Book Review/ Interview: Karina Bush MAIDEN (48th Street Press, Philadelphia, 2016) 44 pages

This is the first collection of poetry by the young Irish writer Karina Bush. The book features 39 love poems which sometimes have a provocative and raw physical edge to them. The language is openly sexual and thrusts towards wordless spaces, where heightened emotions and energies are given voice. Peter Jelen of BareBack Magazine, who has published some of Bush’s earlier work, has hyperbolically described her writing (in an interesting article about his blog the review review) as raunchy enough “to make Bukowski blush”: http://www.thereviewreview.net/interviews/stories-would-make-charles-bukowski-blush-peter-j

MAIDEN is published by 48^th Street Press who has previously set to ink significant small press poets, such as, Douglas Blazek, Paul Harrison and the late F.A. Nettelbeck. Bush says of her involvement in the project in a recent interview which follows this review, “48^th Street Press contacted me in late 2012 after reading some of my work online. We developed a very productive working relationship. I was mentored and the input from the press was constructive in the formation of the book. I have the deepest respect for Chris as an editor and publisher.”

In the interview, Karina Bush also makes it clear that she is not a confessional poet and the lover represented in the collection is not a composite. She says of the book’s construction, “It’s art. It isn’t literal. The Maiden is a character, an archetype, a tool for me to explore the complex emotions involved in desire and falling in love. The book is a love story, every poem inspired by the same man.”

The cover for MAIDEN was designed and created by Bush and features a prominent heart-shaped leaf together with titles and phrases from the poems in bold pink. Asked about her choice of the heart-shaped image of the book’s cover, Bush says, “I find nature best represents life’s love story. Nature shares the same purity as love- it’s purity as love- it’s ability to grow and give life.”

MAIDEN is dedicated to her man ‘c’. The epigram from Emily Bronte’s Wuthering Heights further hints that this book is a love story between a Princess and her Prince, “Whatever our souls are made of, his and mine are the same.”

Most of the poems in the collection are short, first person narratives which explore the relationship between the persona and her male lover. What makes this book especially unique is the physical realm of impulse and desire which Bush explores in her persona’s sensual thoughts and lovemaking.

The first poem in the collection, which was originally published in Ben John Smith’s online magazine, HorrorSleazeTrash, characteristically sets the tone for Bush’s explicitly sexual writing. The language is clear and unambiguous and works towards a controversial ending.

Red Blood

I want to fill a man up with me

Fill him right up

With red blood

To bursting point

To breaking point

His dick

His brain

His life

I want to stop his ability to think

Turn him into a primitive

Powered only by instinct

Give him back my obsession

Turn him into my rapist

(published with the permission of the writer)

In the poem, Bush uses the simple metaphor of a balloon to convey her notion of how she will control her lover to the ‘bursting point’. How she will ‘fill him right up/ with blood’ and turn him into an instinctual being, living only for the moment.

The relationship between the couple is explored throughout the collection and each poem lays a different spin on how the persona perceives the developing romance of the flesh & mind. As a general motif, the persona revolves between wanting to be controlled and dominated to being strong and on top.

In ‘Take my Hair’, for example, the persona asks her partner to drag her into the woods to be molested against a tree. In ‘A Flower’ she is has been 'plucked' by him and is now ‘Slumped in your palm/ Ready for the bin.’ In the bawdy poem ‘Unchristian’ she wants “punishment,” 'to feel dirtier' than ever before. In ‘Baby Pink Heart’ she wears his shirt and in his ‘forcefield’, he appears 'sacred', 'a God' to her. In ‘War’ she states that ‘If you are with a real man/ You are at war’ but after he licks her throat and shoulders she realises she is a ‘kitten/ Not a soldier.’

The poem ‘My Horse’ is another poem which speaks of vulnerability and surrender in a metaphorical way:

My Horse

I’m riding a big horse tonight

He’s strong

Gorgeous- I’m in love

I don’t care where he takes me

Fast I trust it

Muscles between my legs

And hair

That big thing taking me away

And I’m so small

And female

Strong enough to climb him though

Bent over

Wide-eyed

I have surrendered to nature’s order

Alternatively, there are many poems which reveal the persona’s inner strength, her desire to be in charge. In ‘Just Me’ the speaker of the poem begins, ‘It’s just me/ That’s all I need/ Just me and the void…I submit to myself/ There is nothing else.’ Similarly, in ‘looking Down’ she metaphorically tells her dog with him in mind: ‘Sometimes I have no need for you/ I’m hard/ I’d rather starve/ Crush you from my chair.' In the powerful poem ‘Tense’ the speaker shows her vulnerability but expresses the desire to endure. In ‘Negligible’ she calls him ‘a weakling’ for not being able to push her further and in ‘Wank Me’, in a moment of defiance, she tells him ‘you can’t control me’, 'Wank me out of your head.' In the highly memorable poem ‘A Girl’s Eyes’ she plays the virgin/ whore. When they are about to have sex, she writes she will pretend it is the first time and ‘Then I’ll drive/ Climb high/ Show my vice/ Show my bite.’

In the end, 'the war' is an even one in which both partners triumph. In the poem '3 4 5 am' there is a moment of reprieve in the night as they lie bonded together against the world, 'With our fire/ Keeping the world burning/ So the bores can wake and do their thing.'

On first reading, the language and content in MAIDEN appears excessively crude, as if Bush is deliberately pushing the boundaries of decency. Some people, for instance, might find the poems ‘Daddy’, ‘His Blood’, ‘Unchristian’, and to a lesser extent, ‘The Pit’ objectionable. The tone in 'The Pit', for example, can be viewed by some as pitiful and cowering:

The Pit

Back in the pit           

A man’s belt around my neck

Me and nothing

And him

It’s all I want

And semen

To fill every crack

In my being

(published with the permission of the writer)

Playing the devil’s advocate, I gently put it to Karina Bush a week or so ago, "you make references to the soul and of love but aren’t these simply fuck poems?" She is frank and handles the question beautifully, “There is very little fucking in the book. In the book, feelings are expressed in the language of love.” 

Later in the interview, Bush adds an amusing anecdote about how some guys take her writing literally and think she is a sex worker, “Some dude recently wrote to me via my website desperately wanting to pay me for sex. He was in Amsterdam on holiday, walking around the Red Light area. He just had to knock a window and instead he was writing a poet. Bizarre. I’m curious if male poets face such a literal reading of their artistry."

The last five poems in the collection, are less sexually charged and point to a more mature direction in Karina Bush’s writing. ‘Tender Night’ continues to straddle the notion of the quest for love but does it with a brimming confidence and subtlety.

Tender Night

My lover’s

Breathing body

Comes behind me

Twice my size

Arm cross my breast

He is my maker

Skin cradled

Dressed in blankets

Made of rib

Gentle cells

In collapse

Locked and woven close

A design greater than us

He whispers

A wordless language

From an eyeless place

(published with the permission of the writer)

This is poetry from the edge. Karina Bush jiggles up a subterranean voice which speaks of love, of desire and of raw human passions. This is a unique collection of love poems which is highly accessible and carefully crafted and sequenced. Would it make Bukowski blush? Probably not- but I would recommend he read MAIDEN.

For more information about Karina Bush’s writing: http://www.karinabush.com/

Follow her on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/karinabushxx/

INTERVIEW WITH KARINA BUSH 30 JUNE 2016

Karina, when did you first start writing poetry and who were some of your early influences?

Hi George. I wrote and illustrated short stories and poetry as a kid, and won an award when I was 10 for my nature poetry. I was a precocious child. I didn't write for about 10 years after that. My early influences were Roald Dahl and as a teenager Irvine Welsh. Stuff that shocked me. I read extensively, mostly classics, I loved the use of the english language in old novels, the density and beauty of the form.

Is your poetry essentially confessional or do you write from different points of view? Can we assume, for instance, that you are the narrator of your poems? Similarly, the lover you strongly feature in the book, is he one bloke or a composite?

It's art. It isn't literal. The Maiden is a character, an archetype, a tool for me to explore the complex emotions involved in desire and falling in love. The book is a love story, every poem inspired by the same man.

Congratulations on getting your first book published by 48th Street Press. I note you have previously been published in the 48th Street Press Broadside Series, but what were the specific circumstances which lead up to the offer, acceptance and publication of MAIDEN?

48th Street Press contacted me in late 2012 after reading some of my work online. We developed a very productive working relationship. I was mentored and the input from the press was constructive in the formation of the book. I have the deepest respect for Chris as an editor and publisher.

You designed the cover for MAIDEN. It features a list of poems & phrases from the collection in pink upper case. In the centre of the illustration there appears to be a heart shaped leaf from a pot plant. Why did you choose this image?

Because Maiden is a love story. I find nature best represented that. Nature shares the same purity as love - its ability to grow and give life, it's ability to destruct and devastate. The word MAIDEN has various connotations, including “an unmarried young woman” and “being involved in the first attempt or act of its kind.” Is your title a reference to both of these meanings? Yes. And the innocence and vulnerability of giving yourself to another.

How did you arrive at your erotic, minimalistic style?

I don't think my style is erotic or minimalist. I think the natural landscape for the subject matter of desire and attraction is sexual. That doesn't make me an erotic writer.

You make references to the soul and of love but aren’t these simply fuck poems?

There is very little fucking in the book. In the book, feelings are expressed in the language of love.

The collection appears to feature poems which explicitly discuss fantasy rape (‘Red Blood’, “Take my hair’), incest/ paedophilia (‘Daddy’), notions of bestiality (‘Bitch Is Thirsty’), a filthy, unchristian romp (‘Unchristian’) and sadomasochism (‘The Pit’, ‘America’). What has been the response to your book so far? Who is your intended audience?

If you read poetry literally, I guess you could say that. If you ignore metaphor, symbolism etc. - some of the foundations of poetry. I certainly don't read art literally and I don't write for people who do. Red Blood” is a desperate poem of longing. The use of the word rapist doesn't make it a rape fantasy. “Daddy” is a poem about dependence and protection. About absorption. I think every person

who experiences love wants to be looked after by the other sometimes. The main character in ‘Dirty Dancing’ is called Baby, it isn't a movie about paedophilia. “Bitch is Thirsty” is mocking a man who is unsuccessfully running away from his feelings, not fucking a dog, nor wanting to fuck a dog. I don’t find animals sexy, not even ones with big dicks, and I promise no animals were harmed in the making of this book. “America” is an admiration of masculinity, a swoon. People will read what they want into art. That's one of the functions of art. To give the recipient a platform to explore themselves.

My intended readership is those who are emotional, intuitive and appreciate craft. The response so far has been very positive and encouraging. There is plenty of vanilla art out there, I couldn't bore myself by becoming another one those artists. My favourite art is stuff that explores the extremes of emotion and experience, and does it well.

In your poems, you often reveal a fascination for the beast, for

wordless unconscious behaviour. Why the interest?

To run wild in your imagination and with your lover to places primal and natural is a true freedom. I think the interest in the wordless is because primarily I'm exploring wordless things - emotions, heightened states, energies. And giving them a voice.

The last poems in the collection are called I., II. & III. The style and content are different from the rest of the collection. What is happening here?

I think the book becomes increasingly soft as it progresses. The final three poems are a reflection on the journey. A consolidation.

*

Getting back to basics- how often do you write? Do you have a daily routine? Where do your poems come from? Is your writing carefully crafted or spontaneous? Do you do much editing of your work?

The creative process is mysterious. It is both easy and painstaking. There is no formula for me. I make my own rules as I go along and I love that.

What writers which you have read more recently have impressed you?

I don’t read much. I listen to a lot of music, I'm particularly interested in folk music right now, the power and simplicity of the storytelling. I recently discovered ‘Kunt and the Gang’ who I find endlessly entertaining. I read a lot of what 48th Street Press publishes every year though. I am impressed by Ally Malinenko, her poems about her experience with cancer are excellent. I think she has a book coming out soon. I also like Ben John Smith's work, particularly his tender poems.

What are you working on at the moment?

I'm working on a book of short stories. Prostitute fiction set in Amsterdam's Red Light District. I've had a couple of stories published already in Bareback Magazine and Horror Sleaze Trash. I suspect, when published, some readers will believe I am or was a sex worker. I've already had that. Many times. Some dude recently wrote to me via my website desperately wanting to pay me for sex. He was in Amsterdam on holiday, walking around the Red Light area. He just had to knock a window and instead he was writing a poet. Bizarre. I'm curious if male poets face such a literal reading of their artistry.

Thanks Karina, for taking the time to answer my questions.

Featuring Karina Bush

Pan

You must listen

I catch this male apparition

Nude and healthy and animal-legged

Taunting for the hunting

It is down below I feel you

It is there I hear your song

You are in my sleep

I come for you in the morn

I need you to show me nature

More than just this wooded glen

It is down below I feel you

It is there I hear your song

I’m riddled with this

I’m riddled I can dance

I can be a woman

I can be a little girl

I can be an animal

I can scream louder than you can

I need you Pan

I will lick your hindquarters clean

Take me, I plead

It is down below I feel you

It has been two thousand years

You must listen

Winter will soon thin the wood

And my sleeps will grow deeper

And I will find you

His Beauty

His maleness

Can't breathe in it

It's so much

And it hasn't even broken

I'm only in the tension stage

Of male beauty

Adoring restraint

I know my only weakness

And I need to be there

When his restraint breaks

Breaks all over me

I need to see his insides

He is the most beautiful man

And I can't

IV.

I tried to speak

My mouth filled with love

I spoke flowers

Pouring out of my mouth

He kissed me

So I filled him up with them

They will each fruit over time

He will know my love

And when the final flower fruits

I will flower him again

For eternity I will perpetuate us

And we will perpetuate eternity

Karina is an Irish poet. 'Maiden' is her first published collection.

For more information about Karina Bush’s writing: http://www.karinabush.com/

Follow her on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/karinabushxx/

Book Review/ Interview: Paul Harrison Corrugator. 48th Street Press, Philadelphia, 2013 (56 pages).

This is Perth resident, Paul Harrison’s second collection of poetry and it almost did not see the light of day as he explains in the interview which follows this review. Corrugator consists of fifty short pared down lowercase underground poems. The writing is raw but highly accessible. Many of the best poems are first person confessional narrative poems which document Harrison’s misfortunes, in particular, his failure to sustain love, his self doubt as a poet, his abuse of alcohol and his deteriorating physical and mental health. The epigraph from Thomas Hardy’s The Mayor of Casterbridge suggests to the reader that Harrison, like the tragic character Michael Henchard, is his own worst enemy, ‘It was a part of his nature to extenuate nothing, and live on as one of his own worst accusers.’

The book’s title Corrugator is an obscure reference to the corrugator supercili muscle which is located above the eyes and is also known as the frowning muscle. The cover’s black and white photograph of Christ, taken by Harrison, furthers this suffering motif. Despite the grim misery of much of the subject matter, Harrison never demeans himself by grovelling in self pity, and instead,  he carries with him a glimmer of hope and a defiant dignity as he stares down and smirks at the abyss.

On Relationships

About a dozen poems in the collection represent different takes on Harrison’s relationships with women. He characteristically sees these encounters as initially intense before the ‘spools’ inevitably unwind and the pair go their separate ways. In ‘i dump my cum’ Harrison graphically describes a heady affair with a voracious woman and wonders ‘how long will this one last.’ In the  micropoem ‘cock raw’ he quips matter-of-factly, ‘I lie here/ early morning/ thinking of someone else’. In the aphorism ‘she was the one’ eventually/ he wasn’t’. ‘With hindsight’ uses an extended metaphor of a boat to describe the failure of yet another relationship, ‘a boat that never set sail// a boat not even/ moored.’

There are a couple of tender moments in Corrugator when love rises above its transitory state and endures. They provide us with a brief reprieve from Harrison’s relentless laments. One of the better poems is ‘there will be no sadness’ about a couple who sit together and take in the immensity of the blue sky. The poem concludes, ‘just us// the 2 of us// & to our right/ a wide open expanse of light// the sky/ so blue/ &/ limitless.’ In ‘reasons to go on’ Harrison reveals another side to him- his love for his daughter, ‘and this time round/ i can only think/ of one// i’ll see her tomorrow/ this sunday/ forever.’

On Writing

Harrison writes tributes to Kerouac (‘memory babe’) and to his late friend and poet F.A. Nettelbeck (‘outpouring’) in which he asks him ‘to keep/ us a barstool/ BRO.’ On his own writing, Harrison is full of self doubt- sometimes to the point of self loathing.  In ‘to write poetry’, he infers that it is ‘worthy’ to write about those heroes who stopped the tanks in Tiananmen Square but ‘not this’. Similarly, in ‘i think’ after reflecting on the writing process and the reasons why he writes, he concludes, ‘even this is pointless/ a ritual before the death’. In ‘for the record’ he explicitly states, ‘i don’t believe in poetry/ anymore.’ Furthermore, in ‘tonight’ he tells the reader ‘you/ are reading/ a gravestone// walk on’. In an early poem in the collection, ‘this ain’t’ he even questions whether he is writing poetry at all: ‘this ain’t the poetry/ of despair// addiction// or love// because/ this ain’t/ poetry// it never/ was.’

In this vitriolic spray of negativity about his writing, when asked if he is on his last legs as a poet, Harrison is upbeat, ‘Well at times i've felt that way. who knows ? i'd like to think not. i'd still like to write that one good poem, to influence someone in the way that many poets have influenced and touched and affected and comforted and renewed me and continue to despite all my doubt and ambivalence and cynicism... still, the fact remains that some things are more important than poetry and sometimes we get pissed off with scenes or ourselves or the things and people we love... i went thru that, might be coming out and some of the poems merely reflect and report back on that place.’

In ‘i drank’ he provides another take on his writing, on how alcohol has fueled his creativity. He images his own death and cynically quips to the reader that he has drunk for years in order to gift us his ‘break thru’ poem:

i drank

15 beers

every night

for years

to bring

you

these poems

the better ones

laced

with gin

& vodka

cones &

pills

& this

is my break thru

poem

my legacy

my gift to you

a so so career

cut short

(reprinted with the poet's permission)

On the Abyss

Perhaps the best writing in the collection relates to Harrison’s frank admissions about his alcohol abuse and his tortured descent into depression and ill health. They show a man suffering intensely, confused, sometimes fearful to the point of paranoia.

In ‘today’ he sees himself as unable to escape the pain, as ‘an insect/ without its wings/ an insect before/ the heel.’ In ‘i drank myself’ he expresses his disgust how he drank himself ‘out of arms/ out of hearts/ out of touch…drank myself/ away/ squandered it// drank myself to death.’ In ‘self-portrait before the mirror’ Harrison concisely sums up his physical and mental collapse, ‘i am covered/ in rashes and skin disorders/ scars and sweat/ my neck and heart/ both broken/ i am almost 20 kilos/ overweight/ smoke 50 a day/ and drink/ like the ghost of Dylan.’ In the powerful poem ‘there is an emptiness’ Harrison explores the insatiable hunger of emptiness ‘greater than any stadium’ and the futility of capturing the essence of its sad ‘cloying’ embrace.

Yet Harrison never throws himself over the edge. He hangs on long enough to realize that ‘no fucking higher power’ (‘been an addict’) is going to save him and that he ultimately needs to accept and take responsibility for his behavior and the decisions he makes (‘there’) . In ‘the abyss’ he tells himself calmly as he enters the void, ‘now flick your hair/ & practice/ your very best smile.’

Conclusion

This is a tight, highly worthy collection of confessional poetry. It is easy to follow and deserving of multiple readings. The writing is honest, and at times, confronting. Despite the overwhelming tone of gloom in Corrugator, there are poignant shades of light and humour which counterbalance the arrival of more of Harrison’s ‘black ships’. This is an important short collection by an Australian writer which blows rings up the ass of the usual unreadable academic excrement which passes as poetry.

INTERVIEW WITH PAUL HARRISON  2 JULY 2013

It is a coup for an Australian to be published by the American small press publisher 48^th Street Press. Paul, how did you score the gig and how have your dealings been with publisher Christopher Byck in the lead up to publication and afterwards in the distribution of Corrugator?

chris was a friend and publisher of the late, great f a nettelbeck and i believe fred talked about me when chris used to visit or call him. from there chris started following my stuff on the old blog and then i remember he invited me to contribute to the series of broadsides that he's been publishing for a few years now. of course that in itself was quite an honour when you consider that a lot of the poets he's published were and are legends of the small presses... (which reminds me, john dorsey has a chapbook forthcoming from 48th street press later this year...) anyway i think we started communicating after fred's death... 

to be honest, corrugator almost didn't happen because i'm pretty poor at corresponding and for a while there had pretty much withdrawn when out of the blue i got a very short message from chris like 'hey man' or something which i almost didn't reply to but i did and then suddenly we were talking about doing a chap which of course came as quite a shock because (a) i was kinda over the whole poetry thing or at least full of doubt and (b) chris had previously published work by the giants douglas blazek and nettelbeck and now he wants to publish some of my shit... anyway  i sent him a couple hundred poems and over a few weeks we discussed and selected what appears in corrugator. i gotta say chris has been a pleasure to work with and has a great passion and knowledge of the whole history of underground and small press poetry and a lot of goodwill and friendships therein. i hope he won't mind me saying this but when he's not teaching 'oil and diplomat kids' in caracas hahahha he's usually visiting poets all over the world. as i write he's in wales giving a copy to peter finch, last week it was LA and into the hands of fred voss !! i couldn't be happier with the distribution chris has arranged with some of the best independent book stores in the states and of course like i said he's getting copies into hands and sending it out to other poets...and yea, chris has always been very encouraging of my stuff and has told me that he's really happy with the book that we 'birthed'... i think i replied the eraserhead you mean !! 

that's a bit about how it happened by chance or almost didn't and yes, i'm grateful. very.

I’ve been trying to work out the meaning of your title ‘Corrugator.’ According to Wiki, the corrugator supercili muscle lies above the eyes, is also known as the ‘frowning muscle’ and ‘may be regarded as the principle muscle in the impression of suffering.’ If I can correctly join the dots, does this mean your book is essentially focused on the notion of suffering?

 you're quite right in your deductions and research about the title george. i wasn't sure if it was a bit of an obscure reference. to my mind it sounded like a good made up word/name to describe someone who suffers. and yes, corrugator, like meet me, has a fair bit to do with suffering but also other things. some of your readers may also be interested to know that each and everyone of us has another corrugator muscle located in our assholes... ha !

I wasn’t aware on that! The cover photograph taken by you appears to have been shot though household curtains. It features a statue of Christ with out-stretched hands holding fairy Christmas lights. Why did you select this photo for your cover?

it just seemed appropriate for some reason and hopefully it suggests or provokes different responses, associations, ideas or memories in different people that might read the chap. the image was taken on 12/12/12 at midday. i used to notice this statue which sits in the front yard of a big fuck off mansion on my way to housing appeals. back then i wasn't taking photos but when i did get into taking pics, one day on the way to another appeal i thought i'm going to snap this because i'm always looking at it, reacting to it each time i drive past... anyway 12/12/12 was the day. i like it. and yea fairy lights, but also the statue of liberty hooded and tortured like a prisoner in abu ghraib... now there's suffering.

You include less narrative poems than your first collection and the overall style is pared down considerably. Many of the poems are 40 words or less. Some only a few lines. Can you explain this shrinking of language in your poems?

i'm disappearing man !!! but seriously you're right on all counts. why ? well, i was finding it difficult to write or express myself in any other way. i've also always been interested in the short poem form and haiku. i'm not a big fan of really, really, long poems to be honest, and long poems at readings, well unless it's outstanding someone like me will probably zone out after 44 seconds... i guess i was experimenting with the idea of less is better and maybe more immediate and direct...maybe also the place/head space i was in only allowed that form. like i said before i don't over-think my poetry so i can't really explain why the paring... just is. for now. maybe i'll go back to longer more narrative driven poems. i know some people think i should ! 

In a few of your poems ‘as the rain’, ‘so fucking drunk’ and ‘thirsty work’ you mention your day job as a tenant advocate for a community legal centre in Perth. Can you tell us briefly about your work and especially why so many Housing Commission tenants are being evicted by the RTA (Residential Tenancies Act)?

for the last 8 years i've worked in community legal centres as a tenant advocate advising tenants of their rights and responsibilities in both public housing and the private rental market. if a client for whatever reason or disadvantage can't advocate effectively for themselves i'll assist them with letters, appeals etc and court representation. i believe in social and economic justice and that affordable, appropriate and secure housing is a basic human right, in fact that's what keeps me going in a poorly paid and at times stressful job. i've nearly burnt out on a few occasions over the years but hey i'm still carrying the flame... 

why so many public housing evictions ? ultimately because neo-liberalism is in ascendance, because the government finds it expedient to play to and stoke populist 'law and order' sentiment rather than admit WA has been in the midst of a housing affordability crisis for years because of their policies and their continual under-funding of state housing and that by evicting the most dispossessed and marginalised and traumatised people in our community they're doing something about the massive waiting lists they are ultimately responsible for. there's got to be a better way to support and deal with these tenancies, the vast majority being aboriginal. every wednesday and thursday i see 10 or 12 public housing terminations at various stages listed in the Court that i attend most regularly. btw there are 4 other metropolitan Courts and plenty of regional ones. so yea, state housing evictions by the housing provider of last resort are escalating as directed by government which is obscene in a resource rich, boom state like WA. 

Thanks for your insights. In many of the poems in the collection, you create the impression that your writing is ‘pointless’ or unworthy and that your reader is ‘reading a tombstone.’ In one of the last poems in the collection ‘for the record’ you write that ‘I don’t believe in poetry/ anymore.’ Are you on your last legs as a poet or is there something deeper in the well?

well at times i've felt that way. who knows ? i'd like to think not. i'd still like to write that one good poem, to influence someone in the way that many poets have influenced and touched and affected and comforted and renewed me and continue to despite all my doubt and ambivalence and cynicism... still, the fact remains that some things are more important than poetry and sometimes we get pissed off with scenes or ourselves or the things and people we love... i went thru that, might be coming out and some of the poems merely reflect and report back on that place.... now, writing this response removed from a lot of the pain, hurt and doubt that the book came from i'd like to think the well is half full ! and legless, yes, sometimes no doubt, last legs we'll see...

Paul, you used to write hundreds of poems on your blog ‘The Last Disciple’. What happened to that project?

it went into desuetude. i just stopped. all things end. 3 years is a long time to write a 'poem' every day and when i decided to pull the plug about a year and a half ago i was in a dark and painful place and feeling very fucking ambivalent about poetry and certain poets. ha. never say never again tho, right ? i think facebook now holds the copyright to my shit. hahahha...

You recently started a photo blog with Coral Carter called once you see once http://onceyousee.blogspot.com.au/ What do you enjoy about photography? Why the obsession with crucifixes?

well, about 4 years ago my brother gave me a pocket digital camera as a present. of course it sat unused for years until one day about a year ago, god knows why, i decided to start using it. what i do know is that taking photos caused me to see things anew and that it was truly therapeutic... i started to appreciate the now, the moment, started to go for walks, started moving from a place of pain to one of acceptance and how, life, can be beautiful, goes on and always will...

i only have a basic camera and very little technical know how but i'm glad i picked that gift from dave up, started using it to see, record, remember, write 'poems' without any words...

as for cruciforms i see them everywhere like garth madsen describes in his poem ha ! i'm also very conscious of the mythology and symbolism of the cross and its effect within our culture and myself but no george i'm not obsessed with crucifixs, i'm a fucking proddie !! then again... corrugator.

Thanks Paul. All the best with Corrugator.

 i look forward to seeing what you've made of corrugator. thanks again, george.

best
paul

 To purchase Corrugator contact Chris Byck here: 48thstreetpress@gmail.com


Further Resources:

Here is a recent review of Corrugator on MemeoMemeo. Also discussed is Christopher Byck's outlaw poetry broadside project.: http://mimeomimeo.blogspot.com.au/2013/08/exile-on-48th-street.html

A review of Corrugator by Karina Bush: http://www.karinabush.com/close-up#!other