I love nerdy stuff, particularly literary nerdy stuff. I love seeing how a story can change an opinion or a life. I love the awesome ways that people take literature and turn it on its head, upending our expectations at the same time.
I’m also a big fan of art. Not that boring stuff they call “fine art” — I’m talking about the stuff that inspires love and incites revolution. Now that is art.
The Lennon Wall
Located in the heart of Prague, Czech Republic, The Lennon Wall has been changing constantly since 1988. Czechoslovakia was held in the iron grasp of Communism, and the idealistic youth of the city took over a blank wall, turning it into a tribute to John Lennon, peace, and love.
Authorities painted over the wall, but the mysterious artists returned again and again—even after security cameras were installed—to recreate the wall anew.
Communism officially fell in 1989 with the Velvet Revolution, but The Lennon Wall still stands, and is still written over with messages of peace and revolution. It’s never the same twice, and I was so privileged to have seen it in 2007:
Prague was the first place I’d ever been to where I saw political and revolutionary art on walls, trashcans, and the backs of road signs. It’s beautiful, inspiring, and makes me love the city even more.
The Lennon Wall isn’t strictly literary, although I think music lyrics certainly count. I just love the entire idea.
Image: Etsy
Image: Octopus Crime
A moment of inspiration
Sometime back Frank Warren of PostSecret posted this picture:
I don’t know if it was he who found it, or if someone sent it to him, and it’s impossible to read, but apparently it’s the entire first chapter of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, written on a bathroom wall.
I think that this is awesome, and I wish that it were more common. Wouldn’t you love to walk into a bathroom and see something like this?
I know that it’s technically vandalism, but I am determined to take a page from this person’s book (teehee) and create some of my own literary graffiti. I dare you to join me.
Would you commit vandalism in the name of literature or revolution? What quote would you scrawl, spray, or paint?
I love the idea of the entire first chapter of Harry Potter on the bathroom stall. AND how cool that you got to see the Lennon Wall. If I could come up with something epic to say or quote or draw I would do it … I would just want it to be meaningful.
The Lennon Wall was awesome. I wish I could go back to Prague. I was there for a month, but I still feel like I didn’t see enough.
I’ve had thoughts about this floating through my brain all day. What would I write on a wall? Lots of Jane Austen quotes keep popping into my head.
I don’t think I could do it. 🙂
Hmmm… maybe after another year of college I could put some art on a wall…
You could totally do it. Go for it! 🙂
I’m not a huge harry potter fan but that is amazing. I’m actually in the process of putting together the next issue of a literary magazine I edit and it’s going to be called ‘Writing on Walls’. You can check out the idea behind it at the website – http://www.donotlookatthesun.com/Contact.html
If you do ever get round to creating some of your own literary graffiti- your words or anyone elses- then I’d love it if you sent it over!
Thanks for stopping by, Anthony. I enjoy Harry Potter, but it’s not my favorite series. The magazine sounds awesome! May everyone turn in copy and imagery on time. 😀
An awesome post…this was posted during my April hiatus, so I didn’t get to see it.
I love the Harry Potter bathroom idea. But with cameras eveywhere, I’m surprised that the person didn’t get caught. I wonder if it’s still there….
The person may have gotten caught eventually, although the text is written in two different colors of ink, which makes me think it was done over several days.
I have no idea if it’s still there. It’d be awesome to know, but I don’t know anything about where the picture was taken, or who originally took it. Was is the same person who wrote the text on the wall, or did someone else happen across it later? I think it’s awesome.