Eileen R. Tabios is a poet working in multiple genres and in-between. She also loves books by writing, reading, publishing, critiquing, romancing and advocating for them. This blog will feature her bibliophilic activities with posts on current book engagements and links to her books and projects related to books.

Saturday, September 23, 2017

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:









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