Suitcase of Chrysanthemums contributor Richard Loranger riffs on the first stop on great weather for MEDIA’s 2018 west coast tour.
On Sunday afternoon the 2018 great weather for MEDIA West Coast tour made quite a splash as it hit the SoCal shore at Beyond Baroque in Venice, California. Some of us are still drying off.
Venice is Venice. There are trees and air. The air is sea-y. The trees are breeze-y. The dogs are bark-y. Venice is Venice.
Here’s what went down…
Christian Georgescu lost his soul possibly under a rock on a stealth mission as a dog splendidly streaked and stained on the vine of life.
Tanya Ko Hong smiled with her father for nine months as he took herbs for cancer, no more wishes, once nobody, heart and stone, waiting for you with the key you sent by mail.
CLS Ferguson lost her mind, no one knows who is actually responsible, danced in traditional dress, hummingbirds visiting, swallowed her tears living someone else’s life.
Rich Ferguson worked out with Nietzsche as his spotter, wiping away sweat with his bushy mustache, no absolute reality, giving citizenship tests to questionable food court eateries reeking of weed and patchouli.
Yan Sham-Shackleton in a lacey dress and stiletto heels considered how complicated life actually is, felt a flood of relief, felt compelled, felt frisson, has been around, around, around at the Whiskey-a-Go-Go.
Daniel Dissinger meant to to move across the most dangerous mountain ridge, would rather remain naked, exploring the delicate curves of an avocado, knowing only mouth on bones, citizen and brush fire providing true healing, can really be this in love.
Jane Ormerod not huddled nor transparent is, are, and were, in the hay, and the birds will surely come, does not decay, does not call you by name, welcomes the fallen, is younger than her son, turns the dial, loses the means to worship, is closer than beeline, available for all absentee ballots, thought she’d see you before the parade ended, speeding toward the city of cornices.
And I, well I just set the place on fire. That’ll show the tide. Please the burning.
That’s what happened. And it’s probably not what will happen next.
Tuesday October 23rd sees us at Stories Books in Echo Park, Los Angeles.
Poetry and prose submissions for our 2019 collection are now open.
Photo by Richard Loranger
If you liked reading this tour blog, you might enjoy Richard Loranger’s monthly posts at www.richardloranger.com.