Jordan Wayne Long is preparing for his summer holiday – seven days, locked in a crate, travelling from Bald Knob, Arkansas to Portland, Oregon. Yes, you read that right.
Long, a “performance and video artist” according to his website, plans to travel by crate for a week with no connection to the outside world, except for his Lord of the Rings Online account. He has said that this relates to his study of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and coping mechanisms related to PTSD. Many sufferers of the disorder escape into online communities, where they can reinvent themselves and the society in which they live.
While the concept is interesting, I fail to see why Long has to build himself a crate and ship himself across the country in order to do what millions of others do from the cold, clammy comfort of their mothers’ basement. Long keeps the public updated on his exploits via his twitter and personal blog. He has also created a blog for his in-game character, which he plans to update regularly from the road. He will be playing as “Townsfolk”, a level 40 Dwarf on the Meneldor server. No word yet on whether or not his mum will be delivering regular plates of cookies to his crate.
The actual travel will take place from July 1 to July 7, concluding in a presentation at one of Fourteen30’s Portland art galleries. A friend of Long’s, Bradi Roberts, will be shipping the crate with Long inside on her truck. Follow Long’s twitter here and his personal blog here.
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