Welcome to the 26th article focusing on featuring and getting to know the deviants behind the work! This series will be posted every Wednesday. If you have a deviant you'd like to see included, please send betwixtthepages a note with the subject "Call to Conversation"--make sure to include the deviant's name as well as a reason you think they'd make a good interview subject! Also, feel free to send along a question or two you'd like to have answered by them!
This week's feature is BlackBowfin!
Relatively new to my watch list, Scott's writing has, nonetheless, evoked a series of
strong and thought-provoking emotions. If you haven't checked out his work yet,
you definitely should!
Relatively new to my watch list, Scott's writing has, nonetheless, evoked a series of
strong and thought-provoking emotions. If you haven't checked out his work yet,
you definitely should!
So--does your user name have a meaning? Mind sharing with us if so?
Yes it does. I originally joined dA to get post my vector/graphic design artwork. I’ve always clung to the fish, as a visual symbol. It makes sense in that I’m a Pieces human that sports two black fish tattoos. To break it down further:
Black: I like alliteration (it precedes Bowfin well) and I often feel like I’m writing from floor of a dark, primordial place.
Bowfin: This fish is an evolutionary holdover- the sole survivor of its taxonomic order. It’s tough, toothy, and capable of using its swim bladder as an air-breathing lung. This means that it can live out of water for long periods of time and survives in overgrown dead water situations where today’s fish can’t. On one hand, it embodies the prehistoric survival machine that swims beneath our consciousness. On the other, it symbolizes our ability to adapt, overcome and evolve. I try to convey these themes and ideals throughout my writing.
Out of the pieces in your gallery, which three are YOUR personal favorites? Why did you choose them?
The Swans, the Salmon and the Dead-- This is the first really image rich piece of poetry that I posted to dA. It was at this time (Jan 12, 2014) that I decided to write again and to do it with purpose and vigor. Like many of my works, much of it takes place in or under water. It uses thick metaphor to cover topics like suicide, mental illness and the human tendency to get stuck in repeating patterns that get us nowhere.
If Only That There Jesus-- I am at a point in my life where I’m reconciling a great many things. I have come to understand that much of what I’ve perceived to be wrong with faith and religion has much to do with the human defect that often hijacks it. I constantly catch myself in judgment of others for judging others. The poem highlights life’s many contradictions along with the rewards wedged in-between them. I value this piece because it documents a positive step in my own personal evolution.
Bounce the Needle-- Stylistically, this piece was a real breakthrough for me. It reads much more musically than my norm. Its tone and timing are something that i hope to chase down for another session sometime soon. It covers topics like addiction, apathy and stagnation. Even while not overly friendly on the outside, it reminds me to help others when I can.
Are there any subjects (or genres) that you refuse to write? Why?
As long as I get to select the vantage and trajectory, I’m OK with most subjects.
Exceptions- I don’t feel comfortable throwing the N-word around, no matter the context. I would probably find sexually abusive or overly graphic material a bit uncomfortable too. There seems to be no shortage of others covering this content, so I don’t feel obligated to go in those directions.
How long have you been writing? What about it first drew you in?
I started writing as a teenager, using it as a vent for my angst and depression. While I’ve written poetry for 27+ years, it’s only recently that I started taking it seriously, to the point where I actually finish poems and throw them out into the world.
When I started reading EE Cummings in college, my mind and soul were truly hooked. I think and feel in pictures, but put them better into words. The feeling I get from flipping, mangling and repairing those pictures through writing is what drew me in. To this day, I still feel powerful, confident and fairly wise when I write.
Our Weight and RopesYour life, little flower
sprung out
like a snake
from a can
lungs not ready
you hit the air
it hit you
violently in
whole systems
months too early
this life on earth
and its lightning
hit and burnt
everything, as
nothing about you
was anywhere near
ready enough
and ever so luckily
your wings were
slow to form too
as it was all
we could do
our weight
and ropes
were barely enough
to keep you
from floating away
but eventually
your wings
pulled back inside
and years later
we're the ones
still learning
to breathe
Simple ThingsIt's Sunday and
my grandparents
though dead
stop by
to remind me
that the simple things
are really
what we live for-
Sunday afternoon
is a warm place
to retell the same stories
and the freedom to
change their facts
faces and outcomes
and laying on
the bed behind me
arms raised
wrists crossed
fingers spread
looking up through them
an 8-year-old
poses this,
"what if i had ten fingers on each hand,
so i could grab bigger things?"
she sat up,
looked at me,
sighed and said
"I don't know what to do"
laugh with me
that's what you do
all Sunday and always
Four Clear BarsI find poetry
in your pressure
your steam, it
casts a blur
a new primer
onto life
I trace
spread fingers
across it
and can
only offer
these four
clear bars of
my reflection
and you
over time
replace the
missing ones
with those
of the man
I should be
even
hacked
stacked
this every other
part of me
heals that above
that below
and
if you can
love a man
like me
you know mercy
and faith
in things older
What kinds of music do you listen to? Do you listen to music while you write?
80s Metal: Iron Maiden, Voivod, Metallica
80s Punk: Black Flag, D.O.A., Naked Raygun, Misfits
Post Punk : Sonic Youth, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Fugazi, Tool
Industrial-ish: NIN, Ministry, KMFDM
Hip-hop: The Roots, Mos-Def
Jazz: The Bad Plus, Phronesis
Conventional: U2, BNL, Queens of the Stone Age
A few specific tunes I’ve enlisted for creative inspiration:
Kronos Quartet (Escalay- “The Waterwheel”), Avishai Cohen (Alfonsina y el Mar), Swans (Jim), A Perfect Circle (Weak and Powerless), Talib Kweli (Get By), Nina Simone (Sinnerman)
What are some of the things you like most about the dA Lit Community?
There is so much talent that it’s both intimidating and enriching. I enjoy the feedback exchange. I try to read more than just the deviants I follow. I like to look for “diamonds in the rough”, commenting on works that I feel may lack a little polish and maturity, but still nest some interesting concepts or textures.
Least?
I can’t say it any better than PoetBoi did in A Call to Conversation (13) and I quote, “I find it absolutely deplorable how the most viewed works are often written by angsty teenagers who sit at home and write because their parents got them the iPhone 4S instead of the iPhone 5. I hate, passionately, without limit, the poetry that is just blatant hate and angst.”
Your Star - Dead at the Centerthe sirens shiver
as current
shakes their wires
every bit as much
as the sound
shakes the shack
and the skins of the kin
and we all just
close our eyes
and bow as
we transcend
this mad drumline
thunderhead
this prayer
just pounds
and shakes
from within this
and every earth
every single one
caving in as
we all share a
toxic gravity
a limited
number of steps
crossings paths
our science is broken
its silence is kept
this theory of relative
-ity has told you
to keep quiet
and tell mom
if you want to die
right alongside her
an inhuman life
its animal teeth
flashing a timeless
adversary's smile
a deep silent
devil drives within
this dead soul shell
this stained, lifeless
family of ancient ruin
Yes or Yesplug your sleep
into us
we know what
you want to
dream
from your data
your stacks of
wealth of
tracks of clicks
finger keyed, mouse
footed
those keystrokes
are your new
fingerprints
you felt stealthy
anonymous, yet
banners of
"free" find you
so rich in need
so rich in
these plunderable
tracks clicks
and needs
for new accelerators
Called Like it Knew Mei walked to the other
side of tomorrow
and the weather
called like it knew me
like my blood and memories
belonged there
and the blindfold
was just for fun, really
i didn't need to see
to know who was cutting
groping and serving such
fashionably tragic biology
i've retuned to this land
where sharp things point up
and feet tend to drag
stutter, bump and slip
where just the slightest
mis-step like this one
and i fall to the other
side of tomorrow
it's rusty knives return to their
home inside me, this
dead candy center spills out
but no one here is hungry
If you could sit down with a published writer for an afternoon, who would you pick and what would you talk about?
I met Yusef Komunyakaa at a college reading (in 1995 maybe). I asked him to sign my copy of Neon Vernacular, but I was a shy and intimidated kid, so that was the extent of our exchange. His is a voice that resounds as timeless and enduring to me. I’d like to split the time discussing life, inspiration and technique.
If you could give advice (about literature) to a writer/poet just starting out, what would you say?
I would tell them that life is very long and short at the same time. It’s long in that it’s always going to provide you with material. It’s short in that you need to be brave and get finished work out there, instead of sitting on it. While art is hard to force, it has helped me to develop a creative process flow- a sequence of edits and reviews that most of my work goes through. Once I’ve run it through a couple of times, I either shelve it or post it. This helps make room for new ideas. To accomplish this, a good editor is invaluable. Find someone who understands and values your work and voice. This person needs to be able to tell you when you’re not onto something, or onto something (but just not there yet) or that you just pounded the crap out of their psyche.
Pick up to 10 deviants you look up to or are intimidated by and tell us a bit about why you like them/their work?
The first few are deviants that I’ve interacted with quite a bit. The rest are folks that I currently follow and/or fave every now and then.
ghostinafog --This wonderful poet was one of the first to buddy up with (the writer) me and suggested my first DLD. This one is a jaw-dropping poetic force with incredible range. The work is often intellectually and psychically painful to read, but well worth it. I always make sure to block-off some time to read and re-read their writing.
Edges-to-Everything --A kindred spirit of dA and suggester of my 2nd DLD. I could banter back and forth with him all day. When he reads and comments, he dives in and delivers truly thoughtful and ego-free insight. While a darn good writer himself, most of his focus is spent seeing that the work of others gets recognized and promoted. A friendlier dA character you will not meet.
Third-Coast --A contributor from GlitchLit who encouraged me to tap into my mental robo data stream and contribute to the group. By introducing me to the Glitch style, he’s given me a new subset of material to work with. As a poet, he’s not afraid to try new things and mix up genres.
beeswingblue --I’ve really just met her, but this guardian at the Word-Smiths gate has helped me with proper categorization of my submissions (technical details aren't my strength). I just started reading her writing and it turns out that she’s a great poet herself and I’m looking forward to reading more.
muscularteeth --She writes some intense material. Very versatile- whether in paragraph or verse, it’s a dose of strong stuff.
spoems --A powerhouse poet with a wide range of material. This guy is an admin everywhere.
PoetryOD --Fresh imagery and twists- a very good poet.
nawkaman --Tight structure and generous imagery on large and small scales.
vespera --A strong and agile writer. If my daughters are going to grow up to write, this is how I want them to do it.
oaklungs --She says so much in very few words.
Last question: If you could, for one day only, switch places with any animal, what animal would you choose and what would you do?
I would choose a blue whale and I would swim and maybe stop to scare some folks in small boats along the way. They move like music, in their own time- ancient poetry- godly remnants of an old earth. It would have to be comparable to swimming through space. Of course, I’d want an hour or so to debrief and get the whale’s take on being human. Maybe I would find that we’re not quite so different, after all.
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Thank you so much for talking with us today, BlackBowfin!
