the light ekphrastic

What is Exquisite Fantastic? See the full collection of Exquisite Fantastic projects here.

Contributor 8: Edward Doyle-Gillespie, February 14, 2020

The Pele Allowance

You had a lover who ate fire.
She painted her face
in oily black-and-red,
and wore a second-skin
that made her look like the pyre of
a rioter’s rage each time she moved.
She would go the corner of this or that street
when the midday men broke free,
and she would twirl herself
with her head canted back.
She would catch glimpses and slices
of the red-brick canyon
in her fractured vision,
and the men would become statues for her.
She would take torches into her mouth
and they would fall in love with her.
She would spit her napalm over their heads,
and they would follow
the wake of her ashes,
taking crisply-folded bills from
tailored pockets.
Your lover would spin herself
in a cloak of dreadlocks,
fling fragments of fire into the air
like a dervish majorette,
and the men would search fruitlessly
for the plastic bucket
or the worn top hat
in which they could
lay their tributes.

Edward’s Inspiration: The first thing I did was look at the first images to pop up and take hold of my first impressions. I decided to honor the first words to pop into my head. I got “UPSIDE DOWN” and” INVERTED” and “SPINNING.” I felt myself in motion in stone context that hinted at a bit of danger. My brain took away bricks and buildings to go along with that. I put the images away. I jotted down some notes, went back, and saw what looked like spangles or flecks of fire contrasting themselves against the edifices.  I pretty much eschewed anything resembling rational cognition or author intent.

See the work that inspired Edward here.

Edward Doyle-Gillespie is a detective in the Baltimore City Police Department. He holds a degree in History from George Washington University, and an MLA from Johns Hopkins University. He is the author of three books  – Masala Tea and Oranges, On the Later Addition of Sancho Panza , and Socorro Prophesy.

What is Exquisite Fantastic? See the full collection of Exquisite Fantastic projects here.

Contributor 7: Marlayna Demond, February 1, 2020

Illusions

Marlayna’s Inspiration: Each time I read Anthony’s piece, I found another layer of it that felt simultaneously personal and specific, yet relatable. I’ve been in love with the textures of salt stains, and how they can almost create the illusion of a barren landscape, so that line initially jumped out at me. I’m also at a point where there are all these paths (or branches) I could see life taking. With my own inability to make (what feel like) major life choices, and looking not just at Anthony’s piece but also Gina’s and all the works in between, I kept mulling over “this or that” and “safe vs experience.” I set out wanting to convey this sense of uncertainty – not knowing what I want next or if I have to make any changes at all. Just to add one more layer of uncertainty, when I went into Baltimore to take some photos for this piece, one of the first buildings on our walk happened to literally scream “ILLUSIONS” at me.

See the work that inspired Marlayna here.

Marlayna Demond is a photographer who is constantly trying to find better work-life balance and make more time for non-work photography and other fun things. Marlayna works full time photographing at UMBC, and in addition also photographs weddings, events, and editorial and portrait work. She also co-runs BaM Co-Create, a business that promotes local makers and produces markets where guests can explore their creativity and shop locally.

What is Exquisite Fantastic? See the full collection of Exquisite Fantastic projects here.

Contributor 6: Anthony Moll, January 17, 2020

Untitled

Nothing shimmers in the city
winter, and December reveals
the abandoned homes of birds

I’m feeling dysphoric
in a peacoat on an abbreviated
parking lot dusted with salt

trying to imagine a Casa Susanna
a colony of hidden wigs in the chilled
Catskills among eastern hemlock

I hesitate to imagine the woods
as safety— though they are
abandoned or empty

of expectation, and queer bodies
hold a history of exposed knees
in state parks and hideaways

The wilds should be a sort
of home, but I can’t imagine
a dress hem higher than my heavy

thighs outdoors, and the forest
floor reminds me that it’s not

always about you. I guess

Queen Mab’s arrival shouldn’t
surprise me, but I’ve never known
the first name of the wilderness.

Anthony’s Inspiration: I watched and responded to Jim’s animation the week I left Baltimore for a writing retreat in the woods of West Virginia, and it had me thinking about the history of Queer folks in the wilderness—cruising, trysts in cabins, queer communes, etc. When those ideas were paired with Jim’s robed figure revealing a muscular femme, I found myself contemplating perspectives on gender, the goddess, and concealing oneself.

See the work that inspired Anthony here.

Anthony Moll is a queer poet, essayist and educator. Their work has appeared in Hobart, Little Patuxent Review, Assaracus, jubilat and more. Anthony holds an MFA in creative writing & publishing arts and is completing a PhD in English. Their debut memoir, Out of Step, won a 2019 Lambda Literary Award and the 2017 Non/Fiction Prize. It is now available from The Ohio State University Press.

What is Exquisite Fantastic? See the full collection of Exquisite Fantastic projects here.

Contributor 5: Jim Doran, January 3, 2020

Shimmer

Title: Shimmer

Jim’s Inspiration:  I was inspired by Shirley’s Goddess imagery. With animation, I usually begin with audio, and harps are pretty shimmery to me. Once I had to sounds assembled, I did a stream-of-consciousness drawing animation to accompany it. I used a black light to highlight the Goddess.

See the work that inspired Jim here.

What is Exquisite Fantastic? See the full collection of Exquisite Fantastic projects here.

Contributor 4: Shirley J. Brewer, December 13, 2019

All the Fine Golden Threads

Born a sequin, baptized in glitter,
I blossomed in childhood light.
Tender arms wrapped me in filigree.
Grace gave me wings, assured flight.

I wear my changes like an ornament.
Gauzy yellow. Beads of sun in rows.
How to measure the luminous
wires of the heart? Even pain glows.

My favorite color is Gem.
I am Shimmering Goddess Energy.

Title:  All the Fine Golden Threads

Shirley’s Inspiration:  I was awed by Melissa Cormier’s title – Changing and Changed – as well as her beautiful art. (One of the favorite poems I’ve written is called “Making Change.”) Her image of the gold sequins feels so in sync with who I am. My poem evolved from the sequins. What surprised me was my choice to rhyme. Although I usually write in free verse, I always listen to the Muse! “I am Shimmering Goddess Energy” is – and has been – my personal self-definition.

See the work that inspired Shirley here.

Baltimore poet, Shirley J. Brewer, lives in Charles Village near the Baltimore Museum of Art. She credits the BMA with nurturing her growth as a writer, as well as her kaleidoscopic sense of style. And the gift shop is everything!

What is Exquisite Fantastic? See the full collection of Exquisite Fantastic projects here.

Contributor 3: Melissa Penley Cormier, November 29, 2019

Changing & Changed

Title: Changing & Changed

Melissa’s Inspiration:  Much like the original parlour game (exquisite corpse), I tried to collect and build an image that played off of Meredith’s video and prose and while keeping in mind Gina’s painting to create a dreamy addition as if attempting to finish someone’s sentence, but not knowing exactly where the story is going.

See the work that inspired Melissa here.

Melissa Penley Cormier enjoys looking and listening to things and inviting others to also look and listen closely. An artist originally from Appalachia, she now can most often be found in or near Baltimore, Maryland.

We are pleased to share the work of the following artists and writers in the 40th issue of The Light Ekphrastic:

Samuel Berrettini – craven, sealed; A Wisp (poetry)

Orson Carroll – Our Final Sunrises; Half-Light (music)

Jeanne DeLarm – Two Paper Birches; Baby Black Dragon (poetry)

Mandy May – Slow build of shadow (poetry)

Lexi O’Donnell – Untitled; ERS-035 (art)

JoAnne Poniatowski – Bradley Park; Morelia Heloderma (art)

Genevieve Stevens – After Francesca Woodman (poetry)

Contributor Bios – November 2019

What is Exquisite Fantastic? See the full collection of Exquisite Fantastic projects here.

Contributor 2: Meredith Purvis, November 16, 2019

Campfires and Canyons

“You’re doing it wrong, dissecting the bird, trying to find the song.” ~John Craigie, Dissect the Bird

Sometimes I feel like we are small, eclipsed by a world of incredible scale. Our edges blur, atoms and impulses pinging into and across one another. Our hearts and lungs and feet are full of birds. They sing our souls. My heart is elastic. It contracts to fill a campfire spark and expands to fill canyons. We are shaped by elements, within and without; changing and changed. We are enormity. Carbon. Hydrogen. Knit together like feathers on a wing. We soar.

a travelogue prose poem written on a journey from baltimore to missouri, las vegas, the grand canyon, bryce canyon, zion national park. and back again.

Title: Campfires and Canyons

Meredith’s Inspiration:  Gina’s painting / America’s spaces both man-made and natural / National Parks, especially Zion, Bryce, and the Grand Canyon / The way you blend into nature when you sit around a campfire.

I created this poem while wandering westward. It’s a travelogue but also a mini exquisite corpse of its own — each day I wrote a new line in as much isolation as I could, although still innately aware of what had come before. I challenged myself to not only take inspiration from the incredible painting Gina created, which is full of the stuff of life and the whisper of bird wings, but also the scenery I was passing through, which included my parent’s farm in rural Missouri, Caesers Palace in Las Vegas, and the Grand Canyon, Bryce Canyon, and Zion National Parks.

See the work that inspired Meredith here.

Meredith Purvis is a writer, a book artist, and a traveler. Her heart and her writing are happiest when they’re exploring.

For many years, we’ve dreamed of using the TLE space to create an original exquisite corpse-inspired collection. So, in honor of our 10th year, we’re doing it! Every two weeks, from November 2019 through March of 2020, through the Exquisite Fantastic project, we’ll feature the work a new Baltimore-area writer or artist has created in response to the one before them.

We asked one of our favorite Baltimore painters and previous TLE contributor, Gina Pierleoni, to create the work that would kick off our project. Her mission: to capture the TLE experience in and of itself — and open the doors of creativity to the writer who will follow her. We’re so pleased to share her gorgeous original work here tonight, and we invite you to follow along here and on our social media channels as we make new work all winter long!

Thank you, Gina!

Artist 1: Gina Pierleoni

Title:  Navigating Tendrils

Gina’s Inspiration:  The stuff of life: hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen, carbon, beauty  /  The words we say to ourselves and others  /  Birds nesting, fledging, holding on, letting go

Gina Pierleoni is a Baltimore based artist using portraiture to spark conversations about empathy and our common humanity.  Portrait painting demands curiosity, stillness and deep observation. Pierleoni’s mixed media portraits push past label and judgments, attempting to “de-separate” us.  These are real people, alive, changing, genuine and vulnerable.

We are pleased to share the work of the following artists and writers in the 39th issue of The Light Ekphrastic:

Melissa Penley Cormier – skin; Wanderlust (art)

Edward Doyle-Gillespie – The Calculus of Skinwalkers; When Tourists Come (poetry)

Leah Clare Michaels – Mourning Dew; Myths & Messages (art)

Timothy Nohe – Untitled; 7 Sams (art)

Jane Sellman – A Stitch in Time; All Winter (poetry)

JC Sulzenko – I must bury sorrow; Recessional (poetry)

Contributor Bios – August 2019