‘ m We are now going to have a conversation on the response or rather lack of it to what was going to be a very exciting, involving, and 100% original evening on the topic of conversation itself. 

It may be that I was right, the art of conversation and indeed the desire to take part in face to face conversion has declined in favor of utility – ‘need to know’ basic communication, incessant chat via mobiles and social media and of course passing the time of day with gossip.

I had to make the decision this morning, Friday 20th of September when only three people had bought tickets. As an observer I’m quite fascinated by this. We had articles in the Frome times, we were listed on The List, I wrote about 150 personal letters to people I had met or knew of and yet people did not associate themselves with the need to discuss such a vital topic. (Vital – from ‘vitality’ – the animating principle of living things)

Maybe the topic was too heavyweight or radical for some, so we will explore offering the idea in another place possibly Bath or Bristol. This would be spring/summer 2025

However, the enormous benefit for me was that during the preparation I was inspired to write a couple of essays one of which will be in the form of a book which would have been published. Okay I am a few hundred pounds down but massively up at the end of the day in intellectual property.

If anyone feels like it would you care to give your impression of the publicity that you saw before making an attempt to buy a ticket. At this event I was also going to launch the idea of an instant book to review what a given number of people, hopefully 100, saw as their life in Frome in other words to provide a ‘Doomsday Book’ scenario but this time on the social side. This will now not happen.

If anyone feels they still have the power to articulate and is willing to do so, then let me know your views. All comments are welcome.

You can write to me at  artist @ pobox.com

Brian Snellgrove

Friday 20th September 2024

PS You can ask to be on a mailing list to be informed of a future iteration.