Atherton, Cassandra

Hetherington, Paul

English

University of Canberra Research Repository

The Memory Palace An Ekphrastic Anthology Edited	by	Lorette	C.	Luzajic		and	Clare	MacQueen			Ekphrastic Editions  The	Memory	Palace		An	Ekphrastic	Anthology		Copyrighted	©	2024		ISBN:	979-8-867556-46-4		Published	by	Ekphrastic	Editions	for	The	Ekphrastic	Review.		Book	 editing,	 design,	 and	 production	 by	 Lorette	 C.	 Luzajic	 in	collaboration	with	Clare	MacQueen.		Cover	design	by	Lorette	C.	Luzajic.		Interior	 formatting	 by	 Clare	MacQueen.	 Black-and-white	 image	 of	forget-me-nots	 (Myosotis)	 is	 an	 alteration	 by	 Clare	 of	 a	 public-domain	colour	photograph,	available	online	via	Get	Archive	PICRYL.		The	Ekphrastic	Editions	logo	is	copyrighted	©	by	Lorette	C.	Luzajic.	All	rights	reserved.		Copyrights	 of	 works	 published	 in	 this	 collection	 are	 reserved	 by	their	respective	authors.		Except	 for	 short	 quotations	within	 critical	 articles	 or	 reviews,	 no	portion	of	this	book	may	be	used,	reproduced,	or	transmitted	in	any	form	 or	 by	 any	 means,	 electronic	 or	 mechanical,	 including	photocopying	 and	 recording,	 or	 by	 any	 information	 storage	 or	retrieval	system,	without	permission	in	writing	from	the	publisher	and/or	from	the	individual	authors	herein.		Ekphrastic	Editions,	Toronto,	Canada:		theekphrasticreview@gmail.com		Table of Contents  5	 The	Memory	Palace	/	by	Portly	Bard		13	 Prologue	/	by	Lorette	C.	Luzajic		19	 Encounters	in	the	Park	/	by	Mikki	Aronoff		20	 Conditioned	to	be	Human	/	by	Quenntis	Ashby		22	 Figure	Quinque	/	by	Quenntis	Ashby		24	 Changer	of	Hearts	/	by	Cassandra	Atherton	and			 Paul	Hetherington		25	 Connotations	/	by	Cassandra	Atherton	and			 Paul	Hetherington		27	 Mnemosyne	/	by	Cassandra	Atherton	and			 Paul	Hetherington		29	 Holding	On	/	by	Lynn	Axelrod		31	 In	the	Museum	of	Memory	/	by	Valerie	Bacharach		32	 The	Winds	of	Change	/	by	Portly	Bard		35	 Sibling	Rivalry	Redux	/	by	Roberta	Beary		36	 Deep	Thinkers	Eat	Breakfast	at	Low	Tide	/	by			 Guy	Biederman		37	 Picasso’s	Guernica	/	by	Walter	Biskupski		39	 My	Mother	the	Alchemist	/	by	Rose	Mary	Boehm		40	 The	Walk	/	by	Rose	Mary	Boehm		41	 Turning	the	Corner	/	by	Marion	Starling	Boyer		42	 With	jackknives	/	by	Marion	Starling	Boyer		43	 Each	Memory	an	Old	Self	/	by	Luanne	Castle		44	 Graveyard	/	by	Christine	H.	Chen		46	 Havana	Nights	/	by	Christine	H.	Chen		47	 Daisy	/	by	Tricia	Marcella	Cimera		48	 Dalı	́Speaks	to	Me	in	Dreams	/	by	Melissa	Coffey		Cassandra	Atherton	and	Paul	Hetherington		Changer of Hearts  after	Flora,	by	Titian	(Italy)	1515	and	Venus	Verticordia,		by	Dante	Gabriel	Rossetti	(England)	1864-68		1.	Green	spikes	harry	the	clay,	 like	words	neither	of	us	wanted	to	 speak.	 We	 recoil—spike	 on	 spike;	 bloom	 on	 unpacking	bloom;	sun	washing	yellow,	unstable	days	like	a	tide.	We	ploat	beyond	 understanding	 as	 you	 name	 the	 Greek	 and	 Roman	gods	of	spring,	saying,	“This	is	the	sacred	change.”	It’s	within	us,	shoving	uncomfortable	feeling,	until	you	grasp	my	arm:	“If	I’m	Flora,	suffer	this	fully	with	me.”		2.		Standing	 at	 the	 end	 of	 the	 bed,	 I’m	 pirebrand	 angry,	 plame	driven.	 In	 summer’s	 fever	 of	 heat,	 you’ve	 pressed	 me	between	 pages—my	 paper	 wings	 are	 pinned.	 For	 twenty	minutes	 our	 words	 are	 scarlet-pletched	 arrows	 in	 plight—until,	 in	 a	 hot	 silence,	 we	 make	 love.	 My	 hair	 ploats	 like	Titian’s	 brushstrokes,	 escaping	 a	 gold	 hairband,	 and	 you	smooth	the	curls	 from	my	breasts.	We	are	plesh	and	striving	breath,	searching	for	an	endpoint.		✧	 / The Memory Palace24Cassandra	Atherton	and	Paul	Hetherington		Connotations  after	Vita	Dulcis:	Fear	and	Desire	in	the	Roman	Empire,		at	the	Palazzo	delle	Esposizioni,	Rome	(Italy)	2023		1.	The	installations	observe	me.	I’m	an	artifact;	a	museum	piece	behind	glass	with	an	unchanging	view.	I’m	these	cool	marble	steps,	and	a	severed	Roman	head	accompanied	by	a	note	on	how	 to	 read	my	 iconography.	 I’m	 the	 kind	 of	 sex	 shown	 in	1960s	 movies.	 I	 am	 neon	 bright	 and	 an	 unpinished	 Netplix	retrospective.	The	hotel	cat	rolls	over	when	we	walk	into	its	contemporary	 lobby—and	 I	 become	 a	 yet-to-be-written	anime.	I’m	an	explosion	of	reds	and	purples	as	we	saunter	to	the	rooftop	bar.	You	ask	me,	“What	on	earth	was	that?”		2.		This	breastbone	is	mine.	These	arms	fold	on	my	chest.	These	legs	are	those	that	have	run	my	old	races.	You	fondle	a	head,	and	say,	“Just	as	you	look,	even	the	nose.”	Fragments	of	stone	like	 pixed	 bits	 of	 time,	 or	 like	 fragments	 of	 memory	 fallen	from	life:	 “It	gives	me	the	creeps	 to	 think	of	 these	people.”	 I	nod,	 and	 a	 pilm	 shows	 contemporary	 ideas	 of	 Roman	indulgence.	 “Love	 me,”	 you	 say.	 “Remove	 the	 stone	 pig	 leaf.	Take	me	to	bed.”		3.		This	evening	nuzzles	like	a	cat.	As	we	lie	together,	we	invoke	memory’s	 supine	moments,	 where	 our	 bed	might	 be	water	and	we	cling	like	the	shipwrecked.	You	regale	me	with	ideas	you’ve	 long	 cherished.	 We	 saturate	 ourselves	 in	 verbs;	 our	 An Ekphrastic Anthology / 25slumber	might	be	made	of	billowing	sentences.	Later,	you	say,	“So	 much	 old	 sculpture	 was	 found	 underwater”—as	 if	 we,	too,	 will	 need	 to	 dive	 for	 meaning.	 I	 get	 up,	 abandoning	myself	to	the	connotations	of	“now.”		✧	 / The Memory Palace26Cassandra	Atherton	and	Paul	Hetherington		Mnemosyne  after	Mnemosyne,	by	Dante	Gabriel	Rossetti	(England)	1875-81	and	The	Muse	Erato,	by	Anonymous		(Rome)	2nd	century	CE		Once	more,	light	curls	around	the	sides	of	the	drawn	blind	as	I	 wake	 you,	marsupial-heavy	with	 sleep.	 You	 blink	 into	 the	stripey	 darkness	 of	 the	 room	 as	 I	 block	 the	 light	 with	 my	body	 on	 yours,	my	 hair	 replecting	 a	 Pre-Raphaelite	 glow	 on	your	pillow,	as	if	it	is	memory’s	halo.		*		We	skip	the	queue	entering	the	Vatican	Museums,	and	I	wrap	your	 pinger	 in	 my	 palm.	 At	 the	 statue	 of	 Erato,	 I	 say	 there	should	 be	 a	muse	 of	 prose	 poetry	 and	 you	 photograph	me	between	 Erato	 and	 her	 sister	 Calliope	 in	 a	 long	 strawberry	dress.		*		What	we	remember	of	yesterday’s	argument	vanishes	in	hot	shade	among	the	gallery	of	statues.	You	talk	of	all	that’s	been	forgotten	here,	since	Pope	Innocent	VIII	 issued	his	pifteenth-century	bull	against	witchcraft.	The	corridors	of	memory	are	crowded;	Mnemosyne’s	candle	fails	to	illuminate	the	curated	air.		 An Ekphrastic Anthology / 27*		Now	we	stare	at	the	Sistine	Chapel	ceiling,	wondering	how	to	take	 it	 in.	You	whisper	of	Sunday	School	classes	and	 fervent	recountings	 of	 biblical	 narratives,	 saying,	 “Please	 take	 off	your	hat.”	 I’m	 lost	among	the	depictions,	as	 if	 they	might	be	conjurings	of	an	alternative	sixteenth-century	life.	“Past	lives	are	 nonsense,”	 you	 say,	 as	 images	 fall	 from	 the	 roof	 like	memory’s	rain.		✧	 / The Memory Palace28Author Bios  Mikki	Aronoff’s	work	 appears	 in	100	word	 story,	 Atlas	 and	Alice,	Bending	Genres,	The	Citron	Review,	The	Disappointed	Housewife,	The	Dribble	Drabble	 Review,	 The	 Ekphrastic	 Review,	 Gone	 Lawn,	 jmww,	MacQueen’s	 Quinterly,	 Milk	 Candy	 Review,	 Mslexia,	 New	 World	Writing	 Quarterly,	 Tiny	 Molecules,	 trampset,	 and	 elsewhere.	 She’s	received	 Pushcart,	 Best	 of	 the	 Net,	 Best	 Small	 Fictions,	 Best	American	Short	Stories,	and	Best	Microfiction	nominations.		Quenntis	Ashby	 is	a	 leap-year	aquarian	rabbit	 from	South	Africa.	After	 singing,	 dancing,	 and	 acting	 professionally,	 he	 now	 jumps	from	page	to	stage	to	imagination	as	a	body	of	words	by	writing.	He	writes	stories	with	a	twist	of	lemon	and	poetry	with	a	pinch	of	salt	while	 green	 tea	 fuels	 his	 nonfiction.	 His	 published	 work	 can	 be	found	 in	 Afterness:	 Literature	 from	 the	 New	 Transnational	 Asia	(2016);	 Cha:	 An	 Asian	 Literary	 Journal;	 GuanXi	 Media;	 Spillwords;	ThunkBook	 One	 (2013);	 and	 聲韻詩刊	 Voice	 &	 Verse	 Poetry	Magazine.		Cassandra	Atherton	 is	an	award-winning	prose	poet	and	 leading	international	 scholar	 of	 prose	 poetry	 and	 ekphrasis.	 She	 was	 a	Harvard	Visiting	Scholar	in	English	and	is	Professor	of	Writing	and	Literature	 at	 Deakin	 University.	 She	 is	 an	 associate	 editor	 at	MadHat	 Press	 (USA).	 Paul	 Hetherington	 has	 published	 17	 full-length	collections	of	poetry	and	prose	poetry,	and	has	won	or	been	nominated	for	more	than	40	national	and	international	awards	and	competitions.	He	is	Emeritus	Professor	of	Writing	at	the	University	of	 Canberra.	 Paul	 and	 Cassandra	 jointly	 wrote	 and	 edited	 Prose	Poetry:	 An	 Introduction	 (Princeton	 Univ.	 Press,	 2020)	 and	 the	Anthology	of	Australian	Prose	Poetry	(Melbourne	Univ.	Press,	2020).		Lynn	 Axelrod	 has	 been	 a	 community	 organizer	 for	 disaster	readiness	 in	her	home	area	 along	 the	northern	California	 coast,	 a	 An Ekphrastic AnthologyEditor Bios  Canada’s	 Lorette	 C.	 Luzajic	 reads,	 writes,	 publishes,	 edits,	 and	teaches	small	pictions	and	prose	poetry.	Her	work	has	appeared	in	hundreds	of	journals	and	a	dozen	anthologies.	She	was	selected	for	Best	Small	Fictions	2023.	She	has	been	nominated	several	times	for	Best	 Micropiction,	 Best	 of	 the	 Net,	 and	 the	 Pushcart	 Prize,	 and	shortlisted	 for	 Bath	 Flash	 Fiction	 and	 The	 Lascaux	 Review	 plash	prizes.	 Her	 collections	 include	 The	 Rope	 Artist,	 The	 Neon	 Rosary,	Pretty	Time	Machine,	and	Winter	in	June.	A	collection	of	her	works	has	been	translated	into	Urdu.	Lorette	is	the	founding	editor	of	The	Ekphrastic	 Review,	 a	 journal	 of	 literature	 inspired	by	 art,	 and	The	Mackinaw,	a	journal	of	prose	poetry.	She	is	also	an	award-winning	mixed-media	 artist,	 with	 collectors	 in	more	 than	 40	 countries	 so	far.	Her	website:	www.mixedupmedia.ca		Clare	 MacQueen	 (USA)	 is	 founding	 editor/curator/publisher	 of	MacQueen’s	 Quinterly,	 launched	 January	 2020,	 and	 its	 precursor,	KYSO	 Flash	 (2014-2019).	 She	 produced	 20	 print	 books,	 including	six	 annual	 anthologies,	 via	 KYSO	 Flash	 (retired	March	 2020).	 She	produced	 Triggered:	 A	 Pillow	 Book	 in	 collaboration	 with	 Alexis	Rhone	Fancher	and	Kenna	Barradell	 in	2023,	and	Writing	to	Heal:	Self-Care	 for	 Creators	 in	 collaboration	 with	 Kendall	 Johnson	 in	2024.	Clare	was	the	webmaster	and	an	associate	editor	for	Serving	House	Journal	(2010-2018),	assisting	with	publication	of	18	issues.	She’s	 a	 co-editor	 of	 Steve	 Kowit:	 This	 Unspeakably	 Marvelous	 Life	(Serving	House	Books,	2015).	In	2021,	she	served	as	a	pinalist	judge	for	 the	 Jack	 Grapes	 Poetry	 Prize;	 and	 in	 2017,	 as	 a	 judge	 for	 the	Steve	Kowit	Poetry	Prize.	For	several	years,	she’s	been	a	member	of	the	Senior	General	Advisory	Board	for	Best	Small	Fictions.		✧	 An Ekphrastic Anthology

'Changer of Hearts', 'Connotations' and 'Mnemosyne'

https://researchsystem.canberra.edu.au/ws/files/93331946/HetheringtonAtherton_Three_prose_poems.pdf

'Changer of Hearts', 'Connotations' and 'Mnemosyne'

Abstract

Similar works

Full text

Available Versions

University of Canberra Research Repository