Interstellar Discussion, Part Seven

Message To The Clerk

One of the most frequent rituals that Jandek fans engage in is writing to the P.O. Box address on the back of album covers. Of the list members who responded to my questionnaire, over two-thirds of them had contacted Corwood Industries for reasons other than placing an order; three of them had called the phone number for Corwood Industries, and three of them have had extended contact with Corwood. Most fans who write Corwood either write a letter of appreciation for the music, or write with specific questions that they hope to have answered.

One fan, Mark, wrote, “Every time I order, I write down a question that requires a short answer. We were having a running conversation (as such) about ‘liturature’ (his spelling), but after he let one note pass unanswered, I let it go” (questionnaire, April 19, 2006). Fans largely regarded their contact Corwood hesitantly, very cognizant of Jandek’s desire for privacy. When explaining why he had never contacted Corwood for reasons other than placing an order, Rob replied, “The man clearly wants to keep the public past arm’s length. I don’t bother pursuing, speculating, or asking questions” (questionnaire, April 14, 2006). Brian, who dealt with Corwood on the phone responded, “I try to word a question so that it doesn’t sound quite so direct or asking direct personal info” (questionnaire, April 18, 2006).

On the other hand, a small contingent of fans dealt with Corwood with a sense of entitlement. When told vinyl was no longer available, one fan responded in the following way:

“I fired back another letter demanding access to any vinyl that may still be or will be in the future available. As an attempt to bribe him, and as a riff on the photography response, I sent Corwood a series of out-of-focus photographs of my friends fixing their cars, doing bongs, laying in bed asleep, mundane stuff like that.” - mailing list, September 30, 2007

One fan admitted to calling the phone number for Corwood Industries several times, fabricating problems with his orders to try to keep Corwood on the phone for as long as possible. Several other fans (discussed below) also called Corwood for no other reason than to call the number they found for Corwood Industries to see who answered. This sense of entitlement some fans held seems to develop for a few reasons. One is the availability of Corwood Industries – the address is there, so they write. Fans who call Corwood justify their contact with two seemingly contradictory reasons: the phone number is available to the public, and if they have looked hard enough to find the number they ought to be entitled to call it.

Though simply contacting Corwood is enough for many fans, there existed quite a few instances in the history of the mailing list where fans presented ‘evidence’ of their contact with Corwood. Some fans scanned endorsed checks, handwritten notes, and took photos of the packaging that Corwood sent to post to the list; other fans were more audacious, recording their telephone conversations with Corwood and posting audio files of the conversations on the mailing list. Of these instances, scanned artifacts from Corwood were often met with confirmations that the handwriting was indeed the same that others received with their orders; those who posted audio files were chastised and asked by several members of the list to remove the audio files from their websites.

The majority of fans have decided that the appropriate ways to contact Corwood are the ways that Corwood had provided for them; telephone calls are only to be made as-needed, and therefore evidence of these are not considered to be public: “Man, no wonder he’s so reclusive, what with stalker-type phone calls and all…If you have no reason to call other than to harass the man, [these] calls are ultimately a naïve type of stalking/harassment” (mailing list, February 25, 2000). Throughout the mailing list archives, there also exist a number of instances in which fans discuss exploring the Houston public records and finding addresses, phone numbers and names cross-referenced to the P.O. Box. Surprisingly, persons who have admitted to engaging in public records scouring are not rebuked unless they post their findings on the mailing list.

A package from Corwood, whether ordered or unsolicited* is always met with excitement by fans. Jandek always mails small orders in the same, bubbled mailers with Corwood Industries labels, and includes an up-to-date catalog with each package. Shipping for all orders, and insurance for large orders, are always paid by Corwood. All notes and addresses appear to be written with the same felt-tip pen. This consistency and the personal nature of the packages (for instance, packages are always hand-addressed by the same person) makes packages from Corwood – and their contents – appear more like artifacts than products. Tim, Richard, Stuart and Samuel all admitted to keeping all of their correspondence and packaging from Corwood. Since I did not directly ask about this in my questionnaire, I am unsure as to how many others have (I do).

Many fans in and around Houston have admitted to visiting the Corwood P.O. Box. Ian, a member of the mailing list from Texas who was moving north inquired to the list, ‘if there's anything Jandek-related i should try and investigate and/or photograph while i'm there, drop me a line and let me know, i'll see if i can work it into my schedule’ (mailing list, July 21, 1999). Fans in the greater United States have visited other areas of significance in Jandek lyrics: some fans have purposely driven through Madison (‘Rain In Madison’), Point Judith, Rhode Island (‘Point Judith’), Ohio (‘Governor Rhodes’) and other areas that may or may not have a geographical significance for Jandek. Fans have also extended their public records searches to encompass these geographical locations and the characters in his songs that accompany them.

It is not unusual, by any means, for popular music fans to try to contact artists or even present evidence of their contact with artists by posting autographs or photos of themselves with the artists on message boards and mailing lists. Why this is different is because fans perceive it to be some sort of ‘clue’ into Jandek’s real identity. As Ken wrote to the mailing list in 2004, “I wanted to ask a question…it almost felt like consulting a mystical oracle or something!” (mailing list, October 5, 2004). In an age in which music videos, extensive touring and press junkets are a standard part of any popular musician’s career, Jandek’s fondness for privacy renders him mystical. The accessibility of contacting him, even if he does not necessarily return the favor, is an enticing part of the myth for many fans. Unlike popular musicians, Jandek is not mediated to his fans outside of his music, and so becomes paradoxically more available.

* Several fans have developed ‘semi-professional’ relationships with Corwood: Seth Tisue, fans who appeared in Jandek On Corwood and select others receive albums from Corwood as they are released (or re-released), free of charge. Corwood has also established relationships with several radio stations, including KAOS in Olympia, WA, and distributes free records to them as well.