vitriol

[vi-tree-uh l]
noun
1. Chemistry. any of certain metallic sulfates of glassy appearance,
as copper sulfate or blue vitriol, iron sulfate or green vitriol,
zinc sulfate or white vitriol, etc.
2. oil of vitriol; sulfuric acid.
3. something highly caustic or severe in effect, as criticism.

I will take it all: tongs, molten lead, prongs, garrotes, all that burns, all
that tears, I want to truly suffer. Better one hundred bites, better the whip,
vitriol, than this suffering in the head, this ghost of suffering which
grazes and caresses and never hurts enough.
Jean-Paul Sartre

Welcome, fellow travelers, to the second issue of vitriol.

s we write this, as you

read this, polar regions
continue to melt, garbage
accumulates in our oceans, humans
keep killing each other, rights are
still violated and denied, hearts
are broken wholesale, changing
economies displace urban dwellers
from their neighborhoods. Before the
publication of our next issue, rising
San Francisco rents will have forced
The Emerald Tabletthe host venue
for most of the events that inspired
the writings in this magazineto
close its doors.
Thus, though bittersweet, it is with
a knowing optimism that we share,
in this issue, an essay version of The
Emerald Tablet's first homegrown
performance series, Under the
Influence; for more than two years
of monthly shows and 130+ artist
presentations, its slogan has been:
because some things last longer than
homes. Created to pay homage to the
myriad factors that make us who and
what we are, and to acknowledge

and celebrate the fact that we do not

live in a vacuumeach of us is an
intersection of forces undergoing
continuous changethe series has
been a potent reminder that while the
future is always unclear, whatever
happens next will be defined by the
processes that brought us here. You
can read more about the series, and
Jack Foley's three-fold application of
the idea, on page 51.
As the fabric of the here and now is
lacerated, new threads unroll and
combine to weave another tapestry.
As with the individual lives who have
contributed to this magazine, so too,
we hope, with your life. As the image
of the moment fades, fresh colors
are already blending to paint a new
picture, not to be clearly seen until it
too begins to disappear. Worldwide,
the multitudes and their relations of
voice, path, and work, forever create
what is, leaving behind what may
appear to be the wake of a plan, the
shadow of intentionality. Who is the
master who makes the grass green?

To us, that is not the right question;

it is not global warming that needs
attention, but our disinterest in the
world's affairs; it is not the homicide
rate, but our inability to empathize;
not the trash in the ocean, but our
idea of trash; not the court-sanctioned
injustices, but our changing needs for
the law; not the gentrification of our
neighborhoods, but what we hope to
build, and how we will build it; it is
not the artist's job to master, but to
illuminate.
What is the green that makes the
grass master? We did not seek
answers or solutions or even specific
writings in compiling the content
of vitriol; we sought seekers; we
invited people working to transform
themselveswho are looking to
rebuild the homes they have made of
their experiences into better homes
on greener pasturesto send us the
results of their latest efforts. Pick
them up and put them down and take
them with you.

I ntroduction

Evan Karp is the founder and executive director of Quiet Lightning and the founding editor of Litseen.
com. He writes literary columns for The San Francisco Chronicle, SF Weekly, and SF/Arts, and is cocreator and -host of The Emerald Tablet's original programs: Under the Influence and Call and Response.
He's currently Front of House & Special Events Coordinator at SOMArts Cultural Center. Find videos,
audio, and more at
oth er people. i n fo

Lapo Guzzini is executive director of events and activities for The Emerald Tablet. In the years from 1996
through 2001, while residing in Rome, Italy, Lapo created video projections and installations in collaboration with musical artists, developing conceptual and textual material as well as visual experiences for
audiences across Italy, Spain and France. Since moving to California from Italy in 2001, Lapo has been
studying and producing art in a variety of media, passing through painting, drawing, sculpture and ceramics to his current focus on the written word. From 2007 through 2009, Lapo attended UC Berkeley
and studied mathematics and logic with leading experts in the field. He is a strong believer in the fundamental unity of the human pursuits of reasoning and creativity. By curating the scene that gravitates
around The Emerald Tablet, he seeks to create a welcoming and vibrant community space for creators, a
melting pot for all the multifaceted expressions of the human spirit to intersect and find points of synergy.
Contact him at lapo@emtab.org.

I ntroduction

DECEM BER 2 014 - A PR I L 2015