ADVENTURES WITH ABRAMOVIC

You know how some folks say a book is so good they didn’t want it to end? I always had a “Meh” of a reaction—there’s always another good book waiting for someone to open it. But, for the first time, I felt that reaction—to Marina Abramovic’s memoir, WALK THROUGH WALLS (Penguin/Random House, 2016). It is so gooooooood that, yes, I want the reading of it to last forever!

Yesterday I wrote a poem inspired by what I’d read so far; I show an excerpt below (and, yes, of course its narrative is partly fictionalized and different from what I’d read—her book inspired it, not dictated it). Then, this morning, I read about her and collaborator Ulay’s performance piece, “Die Mond, Der Sonne.” It’s as if—through the poem—I’d anticipated (learning about) this work … which partly addresses the failure of reflection.

Reflection, and yes, as with all my recent poems, the poem begins with lines from John Ashbery: “Before you realize the reflection / isn’t yours.”

What’s happening is that desired confluence of events where what’s happening in your life all seem to be conspiring to create a poem. A poet is blessed when living in such a circumstance …

Okay, nuff on that. For now, do go read Abramovic’s WALK THROUGH WALLS—for poets and artists, the read also (I suspect) will enliven your practice in unexpected ways.

***

P.S.  Please allow me to share a failed self-reflection: