Object Slam Story By Sam Reiff-Pasarew

[This past Saturday night, the above object was revealed to the audience at the first-ever Significant Objects live event. Anyone brave enough to play along had 10 minutes to invent fresh Significance for this $1 thrift-store item. Seven rose to the challenge; only one could prevail. Sam Reiff-Pasarew, a Brooklyn resident visiting San Francisco, says he was on hand by chance — but perhaps it was fate? After all, it turns out his work with Story Pirates includes writing workshops in which kids invent meanings for objects! Whatever brought him to Root Division that night, he won the world’s first Object Slam, and the Bee Bucket. We are pleased to share his winning story with you here.]

I like to put things in little containers. I’ve been searching a while for the perfect little container. It needs to have a few practical characteristics that will really set my mind at ease when I’m worrying about its possible applications. It should be big enough for a hearty bouillabaisse or enough suntan lotion for 6 or 7 weeks at the beach. It shouldn’t be too hard to clean — I don’t want my bouillabaisse  tasting like suntan lotion.

It should also be heavy enough that if it’s the only thing in my backpack and it’s empty and I lift up my seemingly empty backpack that my back pack should feel like it has something in it. That way if I’m looking for it and I want to know if it’s in my backpack I just need to lift it up, and not open the backpack.

Also it needs to look like a black hole and be covered with bees.