at an expensive dinner, hearing her heels scrape happily on the dance floor.
And Art was looking sharp too, the shadowy effect of a half beard licking his
cheeks, the suave pin-stripped jacket, the lingering splash of cologne.
| NTHPOSITION |
They were out from
under the thumbs,
talking freely,
learning about each
other, leaning into
one another. And
Politics said the stars
were constellations,
that they had to look
at the future. Art
agreed, saying the
stars were in fact
constellations, and
that they had to find
the roots of things.
There was a hotel key. It unlocked a door.
Art and Politics swirled in the feel of arms, legs, lips. The comfort of the bed, the sweat of the sheets, the
first time turning of lust. But Art and Politics didn’t use a condom. Art was nervous, Politics was panicked,
neither had done this before. They would forgive themselves in the morning they said. But instead, they
made a baby, a separate being, formed from their shards. They could do nothing but name it:
nthposition.
nthposition is based in journalism and, in brief, offers all of the following: book reviews, cd reviews, film reviews, writing about the life and death of people, writing about familiar and unfamiliar places, fiction, poetry, a discussion board, and links to other sites of art and politics But nthposition is more than just a smattering of headers and links: it is trying to change the world, to help people, to adjust minds. For instance: Babylon Burning: 9/11 five years on is an nthposition driven compilation of poetry about the Word Trade Center towers and the consequences of Sept. 11th. Nearly 90 poets contributed material to this anthology, for free. And nthposition offers the pdf of this anthology, also for free. They simply suggest that you enjoy the reading and then donate to the Red Cross. And soon this anthology will be printed in official book form, again with all proceeds going directly to the Red Cross. And while this is commendable, honorable, admirable, etc., nthposition is not without faults. Many pieces run far too long for the average internet reader, requiring too many scrolls of a mouse or eyes that never grow weary (Laurence O’Dwyer’s ‘A Grain of Dissimilarity’ runs more than 4,500 words in something near 10 pt. font). And the nthposition discussion board, while an interesting feature, has become an odd collection of comments on its previously posted work – most tending toward simple peer-critique or political positioning rather than full or insightful dialogue. This running child though, the Art and Politics baby called nthposition, it is a kid. And kids make mistakes, take wrong turns, dent the hood of the minivan and try to cover it with a car- bra. That is their function, these babies bred from two others. But nthposition is past the bulk of those youthful indiscretions. It is hovering now on the cusp of other things, branching still and moving onwards. Read in fiction a piece called ‘Wife Swap’ by Julian Baker, laugh at its wit. Read in poetry a piece called ‘a trip in the ocean’ by John Hartley Williams, marvel at its risks. And then pull nthposition close to the chest, in wide arms, and cuddle it in the poetic ‘Rain’ of David Plumb. This will show best how Politics and Art made a baby. |
| Photo-- Activity in the Santa Fe R.R. yard, Los Angeles, Calif Delano, Jack, 1914- photographer. Library of Congress, Prints & Photographs Division, FSA-OWI Collection, [reproduction number, LC-DIG-fsac-1a34703] |