I started the process just by admiring the painting, which I have on my wall. I tried to imagine myself inside the scene. The poem is essentially just a collection of all of the things I would want to say and do, if I had been there.
Tag: art
Get to Know Our Volume 8 Contributors: An Interview with Truck Schachtman
Truck Schachtman is a contributing writer for the Oakland Arts Review's Volume 8, which features their essay "Quoniam with Jockey Up." They are a freshman painting and printmaking major at Virginia Commonwealth University.
Read What You Wear
In today’s society, fashion is everywhere and more prevalent than ever before. Being a fashion enthusiast myself, I can’t imagine someone not having some sort of input on the subject. I mean, everyone really does have a style if you think about it, even if you say you aren’t into fashion or don’t care about … Continue reading Read What You Wear
Sappho in Paris: The Poetic Value of Lexical Cosmopolitanism
Despite the occasional vague pronoun reference or f-bomb, I've always fancied myself a relatively articulate and polite English speaker (growing up so close to Canada has its consequences). En français, however, I undergo a Jekyll-like transformation from Midwestern Judith Martin to angry truck driver doing stand up for the French navy. A typical conversation is … Continue reading Sappho in Paris: The Poetic Value of Lexical Cosmopolitanism
Remembering Zines: Rubber Cement, Cheese, and Doing Your Thing
Some people enjoy the lingering smell of petrichor before a rain, freshly cut lawns, gasoline, the sweet notes of vanilla and almond found in the underlying mustiness of old books. I always enjoy hearing about people's favorite scents because they tend to be anchored to memories fossilized in time; one of my friends loves the … Continue reading Remembering Zines: Rubber Cement, Cheese, and Doing Your Thing
Well You Must Tell Me, Baby, How Your Head Feels Under Something Like That: Bob Dylan’s Brain on Tradition and Genre
When Bob Dylan received the 2016 Nobel Prize in literature, reactions across the literary world varied—wildly. Eye rolls as well as applause sounded from all kinds of writers amidst continued controversy, from his slow acknowledgment and acceptance of the award, to more recent claims that he plagiarized parts of his acceptance speech from, of all … Continue reading Well You Must Tell Me, Baby, How Your Head Feels Under Something Like That: Bob Dylan’s Brain on Tradition and Genre
Climate
At the start of the fall semester, Oakland University is hosting Nobel Peace Prize-winning climate scientist Henry Pollack, who recently wrote World Without Ice (foreword by Al Gore). His book describes the various ways humankind has been shaped by ice— which forms mountains, regulates temperatures, affects ocean currents, and even defines where humans live— and … Continue reading Climate
Art and Social Change
Here’s something I’ve been thinking about for some time: what is the role of poetry in a time like ours? For example, what are my obligations as a poet who is frightened and outraged by the recent events in Charleston? It’s easy to think that poetry doesn’t matter — in fact, the New York Times … Continue reading Art and Social Change
Interview with Joëlle Jones
Joëlle Jones, an Eisner-nominated comic artist whose work has recently been featured by the “Big Two” publishers, DC Comics and Marvel, was one of several creators featured in last year’s New Talent Showcase #1. Showcase featured work from creators new to DC, who had passed through their Talent Development Program, workshops taught by established writers … Continue reading Interview with Joëlle Jones
Advice for Writing and Art (Maybe Life)
For the better part of my life, I have struggled when people ask me what I intended to be when I got older. Sometimes I answered “writer”, and I’ve already achieved that. Other times I answered “artist”, which I’ve also tucked into my cap. For the longest time reconciling these two strong skills has been … Continue reading Advice for Writing and Art (Maybe Life)
Oakland Arts Review 