I’m writing this from vacation in Hilton Head, on the back deck of a villa right next to a fishable lagoon. A few minutes ago, I walked down to the water barefooted, looking for the lure that got caught in a tree branch and carefully picking my way around fire-ant-hills, when I realized I was a few feet from a wide-eyed alligator displaying his teeth. Although I was surprised and upset that I hadn’t thought to be wary of alligators (I mean, fire ants are nasty, but alligators…well, they win the scary contest tail and jaws down), there was something beautiful about it, too – realizing I was that close to something I was afraid of, but that all it wanted was to warn me away from its nice sunny spot. Stumbling into (and out of) that experience made me think of something my Art Law professor told us: art isn’t some scary, unfathomable thing, so don’t be intimidated by it; everyone brings something unique to the experience. Your reaction to art is legitimate, so go out, see art, and trust your reaction. I like that advice. I don’t always know what a poet had in mind, but I feel something real in response to their poem. I’m not saying authorial intent isn’t important, even vital, and I’m definitely not advocating walking around alligator country with your head in the clouds. But I do think it’s good to step outside your comfort zone with an open mind to see what lies beyond. You might feel a connection you weren’t expecting. It might be beautiful. This month, I’m happy to share with you the inventive poetry of Eryk Wenziak, alongside an interview. Eryk’s poetry made me think of meaning in new ways, made me look for meaning and find meaning in new ways. I especially love the circularity and unending quality of these poems – how they describe communication as they communicate; how they refuse finality. I’m also really happy that I was able to get an interview with Eryk that touches on these subjects. Now I’m curious to try to figure out what punctuation marks or symbols would create the right atmosphere for the scenes in my life!
I’m also excited to share with you pointed, fierce poetry by Julia Bouwsma. Her poetry appeals to my sense of the grotesque, like a horror film might – it’s full of sexual and violent double-edged imagery. But the poems are more than that, too; they’re pain; they’re delicate, detailed, and sensitive; soft, pink, helpless interiors hardened or damaged – even killed – from exposure; they’re the seeking of redemption or lullaby or recognition or acknowledgement. They turn inside out and sting like exposed nerve.
Associate Editor Mia Avramut shares with us entrancing, stunning prose poetry written by Andrei Guruianu. Mia writes:
Guruianu’s prose poems are indeed striking. Their tone is that of a modern Trakl, their intensity undeniable. He writes of the unspeakable, and creates puzzles of surreal splendor. He colors the desolation of our days with the nuances of contemplation, melancholy and “ravenous hope.”
Associate Editor JP Reese shares with us wonderful poetry this month. Ms Reese writes:
Andrew P. Dillon observes the world as a poet should. His poems are in it but not of it. He has the ability to make the universal personal and the personal universal. The poetry is written with a detachment that lends the poems gravitas and yet there is an emotional response in the observations, hidden between the graceful flights of ideas, which lends the poems credulity and a certain kindness. Beneath the vision of a world swiftly turning and burning, of a "sun baking the glue out of everything," this poet manages to uncover that music that "…starts in the soles of the feet / then surges to the tongue."
Associate Editor Doug Van Gundy shares one poet’s wonderful poetry with us this month. Doug writes:
Daniel Saalfeld looks beyond the romance of the foreign that is often found in poetry written about Americans abroad. These two very different poems share a common modus operandi: through careful observation and a musical lyricism, the unexpected and occasionally uncomfortable situations in which travelers can find themselves are rendered in sharp and slightly disconcerting focus. This fresh take on a familiar theme makes these poems deeply satisfying.
And we have one poem from talented young poet Charlie Fury to share with you this month. His touching poem is chock-full of sensory-rich imagery, which I love. I’m always excited to find young writers with great potential, and Mr. Fury definitely fits the bill. Watch for more from this talented poet in the future!
So come on in! The sunning poemgators await.