Welcome to Heard in Clubhouse by me, Robert Best. I'm a British poet, writer, polymath, critical thinker and serial avoider of social media. However, it feels like Clubhouse has me by the cerebral cortex and has no intention of letting me go!
Let’s step back a bit.
Clubhouse is an audio-only social media chat-app that was launched in April last year and became a $1bn+ unicorn just last month. It only runs on iOS and it remains invitation-only, at least for now. I lucked into it less than a month ago, and I’m burning through pens and notebooks like never before, furiously noting down quotes, books, resources, names I’d love to connect with and so on. As I write this, I’m looking forward (with some trepidation) to hosting my first two Clubhouse rooms this weekend, both on poetry, each one under a different, co-operative club, each with a different feel and intention.
Rooms are the structures within Clubhouse where conversations happen, and anyone can start hosting a room at any time. The host is automatically a moderator (revealed by the little green star that the top six have in the room shown above) and is automatically ‘on stage’. The moderator can move audience members up to the stage (whether or not the ‘raise their hand’), create other moderators if required, move them back to the audience when they’re done speaking (though this often doesn’t happen) and generally run the show. Other moderators can take over to keep the room open, but the person who opened it must be the one to close it. The + sign at the bottom of the screen allows me to ‘ping’ contacts of mine and invite them to join in the conversation I am enjoying.
I’ve been made a moderator a few times, usually as a result of my contributions landing well with the people in the room. The first time was a particular honour as I was about the only white guy in a poetry room run under The New Nigerian club, and I felt so welcomed. I’ve had a few minor conflicts, too, most recently in a fascinating room called ‘Spiritual Awakening - Signs and Symptoms’ that, as I write, is heading towards it’s 100th hour! I called out a speaker on her very commanding manner and her deeply flawed understanding of the Newtonian laws and quantum mechanics with which she was sprinkling her share, and the room didn’t think that was the right thing to do. I disagreed, but it was amicable enough and no one kicked me out. I hope cancel culture never reaches the Clubhouse shores.
In my short time on the app, I’ve got myself involved in some amazing conversations that would never, ever, have happened in any other venue. I’ve heard some deeply impressive thoughts expressed by Bret Weinstein, Eric Weinstein, Charles Eisenstein, Chris Turney and many, many lesser known folks. Eisenstein was thanked at one point for staying in the room so long and answering so many audience questions so openly and honestly, and his response was most interesting. He said words to the effect that he felt free to speak openly on Clubhouse because the lack of recording means he is speaking purely for, and in, the moment, and not for any future playback.
In terms of full disclosure, I have no association with the company behind Clubhouse. It is against the rules of Clubhouse to record the conversations, but I take notes of the things that stand out for me, and this is what I’d love to share with you.
I’ll be following the Chatham House Rule, under which I will give you snippets of conversational gold without revealing who said it (unless the person publicly said it elsewhere). Snippets may be a quote, an exchange, a resource, a particularly magical moment, or any number of other delectable titbits. I will allow myself to name-drop occasionally (see above) but only when the speaker is someone with a public profile who is not saying anything they have not already said in public.
Clearly, this is my first, introductory post and, quite honestly, I’m going to do this as much for myself as for you, the currently non-existent subscriber.
Come join the ride! Sign up now so you don’t miss the first issue.
In the meantime, tell your friends!