I started writing this little series of poems in April 2020, in the very first few weeks of lockdown. Part of it was that I had recently rewatched the Kubrick over the holiday break for the very first time a little high, which planted a seed of a project in my head. Those were still anchorless weeks, during which I decided to try to do NAPOWRIMO (stupidly). The vibe seemed right, after all I'd wished for some isolated writing retreat action, and while hardly what I wanted, covid provided the isolation part. I halfheartedly wrote the first of the pieces, but I didn't actually finish the series until later in the summer--when I was already back at work and moving about in the world again.
Like so much of what I write, it starts out as one thing and quickly becomes something else. In this case, not just an homage to the film, but also a meditation on the artists role in society, wealth, privilege, labor. A sort of gothicism in Amercan ideals themselves. I was actually really happy with it when I was done, which is not always the case.
I think especially for me, as I contemplate things like job and income and the role of the artist in society, this little series feels especially important You can read the entire thing here:
https://issuu.com/aestheticsofresearch/docs/overlookzineelectronic
