Featuring Pris Campbell

 

Time Knows 

The angels of mercy 

occasionally fly by my house, 

singing ‘walk in the garden’

or rugged cross songs 

and I’m back in my childhood church 

sipping communal wine

and choking down stale crusts, 

the body of christ.

Sometimes they taunt me, 

dragging my old boat past,

and humming sea chanties, 

with dead lovers, 

hair white, 

flying behind the stern.

I stick out my thumb 

to hitch a ride  on the boat 

but they disappear.

I’m left alone to make faces

from the shadows moving across my wall

and write poems 

no new lover will ever read.

Consolation

You’ve only known me
with my body slain and
curled deep into soft spaces
dreaming of billowing sails
bike rides, hair flying,
along dawn-pink ocean swells.

You’ve only seen me with my brain
in under-drive, thoughts short-circuited.

A turtle could outpace me now.

Soil from the grave dropping
to reveal your translucence,
you speak to me of days
we wished we would have had together,
days when our bodies were unbreakable,
minds yet unseared by loss.

I reach out my hand to console air,
tell you we’ll still have those days
when both our ashes straddle the wind.

Pris Campbell has both free verse and short forms published in journals and anthologies. The small press has published eleven books/ chapbooks.

Book Review/ Interview: Mike Meraz She Poems (Epic Rites Press, 2015) 33 pages

She Poems is American poet Mike Meraz’s latest collection. It consists of 30 minimalistic confessional poems. The poems are less than a page in length and they all hug the left margin of the page. Like Shakespeare’s love sonnets the poems do not have formal titles but rather are numbered 1 to 30. These are clear, highly accessible free verse poems which focus on the poet’s relationship with a variety of women and his accompanying thoughts and feelings on love.

In a recent interview with Meraz (which appears after this review), he explains the genesis of the book and how he came up with title, “ I was writing a lot of poems about a particular girl. I was going to call it “(the name of the girl) Poems” but then I started writing poems about other women in my life or had been in my life. The writing happened in a span of about 2 years. It was then I realized I had a book in the making. Also, I was writing a lot of poems with the word “she” in it. I would never mention names, just “she this”… “she that…” So that’s where the title comes from.”

In the interview, Meraz also clearly points out that “all the women in the book are individuals not composites” and are a product of his experience rather than his imagination. Asked about the number of women who appear in She Poems, he is surprised, “If you would have asked me off the top of my head, I would have said 12 or 13. But there are 19. These are women in my late twenties to my mid thirties to the past few years. Some women in the book I didn’t even know personally. I just saw them on the street or at work.”

The book largely celebrates Meraz’s fondness or rejection of the women he writes about in his poems. His observations are typically simple and direct. One important motif he uses is on trying to nail down what he finds attractive about the women he meets. Sometimes this is difficult. Poem 21 begins, “I am not sure/ What it/ Is// Could be/ Some/ Tone of / Voice// Or some/ Nuance/ Of/ Speech// Or a Nonchalant/ Walk/ Down the/ Street. In 29, he finds mystery and beauty in a girl in “The way/ You/ Don’t/ Smile.” In 22, he is attracted to a girl with a “Long/ Ponytail/ Nonchalant/ Like she/ Doesn’t/ Exist// But right/ Now/ She fills/ The/ Void.”

The following poem evokes the simple, spontaneous joy of staying up late with a girl and talking nonsense and not really having a care in the world: 

17

Some memory

Of a

Girl

Who smoked

In my

Room

With

White walls

And

Laughter

White

Smoke

And

Staying up

Late

The hours

Filled with

Nonsense

That had more

Meaning

Than most

Things

Deemed

Important.

(reprinted with the poet's permission)

In She Poems, Meraz is usually writing about young love and not the banal domesticity of marriage. His descriptions of women express a tenderness in a good-humoured, affectionate way. His language is discreet and nuanced rather than erotically explicit. He treats his women with great respect and as equals, even when things fall apart.

Another important motif in the book is the need to find a balance between conversation and physical intimacy. In poem 14, he amusingly admits, “Last night/ I talked/ Too much/ To a girl/ In my/Bed// There was a/ Point when/ I knew/ I should just/ Shut/ Up.” In 30, he has an argument with his girlfriend and to dissipate the conflict she offers to come over the following week to watch a movie. He replies, “Sounds good… We were better/ At/ Cuddling/ Anyway.” In 6, Meraz recounts that in his 20s he spent some time on the streets of Long Beach talking to the preachers and painters and poets, “looking for some lighthouse.” He comes to the epiphany: “It wasn’t/ Philosophy/ I/ Needed// But/ Love.” Poem 8 offers a further take on this idea:

8

She says

I like your

Poems

You write about

People

And

Life

Rather than

Ideas

We need that

I think of all

The ideas and

Philosophies

I have

Learned

All the searching

I have done

I will take a

Walk hand in

Hand with a

Woman

Over that

Any

Day.

(reprinted with the poet's permission)

Meraz always has his feet planted firmly on the ground and never resorts to hyperbole or idealised notions of love. His view of love is varied but grounded in the idea that “we are all flawed.” He explains, “As I have gotten older my view of love has changed. I used to be very idealistic when it came to love. I had this standard that was very high. Now I am more relaxed about the whole idea of love, less judgmental, more easy-going. I guess, because I understand human beings more, we are all flawed; there is no girl with the golden eyes and the golden heart out there.”

A couple of the poems express the notion that love is like an addiction or as a force of gravity which cannot be tamed. In poem 5, the speaker says he has experienced the highs and lows of love with a woman and views the relationship in gambling terms: “And like some/ Addicted/ Gambler// I put my/ Heart/ On the/ Table// One/ More/ Time// Even though/ I once/ Said// I will/ Never/ Go into that/ Casino/ Again.” In 18, an ex-girlfriend texts him and a swirl of negative thoughts amass in his mind about what had stuffed up their previous relationship. He concludes stoically that the need for love is an unstoppable and natural force like gravity and he immerses himself headlong into the relationship again, “But/ Fuck// Love is/ A law// As strong/ As/ Gravity/ You fall/ Again.”

Meraz does not shy away from the negative aspects of relationships. He deals with the issue of incompatibility, the failure of love and the illusiveness of connecting with others. Fortunately for us, Meraz does not dwell on the pain and trauma caused by break-ups; instead he sees the experience positively as a learning tool to take with him to his next relationship. As he shrewdly says when asked about his view of love, “There are great girls, but with everything there are downsides. It’s like you have a choice- be idealistic and lonely or relax a bit and have some fun, enjoy life, try to find the good things and attribute them to your life. I guess, that’s a lot of what this book is about. Even in the bad experiences there is humour. In heart break there is wisdom. We can go through life being conquered by it. Or we can be clever and turn the bad experiences into poems and art and have the last laugh at life.”  

Another strong motif in the book is the idea of woman as muse in the creation of Meraz’s poetry. Women are seen as the inspiration for many of his poems. In poem 7, the girl with the “long dark hair” “Inspiring/ A/ Poem// At/Last.” Similarly in 28, “You stare into/ Her eyes/ She stares/ Into yours/ And love poems/ Are written/ In/ Between.” In 2, a second person poem, the couple are actually seen as “two pieces of Art.” And in 25, the entire relationship is viewed in terms of its association with literature. It concludes with the transcendent, “Everything/ Is/ Art.” 

The front cover is illustrated by Toni Greis and is of a young girl with glasses painting a small red heart on her bedroom wall. Meraz saw Greis’s work on Facebook and after messaging him about She Poems Greis quickly became involved in the project.

She Poems is a candid, diverse collection of poems about fledgling relationships. The poems are clearly crafted and arranged. As you read through the collection, the words might provoke you to recall your own special moments of youthful love and innocence.

Interview with Mike Meraz 11 October 2015

Q: You have been writing for many years. Do you have a regular routine in getting it down?

I don’t have a regular routine. I basically write when an idea or poem come to me. I could be at work, or in the shower, or riding my bike. Sometimes I will be reading a book or listening to music and a memory or the first few lines of a poem will come to me and I will jot it down. But there is no routine, it is always spontaneous.

Q: How do you describe your style in 'She Poems'. To what extent are they confessional?

They are all confessional minimal poems. All the poems in the book are based on true events or at least inspired by true incidents or circumstances. I can’t write purely off imagination. My imagination works off reality. My style is very simple, I think, with complex ideas.

Q: When did you first think you had a book in the making? (For example, had you written a few poems previously and thought this was a great concept for a book?  

I noticed I was writing a lot of poems about a particular girl at the time. I was going to call it “(the name of the girl) Poems” but then I started writing poems about other women in my life or had been in my life. The writing happened in a span of about 2 years. It was then I realized I had a book in the making. Also, I was writing a lot of poems with the word “she” in it. I would never mention names, just “she this...” “she that…” So that’s where the title comes from. The book basically named itself. I just went with it.

Q: How did you get it up and reading thru Epic Rites Press?

Wolf Carstens, the editor of Epic Rites Press, has been familiar with my work for some years now, probably since 2010. He has always told me if I ever have a book in the making to send it his way.  When I was finally finished and comfortable with this work, I did just that. I think it took him a day or two to read it and respond with an affirmative yes. I was happy because Epic Rites is a solid press. You can just tell by the way he does things, he means business.  I am glad to be on board.

Q: You appear to represent many different women in your poems.  How many are there? /Are they composites or individuals?

Well, after reading this question, I actually counted and there are 19 women in the book. I was actually surprised by this number. If you would have asked me off the top of my head, I would have said 12 or 13. But there are 19. These are women from my late twenties to my mid thirties to the past few years. Some women in the book I didn’t even know personally. I just saw them on the street or at work. I am not sure what inspires a poem in me. But it is some affect in the heart and brain. But all the women in the book are individuals not composites.

Q: How did the illustrator Toni Greis get involved in this project. Was he given a brief?

I found Toni Greis through facebook. I was looking for a cover artist, and this was actually the hardest part of putting the book together. I petitioned other artists but nothing seemed to hit the mark.I wanted something that looked pro. I didn't want it to look like some small time book. I wanted it to stand up against anything you could find in a real bookstore. So I was on facebook one day and I saw some of Toni’s work and something in my mind said, ‘that’s it.” So I messaged him through facebook and after explaining to him the project, and showing him the actual illustration I wanted to use, he agreed. I was very happy when he said yes.

Q: What qualities are you looking for/ not looking for in a woman?

This is a broad question and very hard to answer. I am not looking for someone who is boring. I need someone who is exciting, fun, and dramatic. Now this does not always mean this is the easiest type of woman to be with, because passion and energy run both ways. But as a writer, this is the type of woman who holds my attention. Physically, I usually go for curvy women, but there have been exceptions. I just like passion and energy. I need someone to play off of, like a muse.

Q: In your book you show many different aspects of love. What is your view of love?

As I have gotten older my view of love has changed. I used to be very idealistic when it came to love. I had this standard that was very high. Now I am more relaxed about the whole idea of love, less judgmental, more easy-going. I guess, because I understand human beings more, we are all flawed; there is no girl with the golden eyes and the golden heart out there. There a great girls, but with everything there are downsides. It’s like you have a choice, be idealistic and lonely or relax a bit and have some fun, enjoy life, try to find the good things and attribute them to your life. I guess, that’s a lot of what the book is about. Even in the bad experiences there is humor. In heart break there is wisdom. We can go through life being conquered by it. Or we can be clever and turn the bad experiences into poems and art and have the last laugh at life.

Q: Is your blog black-listed magazine still running?

Black-Listed Mag is still up and running but I am not publishing as often as I used to. I will usually let the submissions pile up for a month or two then in one weekend post a bunch of stuff. But it is still there. I have thought about ditching it because it does take up time. But then I think it’s still a cool site for good underground poetry.

Q: What's next for you?

I have another book in the works about the writer’s life. I am not sure when this will be out as I have yet to actually put it together. But there are about 40 poems in the vault that I think would make a good book. It’d be in the same style as She Poems, very minimal, confessional poems. I am hoping to have it out by 2017. For now, I am concentrating on She Poems. So far it has done better than expected, so I am excited about it.

Purchase your copy of She Poems here: http://www.freewebstore.org/Tree-Killer-Ink/product/she-poems

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