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e in this issue ‑ by Mark Rich by Fly the Web inthe Line Improvisation: Notes by Kiini Ibura Salaam My Yin Yang and ays Painting Writing: and E Kristine Campbell F by K.C. Ball Other Oddities Snapshots from aBlack Hole & by Nicholas Monchaux de Spacesuit: Fashioning Apollo by Monahan Annemarie Three PersonBag Collective edited by PoetessesLady from Hell by Christopher Barzak Birds Birthdays and B LeftThe of Hand Darkness Guin’s Le Ursula K. G Catherine McGuire Julia Margaret Cameron, 1860s by Sonya Taaffe Ortygia to Trimountaine Poems eatured ss ook randmother R eviews A rtist M a g ma

Managing Editor Vol. 2 No. 4—October 2012 Lew Gilchriist

Reviews Editor E ssays Nisi Shawl Painting and Writing: My Yin and Yang h 3 Features Editor by Kiini Ibura Salaam L. Timmel Duchamp Line Improvisation: Notes by the Fly in the Web h 6 Arts Editor by Mark Rich Kath Wilham Grandmother Magma Review $4.00 Ursula K. Le Guin’s The Left Hand of Darkness h 12 reviewed by Suzy McKee Charnas

Poems Ortygia to Trimountaine h 18 by Sonya Taaffe Julia Margaret Cameron, 1860s h 20 Catherine McGuire

Reviews Birds and Birthdays by Christopher Barzak h 14 H reviewed by Nic Clarke 2 Lady Poetesses from Hell, edited by Bag Person Collective h 16 reviewed by David Findlay Three by Annemarie Monahan h 17 reviewed by Deb Taber Spacesuit: Fashioning Apollo by Nicholas de Monchaux h 19 reviewed by Karen Burnham Snapshots from a Black Hole & Other Oddities, by K.C. Ball h 21 reviewed by Victoria Elisabeth Garcia

Featured Artist Kristine Campbell h 22

Subscriptions and single issues online To order by check, payable to: at: www.thecsz.com Aqueduct Press Print subscription: $15/yr; P.O. Box 95787 Print single issue: $4 Seattle, WA 98145-2787 Electronic Subscription (PDF format): [Washington State Residents $10 per year add 9.5% sales tax.]

In This Issue Electronic single issue: $3

Cover banner collagraph of the Cascadia subduction zone by Marilyn Liden Bode n

n

- creat constantly was mother My piano. Cont. on p. 4 p. on Cont.

the place where “serious” art was made. was art “serious” where place the Ellis Marsalis pound out Monk on the the on Monk out pound Marsalis Ellis

wrong bank of the chasm, unable to reach reach to unable chasm, the of bank wrong where we would sit in a booth and watch watch and booth a in sit would we where

of being a real artist, but I stood on the the on stood I but artist, real a being of of music. He would take us to dark bars, bars, dark to us take would He music. of

between me and artmaking. I dreamed dreamed I artmaking. and me between My father was a poet and profound lover lover profound and poet a was father My

part of my sister’s life, a chasm stretched stretched chasm a life, sister’s my of part makers of things that others appreciated. appreciated. others that things of makers

sen vocation. While making art was a fluid fluid a was art making While vocation. sen My parents themselves were creators, creators, were themselves parents My

- cho her and expression personal her also that brought value to the lives of others. others. of lives the to value brought that

appreciated….” Art was not only her innate talent, it was was it talent, innate her only not was Art people in your community to create work work create to community your in people

you made, not just just not made, you make a mark and hold form was fair game. game. fair was form hold and mark a make ciated; that it was normal for you and the the and you for normal was it that ciated;

art was something something was art calligraphy ink; anything she could use to to use could she anything ink; calligraphy - appre just not made, you something was

understanding that that understanding marker, bark, moss, leaves, orange peels, peels, orange leaves, moss, bark, marker, culcated in me the understanding that art art that understanding the me in culcated

paper, pencil, pencil, paper, — - in friends family and relatives of creations inculcated in me the the me in inculcated Her mediums were varied were mediums Her

parents’ community. Living among the the among Living community. parents’ oil, and acrylic painter; a portrait artist. artist. portrait a painter; acrylic and oil, and family friends friends family and

expressions created by members of my my of members by created expressions She was a fashion designer; a watercolor, watercolor, a designer; fashion a was She creations of relatives relatives of creations

for visual impact; they were the cherished cherished the were they impact; visual for It was my older sister who was the artist. artist. the was who sister older my was It “Living among the the among “Living

simply objects that had been collected collected been had that objects simply but I did so as a self-professed amateur. amateur. self-professed a as so did I but

The art objects in my home were not not were home my in objects art The ued to make posters and greeting cards, cards, greeting and posters make to ued

upbringing. - contin I autobiographies, women’s black

central and omnipresent throughout my my throughout omnipresent and central As I delved into literary criticism and and criticism literary into delved I As

al art from the African diaspora: art was was art diaspora: African the from art al meaning and changed majors. majors. changed and meaning

- three-dimension and books both with ed the pretense that literature held no special special no held literature that pretense the

- load bookshelves to surface, vertical every my ease and facility with words. I dropped dropped I words. with facility and ease my

brant prints and paintings covering nearly nearly covering paintings and prints brant after my first semester, I gave up ignoring ignoring up gave I semester, first my after

- vi to walls room living the lining records chose computer science as my major. But But major. my as science computer chose

from shelves upon shelves of vinyl vinyl of shelves upon shelves from — art Before college, I abandoned dance and and dance abandoned I college, Before

3 lived among thousands of iterations of of iterations of thousands among lived nificant; I had dreams of being a dancer. dancer. a being of dreams had I nificant;

art, dance, literature, and activism. We We activism. and literature, dance, art, - sig personally writing own my considered

and I grew up in a swirl of music, visual visual music, of swirl a in up grew I and er our writing was remarkable. I never never I remarkable. was writing our er i

tions of my childhood. My four siblings siblings four My childhood. my of tions - wheth for regard no with ideas and stories

- founda central the of one was Artistry arts. We frequently created booklets of our our of booklets created frequently We arts.

spur them to create, the rush is amazing. is rush the create, to them spur and cousins were all fluent in the literary literary the in fluent all were cousins and

captures the impulses and intentions that that intentions and impulses the captures A family of voracious readers, my siblings siblings my readers, voracious of family A

can be shared with others. When an artist artist an When others. with shared be can while art was always there, so were words. words. were so there, always was art while

ternal landscape in a creative format that that format creative a in landscape ternal visual artist; I became a writer. Because Because writer. a became I artist; visual

- in person’s a expressing of process the is Interestingly, only one of us became a a became us of one only Interestingly,

perience within. Making art is like that. It It that. like is art Making within. perience posters for friends and family family and friends for posters ­ members.

- ex we perspective and feelings, thoughts, and made oversized greeting cards and and cards greeting oversized made and

ternal expression effectively broadcasts the the broadcasts effectively expression ternal sketched out fashion we wanted to wear, wear, to wanted we fashion out sketched

- ex our that knowing of thrill the to alive sisters and I drew women we imagined, imagined, we women drew I and sisters

self-expressions.”

persona we created hits the mark, we are are we mark, the hits created we persona from the pages of their comic books; my my books; comic their of pages the from

choice, we all curate our our curate all we choice,

all curate our self-expressions. When the the When self-expressions. our curate all magazines. My brothers drew superheroes superheroes drew brothers My magazines.

From wardrobe to word word to wardrobe From

of life. From wardrobe to word choice, we we choice, word to wardrobe From life. of and walls with colorful images pulled from from pulled images colorful with walls and

in every aspect of life. life. of aspect every in

artists, artistry can be seen in every aspect aspect every in seen be can artistry artists, vironment in our bedroom, collaging tables tables collaging bedroom, our in vironment

artistry can be seen seen be can artistry

- non from artists separate we Though new. - en the transformed frequently I and sister

artists from nonartists, nonartists, from artists

inexplicable urgings to develop something something develop to urgings inexplicable lings were always creating something. My My something. creating always were lings

“Though we separate separate we “Though

and and — aptitude mental and physical — ogy - sib Salaam the of five all children as that

- biol of sway the under create Artists um. charts, and designs. It is no wonder, then, then, wonder, no is It designs. and charts,

- medi particular a in create they why alone sure, draw, cut, and color letters, numbers, numbers, letters, color and cut, draw, sure,

explain why they are drawn to create, let let create, to drawn are they why explain - mea to how us teaching apprentices, as

ous as it is insistent. Most artists cannot cannot artists Most insistent. is it as ous orful teaching materials. She treated us us treated She materials. teaching orful

- mysteri as is art make to impulse The - col and marches political for posters ing

Salaam Ibura Kiini by

y Painting and Writing: My Yin and Yang and Yin My Writing: and Painting Painting and Writing Three years after college — after I had of hyper-awareness. I must cut through (Cont. from p. 3) traveled the world, earned a Master’s de- mental chatter and listen keenly to locate gree, and had my first job — I finally ac- the right note to identify the exact flow of knowledged my desire to create “real” art. words that will effectively embody my idea, It happened away from home where no thought, or character. Writing demands one could judge or comment on my ef- vigilance to false starts, lazy descriptions, forts, where I could not compare my work and vague statements. Only after I have to that of “real” artists. I had buried myself picked through a jumble of words, images, amongst the crumbling old buildings of and ideas can I unearth the precise details Pelourhino in Salvador, Bahia, to write a that accurately render the contours of my novel. As I wrestled my ideas into themes subject. and chapters, I found myself surrounded In my first draft, I am like a stenogra- “Painting, for me, is by art. Sculpture, paintings, masks, and pher, transcribing the words as they fall always an exercise in crafts spilled out from ragtag galleries that through my mind. In the second draft I improvisation born from displayed art of varying skill levels. My am an explorer, hiking my way through a surrender. I lay down gaze bounced from the realistic render- labyrinth of possible approaches in search a line and follow it ings of highly trained painters to tourist of the right path of words to follow. On my through to a curve.” art that vibrantly captured the city with journey, I encounter walls that I must navi- rough strokes and stick figures. The range gate, obstacles to climb over, strictures to of what the galleries presented and sold as wrestle with. Editing is vigorous intellec- art heartened me. The certainty that my art tual exercise, a logical quagmire, a math- would be less sophisticated than the best ematical challenge. Writing presents a and more refined than the crudest was se- Rubik’s Cube of choices that I dare myself ductive. I found myself buying paints and to engage with. I often find myself squint- canvas. Untrained and uncertain, I decided ing, forehead wrinkled, as I attempt to see I would give painting a try. past the paragraph bluffs to identify the My first painting was of a woman I had combination of words, the sentence flow, H sketched after seeing the work of a local the voice and tone that will best deliver the sculptor. The woman’s facial features were truths I am trying to invoke. 4 mask-like, and both her clothing and back- Painting requires an entirely different ground were red. The Bahians who saw it type of engagement than writing. It does insisted that it was related to Candomble, not ask that I be sharp or demand vigi- an Afro-syncretic religion based in Brazil. lance. There is no hunting involved, and When an artist surrenders, truly sur- not much logic either, except the intuitive renders, to the artistic impulse, there’s no kind. In fact, I cannot arrive at the ideal telling what will emerge. My first paint- arrangement of color and form through ing emerged with a bold air of mysticism intellectual activity. I cannot reason my that would become a hallmark of my visual way to a harmoniously balanced or well- art regardless of intention or subject mat- rendered painting. If writing is a maze, ter. Painting, for me, is always an exercise painting is a wide open field that contains in improvisation born from surrender. I a plethora of choices — no one approach “Writing requires an lay down a line and follow it through to better than another. I choose my entry intense level of hyper- a curve. The form of what I have com- point on pure impulse, then I play with awareness.… Only after mitted to canvas sparks a new idea, and I colors and techniques, surrendering to I have picked through am guided to create echoing or contrast- whatever images organically develop from a jumble of words, ing forms. Each impulse leads to the next, my paintbrush. images, and ideas can eventually birthing a piece of art that has To succeed at painting and surrender I unearth the precise its own unique identity, one that often to my intuition, I have to go soft around details that accurately bears little resemblance to what I might the edges. I ditch thought by anchoring render the contours of have imagined when I sat down to create. my focus to the brushstrokes and trust- my subject.” I find it remarkable that the act of ing that the spread of color will lead me to painting sparks a completely different feel- a beautiful place. When I am completely ing in me than writing. Both disciplines enmeshed in painting, I am whisked away are authentic expressions of my soul, yet to a time and space where daily concerns

they draw on different facets of my cre- cannot touch me. I levitate above dark

ative self. Writing requires an intense level n

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(Aqueduct Press). Press). (Aqueduct paper, markers, paints, and brushes: a for- a brushes: and paints, markers, paper,

published in May 2012 2012 May in published shelves loaded with a dizzying array of of array dizzying a with loaded shelves

Ancient, Ancient, tion, was was ­Ancient, with huge windows, the walls lined with with lined walls the windows, huge with

collection of her short fic- short her of collection fantasize about owning a large airy room room airy large a owning about fantasize

explores the writing life. A A life. writing the explores I fantasize about living that life again. I I again. life that living about fantasize I

KIS.list, an e-column that that e-column an KIS.list, my artistic impulse was my raison d’être. d’être. raison my was impulse artistic my

years Kiini has written the the written has Kiini years

in some fantastical world where expressing expressing where world fantastical some in humanity.

poetry. For the past ten ten past the For poetry.

afternoon into evening. It was like living living like was It evening. into afternoon the magic of spirit and the strength of my my of strength the and spirit of magic the

creative nonfiction, and and nonfiction, creative

back to my room where I painted from from painted I where room my to back ities as an artist, I simultaneously discover discover simultaneously I artist, an as ities

speculative fiction, erotica, erotica, fiction, speculative

shine, lunched with friends, then went went then friends, with lunched shine, - possibil my into deeper delve to mediums

Her work encompasses encompasses work Her

- sun the in soaked streets, the wandered courage in my heart. As I use these two two these use I As heart. my in courage

eler from New Orleans. Orleans. New from eler

painter within, I wrote in the mornings, mornings, the in wrote I within, painter my abundant love of creativity, and the the and creativity, of love abundant my

writer, painter, and trav- and painter, writer,

when I began my relationship with the the with relationship my began I when loop in which I affirm my faith in myself, myself, in faith my affirm I which in loop

Kiini Ibura Salaam is a a is Salaam Ibura Kiini

During those heady days in Brazil, Brazil, in days heady those During writing and painting create a feedback feedback a create painting and writing

will reveal itself to me. me. to itself reveal will to understand my own growth. Together, Together, growth. own my understand to

the harmony and rightness of the painting painting the of rightness and harmony the are encouraged, and I have the language language the have I and encouraged, are

right, I must ignore my judgment. Later Later judgment. my ignore must I right, tion with writing, my ego is fed, my talents talents my fed, is ego my writing, with tion

judge things as ugly. If my heart says it is is it says heart my If ugly. as things judge - destina my at arrive successfully I When

even when I I when even — I must let go of judgment of go let must I not to rush, not to travel, but to just be. be. just to but travel, to not rush, to not

is right. right. is feel I what do must I painting, in ego. I feel timeless when I paint, like I exist exist I like paint, I when timeless feel I ego.

is right right is think I what do can’t I feeling. and pact my soul, while writing impacts my my impacts writing while soul, my pact

I must discard judgment in favor of sense sense of favor in judgment discard must I - im to seems painting surface, the On

rative should my language be? In painting, painting, In be? language my should rative possibility, far from a given. given. a from far possibility,

- deco How tale? this tell best can view of and certain, the other just a suggestion, a a suggestion, a just other the certain, and

train of thought? What tense, what point point what tense, What thought? of train one revealing, the other alluring; one solid solid one alluring; other the revealing, one

in myself…” how long should I stay with this this with stay I should long how — life. One grounding, the other elevating; elevating; other the grounding, One life. writing

which I affirm my faith faith my affirm I which 5 and painting form a yin and yang in my my in yang and yin a form painting and I must constantly operate my judgment in in judgment my operate constantly must I

a feedback loop in in loop feedback a through to completion. Together writing writing Together completion. to through forth of the brushstrokes, the play of color. color. of play the brushstrokes, the of forth

i and painting create create painting and ingly following its soft, whispering pushes pushes whispering soft, its following ingly dissolve and there is only the back and and back the only is there and dissolve

“Together, writing writing “Together, - will submissive, and open-handed out, altered state where existence and thought thought and existence where state altered

I must simply breathe it in and breathe it it breathe and in it breathe simply must I relaxation, my ability to surrender to an an to surrender to ability my relaxation,

Something I cannot command or capture. capture. or command cannot I Something that swirl in my head. Painting is about about is Painting head. my in swirl that

not grasp or contain with my bare hands. hands. bare my with contain or grasp not to communicate the thoughts and images images and thoughts the communicate to

- can I something breeze, the is painting and way and that and spear the truest words words truest the spear and that and way

Writing is the dirt I grow in and from, from, and in grow I dirt the is Writing lies on my ability to turn my mind this this mind my turn to ability my on lies

will lift me up. up. me lift will - re it fitness, about is writing me, For

maintaining my own productivity, writing writing productivity, own my maintaining my life is erratic and unpredictable. unpredictable. and erratic is life my

lift up writing and take responsibility for for responsibility take and writing up lift and magical creations, but her presence in in presence her but creations, magical and

table, in my bed. The mandate is this: if I I if this: is mandate The bed. my in table, she dazzles me with soothing vibrations vibrations soothing with me dazzles she play of color.” of play

where I can: on the train, at my kitchen kitchen my at train, the on can: I where tiful, enigmatic visitor; when she comes comes she when visitor; enigmatic tiful, of the brushstrokes, the the brushstrokes, the of

I pack in my writing sessions when and and when sessions writing my in pack I - beau a like is hand, other the on Painting, only the back and forth forth and back the only

the laundry and preparing school lunch. lunch. school preparing and laundry the sions and select the best term or phrase. phrase. or term best the select and sions

dissolve and there is is there and dissolve

dust. It is on my must-do list along with with along list must-do my on is It dust. - expres various through sort to writing, of

existence and thought thought and existence

no questions, no assists, no fairy fairy no assists, no questions, no — way I have trained myself to obey the flow flow the obey to myself trained have I way live it live

an altered state where where state altered an

practice in it. There is a precision about the the about precision a is There it. in practice If writing is to be my life, then I have to to have I then life, my be to is writing If

ability to surrender to to surrender to ability

and many more years of of years more many and — over my writing my over the sky that will fulfill my writing dreams. dreams. writing my fulfill will that sky the

about relaxation, my my relaxation, about

from my hand. I have much more control control more much have I hand. my from I realized that there is no writing god in in god writing no is there that realized I

words…. Painting is is Painting words….

from another planet, rather than creations creations than rather planet, another from to make a personal manifesto of writing. writing. of manifesto personal a make to

and spear the truest truest the spear and

they emerge, are like mysterious artifacts artifacts mysterious like are emerge, they dry spells, frustration, and failure, I had had I failure, and frustration, spells, dry

mind this way and that that and way this mind

I don’t paint at all. The paintings, when when paintings, The all. at paint don’t I To overcome a block of years fraught with with fraught years of block a overcome To

on my ability to turn my my turn to ability my on

paint in a furious burst of activity, then then activity, of burst furious a in paint me; it holds a very real space in my life. life. my in space real very a holds it me;

about fitness, it relies relies it fitness, about

ity in painting comes in fits and starts. I I starts. and fits in comes painting in ity books. Writing has surpassed fantasy for for fantasy surpassed has Writing books.

“For me, writing is is writing me, “For

- productiv my though writing, and ing dream of no desk or room crammed with with crammed room or desk no of dream

- paint between interplay the love I Oddly I have no fantasy writing space. I I space. writing fantasy no have I Oddly

ful, meditative, expansive. expansive. meditative, ful, all of my artistic impulses. impulses. artistic my of all

- peace is It conflict. and confusion, moods, real studio in which to house and nurture nurture and house to which in studio real y Line Improvisation: Notes by the Fly in the Web by Mark Rich

Children born into bilingual households On rare occasions Charles also drew may be delayed in talking, say observers. amusingly. Interest in visual art ran strong- They stay silent too long for parental com- ly in the Kikuchi clan, however, with one fort. Yet out of such silence springs forth a of Kikue’s brothers being a prominent “While growing up child displaying rudimentary skills in not Chicago architect, and another being a monolingual, I grew one but two tongues. talented watercolorist. A large work by the up surrounded by three I emerged from no such experience, latter, Atsushi, hung above the piano, with forms of expression myself, having been brought up in an smaller ones scattered around the house. English-speaking household — although that existed apart from The younger Kiyoshi drew in ink during my grandmother, speaking only Japanese, the realm of infant the family’s wartime internment, filling often took care of me. Maybe she cooed notebooks with delightful drawings that language skills.…” Japanese baby-nonsense over me, which during my childhood sat on our Colorado may be what slips from my lips when at book shelves. Kikue herself painted in oils play with Scottie dogs. I doubt that my for a time and placed at least one work in newborn brain took extra time for pro- a museum show in Denver. Her paintings, cessing the skill, though. few in number, remained on display in our I provoked no worries about slow- suburban two-story. ness, being instead too quick. My mother, Shelves of books downstairs held other Kikue Rich, née Kikuchi, says that in the indications that momentary creation can maternity ward at the University of Chi- yield to permanency. Charles’s dissertation cago hospital I raised my head and gazed sat high on one shelf. Here and there, too, around with large, curious eyes — a vivid sat a few copies of a book by his father, my memory, for her. My being alone among namesake, as well as pamphlets Grandpa H the newborns in doing this presaged, per- Mark had written on American Baptist is- haps, a lifetime of being somewhat alone sues, which had seen print and distribution. 6 in my view of the world. Less clearly evident than these signs were While growing up monolingual, I grew Charles’s daily labors — preparing lectures, up surrounded by three forms of expres- giving them, or writing for his talks before sion that existed apart from the realm of the camera for a television show broadcast infant language skills. locally Sunday mornings at an hour before Charles, my father, played piano. He we children were awake. repaired and played pipe organs and per- An overactively busy household, or formed on the high-towered carillons — a maybe an overly splayed one, this must “The paintings and kind of chimes-organ played with the fists — seem. Yet small event followed small drawings received at Colorado Women’s College where he event, as in any household. The paintings admiration while taught theology. I remember Kikue, who and drawings received admiration while being taken for sang in choir, sometimes complaining to being taken for granted. Musical activi- granted. Musical Charles that he should play “real music” ties appeared as opportunities for commu- activities appeared during the offering and at other such nity participation and contribution, not for as opportunities moments in a church service, instead of personal or family self-aggrandizement. for community improvising little musical meanderings Having a hardbound book on the shelf by as was his wont. He took on the role of participation and one’s grandpa struck another note of nor- church organist now and then through the contribution…. Having malcy, even to a child whose name was the years, holding to improvisation as a tool same as that on the spine. a hardbound book of the trade — in keeping with ancient tra- It seemed natural for me to pursue in- on the shelf by one’s dition. Those impromptus of his made it terests in such a household. The urge to be grandpa struck another everyday household knowledge that one a writer and artist rooted early. I recall, in note of normalcy…” could not only perform music but also cre- first grade, being asked to help the third- ate it at will. Later I learned of Charles’s grade class with their wall-length mural actual compositions, lush with a wonderful of ocean life. None in that advanced class

mid-century romanticism. could draw a crab. I felt dissatisfied with

my crabs, as I did when I attempted an- n

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me down in an environment within which which within environment an in down me scripts, when a minor piano job would fall fall would job piano minor a when scripts, Cont. on p. 8 p. on Cont.

unfortunate sense of superiority weighed weighed superiority of sense unfortunate - manu mail to postage buy to money lack

middle teen years. I can only believe that an an that believe only can I years. teen middle tistic soul. I would be writing, and would would and writing, be would I soul. tistic

pride in the miniscule achievements of my my of achievements miniscule the in pride - ar tripartite my of aspect any jettison to

I pretended not to feel an immense immense an feel to not pretended I myself a free lance, I found it impossible impossible it found I lance, free a myself tripartite artistic soul.” artistic tripartite

ture. Music seemed my weakest strength. strength. weakest my seemed Music ture. sensical decisions of my life and dubbed dubbed and life my of decisions sensical

any aspect of my my of aspect any

- struc musical of understood I little how - non many the of one made I when lege

it impossible to jettison jettison to impossible it

on piano and mandolin, which taught me me taught which mandolin, and piano on - col after long not time strange the in Yet

abilities. Yet… I found found I Yet… abilities.

the already incurable habit of improvising improvising of habit incurable already the more greatly wanting in saleable abilities. abilities. saleable in wanting greatly more

wanting in saleable saleable in wanting

deeply into music theory on my own. I had had I own. my on theory music into deeply ation of being greatly talented and even even and talented greatly being of ation

even more greatly greatly more even

other hand I felt I lacked impetus to delve delve to impetus lacked I felt I hand other - situ my to then, and now up, wake could

greatly talented and and talented greatly

similarly, art. On the the On art. similarly, — English for a major a for English

True Art. Even my dream-floating self self dream-floating my Even Art. True

my situation of being being of situation my

ruling out out ruling — needed to know, as a writer a as know, to needed of specializing, and of settling upon One One upon settling of and specializing, of

up, now and then, to to then, and now up,

I was motivated to teach myself what I I what myself teach to motivated was I I would acknowledge the advantages advantages the acknowledge would I

floating self could wake wake could self floating

an oddly rational choice. I told myself that that myself told I choice. rational oddly an of each issue. issue. each of

Art. Even my dream- my Even Art.

halt upon entering college, where I made made I where college, entering upon halt consistent tone and style over the entirety entirety the over style and tone consistent

settling upon One True True One upon settling This energetic activity came to a sudden sudden a to came activity energetic This something quite hard to do: I achieved achieved I do: to hard quite something

specializing, and of of and specializing, some success in finding print. finding in success some , told me I had accomplished accomplished had I me told , Stone Rolling

the advantages of of advantages the articles, with all but the fiction enjoying enjoying fiction the but all with articles, The The in encounter day one would I writing

“I would acknowledge acknowledge would “I letters, poems, stories, and and stories, poems, letters, — typewriter summer another older student, whose whose student, older another summer

writing endlessly on my Olympia portable portable Olympia my on endlessly writing West, leaving me in full charge. Later that that Later charge. full in me leaving West,

tasy small press venue of the middle 1970s, 1970s, middle the of venue press small tasy ever, left mid-term to hunt for jobs out out jobs for hunt to mid-term left ever,

- fan the in role minor if active an played I - how co-editor, English-major graduating

my early teen years. Through high school school high Through years. teen early my participation was to be as art editor. My My editor. art as be to was participation

in in Fiction Science and Fantasy of Magazine supervising faculty member assumed my my assumed member faculty supervising

The The from story short a of rejection form term co term ampus paper. The The paper. ampus c the of ­ -editors

7 and to receive my first first my receive to and Post Denver the in me when a friend and I became summer- became I and friend a when me

leading me to see a first poem into print print into poem first a see to me leading nil, on the other hand, became clear to to clear became hand, other the on nil,

i of professional activity took early root, root, early took activity professional of That as a writer my force on campus was was campus on force my writer a as That

for in that area the notion notion the area that in for — posters for musical and theatrical events. events. theatrical and musical for posters writerly being writerly

for I produced dozens of of dozens produced I for — everywhere ing may have arisen from the core of my my of core the from arisen have may ing

ings, however, which other students saw saw students other which however, ings, - feel The ineptitudes. multifaceted my of

- draw for known better been have may I bedrock feeling persevered even in the face face the in even persevered feeling bedrock

mental ensembles became haunts of mine. mine. of haunts became ensembles mental with noticeably surer command. Yet the the Yet command. surer noticeably with

- instru Medieval and Baroque although places where others of my years strolled on on strolled years my of others where places

as a singer more than an instrumentalist, instrumentalist, an than more singer a as I stumbled and mis-stepped in countless countless in mis-stepped and stumbled I

Through those years I became known known became I years those Through me acquire anything like certain footing. footing. certain like anything acquire me

and because of this to it I turned. I it to this of because and my quickness hindered more than helped helped than more hindered quickness my

felt most sharply aware of this, however; however; this, of aware sharply most felt tastic disarray of shattered strata, so that that so strata, shattered of disarray tastic my creative soul.” creative my

all aspects of my creative soul. In music I I music In soul. creative my of aspects all - fan a by overlain was however, bedrock, lacked in all aspects of of aspects all in lacked

attributes I lacked in in lacked I attributes — technical prowess technical a bedrock security about my talents. My My talents. my about security bedrock a prowess attributes I I attributes —

self, with worldly confidence and secure secure and confidence worldly with self, Somewhere along the line I came to feel feel to came I line the along Somewhere and secure technical technical secure and

- your than others of reality the into firmly raising department. raising with worldly confidence confidence worldly with

most likely to fail. In music, you must step step must you music, In fail. to likely most the arts that I was in the newborn head- newborn the in was I that arts the

of others than yourself, yourself, than others of

it forced me into an arena where I was was I where arena an into me forced it construction paper, never the prodigy in in prodigy the never paper, construction

firmly into the reality reality the into firmly

the unintended benefits of my choice: for for choice: my of benefits unintended the as I had struggled over my crayons and and crayons my over struggled had I as

music, you must step step must you music,

inward-turning tendencies. I realize now now realize I tendencies. inward-turning the instrument, often complainingly, just just complainingly, often instrument, the

most likely to fail. In In fail. to likely most

ing me in pushing me outward from my my from outward me pushing in me ing I wanted to play violin. I struggled with with struggled I violin. play to wanted I

an arena where I was was I where arena an

- aid if landscape, mental my to fissure and come home from school announcing that that announcing school from home come

for it forced me into into me forced it for

adding more fracture fracture more adding —

fourth grade, as Kikue remembers it, did I I did it, remembers Kikue as grade, fourth a Music major Music a

benefits of my choice: choice: my of benefits

contrast may have been delayed. Not until until Not delayed. been have may contrast fiction I knew to be friendly. Yet I chose chose I Yet friendly. be to knew I fiction

now the unintended unintended the now

notebook paper. The musical impulse in in impulse musical The paper. notebook Walsh, whose attitude toward speculative speculative toward attitude whose Walsh,

major…. I realize realize I major….

written and illustrated on folded pieces of of pieces folded on illustrated and written and the presence of Chad Chad of presence the and Journal Poetry

“I chose a Music Music a chose “I

quickly. At home I produced little “books” “books” little produced I home At quickly. Beloit Beloit the with association its of because

could draw them all the same, and do so so do and same, the all them draw could Beloit College had attracted me in part part in me attracted had College Beloit

but but — trilobites subject, favored other I might have soared, especially as a writer. writer. a as especially soared, have might I Line Improvisation into my lap. A local art show would then sort found in comfortably accomplished (Cont. from p. 7) offer some chance of earning a few dol- expression. This fascination freed and en- lars — which would lead to small commis- abled me, for it helped me dispense with sions for larger works. Periodically through many of the reins, harnesses, and blinders these confused and confusing months and that limit the movements of our minds years I enjoyed more regular work, as when during most hours of the day. “I conceived a phrase a dance teacher needed an improvisational In equal parts it restricted and restrained that described my pianist for her Modern Dance classes — me. interests and activities: work I might have continued down to the Imagine drawing and producing a tan- line composition. A line present moment had I possessed the basic gle of lines upon the page. How do you made by pencil or pen Mass Age life-skill of driving. Similarly, lift out the one line of particular inter- upon paper moves in arts-reviewing opportunities opened up est? When working with india ink, you do such a way that it draws at local newspapers, leading to part-time no such lifting out — except with the eye. forth from the inner editorial work. Each touch of pen nib to paper commits self newness.” Besides having my hand forced by hand and mind to the result that is being chance opportunities, I could abandon left on the page. If one line remains, all do. nothing because in each field I had expe- The touch of the moment yields instantly rienced inner, illuminating moments af- to permanency. firming each as a true calling. I confirmed The movements of the pen that seem my One True Art three times. I did so, un- true: those are yours. The movements that fortunately, in the Reagan years, when it stray: those, too, are yours. became evident that the only art that mat- Line improvisation leads to cultivating tered, and was worth being trickled upon, instantaneity as a quality having artistic “People speak of the was no true art. value. As instantaneity rises as a value, imagination as though I conceived a phrase that described however, the results of approaches calling it might be an organ of my interests and activities: line composi- for deliberation, planning, rethinking, and the mind. tion. A line made by pencil or pen upon reshaping decrease in value. The creative H Imagination may be paper moves in such a way that it draws soul enamored with the act of line impro- simply the natural forth from the inner self newness. The line visation may reach the point of losing the 8 expression of the mind, produces itself from moment to moment. capacity to embrace other ways. A stillness perhaps of the whole No certainty about what the line is comes may fall on the previously ever-moving mind, when offered the until the line itself ends. Similarly a string soul, at the thought of turning back upon freedom of release along of words drawn from within moves in di- the created line to rethink and reshape. a forward-moving line.” rections to be consciously anticipated at Balancing my interest in line impro- times, and other times not at all. Similarly visation, I persisted in an attempt to again a single note leads to another, yield- understand structure. I appreciated the ing a musical line that is like an ink line in spontaneous effect on the mind of suc- appearing to be continuous, and like a line cessful art, but understood that some if not of writing in that it consists instead of dis- much of this art came into the world not crete stopping points — notes rather than as the instantaneous expression I pursued words — that contain within themselves and valued but through some more delib- the potential for movement forward. erative and structural approach. “Line improvisation People speak of the imagination as Since I almost never had money to buy leads to cultivating though it might be an organ of the mind. oil paints, in artwork this issue pressed less instantaneity as a Imagination may be simply the natu- upon me. I could plan and execute some quality having artistic ral expression of the mind, perhaps of the larger, more ambitious inks and watercol- value. As instantaneity whole mind, when offered the freedom of ors, yet without change of mindset: for rises as a value, release along a forward-moving line. whatever my care in planning and prepa- however, the results Not all minds may express themselves ration, each pen stroke remained of the of approaches calling in this way. Not all minds mature in envi- moment and indelible. To a lesser degree for deliberation, ronments nurturing the sense of line. the same was true of the watercolor brush. planning, rethinking, I might more accurately have called this The challenge of oils that can be worked line improvisation — for the natural fluid- and reworked had to be put aside for the and reshaping decrease ity of line fascinated me, in writing as in future, however much I hungered to meet

in value.” art and music. I say natural, yet am think- it. In writing and in music I grappled

ing of an achieved naturalness — of the with the issue constantly — sometimes n

n

- equiva analogous actual, placed having - correc word minor from aside changed Cont. on p. 10 p. on Cont.

tended to remain in my mind without my my without mind my in remain to tended - un publication found flow spontaneous

— — hazes surrounding the act of creation of act the surrounding hazes swers. One short story arising from such such from arising story short One swers.

those conceptual and imagistic imagistic and conceptual those — - an easy no to me leads question That mind

Age principles upon that expression? that upon principles Age concepts and images that hovered in my my in hovered that images and concepts

terfering consciousness inflict bland Mass Mass bland inflict consciousness terfering I grew aware, slowly over time, that the the that time, over slowly aware, grew I with the reader…” the with

- in and critical as I should then why line, manner of ink improvisation. ink of manner unshared, in some part, part, some in unshared,

that course by means of the improvisatory improvisatory the of means by course that outline and go around their subject in the the in subject their around go and outline my experience went went experience my

portunity to freely draw some mapping of of mapping some draw freely to portunity with a few, simple words and phrases that that phrases and words simple few, a with on the page the on so that that so —

- op it give I if and course; own its along the writer has sketched out a large scene scene large a out sketched has writer the analogous equivalents equivalents analogous

our sensibilities, the creative soul can move move can soul creative the sensibilities, our phrase less often points to passages where where passages to points often less phrase having placed actual, actual, placed having

burger mindfilters drown and downgrade downgrade and drown mindfilters burger might cover a canvas with paint dabs. The The dabs. paint with canvas a cover might in my mind without my my without mind my in

- billion and monochromes glitter-flecked placed verbal touches, much as a painter painter a as much touches, verbal placed

mind…tended to remain remain to mind…tended

ten art. Even when our Age of the Masses Masses the of Age our when Even art. ten agery and has covered the page with aptly aptly with page the covered has and agery

that hovered in my my in hovered that

- writ of notion the with grappling writer - im and meaning of veins rich into dug has

concepts and images images and concepts

reamer. Yet these questions overwhelm the the overwhelm questions these Yet reamer. tends to apply to passages in which a writer writer a which in passages to apply to tends

over time, that the the that time, over

upon a Content and Consistency and God God and Consistency and Content a upon obscure. The phrase “evocative language” language” “evocative phrase The obscure.

“I grew aware, slowly slowly aware, grew “I

a Clarity sieve, through a Style strainer, or or strainer, Style a through sieve, Clarity a sketchy and inadequate, incomplete and and incomplete inadequate, and sketchy

one expresses juice from a lemon, through through lemon, a from juice expresses one ever, yields results that may come across as as across come may that results yields ever,

a page, preferring to express thoughts as as thoughts express to preferring page, a - how writing, to applied if line, pen ative

galumphing verbal mind anywhere near near anywhere mind verbal galumphing - evoc charmingly the of method The about.

issues, never having allowed loose the vast vast the loose allowed having never issues, ates a desire to know what the words are are words the what know to desire a ates

would-be letters runs up against no such such no against up runs letters would-be - cre sentence a Similarly pictures. it what

decorated Iowan midstream of American American of midstream Iowan decorated A drawn line stimulates curiosity about about curiosity stimulates line drawn A

Again, again, and again, say what? The well- The what? say again, and again, Again, rather than evasive. evasive. than rather

for God’s sake!” sake!” God’s for — consistency for — being invasive invasive being — tent ject rather than away than rather ject

9 - con for edit “Then style. of issues over - sub the upon inward move often express

visation is a hand born of long struggles struggles long of born hand a is visation typically fill spaces. The connections they they connections The spaces. fill typically

i - impro line of capable hand The what? say continuous line. Words, on the other hand, hand, other the on Words, line. continuous

you say. Say what? “Edit for style.” Again, Again, style.” for “Edit what? Say say. you them. This suits the nature of the drawn, drawn, the of nature the suits This them.

instantaneous creation? “Edit for clarity,” clarity,” for “Edit creation? instantaneous the line avoids spaces, as opposed to filling filling to opposed as spaces, avoids line the

it, without destroying the fact of its nearly nearly its of fact the destroying without it, than describing. In such an improvisation, improvisation, an such In describing. than

that resultant work, how edit and rework rework and edit how work, resultant that gesting instead of stating, of evoking rather rather evoking of stating, of instead gesting

mutability of writing. How can I touch touch I can How writing. of mutability - sug of power its upon based success its

The challenge for me arises from the the from arises me for challenge The might call a sketch; and you might judge judge might you and sketch; a call might

near reaching it. reaching near reader. The india-ink improvisation you you improvisation india-ink The reader.

of the universe. Others, I know, have come come have know, I Others, universe. the of barrier between the creative self and the the and self creative the between barrier

toward that great literary zero at the end end the at zero literary great that toward vertantly but perhaps necessarily raises a a raises necessarily perhaps but vertantly

writes. At such times I have traveled far far traveled have I times such At writes. - inad improvisation line of pursuit the

- Re of Tree Great the of leaves littered the In prose as to a lesser degree in poetry, poetry, in degree lesser a to as prose In

decision, when all available space fills with with fills space available all when decision, ence, the effort to improve was essential. was improve to effort the ence,

creation?” - in and refashioning, weighing, of aeon an - experi and into fall might reader another

its nearly instantaneous instantaneous nearly its an act inaugurating inaugurating act an — out for comparison for out tive line of words to a line of words that that words of line a to words of line tive

destroying the fact of of fact the destroying that a poem’s earlier drafts can be pulled pulled be can drafts earlier poem’s a that - effec personally a being beyond move to

and rework it, without without it, rework and with the difference difference the with — drawing, I learned I drawing, ing the task. If the literary miniature was was miniature literary the If task. the ing

One can as easily overwork a poem as a a as poem a overwork easily as can One - undertak was I haze conceptual new a to resultant work, how edit edit how work, resultant

cause of the number of poems contained. contained. poems of number the of cause the expression: for with something akin akin something with for expression: the How can I touch that that touch I can How

- be not but thick, be would poetry of files rying about wrongs I might be doing to to doing be might I wrongs about rying mutability of writing. writing. of mutability

so that for some periods my my periods some for that so — remaking - wor without reshape and deliberate could me arises from the the from arises me

would descend into a process of constant constant of process a into descend would the conceiving hand had faltered. I then then I faltered. had hand conceiving the “The challenge for for challenge “The

acceptance in my eyes. In other periods I I periods other In eyes. my in acceptance enough so that I could see places where where places see could I that so enough

conceived. If they had freshness they found found they freshness had they If conceived. act, perhaps the generative vision, parted parted vision, generative the perhaps act,

of time, for instance, I accepted poems as as poems accepted I instance, for time, of to pass before the haze of the generative generative the of haze the before pass to

thicket of structural concepts. For periods periods For concepts. structural of thicket another, shorter story, several years needed needed years several story, shorter another,

line, sometimes fully planting myself in a a in myself planting fully sometimes line, to my eyes as nearly unchangeable. With With unchangeable. nearly as eyes my to

swaying fully toward the improvisational improvisational the toward fully swaying tions: for when I re-read it, it appeared appeared it it, re-read I when for tions: Line Improvisation lents on the page — so that my experience have come to appreciate the value of con- (Cont. from p. 9) went unshared, in some part, with the scious application of technique to achieve reader, and so that the reader’s experience a fuller range of sensual effect. was incomplete, or was markedly different “You must press your fingers to the bot- from the intended one. I might have in- tom of the piano keys,” the pianist Julian tended to convey a feeling or image and Bern once told me. The injunction may have written what seemed exact words — seem obvious, at first, since any finger yet because of my not moving beyond the pressing any key sends it to a point beyond line, I conveyed too little. That imagistic which it cannot further descend. Bern’s in- “My musical leanings haze within was a mist over the created junction, however, not so much contained may have compounded landscape — a mist that left no dew on as pointed toward meaning. I believe he my difficulties.… the the grass to dampen the feet of those who saw in my piano playing my usual tenden- pianist Julian Bern… came later. cies in all matters of art: to be too flitting, saw in my piano playing While conscious of my art, while aiming too fast, too demonstrably technically able; my usual tendencies for the evocative and meaningful, in my to be a fount of energy without a guiding in all matters of art: adhering to the line, I inflicted a narrow- sense of center. Once I began to under- to be too flitting, too ness upon my words when they may have stand Bern’s injunction — an understand- fast, too demonstrably wanted to follow their natural tendency ing reached only slowly and falteringly — I technically able; to to smudge, smear, and broaden into larg- began, too, to understood the notion for be a fount of energy er washes, splotches, and strokes of more harpsichord and violin, the two other in- without a guiding sense laden expression. I came across as vague if struments my expansive flightiness then not obscure, illogical if not arbitrary. embraced. To some degree I could extend of center.” Some of this quality I intended. Much this understanding to pen and ink — and, of it, however, arose at the moment of further, to writing. pen touching paper or typewriter striking The essence of one’s self, the core of page — somewhat spontaneously, some- one’s being, must be what presses the what unintentionally; and whatever arose piano key. The finger, a concatenation of H there remained there. The page preserved tendon, muscle, and bone, contains within the expression of the moment. I could alter itself something not to be discovered by 10 what had arisen only with the fear in my medical procedure. Dissection unveils the mind that I was losing an essential quality sources of the physical force that fails to in the writing. produce full tone from the piano. Rath- My musical leanings may have com- er than using force, the finger must find pounded my difficulties. Rather than the and command the tone to be found there usual Romantic sonatas and symphonies, within the key. Similarly, forceful pressure I admired the cogency of Baroque music, yields not a firm line in an ink drawing but the shameless simplicity of Medieval rather a broken line and damaged nib. To dance, and the angular and erratic puzzle find firmness of line requires allowing pen of the Moderns. The Baroque composers to relax onto the drawing surface, to be- excelled at allowing the simple statement, come part of the paper by the joining of the simple line, to develop its own com- ink. Writing, too, requires the movement plexities. Meanings and feelings seemed of that within the hand which is not of the to emerge on their own from musical lines hand. The strength in the writing grows as the pencil presses through the page. I “For the act of writing that were the product of a merging of in- tellectual and expressive powers; and the say pencil because in my hand — in a light is also performance. The grandeur that was not only of the emo- grasp I wish I could say I learned in child- pencil is an instrument tions, as could be experienced in works hood after being told to adopt it — is a of expression.” by Bach and Handel, wove itself into pencil whose tip is writing through this the tapestry of desire that was my artis- page onto one being read by other eyes tic ambition. The Romantics, who more than mine. consciously practiced methods of pictur- For the act of writing is also perfor- ing through melody and evoking emotion mance. The pencil is an instrument of ex- through harmonic complexities, seemed pression. in comparison too often overstated and As with the child in the multilingual

extravagant. Had I worked harder at un- household the outward appearance of the

derstanding their works, however, I might multi-focused soul is that of a slow learner. n

n

Fiction Fiction ­Visionary.

The Life and Works of a Science Science a of Works and Life The

C.M. Kornbluth: Kornbluth: C.M. of author the is

the course of his writing life. He He life. writing his of course the

, during during , Stories Amazing and Age,

nalog, SF SF nalog, ­ A to Fools of Ship and

Poem, Poem, from ranging venues , , ­Rattle

Mark Rich has published in in published has Rich Mark

may lead never proved adequate to that size size that to adequate proved never lead may

color. My method of seeing where a line line a where seeing of method My color.

paintings are works extended in depth and and depth in extended works are paintings

are works extended in length, just as the the as just length, in extended works are the end share. end the discover in myself….” in discover

for they they for — with a gladness the child must in in must child the gladness a with — cept lent of those painterly exercises painterly those of lent remains for me to to me for remains

- ac and acknowledge I so, am I that and - equiva the are that novels finished times it with C.M. Kornbluth Kornbluth C.M. with it

split, as a child may be split by tongues; tongues; by split be may child a as split, Through the years I have begun and several several and begun have I years the Through

what I believe I gave gave I believe I what

11 I am monolithic by no means. I am am I means. no by monolithic am I mer, and setting into others soon after. after. soon others into setting and mer,

I can give the world world the give can I

ably tripartite nature. tripartite ably - sum college a during one short a finishing

Whether in art or music music or art in Whether

i - unquestion my of integration further the writing much of one in high school, then then school, high in one of much writing

must stand unrevised. unrevised. stand must

some essential qualities may depend on on depend may qualities essential some largest for me. I started early, of course, course, of early, started I me. for largest

an expression that that expression an

in in Kornbluth surpass will writings current The problem of the novel may loom loom may novel the of problem The

line improvisation, improvisation, line

me to discover in myself; and whether my my whether and myself; in discover to me plication, perhaps, too. perhaps, plication,

“…[M]y life is a a is life “…[M]y

remains for for remains Kornbluth C.M. with it gave I - ap Human indetectable. becomes it thinly

music I can give the world what I believe believe I what world the give can I music butter, Hugh Lofting wrote: spread too too spread wrote: Lofting Hugh butter,

must stand unrevised. Whether in art or or art in Whether unrevised. stand must published novels. Human attention is like like is attention Human novels. published

is a line improvisation, an expression that that expression an improvisation, line a is lections; unlike other fiction writers, no no writers, fiction other unlike lections;

for my life life my for — unchangeable, in many ways many in unchangeable, - col published no have I poets other like

part of me will remain unchanged and and unchanged remain will me of part - Un paper. to committed pieces minor few

life in any but a practical manner. That That manner. practical a but any in life Unlike other writers of music I have only a a only have I music of writers other Unlike

by a seeming determination to approach approach to determination seeming a by few handfuls of paintings, mostly exercises. exercises. mostly paintings, of handfuls few

bursts of accomplishment, and bedeviled bedeviled and accomplishment, of bursts Unlike other visual artists I have only a a only have I artists visual other Unlike

split between various callings, capable of of capable callings, various between split robe with the scythe. scythe. the with robe

mercurial, irresponsible youth that I was: was: I that youth irresponsible mercurial, run by that even slower turtle in the black black the in turtle slower even that by run

again gained. I have within me still the the still me within have I gained. again - over fall, I until by, roll years the as slowly

biography, I have lost considerably, and and considerably, lost have I biography, Undoubtedly I will develop even yet more more yet even develop will I Undoubtedly

time since writing the C.M. Kornbluth Kornbluth C.M. the writing since time necessary habits and resources of mind. mind. of resources and habits necessary

all three, as has been nearly the case in the the in case the nearly been has as three, all Brooks, too, I needed moreover to acquire acquire to moreover needed I too, Brooks,

not of the hand.” the of not I lose, and I gain. In setting aside aside setting In gain. I and lose, I — ly, in pursuing my multiple paths. Like Like paths. multiple my pursuing in ly, music

within the hand which is is which hand the within - slow developed having my from resulted ­ or writing, for artwork; or artwork, for for artwork, or artwork; for writing, or

the movement of that that of movement the — — ting aside music for a time, for writing; writing; for time, a for music aside ting callings own their reflected that ways in

“Writing, too, requires requires too, “Writing, set- — they, — an age when others were doing so doing were others when age an Each time I leave a practice a leave I time Each

ver Allston. My own inability to flower at at flower to inability own My Allston. ver yield me the necessary time. necessary the me yield

- Oli alter-ego his of wrote Brooks Wyck wherever I can for a living has failed to to failed has living a for can I wherever

acquiring veracity and knowledge,” Van Van knowledge,” and veracity acquiring knowledge, my method of scrambling scrambling of method my knowledge,

begun so early, because he was so long in in long so was he because early, so begun the settlings-in of Brooks’s veracity and and veracity Brooks’s of settlings-in the

“He had developed late, although he had had he although late, developed had “He of a task; and in these years when I feel feel I when years these in and task; a of y First Contact Ursula K. Le Guin’s The Left Hand of Darkness Reviewed by Suzy McKee Charnas You know a book is special when you Then there’s the sheer adventure of al- pick it up again more than forty years liances, betrayals, mystery, and danger, after you first read it and finish it thinking, building in an epic flight across a waste- “It’s still the best novel “Holy crap! This book is so much better land of shifting ice and hot volcanos. I’ve ever read about than I remember!” The thrill of suspense comes not from (to all intents and Of course, a groundbreaking book that skirmishes, pursuits, otherworldly inter- purposes) first contact.” posits something nobody has seriously cession, or a search for powerful objects, dealt with before — a human-derived, ambi-­ people, or secrets along the way, but from sexual society on an alien planet — will be the stubborn struggle of two small fig- shelved in your memory as, first, that the ures through a landscape of transcendent book blew you away, and, second, as that beauty and harshness in which humankind book about a human-derived, ambi-sexual signifies literally nothing, whether present society on another planet. or absent, alive or dead. That’s all in The Left Hand of Darkness, Our travelers, fortunately, have a map — of course; it’s central, and it’s handled with which turns out to be wrong. This example a skill and beauty and depth of feeling that of breaking your epically journeying toe on is as potent as ever. a rock of crappy happenstance is the kind But there’s so much more. of detail that makes the story so vividly real. It’s still the best novel I’ve ever read All through the book come striking about (to all intents and purposes) first asides, emanating from intelligent charac- contact. Close up, there’s the ever-shifting ters’ reactions to their experiences, drawing discomfort, confusion, and naive help- us effortlessly into other kinds of unex- H lessness of Genly Ai, the envoy, alone on pected territory: telepathy as a tool of the Gethen. He is constantly caught short by future, and how it might be experienced 12 inevitable misreadings of his situation. His by someone new to it; what true proph- presence is immediately engulfed in local ecy might be and its uses, costs, and (f ) politics and put to use by people whose utility; how societies are captured by the goals and motives are impenetrable to urges and appetites that lead to war; the him. He is repeatedly blind-sided by his comparative values of certainty and un- own cack-handedness in a place he at first certainty; and how people distinguish and regarded as backward and primitive (and compete or ally with one another in the insanely cold). absence of our strongest dualities, those of And he’s not the only one swept up and sex and skin color. bobbing like a cork on the tides of change Oh, yes; and that shocking Gethenian that Gethenian cultures have themselves sexuality issue becomes an exploration of generated: so is Estraven, Genly’s major the inner and outer lives of beings who are “native” contact. Just because a person be- sexually whole in their own bodies and in longs to a culture, that doesn’t mean she their experiences, versus the limitations of always understands or successfully negoti- being fixed in one sex or the other, in so- ates its currents. cieties that make that division primary. As In fact, the major change agent isn’t the Genly puts it to himself, what is our first envoy from other worlds but the high-­ question about a newborn infant? “Is it a status Gethenian, Estraven. Through enor- boy, or a girl?” He realizes that his percep- mous effort, this person manages to make tions are fatally skewed by the assumptions the presence of the envoy a pivot-point and prejudices that come with his fixed in Gethen’s history, bending that history gender, but can’t help himself. He misreads away from the growth of fabricated and and distrusts the one Gethenian who be- Grandmother Magma lethal nationalisms, and toward acknowl- lieves in him and his mission because he edgment that there is so much more to the sees in Estraven an apparently male person

universe than Gethen that openness is the tainted by a supposed quality of “effemi-

best response. nate deviousness.” This is brilliantly done. n

n

She lives in New Mexico. New in lives She

published in 2010, Aqueduct Press). Press). Aqueduct 2010, in published

(a new edition of which was was which of edition new (a Dreams

Dorothea Dorothea and Tapestry, Vampire The , cles

fiction includes The Holdfast Chroni- Holdfast The includes fiction

been performed on both coasts. Her Her coasts. both on performed been

, has has , Dreams Vampire play, stage her and

Clarion and Clarion West workshops, workshops, West Clarion and Clarion

been an instructor several times at the the at times several instructor an been

and James Tiptree Jr. awards. She has has She awards. Jr. Tiptree James and

stories, including the Hugo, Nebula, Nebula, Hugo, the including stories,

ous accolades for her novels and short short and novels her for accolades ous

Suzy McKee Charnas has won numer- won has Charnas McKee Suzy

beginning to grow up. grow to beginning

that spurred sf into into sf spurred that Darkness of Hand Left

The The novel her was it but attempts; earlier

smithereens.” to

alone, and there had been some honorable honorable some been had there and alone,

blasting my narrow horizons horizons narrow my blasting

full of ambiguities. Le Guin didn’t do this this do didn’t Guin Le ambiguities. of full

a science fiction book, book, fiction science a

concerns, inhabiting an expanding future future expanding an inhabiting concerns,

elegant thunderstroke of of thunderstroke elegant

humanity, with all of its social and cultural cultural and social its of all with humanity,

novel. Along came this this came Along novel.

enemies in space, and began to be about about be to began and space, in enemies

of all things, as my debut debut my as things, all of

and their alien lovers, creations, and/or and/or creations, lovers, alien their and

trying to write a Western, Western, a write to trying

moved beyond being about white men men white about being beyond moved

was thirty, unpublished, and and unpublished, thirty, was genre, science fiction began to change. It It change. to began fiction science genre,

I I Darkness of Hand Left those writers’ and readers’ invasion of the the of invasion readers’ and writers’ those

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the male-dominated, male-centered field field male-centered male-dominated, the

i that they, too, were inspired to jump into into jump to inspired were too, they, that

say say — readers and — sf and fantasy authors fantasy and sf

I have since heard a number of women women of number a heard since have I

art by the Dillons the by art

was published. It wasn’t a Western. a wasn’t It published. was

Front cover, first edition, edition, first cover, Front

that too.” Three years later, my first novel novel first my later, years Three too.” that

do this, maybe I can do something like like something do can I maybe this, do

absent, alive or dead.” or alive absent,

I thought to myself, “If this woman can can woman this “If myself, to thought I

whether present or or present whether

and in translation all over the world. the over all translation in and

literally nothing, nothing, literally

read widely beyond its marketing genre, genre, marketing its beyond widely read

humankind signifies signifies humankind

stunning example of the “breakout” novel, novel, “breakout” the of example stunning

and harshness in which which in harshness and acclaimed by mainstream critics. It was a a was It critics. mainstream by acclaimed

of transcendent beauty beauty transcendent of both the Hugo and the Nebula awards and and awards Nebula the and Hugo the both

through a landscape landscape a through success, huge a was it And winning winning

of two small figures figures small two of . delights and surprises of full , story good

the stubborn struggle struggle stubborn the one-note performance: it was a hell of a a of hell a was it performance: one-note

the way, but from from but way, the . The book wasn’t a polemic or a a or polemic a wasn’t book The . all wasn’t

people, or secrets along along secrets or people, logical artifact that it was and is. But that that But is. and was it that artifact logical

- psycho and cultural the as it exposed and for powerful objects, objects, powerful for

about them, but that took that “wisdom” “wisdom” that took that but them, about intercession, or a search search a or intercession,

reiterate the received cultural “wisdom” “wisdom” cultural received the reiterate pursuits, otherworldly otherworldly pursuits,

that didn’t ignore sex and gender or just just or gender and sex ignore didn’t that from skirmishes, skirmishes, from

a futuristic adventure story story adventure futuristic a — Imagine suspense comes not not comes suspense

my narrow horizons to smithereens. to horizons narrow my “The thrill of of thrill “The

derstroke of a science fiction book, blasting blasting book, fiction science a of derstroke

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- try and unpublished, thirty, was I Darkness

The Left Hand of of Hand Left The read first I time The y Looking, Listening, Hearing, and Re-Membering Birds and Birthdays by Christopher Barzak, Aqueduct Press, August 2012, 96 pages, US $12.00. Reviewed by Nic Clarke For all its glorious subversiveness, the David Moles’ hugely enjoyable but under-­ heyday of the Surrealist movement in art discussed anthology Twenty Epics (All-Star was — in at least one important aspect — Stories, 2006) — is inspired by the work of “Barzak draws particular depressingly conventional, says Christo- the Spaniard Remedios Varo (1908-63). attention to the pher Barzak in “Re-Membering the Body: Varo’s painting Creation of the Birds (1957) propensity of Surrealist Reconstructing the Female in Surrealism,” shows a woman with a face that is half- artists to use women’s the short, lucid essay with which he closes owl/half-woman, and with downy owl bodies — dismembered, his contribution to Aqueduct Press’s Con- feathers covering much of her body, sit- dehumanized, laid versation Pieces series. I don’t imagine it ting at a desk drawing a bird. In her left open — while seeking to will surprise readers of this journal to learn hand, she holds a magnifying glass, which undermine traditional that this conventionality centered on sex focuses the light from a star onto the bird hierarchies and ways and gender, in terms of both the art itself she’s drawing, which is starting to emerge of thinking.” and the wider perception of the artists: from the paper. Other birds fly around the who got to be the subject of the art, and room, and a strange contraption of bulbs who remained its object; who was seen as and tubes, whose source is outside the integral to the movement, and who were frame, supplies color for her palette. the adjuncts. Barzak charmingly, but pointedly, imag- Barzak draws particular attention to the ines the Bird Woman (as he calls her) in propensity of Surrealist artists to use wom- a dysfunctional relationship with a man en’s bodies — dismembered, dehuman­ized, who can pull down the stars from the sky. laid open — while seeking to undermine The Bird Woman is a wryly self-aware traditional hierarchies and ways of think- craftswoman and artist in a world where H ing. All too often, women appear in Sur- what she does — and who she is, a woman realists’ work simply as vehicles for the who can fly — is remarkable but not im- 14 ventriloquism of male artists who don’t possible. When she is happy, she “has no seem to have considered that the female- time for” realism, creating sparrows with body-as-public-property paradigm was “fans for tail feathers” and imaginary birds another age-old power structure they like phoenixes; making realistic birds is might profitably have sought to sub- a sign that she is “merely content.” Her vert, rather than exploit. Barzak plays off Star Catcher sometime-boyfriend, how- André Breton’s summing-up of Surrealism ever, only ever wants to talk about what he (“…the chance meeting of a radio with an does; he captures stars for her not so much umbrella on a dissecting table”) to suggest to help with her work as to make her feel that it was, in fact, “the deliberate meeting obligated to him. When she leaves him, of a woman’s body with a scalpel on a dis- he tries to entice her back with a star in a secting table.” cage, echoing Varo’s Papilla Estelar (1958), The author frames the collection’s three which shows a woman apparently extract- stories, therefore, as an exploration of ing light from a caged crescent moon. The women artists’ contribution to the con- Bird Woman visits a psychoanalyst — this versation, and in particular of what art is also the sort of fantasy land that has psy- critic Whitney Chadwick has identified choanalysts — and in a nod to another of as these artists’ contrasting portrayal of the Varo’s works, she leaves the session with female body — very often their own bod- the psychoanalyst’s head in a bag, from ies, through self-portraiture — as a site of where it/he proceeds to provide commen- conflicting desires and an intersection of tary on the unwise resumption of the re- social, cultural, and historical pressures. lationship. It’s a beautifully written piece, Ultimately, Barzak says, he seeks to listen which ends on a note of soaring liberation Reviews to their voices, rather than make them part and (for the Bird Woman) arch amuse- of his project. ment. The Bird Woman uses her birds to

The first story, “The Creation of Birds” — return Star Catcher’s host of captives to

initially published in Susan Groppi and the night sky and then decides to stay with n

n

. . Alexandria Eve’s traits as acts of Surrealist reclaiming reclaiming Surrealist of acts as traits por

, and blogs at at blogs and , Vector and ration of how women artists used self- used artists women how of ration ­

, , SFX Horizons, Strange for - explo direct most the “Birthday,” story,

She also reviews fiction fiction reviews also She

Barzak rounds off the triad with a new new a with triad the off rounds Barzak

. . Narratives Arabic dieval

female body should look and behave is fun. behave and look should body female

Conquest of Iberia: Me- Iberia: of Conquest

her departure from social norms of how a a how of norms social from departure her

Routledge The Muslim Muslim The —

and the way Hester gains power through through power gains Hester way the and

was recently published by by published recently was

the-woods trope is clever and enjoyable, enjoyable, and clever is trope the-woods

sion of her doctoral thesis thesis doctoral her of sion

but the subversion of the witch-in- the of subversion the but — food

in the UK. A revised ver- revised A UK. the in

while her father chops wood and hunts for for hunts and wood chops father her while

at Newcastle University University Newcastle at

Hester’s mother spends her time sewing, sewing, time her spends mother Hester’s

medieval Islamic history history Islamic medieval

in passing that, after the transformation, transformation, the after that, passing in painting and accepts her as she is. she as her accepts and painting

Nic Clarke lectures in in lectures Clarke Nic

we’re told told we’re — other inhabitants of the building, views the the views building, the of inhabitants other Barzak decries in his essay his in decries Barzak

as represented by her past lovers and the the and lovers past her by represented as some of the same conventionality that that conventionality same the of some

presented it to the world; and the world, world, the and world; the to it presented industrial way of life arguably suffers from from suffers arguably life of way industrial

Finally, she has made her own identity and and identity own her made has she Finally, The town’s subsequent retreat into a pre- a into retreat subsequent town’s The

replaces it with a self-portrait of her own. own. her of self-portrait a with it replaces plants a mysterious egg in the town park. park. town the in egg mysterious a plants

trait painted of her by one of her lovers and and lovers her of one by her of painted trait trees begin to reclaim the land, and Hester Hester and land, the reclaim to begin trees

- por a destroys she building, apartment the scale, as brother and sister join forces, the the forces, join sister and brother as scale,

unseen room between two of the floors of of floors the of two between room unseen triumph and transformation on a larger larger a on transformation and triumph

in a previously previously a in — makes no demands of her of demands no makes her. Here the story’s trajectory is one of of one is trajectory story’s the Here her.

ning’s painting, the only companion who who companion only the painting, ning’s darkly about the strangenesses that attend attend that strangenesses the about darkly

- Tan from creature the for except — even as the townsfolk mutter ever more more ever mutter townsfolk the as even alone

his sister becomes happy and confident, confident, and happy becomes sister his story’s climax, after an extended period period extended an after climax, story’s and subversion.” and

visibly weird-by-association at school, but but school, at weird-by-association visibly clothes and lying in their beds. At the the At beds. their in lying and clothes of Surrealist reclaiming reclaiming Surrealist of

all the agonies of being suddenly all-too- suddenly being of agonies the all ments while they’re out, trying on their their on trying out, they’re while ments

self-portraits as acts acts as self-portraits

15 every day). The narrator, of course, suffers suffers course, of narrator, The day). every - apart their into breaking by identities ers’

how women artists used used artists women how

(soon simply growing taller and taller taller and taller growing simply (soon - oth borrowing and affairs longer and sex

direct exploration of of exploration direct

i days starts growing a tree from her head head her from tree a growing starts days attempts to find herself, through casual casual through herself, find to attempts

‘Birthday,’ the most most the ‘Birthday,’

but socially isolated 17-year-old who one one who 17-year-old isolated socially but of the story centers around her successive successive her around centers story the of

triad with a new story, story, new a with triad

tor’s elder sister, Hester, a high-achieving high-achieving a Hester, sister, elder tor’s habit as woman, as wife, as mother. Much Much mother. as wife, as woman, as habit

“Barzak rounds off the the off rounds “Barzak

- narra teen the is She town. American - in should she categories the into fit to

cal forth into the mundane life of a small small a of life mundane the into forth cal she says and does the wrong thing, failing failing thing, wrong the does and says she

- fantasti the brings painting the from young and unprepared, and at every turn turn every at and unprepared, and young

the fictionalized version of the woman woman the of version fictionalized the falls into a marriage and motherhood too too motherhood and marriage a into falls

world, but in a corner of our own. Here, Here, own. our of corner a in but world, ways giving her the wrong presents. She She presents. wrong the her giving ways

Barzak places this story not in a fantasy fantasy a in not story this places Barzak - al way, right the in her loved parents her

— — friends close were who — the reader; as a child, she never felt that that felt never she child, a as reader; the Carrington

way that is, frankly, often alienating for for alienating often frankly, is, that way contrasts between the work of Varo and and Varo of work the between contrasts

small American town.” American small felt distanced from others’ emotions, in a a in emotions, others’ from distanced felt Following his essay’s taxonomy of the the of taxonomy essay’s his Following

the mundane life of a a of life mundane the killed in an accident. All her life she has has she life her All accident. an in killed wave pitchforks. wave

fantastical forth into into forth fantastical inherited from her parents, who were were who parents, her from inherited her feet, tiny people shake their fists and and fists their shake people tiny feet, her

painting brings the the brings painting an apartment building building apartment an — in lives and — which geese emerge to fly around her; at at her; around fly to emerge geese which ates

the woman from the the from woman the head and hands, and wearing a cloak from from cloak a wearing and hands, and head - oper and owns who woman young bled

body vastly out of proportion with her her with proportion of out vastly body - trou a is Emma, protagonist, Barzak’s fictionalized version of of version fictionalized

a woman holding an egg, her enormous enormous her egg, an holding woman a coon-looking creature sits, wide-eyed. sits, creature coon-looking of our own. Here, the the Here, own. our of

(1947), which depicts depicts which (1947), Giantess The work - rac winged strange a feet, her At breasts. world, but in a corner corner a in but world,

rington (1917-2011), specifically to her her to specifically (1917-2011), rington puffy-sleeved shirt left open to bare her her bare to open left shirt puffy-sleeved story not in a fantasy fantasy a in not story

- Car Leonora Mexican-resident ish-born, rumpled makeshift skirt, and a garish, garish, a and skirt, makeshift rumpled “Barzak places this this places “Barzak

- Brit to turns Press]) Mouth [Thunder’s ingly raw expression, dressed in vines, a a vines, in dressed expression, raw ingly

and Terri Windling’s Windling’s Terri and Fantastique Salon - strik a with viewer the facing but aslant

ously published in 2006, in Ellen Datlow Datlow Ellen in 2006, in published ously the artist standing in a bare room, slightly slightly room, bare a in standing artist the

- previ (also Egg” the of Guardian “The fessional and confrontational; it depicts depicts it confrontational; and fessional

to do it, nonetheless. it, do to - con both work a is This (1941). Birthday

probably not going to end well, but happy happy but well, end to going not probably for Dorothea Tanning’s (1910-2012) (1910-2012) Tanning’s Dorothea for

well aware that the relationship is is relationship the that aware well — him and subversion. He imagines a back story story back a imagines He subversion. and y Exceptional Ladies Lady Poetesses from Hell, edited by Bag Person Collective, Bag Person Press, 2012, 116 pages, $10.00 Reviewed by David Findlay What distinguishes poetry from prose the use of “lady” should distract you, dear is not just (or always) brevity, but a height- reader, from expecting top-rate writing ened realization of the inseparability of and industrial-strength clarity of analysis. form and content. In both form and con- The poems are offered in six rounds, “In both form tent, Lady Poetesses from Hell is an excep- each combining multiple writers. The and content, Lady tional collection. Lady Poetesses from Hell are a gifted lot, Poetesses from Hell One of the most immediately notable many of whom will be familiar to science is an exceptional exceptional elements of the book, unfor- fiction and fantasy readers through their collection.” tunately, is not a strength. The front cover other poetry and prose. It is hard to gen- demonstrates that web-resolution images eralize about the themes addressed within do not generally translate well in print, such a diverse collection. Topics range and that “retro” fonts do not always with- from decomposition to parenthood, from stand the test of time. This combination language to the feces of imaginary beings. may have been conceived as ironic kitsch It is far easier to generalize about the style, in keeping with the group’s approach and wit, depth, and generosity of these themes’ the press’s name, but it seems to me quite treatment. Sometimes chilling, sometimes weak design. In this era of significant wicked, often both, these are pithy, well- overlap between the reach of small presses, selected, and entirely fearless expressions self-publication, and corporate publish- of most unladylike concerns indeed. ing, packaging counts more than ever. It’s I was not smitten with every piece, but a shame to give a first impression of less- I found works by each contributor that “Each piece goes than-stellar quality, particularly when the called to me and gave me cause to return H somewhere different and contents are so consistently marvelous. for re-readings. conveys us by its own These contents are arranged with metic- Jane Yolen’s “Orkney Lament” wants to 16 unexpected route; each ulous, loving attention to detail and care- be read (sung?) aloud: ful thought to ease of use. This is the book is rewarding.” …Between hawk and hand as an object crafted by hyper-competent Lies but a shield of skin. word nerds: exhaustively indexed, carefully annotated, imaginatively arranged. One John Calvin Rezmerski proves to be no can locate poems by author, first line, sec- less (or more) ladylike than any of the tion, etc., and for such a slim volume there other Ladies. His “Lexicography Today” is is an astonishing abundance of appended one of my favorites, but he also contrib- data regarding notes, credits, and the as- utes as another, pseudonymous, writer, and sembled poets’ backgrounds. Here I must those surpassingly silly gems alone might commend the press, a collective who are be worth the price of admission for their also apparently the volume’s editors. Upon detailed, explanatory introductions and opening the book we are reminded that gloriously florid pastiche. “Neither the diminutive behind the tongue-in-cheek framing of …Of the messiness that attended Ethel’s form of ‘poet’ nor the this project lies a significant accumulation duel with Stuffhithnithur the Rheumy, use of ‘lady’ should of craft, care, and experience. Wherein the courtyard stones were so distract you, dear In her introduction, Terry A. Garey ex- reader, from expecting plains that The Lady Poetesses group grew wet with snot, neither could stand. top-rate writing and out of the Ladies’ Tea and Poetry Salon and I was also struck by the poignant and industrial-strength first convened at a science fiction conven- often hilarious offerings of Eleanor Arna- clarity of analysis.” tion’s poetry panel dedicated to readings of son, Ruth Berman, and Ellen Klages, all “unladylike” poetry. They continue to co- rich with embodied, sparkling wisdom. present in fancy hats at such panels. This Fart jokes in elegant meter? Yes. Wry is a collection of work by Fiercely Funny nostalgia for Mom’s unique “perfume?” Feminists accustomed to addressing the Absolutely. A palindrome expertly made

world through layers of irony and old lace. visual through a child’s eyes? Klages chan-

Neither the diminutive form of “poet” nor nels youth with ferocious aplomb. n

n

ing and subtle literary devices, Monahan Monahan devices, literary subtle and ing gate the circumstances of our lives. It isn’t isn’t It lives. our of circumstances the gate Cont. on p. 18 p. on Cont.

- storytell straightforward fantasy, and ism - navi we as be will outcome the what know

- real Blending grasp. to — entirely succeeds entirely are, who we could be, and how little we we little how and be, could we who are,

and almost almost and — is a meditative study on who we we who on study meditative a is Three spite the large scope it tries it scope large the spite

poetry, she achieves. she poetry, - de book a as well so works it that reason

agery, allusion, and forays into science and and science into forays and allusion, agery, and the the and Three of root the is these between

- im with achieve to attempts she erything Simplicity and complexity: the balance balance the complexity: and Simplicity

- Ev beautifully. language uses Monahan tions after experiencing a woman’s kiss. woman’s a experiencing after tions

each version of K the same way. same the K of version each - sensa and questions new to awakens she

Fate, but Fate does not necessarily guide guide necessarily not does Fate but Fate, kids and dealing with her dying father as as father dying her with dealing and kids

nesses. Each is also guided by a personified personified a by guided also is Each nesses. married since she was 18, mother to three three to mother 18, was she since married

- weak and fears own her and bravery own life, she is a relatively happy housewife, housewife, happy relatively a is she life,

has her her has — K her call let’s — Each aspect of aspect Each her for the Catholic Church. In the third third the In Church. Catholic the for her weave together.…” weave

of bravery mean a lifetime of being bold. bold. being of lifetime a mean bravery of recovering from a long-ago lover who left left who lover long-ago a from recovering inward and begin to to begin and inward

they appear at first. Nor does one moment moment one does Nor first. at appear they relationships and periods of celibacy, still still celibacy, of periods and relationships point, then bend back back bend then point,

that bravery and cowardice may not be as as be not may cowardice and bravery that icine and flowing in and out of temporary temporary of out and in flowing and icine spread out from a single single a from out spread

and slowly reveals reveals slowly and — refrain from that bite? that from refrain - med emergency and alternative balancing lives of one woman woman one of lives

do I eat the peach? Or is it more daring to to daring more it is Or peach? the eat I do life finds her going by Katherine, a doctor doctor a Katherine, by going her finds life where three separate separate three where

— — lightning strike nearly kills her. A second second A her. kills nearly strike lightning Monahan takes the question of daring of question the takes Monahan

spins a believable world world believable a spins

commune in the Atlantic Ocean until a a until Ocean Atlantic the in commune circumstance. ­

literary devices, Monahan Monahan devices, literary

Josephine, in an experimental feminist feminist experimental an in Josephine, her core, driven to extremes by choice and and choice by extremes to driven core, her

storytelling and subtle subtle and storytelling

is called Antonia and lives with her lover, lover, her with lives and Antonia called is but she is clearly still the same woman at at woman same the still clearly is she but

fantasy, straightforward straightforward fantasy,

of her three possible outcomes. In one she she one In outcomes. possible three her of cal experiences place her further apart, apart, further her place experiences cal

“Blending realism and and realism “Blending

grown version of this woman at 41, in each each in 41, at woman this of version grown - radi more Antonia’s while natures, their

possible futures depend. We then meet the the meet then We depend. futures possible and Katherine are somewhat closer in in closer somewhat are Katherine and

it is the turning point upon which three three which upon point turning the is it experiences into a different woman. Kitty Kitty woman. different a into experiences

17 and irrelevant as the question may seem, seem, may question the as irrelevant and human being in each, shaped by different different by shaped each, in being human

rator, “Do I dare to eat a peach?” As benign benign As peach?” a eat to dare I “Do rator, is whole. She is a complex and complete complete and complex a is She whole. is

i - nar poem’s the like wondering, Prufrock,” each of Antonia/Katherine/Kitty’s lives lives Antonia/Katherine/Kitty’s of each

plates Eliot’s “The Love Song of J. Alfred Alfred J. of Song Love “The Eliot’s plates What makes the story work best is that that is best work story the makes What

- contem and coffee morning her prepares ramé of one multi-threaded life. multi-threaded one of ramé

tures. We first meet her at age 17 as she she as 17 age at her meet first We tures. - mac open an in together weave to begin

- fu distinct three into life ordinary ingly single point, then bend back inward and and inward back bend then point, single

- seem woman’s young a launches poem rate lives of one woman spread out from a a from out spread woman one of lives rate

A simple question from a T. S. Eliot Eliot S. T. a from question simple A - sepa three where world believable a spins

viewed by Deb Taber Deb by viewed Re

by Annemarie Monahan, Flashpoint Press, August 2012, 320 pages, $16.95 pages, 320 2012, August Press, Flashpoint Monahan, Annemarie by Three

hree = Infinite Possibilities Infinite = hree T y

of islands?

…How can we live without dreams dreams without live we can …How . . Moresomes and somes

Mammoth Book of Three- of Book Mammoth house Effect” is plaintive and haunting: haunting: and plaintive is Effect” house

The The and , Queer Person - “Green her while tall-tale-telling, cowboy

Dark Matter Two, First First Two, Matter Dark Way It Does” is a resonant, mythic piece of of piece mythic resonant, a is Does” It Way

, , Wristlet Rosebud Churchill’s Drug in Wall, South Dakota, Tastes the the Tastes Dakota, South Wall, in Drug

Lady Lady in found be can leged to have been asked to review it. review to asked been have to leged her talents. Her “Why the Coffee at Wall Wall at Coffee the “Why Her talents. her

fiction, and nonfiction nonfiction and fiction,

- privi deeply feel and Hell from Poetesses depth of her experience and the span of of span the and experience her of depth

his birthplace. His poetry, poetry, His birthplace. his

Lady Lady recommend highly I rewarding. is Arnason’s understated bio belies the the belies bio understated Arnason’s

California and Toronto, Toronto, and California

veys us by its own unexpected route; each each route; unexpected own its by us veys grace. polished with

bounces between Southern Southern between bounces

- con and different somewhere goes piece delivered are All styles. different strongly

maker whose residence residence whose maker

erything, however, merits attention. Each Each attention. merits however, erything, in each are Tree” the of “Potatoes and

visual artist, and thing- artist, and visual

- Ev seriousness. of deal great a with itself Fossil” “Pet her fiction; science pure cal,

David Findlay is a writer, writer, a is Findlay David

As the title may suggest, little here takes takes here little suggest, may title the As - lyri is Manufactory” “Cloud Berman’s Infinite Possibilities the grand, bold decisions that shape who Toward the end of the book, Monahan (Cont. from p. 17) we are, the book contends, it is the daily brings Katharine’s and Kitty’s threads to- living, the small actions, the thoughts we gether in a way that gives a form of reso- stifle or allow, that shape who we are to be. lution to Kitty in her final section in the “It isn’t the grand, bold But that’s not what this book is about. book, but rather than growing Katharine’s decisions that shape Three, more than any other book in re- final section out of this, she instead returns who we are, the book cent memory, is about the reader. How this character to the experience and tone contends, it is the daily do you react to Katherine’s, to Kitty’s, to of her previous sections. This is the only living, the small actions, Antonia’s situations and decisions? Are area of regression in the book. That may the thoughts we stifle or you intrigued, revolted, hopeful, uncom- be intentional on the author’s part, but as allow, that shape who fortable, devastated, confused? Three does a reader, I hoped for more. Antonia’s final we are to be.” not stand on its own without the reader’s section, however, returns to the book’s involvement — and that is a rare and good roots of who K is at heart, bringing her thing. It is a book that makes you think — fire and sense of humor back into play as about your choices and the unchosen parts Antonia moves on with her life after the of your life, where you are and how you commune. “Three is about got there and where else you could have Three is about possibilities made real. It possibilities made real.” gone — even if you’ve thought about it all takes weighty subject matter and doesn’t before. What are the questions, the ac- turn away from it, yet within the story tions, you have denied in your own life? you’ll also find humor, lightheartedness, Who is the self you did not let yourself even jocularity. No book is for everyone, be? Are you brave enough to face her now, but regardless of gender or orientation, maybe in just an e-mail, then a phone call? Three has something to say to anyone who Deb Taber is a freelance Would you make a date with your other will listen, and the more you participate by editor who works with self, and would you show up at the table, asking yourself the questions the story asks authors ranging from ready to find out who you really are, not of its three-in-one character(s), the more novices to New York Times just who you could be? you can gain from the reading experience. H best-sellers. Her stories have appeared in Fantasy Magazine and various 18 anthologies, and her first novel, Necessary Ill, is due out in March 2013 from Aqueduct Press. Visit her online at www.debtaber. Ortygia to Trimountaine com. by Sonya Taaffe

Between bronze Neptune and granite-sluiced Amphitrite, Arethousa is sleeping in the Brewer Fountain, the nereid of Tremont Street with dolphins in her hair, patron of lost Paris and Plato’s Sicily. Sonya Taaffe is a Rhysling Persephone sang six weeks on the stage of the Bijou, Award-winning poet. Her poems and short stories Hermes called the stops between Boylston and Adams Square. have appeared in numer- A jealous river frets up against the Charles, ous venues. Her poetry but the bridges she built will not let him in. is collected in Postcards from the Province of Hy- phens (Prime Books) and A Mayse-Bikhl (Papaveria Press). She is currently

on the editorial staff of

Strange Horizons. n

n

Cont. on p. 20 p. on Cont. of fields got a taste of defense contracting. contracting. defense of taste a got fields of lic image in the face of bodily bodily of face the in image lic mity. mity. ­ infir

effort, and entrepreneurs in a wide variety variety wide a in entrepreneurs and effort, - pub a maintain to struggle personal his

materials were commandeered by the war war the by commandeered were materials Kennedy, his vision for the space race, and and race, space the for vision his Kennedy,

War II caused worlds to collide, as all such such all as collide, to worlds caused II War seen through the lens of President John F. F. John President of lens the through seen

the synthetic latex behind Playtex. World World Playtex. behind latex synthetic the complete failure). The focus on image is is image on focus The failure). complete

science that made them possible, such as as such possible, them made that science in the 1960s and ’70s (and their almost almost their (and ’70s and 1960s the in

20th century and the advances in materials materials in advances the and century 20th and systems to urban revitalization efforts efforts revitalization urban to systems and

there. It introduces some fashions of the the of fashions some introduces It there. even the application of NASA technology technology NASA of application the even

the life-threatening conditions found found conditions life-threatening the embark on and survive a nuclear war, and and war, nuclear a survive and on embark

American history.” American

the upper reaches of the atmosphere and and atmosphere the of reaches upper the tralized military control spaces meant to to meant spaces control military tralized

the past 60 years of of years 60 past the starts out with man’s first encounters with with encounters first man’s with out starts - cen the in origins its and room Control

influential in shaping shaping in influential constellation of stories). The major thread thread major The stories). of constellation graphics, etc.), the design of the Mission Mission the of design the etc.), graphics,

that has been so so been has that And it is a fascinating story (or perhaps, perhaps, (or story fascinating a is it And ulate the landing approach, early computer computer early approach, landing the ulate

of systems engineering engineering systems of domestic space.” domestic - sim to built miniatures sets, multiple (the

about the emerging field field emerging the about of Architecture in 1998, for a seminar on on seminar a for 1998, in Architecture of ronment covering the first space landing landing space first the covering ronment

for people, and more more and people, for Teyssot at the Princeton University School School University Princeton the at Teyssot - envi media the of construction the about

book was a “paper written for Georges Georges for written “paper a was book people making garments garments making people opens out in its later essays, and we learn learn we and essays, later its in out opens

more sense given that the genesis of the the of genesis the that given sense more systems forms the core of this book. It It book. this of core the forms systems emerges is less about about less is emerges

60 years of American history. This makes makes This history. American of years 60 The play of systems against and within within and against systems of play The “[T]he picture that that picture “[T]he

has been so influential in shaping the past past the shaping in influential so been has tutional methods of achieving those goals. goals. those achieving of methods tutional

emerging field of systems engineering that that engineering systems of field emerging - insti different very used they but mind, in

garments for people, and more about the the about more and people, for garments trol = safety. Everyone had the same goals goals same the had Everyone safety. = trol

that emerges is less about people making making people about less is emerges that - con quality = accountability = paperwork

spacesuit and the space race, the picture picture the race, space the and spacesuit safety, but in the NASA culture, traceable traceable culture, NASA the in but safety,

topics orbit about the central focus of the the of focus central the about orbit topics more concerned with paperwork than with with than paperwork with concerned more

construction of Mission Control. As the the As Control. Mission of construction perwork. This makes it seem like NASA is is NASA like seem it makes This perwork.

19

to Dior’s post-WWII New Look to the the to Look New post-WWII Dior’s to - pa abysmal standards) NASA (by had it

from the history of high altitude flight flight altitude high of history the from Playtex had the superior product, even if if even product, superior the had Playtex

i

cally, they each delve into a specific topic, topic, specific a into delve each they cally, of the astronaut, there was no doubt that that doubt no was there astronaut, the of

- chronologi roughly progress these While had defects that could result in the death death the in result could that defects had

rial that went into the Apollo spacesuit. spacesuit. Apollo the into went that rial tex. Given that the competitor suits all all suits competitor the that Given tex.

- mate of layers 21 the reflect to says” - Play to award initial the after contract

- es “layered 21 with chapters, traditional so far as to order a re-compete of the the of re-compete a order to as far so

made up of “layers” instead of the more more the of instead “layers” of up made other. NASA almost didn’t budge, going going budge, didn’t almost NASA other.

itself first in the conceit that the book is is book the that conceit the in first itself systems had to flex to accommodate the the accommodate to flex to had systems

De Monchaux’s approach manifests manifests approach Monchaux’s De ings was challenging, to put it lightly. Both Both lightly. it put to challenging, was ings

systems, not on the humans within them. within humans the on not systems, - draw engineering of instead patterns of

suits were crafted.” were suits

this is an impersonal book; its focus is on on is focus its book; impersonal an is this shop full of craftswomen who worked off off worked who craftswomen of full shop

were manufactured; soft soft manufactured; were

lingerie manufacturer Playtex. For all that, that, all For Playtex. manufacturer lingerie specification-and-requirement culture to a a to culture specification-and-requirement

astronauts. Hard suits suits Hard astronauts. strand, but by the parent company of the the of company parent the by but strand, . Interfacing the NASA NASA the Interfacing . crafted were suits

on fitting suits to to suits fitting on - Sund Hamilton as such firms, aerospace ; soft soft ; manufactured were suits Hard nauts.

out, Playtex focused focused Playtex out, the Apollo spacesuits were not made by by made not were spacesuits Apollo the - astro to suits fitting on focused Playtex

looking and easy to spec spec to easy and looking tion, and the rather surprising fact that that fact surprising rather the and tion, futuristic looking and easy to spec out, out, spec to easy and looking futuristic

particularly futuristic futuristic particularly - construc its antecedents, its spacesuit, the building “hard suits” that were particularly particularly were that suits” “hard building

‘hard suits’ that were were that suits’ ‘hard and iconic way. It looks at the history of of history the at looks It way. iconic and ditional defense contractors focused on on focused contractors defense ditional

mans and technology in the most intimate intimate most the in technology and mans focused on building building on focused - tra While spacesuit. Apollo the as such

- hu between interface the of manifestation tion”) to hear about and bid on contracts contracts on bid and about hear to tion”) defense contractors contractors defense

is about the spacesuit as a a as spacesuit the about is Apollo ioning - Corpora Latex International “The rather “While traditional traditional “While

- Fash Spacesuit: Monchaux’s de Nicholas It was this that later allowed Playtex (or (or Playtex allowed later that this was It

viewed by Karen Burnham Karen by viewed Re

380 pages, $34.95 pages, 380

by Nicholas de Monchaux, MIT Press, March 2011, 2011, March Press, MIT Monchaux, de Nicholas by Apollo Fashioning Spacesuit:

ewing for Apollo Apollo for ewing S y Sewing for Apollo Fashioning Apollo posits that the space ing through multiple layers of advanced (Cont. from p. 19) race existed to produce one image, that of materials with tolerances in fractions of the single man in a spacesuit, standing on a millimeter), how did they approach it? the Moon, with the lunar module reflect- How did they modify their craft? Did they “I hope that some ed in his visor and an American flag on view it as art, or engineering, or just a job? intrepid writer his shoulder — and that having produced You can get a good feel for the astronauts’ someday lays hands that image, the rest of the space program experience of their suits from books such on de Monchaux’s is almost redundant. This is a depressing as Gene Kranz’s Failure Is Not an Option or interview notes and thought for those of us on the front lines Mary Roach’s Packing for Mars. writes up this story of the space program, but a hauntingly While spacesuit production was even- from the seamstresses’ plausible one. tually returned to traditional contractors point of view.” What we don’t get from this book is such as Hamilton Sundstrand and Ocea- much of a sense for the people within the neering, the hard suit design never made systems. There are few quotes from astro- a resurgence. The soft suit has been main- nauts or from seamstresses (although the tained, with even softer suits on the ho- “There is much author interviewed many of these folks, rizon — a (female) researcher at MIT has fascinating history as evidenced by the extensive footnotes). made a spacesuit that looks like a wetsuit, here…but the lack of There are few anecdotes about the ex- with compression mesh woven throughout boots-on-the-ground periences of managing, crafting, or even to keep it skin tight. How have the engi- human stories left wearing the suits. And while generals, pi- neering contractors managed the interface the whole feeling lots, astronauts, and politicians tend to be between astronaut, manufacture, and bu- somewhat sterile.” named in the captions of the photographs reaucracy? De Monchaux has a very spe- featuring them, often unnamed support cific focus, and the iconic Apollo spacesuit personnel, be they engineers or seamstress- is more of a lens with which to examine Karen Burnham is voca- es, appear in the background (although to systems than an object to be examined tionally an engineer and be fair, in the essay focusing on the seam- itself. There is much fascinating history avocationally a fiction stresses they are all named in the photo- here, covering a broad range of topics that H reviewer. She works at graphs). I hope that some intrepid writer I had never seen as connected before, and NASA Johnson Space someday lays hands on de Monchaux’s much to learn and admire, but the lack of 20 Center as an electrical interview notes and writes up this story boots-on-the-ground human stories left engineer. For the past few from the seamstresses’ point of view; given the whole feeling somewhat sterile. years she has reviewed sci- what they were being asked to do (stitch- ence fiction and fantasy for venues such as Strange Horizons, SFSignal, and Salon Futura. She edits Julia Margaret Cameron, 1860s Locus magazine’s Round- table blog. Catherine McGuire

Though faithfully recording great men— Carlyle, Longfellow, Darwin — she gave free rein to fantasy. Reversing the candid trend, she posed her maid as Madonna, with street urchin cherubs. In a sweaty chicken coop-cum-darkroom she garbed the mundane in the mythical: chimney sweep Arthur, pensioner Prospero. Whether silver chloride fumes trimmed Catherine McGuire has her years to 64, the stacks of soft-edged prints published over 175 poems live beyond her. Photography’s frank gaze and a chapbook. She lives could be persuaded, to see what was never there. in Oregon’s Willamette Valley. To learn more Fairies and angels; kings and gods.

about her work see

www.cathymcguire.com. The men said, “Isn’t it just like a woman.” n

n

but agile little dog. dog. little agile but

John Aegard, and a chunky chunky a and Aegard, John

are lived in a state of constant, almost almost constant, of state a in lived are

husband, comics creator creator comics husband,

day-to-day emotional and working lives lives working and emotional day-to-day

lives in Seattle with her her with Seattle in lives

talent who is clearly on her way up. way her on clearly is who talent window into the minds of people whose whose people of minds the into window

and elsewhere. She She elsewhere. and Review,

ably crafted work from an energetic new new energetic an from work crafted ably alienness offers the reader a compelling compelling a reader the offers alienness

Indiana Indiana the Polyphony, in

with clearly drawn emotional arcs. This is is This arcs. emotional drawn clearly with protagonist’s combination of intimacy and and intimacy of combination protagonist’s

fiction has been published published been has fiction

and large, are strong, smart, and agreeable, agreeable, and smart, strong, are large, and story is structurally elegant, and its AI AI its and elegant, structurally is story

Victoria Elisabeth Garcia’s Garcia’s Elisabeth Victoria

well-paced, and her main characters, by by characters, main her and well-paced, mission that goes horribly wrong. The The wrong. horribly goes that mission

remain readable. Ball’s adventure tales are are tales adventure Ball’s readable. remain assisting with an interplanetary research research interplanetary an with assisting

But even when Ball’s stories falter, they they falter, stories Ball’s when even But point of view of an artificial intelligence intelligence artificial an of view of point

to feel warm. warm. feel to , is told from the the from told is , Magazine Lightspeed

makes the story feel hollow where it ought ought it where hollow feel story the makes the Black Hole,” originally published in in published originally Hole,” Black the

unpleasantness of the protagonist’s rival, rival, protagonist’s the of unpleasantness piece. “Snapshots I Brought Back from from Back Brought I “Snapshots piece.

sight. This, coupled with the monolithic monolithic the with coupled This, sight. The collection leads with its strongest strongest its with leads collection The

ibility-straining moment of love at first first at love of moment ibility-straining and Seattle. Seattle. and

- cred a from springs relationship central descriptions of Key West, rural Montana, Montana, rural West, Key of descriptions

“The Fluting Man” is a romance whose whose romance a is Man” Fluting “The admirable solidity from firmly- from solidity admirable g rounded rounded ­

rushed justification of an apparent rape. rape. apparent an of justification rushed angels, dinosaurs, and superheroes gain an an gain superheroes and dinosaurs, angels,

and loving note that is propped up by a a by up propped is that note loving and pecially well-rendered, and fanciful tales of of tales fanciful and well-rendered, pecially

“Calling Forth the King” ends on a cozy cozy a on ends King” the Forth “Calling - es are settings Her gracefully. and ciently

tain moments that feel jarring or false. false. or jarring feel that moments tain - effi information scientific conveys She

- con do stories the of some addition, In ing and experience show in her writing. writing. her in show experience and ing

Sliders, Quantum Leap, and the like. like. the and Leap, Quantum Sliders, - train This officer. information public a and

and agreeable…” worlds to save lives in a way that evokes evokes that way a in lives save to worlds years as a media coordinator, a journalist, journalist, a coordinator, media a as years

large, are strong, smart, smart, strong, are large, altruistic figure crosses between alternate alternate between crosses figure altruistic Ball came to fiction after working for for working after fiction to came Ball

main characters, by and and by characters, main cording to His Substance,” a mysterious, mysterious, a Substance,” His to cording can all be found within. within. found be all can

21

- “Ac In episode. Zone Twilight a like reads mainstream story featuring Elvis Presley Presley Elvis featuring story mainstream well-paced, and her her and well-paced,

“Dial Tone,” a post-apocalyptic flash piece, piece, flash post-apocalyptic a Tone,” “Dial apoc alyptic fantasy novella, and a nearly- a and novella, fantasy alyptic adventure tales are are tales adventure

i

the phrase “...(T)astes a lot like chicken.” chicken.” like lot a “...(T)astes phrase the ghost stories, flash crime fiction, a post- a fiction, crime flash stories, ghost ­ remain readable. Ball’s Ball’s readable. remain

dinosaurs and time machines, ends with with ends machines, time and dinosaurs ject matter and length. Space thrillers, thrillers, Space length. and matter ject stories falter, they they falter, stories

tropes: “Cretaceous on Ice,” a story about about story a Ice,” on “Cretaceous tropes: - sub of terms in diversity their in bitious “…even when Ball’s Ball’s when “…even

shufflings of favorite genre and pop culture culture pop and genre favorite of shufflings first time. The assembled pieces are am- are pieces assembled The time. first

- re basic like feel Many surprising. rarely seven of which are published here for the the for here published are which of seven

are almost always engaging, they are very very are they engaging, always almost are stories, Ball’s of 24 gathers book The

But though the stories in this collection collection this in stories the though But lection.

with a nifty twist. twist. nifty a with - col first her is Oddities Other & Hole Black

ing ghost story set on Lake Superior, ends ends Superior, Lake on set story ghost ing Snapshots from a a from Snapshots 50. over authors sional

- seafar a Night,” “Bannockburn And edy. - profes newly for Grant Writers Older

- trag public of magnetism the about piece and the Speculative Fiction Foundation’s Foundation’s Fiction Speculative the and

nized with Evelyn” is a taut and enigmatic enigmatic and taut a is Evelyn” with nized the 2009 Writers of the Future contest contest Future the of Writers 2009 the

- “Synchro fiction. zombie and narratives four dozen short stories and has won both both won has and stories short dozen four

quiet but wrenching critique of both war war both of critique wrenching but quiet celerate. To date, she has published over over published has she date, To celerate.

Dead,” a military horror story, offers a a offers story, horror military a Dead,” - ac but nothing done has career her then,

of place.”

a famous young boxer. “Bringing in the the in “Bringing boxer. young famous a first professional fiction sale in 2008. Since Since 2008. in sale fiction professional first

and a strong sense sense strong a and compelling, SFnal slice-of-life piece about about piece slice-of-life SFnal compelling, her made Ball writer, new relatively A

with heart, humor, humor, heart, with and a strong sense of place. place. of sense strong a and worthwhile stories: “In His Prime” is a a is Prime” His “In stories: worthwhile

straightforward stories stories straightforward The book includes several other highly highly other several includes book The humor, heart, with stories straightforward

elements to produce produce to elements space adventure, is also quite good. good. quite also is adventure, space matches classic genre elements to produce produce to elements genre classic matches

matches classic genre genre classic matches quotidian peril. “Flotsam,” the book’s other other book’s the “Flotsam,” peril. quotidian and mixes Ball K.C. Seattle-based

“Ball mixes and and mixes “Ball

viewed by Victoria Elisabeth Garcia Elisabeth Victoria by viewed Re

Books, August 2012, 219 pages, $14.95 paperback, $4.95 ebook $4.95 paperback, $14.95 pages, 219 2012, August Books,

, by K.C. Ball, Hydra House House Hydra Ball, K.C. by , Oddities Other & Hole Black a from Snapshots

anciful Solidity anciful F y Dress Series described working in the same medium as enhancing the sense of connection to other Kristine Campbell artists. Because targets, for example were a big part of Johns’ early works she sought Kristine Campbell’s Dress Series ex- to incorporate that image in some of the plores the dress as an object of complex- paintings. The current news dealing with ity without the interference of the human women’s issues brought together those two body. Through this series Campbell con- ideas — gender and target. The Birds are tests the singular linkage of dress with Not the Target group plays off of artist Jas- woman alone and focuses on storytelling. per Johns’ famous paintings of the target, She relishes fashion and fiber art, so ex- using the same image to instead represent ploring ideas of landscape and story with women’s issues being targeted in the media. the dress as a centerpiece, holding image, Major elements of the Dress Series flow around which she builds layers of story directly from Campbell’s life and family are a wonderful meld. Although Camp- experiences. Since the beginning sketches bell doesn’t start with a particular story in of the series were conceived from memo- mind, what begins as static images, par- ries of old family photographs, the type of ticularly the central image, often moves media was selected to produce a final image toward narrative as she paints and fits sec- that would appear ethereal or floating, thus tions together. the use of encaustic. She inherited many Campbell manipulates paintings in boxes of gloves of all types and colors from many ways, including use of a computer her mother, and they soon began appear- to better visualize the image. Her artis- ing in her art in forms conjuring move- tic process begins with pencil sketches or ment and gesture with the gloves. While charcoal and then watercolor to lay out the living in NYC she worked with the gloves central idea and design. Once the image as side objects, exploring different loca- is finalized in her mind the ideas are de- tions and kinds of movement like hailing a H veloped further on the canvas or panel, or taxi, controlling puppets, holding flowers. more recently using the computer to aid in And she loves socks, owns drawers filled 22 visualizing the final piece. She uses paint, with colorful, image-laden pairs, some of printing, and layering with wax. which have found their way into paintings. Working in series format with a com- In discussing why the human body is mon central image gives Campbell room absent in this series, Campbell explains to delve deeply into a particular theme that “a human figure would not just be a or object. She generally works on two or distraction; as soon as a face or figure is more pieces at the same time. In this way used it becomes someone, a stranger the related pieces evolve with the same palette viewer does not know. This removes the and theme. In all her various series, a com- viewer from seeing the work as something mon central image links the pieces and they can interpret or become a part of. By fosters a dense investigation of an idea. leaving the form unexplained the viewer is Kristine Campbell began working on persuaded to work out the ideas for them- the Dress series 3 years ago and continues selves.” There are no preconceived answers to add new works. At present it is composed to what the images might mean. And the of 16 wood panels in sizes ranging from viewer’s eye must acknowledge that the 6-by-6 to 40-by-40 inches. Each panel’s image is perhaps genderless, forcing an central focus, the floating dress along with awareness that maybe gender identity is gloves and shoes, is surrounded by a surre- superimposed by the viewer’s own icons alistic background. The works in the series of gender. were constructed using mixed media and Campbell hopes “that fashion becomes encaustic on wood panels. When she began more about personal choice and not gen- to work with encaustic [hot wax painting] der-specific dictates…fashion as wearable Campbell spent time at the Whitney Mu- art and runway shows as performance art — seum and MOMA to view Jasper Johns moveable fibers.” She examines the idea of

Featured Artist work in that medium. Early in her study the dress as not defining one gender and

of other artists’ works she was drawn to deftly transcends that idea in this series.

Johns and Robert Rauschenberg. She has http://kristinecampbell.webs.com/ n

n

Garden Walk Garden

Fish Walk Fish

23

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