Pataphysics and Surrealism in Alabama : A Cultural History

Pataphysics and Surrealism in Alabama: A Cultural History by Steven Harris is the first book to explore the history of a series of interrelated artistic and cultural movements that originated in Tuscaloosa and Birmingham, Alabama. Harris interviewed twenty-six individuals involved in Raudelunas and its subgroups, and those interviews, along with existing primary sources like sound recordings and publications, have largely shaped the rich history that unfolds within. The book is divided into five chapters, beginning with situating the study within contexts of Alabama, Dada, pataphysics, surrealism, and improvised music. Subsequent chapters delve into the histories of Raudelunas, Transcendprovisation, and the Glass Veal, respectively, and the final chapter follows several key members into the present. It also includes a timeline of major events, biographies of key members, and an anthology of representative writings by the participants.