Join the PLASA members who are on the bus BY DINNA MYERS PLASA is a driving catalyst for change and growth in the entertainment technology industry to the benefit of all IN 1993 I HAD THE RARE PLEASURE of meeting author Ken Kesey. I have always been a student of Beat culture: Kerouac, Ginsberg, Ferlingheti, both Cassidys, and of course, Kesey. I admire the Great Notion of the communal spirit and the power of the few to inspire the many. It was Kesey and his busload of Merry Pranksters that taught me the true value of an experiential life. The evening before we met, he had performed an ill-conceived piece of original performance art that was supposed to be reminiscent of a drug induced The Wizard of Oz and concluded with a likely seldom rehearsed sword fi ght with acetylene torches right next to the ancient velour stage drapes in the auditorium. After the show, I walked out to the courtyard, there, right in front of me, was Further. It was not the original bus, but a remake of Ken’s own devising and just as wonderful a piece of art in its own right. The next day, I met with him briefl y and he signed my huge pile of books. I told him that I had seen Further the night before and had very much wanted to get on, but had not wanted to disturb him. He stopped signing and put down his pen. He took my small white hand in his gigantic Oregonian farmer’s hands and drew me in close to him. “You should always get on the bus,” he said to me, his eyes not leaving mine until he was sure I understood exactly what he meant. I did. Not long after this event, my friend and colleague, Zoe Paine, asked me if I wanted to be on what was then the Informational Resources Committee of ESTA. While I don’t advocate a revival of the Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test, I most whole-heartedly advocate personal investment in the human experience, and being not just a bystander on the road of life, but being on the bus. That is why I have been an active member of PLASA for well over a decade. I wish to have a say in the industry to which I have chosen to dedicate my productive years. If decisions are being made, I don’t want to hear about it after the fact or read about it in a magazine. I want to contribute to the process. The group photo above is my best answer for why one should be a member of PLASA. FALL 2011 52 FALL 2011