THE BALLAD OF A NEVER ENDING ELEVATOR ACCIDENT

THE BALLAD OF A NEVER-ENDING ELEVATOR ACCIDENT is:

a collection of performance poetry,
a collaborative objêt d’art,
a meditation on corporate capitalism,

a critique on Black and rainbow capitalism alike, a queer radical manifesto,
a humble attempt to capture living poetry,
in a bound paper stack,

a call to action,

In THE BALLAD OF A NEVER-ENDING ELEVATOR ACCIDENT, M. Alberto presents a selection of performance poetry written and performed between 2020 and 2024.

A collection of critical and meditative work, questioning late-stage capitalism, the city and its borders & the body and its limits - from a queer Black anarchist perspective.

Clear calls to action and incisive questions, not flashy or ornamented, over-intellectualising or softening the radical philosophy at its core.

“THE BALLAD OF A NEVER-ENDING ELEVATOR ACCIDENT is a poignant critique of how late-stage capitalism has led to inequality, climate crisis, and a lack of empathy for our fellow travelers. It is bleak and powerful stuff.” (Avant Music News, USA)

The book came to life in collaboration with drawings by Mozambiquan visual artist Hugo Mendes and book-binding artist Anna Carioli, in a publication that is tactile and hand-made, full of attention to detail: radiating with the care that went into the process.

The work is self-published and created without government or commercial funding or affiliations. True to long traditions of DIY publishing in the Caribbean, focus on hand-made crafts and with an eye on ethical production - the book will be released in small limited runs. The work is hand-bound, and the cover is hand-printed on paper locally recycled from textiles.

M., also a theatre maker, musician and composer, writes words to be heard, propelled by rhythm, not shy of its own geometry - words that live in movement and resonate in the body.

The poems in the book are also featured on the musical vinyl release of their radical jazz trio: VEHICLE/PASSENGER - Live in Amsterdam (Out OCT 12TH 2024), praised as "one of the most honest and unique recordings of 2024." (onemansjazz, Canada).