial section begins with a lengthy
article, "Biotopology 1972" by Warren Brodey,
M.D. Brody, a psychiatrist from Canada who now lives
in Norway, was a recognized pioneer in family therapy,
and had done related work in cybernetics, artificial
intelligence, and early work in interactive computer
systems. Also notable are "The Nutritive Context"
by Frank Gillette and "Infolding Paul Ryan"
by Avery Johnson, all with a media ecology theme.
What makes this issue so rich, however,
is the plethora of reports and proposals from video
groups on both coasts, the midwest, and Canada. These
contributions both identify and make plain the goals
and methods of an entire generation of video activists,
artists and communitarians committed to the belief that
the free flow of information could help effect social
change.
Also included are the ever-present hardware
tutorials, lists of videotapes to buy and sell and the
names and addresses of their distributors, and descriptions
of on-going tape projects. One sleeper is "Game",
a page by Marc Le Brun, now an important software developer.
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