Mapping the Deadverse

A retro site exploring my Grateful Dead research

What is Mapping the Deadverse?

This site seeks to create a hub of information about my research into the Grateful Dead. My musical interest has always centered around lyricism and the way that stories are created through song and the lyrics of the Grateful Dead are some of the most literary and intelligent I've come across, interwoven with musical and cultural history, folklore, and a coherent poetic philosophy. You will find literary influences, lyrical analysis, blog posts, and more here. Together we can create a map to the Deadverse.

Who are you?

My name is Max and I'm a PhD student studying just outside of London. I've just finished my first year of research and figured it was time to start sharing information about the project and its progress! I aim to expand the site to incluce a number of different elements of my studies, from reading lists and essay segments to gonzo journals and, i hope, spaces for other deadheads to contribute - guess I've got some HTML to learn!

Why this medium?

Rendering the site in a style inspired by the early internet is thematically connected to the Grateful Dead's project, with John Perry Barlow writing a document called 'A Declaration of the Independence of Cyberspace' in 1996 which sought to establish the internet as an egalitiarian and ungoverened space. Robert Hunter and Jerry Garcia both also saw the potential of the early internet. Hunter set up a website in this style and spent five or six years journalling daily there, while Garcia saw the potential of computers in making art and music.

The following 'enshittification' of the internet has led us to a soulless corporate hellscape where we only exist to generate data. I made an Instagram for the research as well, but I haven't found the best way to utilise it yet. I hope that the wider creativity possible here will help supplement that other, more corporate, avenue.

You'll find plans for the future and recent updates in the sidebar, while each page has a header taking you to the various sections of the site. Have fun exploring!