Hi all,

This is my monthly email newsletter. Since I last sent one, I'm back teaching at SUNY Purchase College. This semester I am teaching a Research Methods (Media Studies) class and Scripting for the Web (Math and Computer Science).

L5 - creative coding library updates

I am still working on the creative coding library called L5, that I initiated this summer, worked on extensively in residency at Zentrum für Kunst und Urbanistik in Berlin this fall, and released in an “alpha” form in December.

In January we had the first L5 Contributors meetup in New York. This resulted in bug fixing, new step-by-step installation instructions for all operating systems, Getting Started tutorial, the birth of a new function printToScreen() that prints output to the sketch window, eliminating the need for a separate console, and a new Contributors documentation. This was all possible only thanks to the kindness of many people other than me who helped make this happen! There are plenty of beginning tutorials on the website now, but more are desired! That leads to…

Do you have feedback about L5?

Fill out the winter community survey.

Programming and Permacomputing Meetup - Queens - Feb 10

The next Contributors meetup in NYC will happen next Tuesday Feb 10, 6pm - 8pm at Ridgewood Commons.

We’ll start with a discussion on permacomputing, with guest Max Fowler, of Solidarity Infrastructures (School for Poetic Computation) and The Co-op Cloud.

Then we’ll transition and those interested can work on L5 - debugging, adding example programs, writing tutorials for install on iOS and Android, brainstorming install methods for Chromebooks, working on a sound and video library, and anything else people are interested in working on. No specific previous experience required. All levels, interests and backgrounds desired. Ridgewood Commons hosts the weekly Circuit Hacking meetup starting at 8pm that you can attend as well.

FYI: We are still looking for a venue to host this monthly!

Wordhack talk - Brooklyn - Feb 19

WordHack is a monthly evening of performances and talks exploring the intersection of language and technology. Code poetry, digital literature, e-lit, language games, coders interested in the creative side, writers interested in new forms writing can take, all are welcome here.

I’ll be giving a talk for the next WordHack event, organized and directed by Todd Anderson, at Wonderville. Tickets usually sell out in advance, so hit the link to grab a ticket.

I’ll present work on L5, example projects, and try to present from slideshow software written in L5, running on a (new-to-me) used 2008 Windows XP EeePC laptop.

Workshop at Algorithmic Art Assembly - San Francisco - March 26

I’ll be presenting a workshop at the Algorithmic Art Assembly at Grey Area in San Francisco for the 2026 event.

Let me know if you’ll be there. Currently 3-day early bird pass tickets are on sale.

Shout Outs

Thanks to Red Calendar, the new NYC-based shared events calendar site, directed by Theo (from Oral.pub) and many other baddies. Shared community infrastucture and publishing for the win!

Until next month - fight the right, big up to everyone supporting friends and their community, and stay in cahoots!

—Lee

P.S.

2025 highlights:

NOVEL - Creation Lake by Rachel Kushner

ANTHOLOGY - OUTPUT: An Anthology of Computer Generated Text 1953 - 2023, edited by Nick Montfort and Lilyan-Yvonne Bertram

VENUE - 90Mil

FOOD - Sugar-free pistachio cookies

PLACE - Schlachtensee (lake)

MUSIC - Canary Records

ART - Petrit Halilaj. An Opera Out of Time, at Hamburger Bahnhof (with the Kosovo Philharmonic).

TRANSPORTATION - Deutschland-Ticket

TEA - Puerh

HERBAL TEA - Fennel

EMOTION - Delightful enthusiasm despite adversity