I had the supreme joy of exploring a handful of cenotes in Quintana Roo, Mexico, last month. These GIFs are the result of some rough, rough footage pulled from a GoPro that was used both underwater and above, focusing on the textures of the pools’ floors and the stalactite-filled ceilings. Using some crude alteration methods… Continue reading New GIFs: Cenotes
New GIFs: Fairbanks Waterwheel
From the discovery boat tour in Fairbanks, Alaska, with love. Recorded earlier this month. These two GIFs captivated me before I even imagined their full form. In my continued odyssey through outsider video art, they were created using a new GIF app I just discovered: ScreenToGIF. Original video was captured on a Sony A7C and… Continue reading New GIFs: Fairbanks Waterwheel
Reviewing the latest by Chath pierSath
My first review of Chath’s work was in Rain Taxi, many years ago. I have since read Chath’s latest book, On Earth Beneath Sky, and that review is now up at Poetry Northwest. Read the full review of this incredible poetry collection here!
View.Point. Recording Now Up
Many thanks to Amy Billharz for recording and editing the View.Point. event at the end of last month. I’ve uploaded it to YouTube and it’s available in HD format. See below:
Recording of Everlasting Stranger by Will Rawls
A spontaneous drop-in to the new performance art by Will Rawls at the Henry Art Gallery kept me captivated. I managed to capture the first 26 minutes of the performance and it can be viewed here:
Music Video: Ex-American Blues by Speaker Music
Following up my last music video for KMRU, I have created a music video for another artist I really enjoy listening to: Speaker Music. The latest album, Soul-Making Theodicy, is mindblowing, and a combination of it and previous releases led to the drive to make this video. Footage includes videos of night and day sky… Continue reading Music Video: Ex-American Blues by Speaker Music
Saturn Peach Reviewed
My newest review is live and online. I have reviewed Saturn Peach by Lily Wang in Rain Taxi. You can find it here.
Poem: Return to Empty
A palace among the dogwood and it trembles. Beyond the tiger lily an ancient rock. And its chiseled face bare. We are ruptured. We are dislodged. Memories captured, compressed in snow melt. Sun pushing inward, water pushed toward earth. Even on this day. Even in this breath. I can feel this return. I can feel… Continue reading Poem: Return to Empty
Past Literary Event in Seattle: View.Point.
I’m excited to be hosting a new literary event in Seattle on 7/28/21. It’s called View.Point and will be at Mt. Baker Viewpoint Park. Details with performers and bios can be found on this page. The live stream will be at twitter.com/gregbem. Note that the account will be locked until the time of the performance.… Continue reading Past Literary Event in Seattle: View.Point.
The Uruguayan Surrealism of Marodsa di Giorgio, Reviewed
My latest review is of Carnation and Tenebrae Candle by Marosa di Giorgio, Translated by Jeannine Marie. The review of this fantastic surrealistic work by the Uruguayan poet is at North of Oxford. Enjoy!
Questions with Rob McLennan
Today I’m very grateful to ongoing collaborator Rob McLennan, who invited me (back in January) to respond to his question prompts, “12 or 20.” I don’t often share much about my creative process apart from a few close friends, and Rob’s questions allowed me to dive in. You can read the questions (and see a… Continue reading Questions with Rob McLennan
An homage to KMRU.
Below you’ll find a new video, an homage to the great KMRU. His ambient music is stunning, and I have found myself listening to it for many, many hours. The music video was created under fair use. The footage is from a recent trip to Copper Creek in the Olympic National Forest. As a bonus… Continue reading An homage to KMRU.
A review of Consecration of the Wolves by Salgado Maranhão
My second contribution to North of Oxford for June is a review of Consecration of the Wolves by Salgado Maranhão, translated from the Portuguese by Alexis Levitin. An incredible, though disturbing work that continues to sit with me weeks after I’ve read it. Find the review here.
Double Review of Red Hen
My latest contribution in the review world is for two books by Red Hen Press: American Quasar with poems by David Campos and art by Maceo Montoya, and A Camera Obscura by Carl Marcum. You can read about these two unique and timely books here. This is my first review of publications from Red Hen.
54 Ways of Looking at The Moon’s Jaw
In March 2021, I was gifted a box of The Moon’s Jaw from the author, who had sat on the book for years and was in the process of leaving the Seattle area for parts unknown. A splendid book, I was not told what to do with the truly massive number of copies of a… Continue reading 54 Ways of Looking at The Moon’s Jaw