"Selected Works" The Poetry and Art of Stephen Mead by Stephen Mead
119 pages ISBN: 978-0-6151-4160-2 Publisher: StephenMeadArt Print: $22.38 Download: $7.95 http://www.lulu.com/stephenmead http://www.absolutearts.com/portfolios/s/stephenmead/
Review By LB Sedlacek
L.B. says he has exchanged some emails with Stephen but does not know him.
"Selected Works" is a book of six poems and art expertly synced together by Stephen Mead. A writer and artist, Mead is able to use his art to express his words and vice versa. "Washing the Body" is a purely organic experience with obvious religious overtones -- powerful yet subtle.
"Drug" seems to be an overt homage to cigarette smoking; however this piece invokes celebrity assistance with references to and drawings of Marilyn Monroe, Marlene Dietrich, etc. From "Drag" #13: "Rain on the tongue, / Such bovine innocence, / Such sweetness, girl, / Your delectable skin / Edible as buttermilk bread. / Was Norma Jean slaughtered / In you like a lamb / For the Hollywood homes, / Each a fled orphanage? / Dead or alive / Your glamourous myth lives / with new rumours yet ...." "Heroines Unlikely" appears to be an honorary piece to women ranging from a girl's innocence to the protection of a mother and to adulthood. It even touches on the mythological with an ode to a muse. "From The Sea of Myths" carries the mythological even further. From "From The Sea of Myths" No. 28: "Thus Eurydice caught by Pluto / Tried to teach Orpheus / But Orpheus looked back, / Taught, as we all are, / To project, to reflect / And give such feelings to the lyre ...." The illustrations that accompany each poem help facilitate the poem's movement and voice. Some of the images are hauntingly moving -- each one a powerful addition to the accompanying words. Overall this is a moving work -- a multifaceted glimpse at the illustrated word. Stephen Mead is a published artist/writer living in northeastern NY. As an artist he is self-taught, yet has been heavily influenced by both surrealism and expressionism. In the early 1990's he was published in several little literary magazines, but stopped to pursue visual work. It was in the year 2001 that he began seeking publication again. On the web, both his writing and his artwork have been showcased internationally. Other works include "Safe & Other Love Poems" and "Tree Companions." LB Sedlacek's poetry has appeared in numerous publications such as "3LIGHTS," "Word Riot," "Passport Journal," "Spiky Palm," "Heritage Writer," "Wild Goose Poetry Review," and "Re)Verb." LB is co-host of the small press literary podcast, "Coffee House to Go." LB's latest poetry chapbook is "Average Bears."
Last update : 18-11-2007 17:23
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