Monday, December 7, 2009

interdisciplinary experimentation

One of the things I am most proud of in the new format of The Ambassador Poetry Project is the inclusion of video feeds. In this most recent issue, Penn Kemp shares an interactive sound poetry experience with students during a campus visit. I love that technology encourages us to capture new poetic experiences and pushes us to try new things with our craft.

I’ve been exploring mixed media for some time, and although it’s not my main mode of expression I have again made a mental note to try more mediums for cross-pollinating poetry. In prior experiments, I have conducted poetry readings with a live musical performance, read poetry surrounded by installations, and created poetry for print with the accompaniment of visuals. Too, my recent book, stains: early poems, is mixed media; there are several photographs strategically placed within the sections.

Years ago, I had a small project on the go where I studied works of other poets and then built visual imagery around quotes. I recently stumbled upon one of my earliest attempts at this union of art, with this piece here that uses a quote from Sylvia Plath:
“Sylvia Won”

Lately, I’ve been focusing on the straight-up poetry but I’ve again sensed the need to experiment with interdisciplinary forms and mixed media. Perhaps I can thank the recent purchase of a new MP3 recorder. Or my growing interest in capturing poetry on film. Whatever it is, I think it’s interesting to see where poetry can take us when partnered with layers of media.

Who knows where this curiosity project will take me. I’ll be sure to share some of the fruits of my experimental labors.

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