Poetry Matters: you've just been Broadsided

Broadsided October 1, 2009: "Some Things I Know Without the Field Guide" "Some Things I Know Without the Field Guide" Poem by Suzanne Helfman and art by Gabe Travis We were arguing about poppy seedlings, lacy green bits of leaf and stem scattered over the bank of dirt. Him, sure they were weeds; me, convinced I knew what I saw even without their orange skirts flaring. Why did it matter so? Flowers are women's domain, you know, someone else offered later... Download the Broadsided file to print & post (480kb PDF file) The Collaborators: Writer Suzanne Helfman is the author of the collection Night Driving, which won the San Francisco State University chapbook contest. Her work has appeared in Ironwood, Poetry Flash, Five Fingers Review, and elsewhere. She teaches English at De Anza College in Cupertino, California. Gabe Travis is an artist who makes a living designing and building hiking trails throughout Alaska. He has been making art on commission for about eight years and producing fine art notecards featuring these works (available at www.gabetravis.com). In February 2009, Gabe spent a month in residence at the Vermont Studio Center working with mixed-media and paint and breathing new life into his studio practice. Collaborators' Q&A: When I am doing mixed media work I start with the materials. I have quite a stockpile of papers, magazines, sewing patterns, etc. So I glean from my supplies the images and colors and textures that echo the concepts and feeling that the poem evoked for me. It is a pretty intuitive process of holding the poem in mind, and browsing until something catches my eye. Then, once the palette is assembled, I begin to build the piece. Read more of what Suzanne and Gabe had to say about their Broadsided experience. —Visit www.broadsidedpress.org to get the full broadside.