Former American Intermedia publisher
Something Else Press was founded by Dick Higgins in 1963. It published many important Intermedia texts and artworks by such Fluxus artists as Higgins, Ray Johnson, Alison Knowles, Allan Kaprow, George Brecht, Daniel Spoerri, Robert Filliou, Al Hansen, John Cage, Emmett Williams and by such important modernist figures as Gertrude Stein, Henry Cowell, and Bern Porter.
History.
Background.
"Something Else" was an early publisher of Concrete poetry and other works by Fluxus artists throughout the 1960s. During the 1960s in New York City some of the artists who worked at the Something Else Press included Editor-in-Chief Emmett Williams, artist Alison Knowles, poet Larry Freifeld, novelist Mary Flanagan, artist Ronnie Landfield, and publisher/founder Dick Higgins. Fluxus artist and scholar Ken Friedman acted as general manager for Higgins from California in 1970 and 1971. Originally located in Chelsea in Manhattan, the Something Else Press eventually relocated to West Glover, in northern Vermont in the 1970s.
Changes.
While Higgins was always owner and publisher of the press, other individuals served as editor, including Emmett Williams and Jan Herman. Herman took the job in 1973 and served until the press folded a year later. Higgins is quoted as saying about Herman:
 ;templatestyles src="Template:Blockquote/styles.css" / ;[T]oo much an editor, and too little a fund-raiser. His idea of doing business was to wrap books and mail them away – for that one has assistants (mailing books IS fun if one can afford the time) – and he spent too little time looking for production money from foundations and wealthy people. So the press went kaput the following year...
Since Higgins had personal wealth, this account could be disputed. The press collapsed when Higgins's fortunes turned, and there was virtually no funding base in rural Vermont.
Herman disputes Higgins' account.
Other publications.
Alongside book publications, Dick Higgins published a series of pamphlets titled "The Great Bear Pamphlets". A collection of "The Great Bear Pamphlets" is available on UbuWeb. "The Great Bear Pamphlets" included essays, manifestos, and artist statements by Jackson Mac Low, Allan Kaprow, Alison Knowles, John Cage, Claes Oldenburg, Diter Rot, David Antin, and many others.
"The Great Bear Pamphlets" were reprinted in facsimile editions by Primary Information in 2007. Primary Information also republished Something Else Press' "An Anthology of Concrete Poetry" in a facsimile edition in 2013.
In 2018, Siglio Press published a posthumous collection of Dick Higgins's writings titled "Fluxus, Intermedia and the Something Else Press. Selected Writings by Dick Higgins"edited by Steve Clay of Granary Books and Fluxus artist Ken Friedman.
Notes.
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