vision.

To collectively explore the narrative(s) of bodies of land and bodies of people through experiential, creative, and critical reading and writing.  

purpose.

To encourage contemplation and reflection in the space of experiential discovery by providing an alternative to traditional models of research, publishing, and outreach.

mission.

To create, maintain, and develop an organization that serves its community through alternative models of: investigative, sustainable, critical research; collaborative, integrative publishing; and engaged, embodied outreach.

research.

Precipice harbors space for the critical and the creative by supporting research initiatives that promote the 1st-person critical lens. Experiential, collaborative, and contemplative, this lens encourages a conversation among scholarly/academic reports and publications, field notes and interviews, and personal observation and reflection. Whether it be through practicing investigative poetics, compiling a review of research literature, designing a study in the field, or including field/process notes in publication, Precipice is committed to gathering, synthesizing, and publishing research that stimulates dialogue. 

We commit to serving our community by making the research and the research process not just available, but accessible. Our multi-pronged approach embraces both the traditionally academic and research that functions in non-traditional ways. Sharing not just the results, but also the methods, we hope to inspire a generation of sustainable researchers. It is at this interstices where outreach (vis-a-vis educational programming, panel participation, and lecture series), publishing (through anthologies, online forums, and scholarly journals), and research meet, that Precipice leaves its mark.

Previous and ongoing investigations include: A Circumpolar Navigation—Investigating Earth, Body, Word (2011-2012) and Precipice—Writing at the Edge (2014-2016). 

publishing.

Precipice employs a group publishing model organized to support literature as currency in a gift economy. In this culture, the success of the work is not determined by the returns—dollars, copies, margins—but rather on its reach: how many people have read, reviewed, taught, or shared the text? While crowdsourcing organizations like Kickstarter help artists fund their projects, Precipice incubates the process. We see the work as a whole and meet the artist where they need support: fundraising, networking, revising, editing, marketing, and distribution. 

We commit to engaging with the publishing community by collaborating with other small presses to offset costs, co-op products, and improve literacy/accessibility of texts: print local; read global. It is here that incorporating outreach and research is essential to the sustainability of the publishing initiative: how can a book not just be pressed and shelved but reached and read? What can we learn from the way art travels in contemporary culture—the ecology of a text?

To properly allocate funds and resources, Precipice is currently accepting one solicited manuscript/project per year. 

outreach.

Precipice curates events, workshops, and reading series with an emphasis on creating embodied experiences for participants. In a society where our communication devices can produce insularity, transportation modes can encourage distance, and educational institutions can perpetuate hierarchies, Precipice responds with an alternative. Whether it be conducting a somatic writing lab, hosting a reading & running event, warming up an audience for a performance, or creating intentional exercises for a business meeting, Precipice designs experiences that highlight interconnectivity and receptivity.

We commit to serving our community by offering embodied educational programming, event curation, fundraising support, and artistic collaboration. When hired as a somatic curator, a Precipice member will work with an organization to customize a program to manifest a specific vision or mission in a way that identifies, attracts, engages, and transforms the experience of the intended audience. We want people to move, think, be with agency and presence.

Check out these awesome photos of our previous events!