We've received several inquiries asking about the range of topics included in the book so we thought it might be useful to list the essays here.
There is too much content to relate in detail suffice to say that Massey, Lovecraft, Blake, Jung, Williams, Rimbaud and Mallarmé are just a few of the writers and artists discussed. The historical and mystical life of Isis/Aset is analysed, the origins of the Typhonian current are revealed and a fictional work comes to life displaying some familiar features...and that's all barely scratching the surface.
Mike Magee's essay will be of particular interest to admirers of Grant's work as it reveals a personal perspective to the man that will be unfamiliar to many readers.
Introduction - London, Gateway To The Mauve Zone
Kenneth Grant, The Vision of Pan by Edward Gauntlett
The Stars Are Right by Richard Ward
Kenneth Grant & The Veil of Isis by Caroline Wise
Startide by Alaster Aleph
Imagination & Creativity by Michael Staley
Afterword by Mike Magee
Interesting. Has it been released?
It has, the pre-order is available now from landofzos.com and we expect the Standard copies to be shipping in very early September with the Deluxe following very closely behind.
Ordered mine yesterday! Looking forward to it!
Many thanks N.O.X.! We're really excited for people to read the essays and see what the reactions are.
Whats fascinating to us is that even though none of the themes were prescribed, there is a lot of harmony between each author's contribution in overt and less overt ways.
I picked up one the the deluxe The Fool, and based on it's quality I immediately purchased S.B.M.. Looking forward to it!
Ariock, thanks so much for the support and for your kind comments about The Fool. We're very proud of that production but credit must be given to Mr. Staley for willingness to take risks and do things out of the ordinary, as with Sounds Beyond Meaning too!
Same situation with me. I was very happy with The Fool and am glad that purchasing it put me on the email list. I received the email announcement for Sounds Beyond Meaning at the end of July but couldn't place an order that early. I finally ordered a deluxe edition of it last Friday. I suspect it will be an interesting and highly valued addition to my collection.
That psychedelic eyeball rendition of the Major Arcana by Oliver Hibert looks kind of interesting as well.
NKB - we're pretty sure you will enjoy it and be glad you got a copy! As for Oliver's Major Aracana, he is a huge fan of the Pamela Colman Smith originals and wanted to do something in his unique style but paying obvious homage to her work. We will be releasing a full deck in the future (when it's finished) but there's been so much demand, we're bringing out the Major Arcana on it's own for now.
The book sounds great and if I was in the position to be buying books at present, it might well be at the top of my list.
However, it is a source of irritation to we folks up North, that so many people do appear to believe that the Gateway to the Mauve Zone is only to be found in London.
Rest assured - the use of London in this sense is not literal, rather it's a brief look at Grant's 'fictional' London. As readers will be aware, from his adventures with AOS to Nu Isis Lodge lore to his use of work by Machen et al, London does loom large in his output.
The introduction merely introduces a perspective on 'Grant's London' as a vehicle for accessing certain elements of the Typhonian current.
Very much looking forward to seeing this book. Anything with contributions by those I consider friends - Mick Staley, Caroline Wise and Mike Magee among them - is appealing to me!
Owner and Editor
LAShTAL
I'm interested in checking out the Major Arcana mentioned above but for the life of me can't see a link on the Vos site. Am I in the right spot?
Paul, many thanks for the kind comments.
As for Oliver Hibert's Major Arcana, it's in preparation and will be released this autumn.
There seems to be a problem with the web site but you should find much of what you need here: http://www.lashtal.com/portal/news/kenneth-grant/2908-sounds-beyond-meaning-kenneth-grant-his-work.html
Owner and Editor
LAShTAL
Thanks Paul - apparently our server is undergoing 'critical maintenance' and will be down for another hour or so
There was a sample picture of a few of the cards in the email notification that was sent out. Picture a Rider-Waite deck done in the following fashion and you'll get the idea:
[/align:gmwgy5gc]
Thanks NKB - not sure I've seen that before, looks like a flyer for a show in OKC.
Here's some examples of the Major Arcana. We are publishing the entire deck but only the major is finished so far and the demand has been so great we decided, with Oliver, to publish that first. It will come with some texts and in a few editions.
The Lovers will feature on the front cover of the new Flaming Lips album, due October I believe. It also features (somewhat surprisingly?) Miley Cyrus.
Who designed the tarot deck?
Looking at those cards, I don't really think of Kenneth Grant....if anything more like ''The Residents'' Tarot Pack:-
I don't really think there's any reason why you should. Nor has anybody claimed any such connection.
I don't really think there's any reason why you should. Nor has anybody claimed any such connection.
Silly me. It must have been their inclusion in a thread about Kenneth Grant. It definitely is a 'Residents' tarot then!
To get things slightly back on track...we are pleased to be able to say that a launch event for Sounds Beyond Meaning is planned for London very soon. We can't say too much more about it right now but full details will no doubt be posted on here when we have them.
Just wanted to let customers know that right now, we are still on track to meet the deadlines for postage as per the website for the Standard and Deluxe editions. Same goes for Jan Magee's wonderful print of Kenneth Grant.
A word of warning - there are very few Deluxe copies left.
Post a link, please.
Links to both editions:
Standard: http://www.landofzos.com/product/sounds-beyond-meaning-kenneth-grant-his-work-standard/
Deluxe: http://www.landofzos.com/product/sounds-beyond-meaning-kennethgrant-his-work-deluxe/
And to the limited edition print of Jan Magee's photograph: http://www.landofzos.com/product/kenneth-grant-golders-green-1976/
Thank you. I like the print very much - you can clearly see the titles on the bookshelf.
We received the signed text from Jan Magee for to accompany the Kenneth Grant prints and all print orders will be ready to ship soon
Looking forward to this!
Owner and Editor
LAShTAL
Do you have a clear estimate for time of shipping for the deluxe edition? Are you still looking at late September?
Hi NKB - yes, right now we're still looking at late September for the deluxe. We'll be updating people via email as it gets closer to shipping.
There will be an event at Treadwells in central London on Monday 6th October to mark the publication of Sounds Beyond Meaning. From the Treadwells website :
Monday 6 October
Kenneth Grant Remembered
Von Zos's Sounds Beyond Meaning
Kenneth Grant (1924-2011) was probably the most innovative occultist of the post-Crowley age; he knew both Aleister Crowley and Austin Osman Spare, yet forged his own imprint upon occulture. Sounds Beyond Meaning is a collection of essays by people who knew him and his work well: Michael Staley, Edward Gauntlett, Alaster Aleph, Caroline Wise, Richard Ward and Mike Magee. A small gathering with a limited number of a special Treadwells edition available (pls reserve by email).
Free, but places limited. RSVP required: info@treadwells-london.com
Time: 7pm to 9 pm with presentations at 7.30
Drat - I'll be leaving town the day before!
Mr Mick Staley;
I am probably wrong; but as I know imagination and creativity is a subject near and dear to Kenneth's work and your own, did you by chance write a similar article in Starfire/ Ecpyrosis previously? For some reason the title is ringing a bell. I was on the fence about this publication but the more I ponder it the more I think it would be useful and interesting.
~Chris
Chris, we could be mistaken but Michael didn't include an essay on similar themes in Ecpyrosis. This is a wholly original text and even some of the broad points were quite new to our eyes.
I am probably wrong; but as I know imagination and creativity is a subject near and dear to Kenneth's work and your own, did you by chance write a similar article in Starfire/ Ecpyrosis previously? For some reason the title is ringing a bell. I was on the fence about this publication but the more I ponder it the more I think it would be useful and interesting.
~Chris
I wonder, Chris, if you're thinking of an essay of mine in the last issue of Starfire, titled Scintillations in Mauve, which was an overview of Kenneth Grant's work. Alternatively, there was an essay in the 1994 issue of Starfire, called Supping at the Angel & Feathers, which included a little on creativity and imagination.
We're pleased to say that we're on time for shipping - customers who purchased either edition of the book and/or the print will get information on shipping very early next week. The Standard edition will be the first to ship with the deluxe following soon after.
NKB - apologies, thought we had already replied to your query!
I think you did reply to my last post but thanks for the new update as well.
Just a reminder that there will be an event at Treadwells in central London this evening to mark the publication of Sounds Beyond Meaning. From the Treadwells website :
Monday 6 October
Kenneth Grant Remembered
Von Zos's Sounds Beyond Meaning
Kenneth Grant (1924-2011) was probably the most innovative occultist of the post-Crowley age; he knew both Aleister Crowley and Austin Osman Spare, yet forged his own imprint upon occulture. Sounds Beyond Meaning is a collection of essays by people who knew him and his work well: Michael Staley, Edward Gauntlett, Alaster Aleph, Caroline Wise, Richard Ward and Mike Magee. A small gathering with a limited number of a special Treadwells edition available (pls reserve by email).
Free, but places limited. RSVP required: info@treadwells-london.com
Time: 7pm to 9 pm with presentations at 7.30
My copies arrived today. Kudos to Von Zos and the contributors. It is a pleasure to look at and to read.
Ariock, many thanks for the comments - much appreciated.
I too was very pleased to see a copy of Sounds Beyond Meaning shortly before the launch event at Treadwells, London, earlier this month. A well-produced book, I hope there will be more Grant- and Crowley-related works to come from this publisher over the next few years.