Here’s a great example of an original poetry film written and created by Thomas Deever. The poem focuses on a disagreement about whether an insect found in the confines of the house was a tick or a moth, but it actually speaks to the mental exhaustion produced by lockdown as the video shows! See the full video here on YouTube.
Alongside our contributions from Ohio, we also have some contributions from international writers in partnership with Magma Poetry, the international poetry journal. This animation was made by Catriona Bruce, known for her work on No Place Like Home (2015), The Golden Bird (2011) and An Interrupted Story (2012). The poem is ‘The Child’s Childhood’ by Penelope Shuttle, which appears in Magma Poetry 79. Penelope Shuttle has made her home in Cornwall, England since 1970 and the county’s mercurial weather and rich history are continuing sources of inspiration. So too is the personal and artistic union Shuttle shared with her husband, the poet Peter Redgrove, until his untimely death in 2003. The fruitful nature of their relationship is celebrated in her poetry and in the work they accomplished together, most notably in the ground breaking feminist studies on menstruation, The Wise Wound, and its sequel, Alchemy for Women.
Access the film here The Child’s Childhood or on YouTube The Child’s Childhood, a poetry film.
Welcome to the “Dwelling” project. How do we dwell in our communities here in Ohio during the global pandemic? We have been seeking submissions from community members here in Ohio, as we use poetry to process our experiences under COVID-19. Watch this space for new posts coming soon.