OTHER GOINGS ON
 "in Just" spring when the world is mud-luscious the little lame balloonman whistles far... BY E. E. CUMMINGS If you noticed the background, you were my super fan (da bears!).
It was drawn with Sophie Lucido Johnson. She also jointed RHINO *graphic* Reviews Vol.2 in September, 2020. I added painting Spring Glypy and extra flowers on the glass cover.  I am not sure what GLYPY is up to these days. I output more than I am capable of when I meet smart, trusted people. In the creative field, one is always surrounded by competitive fellow writers and artists. I have a tremendous ego, much like so do many of them. And with some sort of fear -- like threating letters -- I must write. I must create new things. My first publication in the U.S. was in 2008. I still remember that two poems were accepted by Kathleene West at Puerto del Sol on Christmas Eve in Japan. I was spending time with my family. Later, she and I started exchanging emails. Once I graduated and had more free time to travel, she passed away. I did not know of her death until someone told me at the following AWP. The last words from her email (April 6, 2013) were: I hate to say. Don't try too hard. So I will just say be gentle with yourself. It's all about progress not perfection . Of course, I don't follow my own advise, but still... Finally, I started to understand what "progress, not perfection" meant. Like my first graphic poetry collection, I was really specific in only using base poems that were already published in magazines. This created a metal safety-net for me because I knew the base material has already been proven. I was protecting myself with my own adaptation of perfection. I think that I am more relaxed now because I found places where I could be me -- Japanese, female, a second-language writer, poet, & artist -- with people who have similar goals. Natalie Solmer is the editor-in-chief of the Indianapolis Review. With her motherly garden of quarterly journals, I could have experiments with not only large scales of graphic poems, but also recording with music and ambient noises. She let me play in the creative field -- Free-Range Naoko, Origami-Fed. Solmer accepted three pieces of my work, including an art review for Minami Kobayashi's works. This experience lead me to create longer versions of graphic poems (forthcoming, North American Review) and audio & graphic poetry (forthcoming, Zocalo Public Square). I am really lucky to know her while growing in these poetic fields. She became one of the most important people in my tribe.
Speaking of my tribe: RHINO Editors had their first #RHINOArt2Art submission meeting. Holy R-H-I-N-O! There were more submissions than I expected. After careful considerations, the editorial team will post the visual adaptations in RHINO Poetry's Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. One editor told me, "This is your baby. Own it." That was another moment that snapped my awareness of my progression into place. I am grateful to be accepted as a free-range RHINaOko there. And I am truly enjoying these experiences progressing to the next phase.  GLYPY becomes a piñata surrounding by the henge, which consists of a ring of standing HI-CHEWs. 小学校１年生の夏休みに、ハイチュウブドウ味禁止令が出されて以来、久しぶりのハイチュウ。 ピニャコラーダ、ドラゴンフルーツ、マンゴー味と、新しいフレーバーがこんなにあるとは驚きました。  Many GLYPYs choose HI-CHEWs (piña colada flavor without alcohol) but they are amazingly smiling.  OJIGI GLYPY - グリッピーお辞儀をする。 お辞儀のことをお話しする機会があったので、グリッピーの挿絵を描いていたら、とってもカラフルというか、psychedelicな感じに仕上がりました。
大尊敬している、ラルフ元編集長が、"Yowza! Kaleidoscopic!"とおっしゃって。 お辞儀の文化って、まさしくその通りだなと実感。 日本人の友人たちに、”最近、いつお辞儀した～”と聞いてみると、千差万別。しかも、子供たちは、鶏みたいなお辞儀もしたよって教えてくれました。  Avantgarde GLYPY, Extra Crispy, 3D Printer Plastic You may start noticing GLYPY is everywhere on this website! GLYPY is my mascot from a forthcoming book, GLYPH: Graphic Poetry = Trans. Sensory" (Tupelo Press, 2021). I am collaborating to create GLYPY with visual artists such as Tim Torres & Dara Yen Elerath. I think that there are currently five GLYPYs on my website. This is my first attempt using a 3D printer program. I used Tinkercad, which was recommended by a RHINO Poetry Editor, Nick Tryling. This is a free 3D program and your local library may offer 3D printing services for a really reasonable price with professional assistance. I love this first physical GLYPY attempt - so me - kind of messy & nonsensical. The first time I showed it to Angela Narciso Torres & Dara Yen Elerath, they started texting me GLYPY's new nicknames and I texted them back with new ones. I could not sleep on the day because I laughed so hard. You may like to see MORE GLYPY |
About Naoko
シカゴ在住詩人＆雑誌編集員
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