Practical Exercises

(adapted from Georges Perec’s Species of Spaces and Other Pieces)

Observe the street, from time to time, with some concern for system perhaps.
Apply yourself. Take your time.
Note down the place,
the time,
the weather.

Note down what you can hear. Anything worthy of note going on. Do you know how to hear what’s worthy of note? Is there anything that strikes you?
Nothing strikes you. You don’t know how to hear.

You must set about it more slowly, almost stupidly. Force yourself to write down what is of no interest, what is most obvious, most common, most colourless.

Force yourself to hear more flatly.

…

Carry on.
Until the scene becomes improbable
Until you have the impression, for the briefest of moments, that you are in a strange town or, better still, until you can no longer understand what is happening or is not happening, until the whole place becomes strange, and you no longer even know that this is what is called a town, a street, buildings, pavements…