Hedge to Inhale? Isaac Kirkman & Jamez Chang Appear in Menacing Hedge—Spring 2013

Back in February Isaac Kirkman and I proposed a challenge to readers: 

“79797” © Erie Chang; Original Artwork by Erie Chang

20 comments & 100 shares. If the Muze Request got enough support, we’d collaborate on a prose piece. We got the support (thank you, readers!), and passed our verse up to center court; from Arizona to Englewood Cliffs, we melded strains of hip hop and basketball with sudden departures, and people close-knit, maybe a Jeremy Lin. Pick and roll, from Chang to Kirkman, the scoreboard read two new poems—”Could This Really be Happening?” and “Go Back Where You Came!” A prose shot is on the way!

“Jeremy Lin: A Thief in the Night” © Erie Chang; Original Artwork by Erie Chang

Isaac also has a powerful solo effort at Menacing Hedge, his poem “Alva’s Wings.” It’s a clarion call inside a man’s reflective chamber. Proud and deep. I’m honored to have a couple of my poems (“Bobbing for Taffy” and “Button Cross“) follow his, and I’m proud that the button was pushed, that when we clicked send, this collaboration stretched us both further onto Mt. Synergy—so that 1 could b 3.

“Bobbing for Taffy” © Mike Marshall

Publication Notes: “Button Press” is the third of a three-piece set called TWISTING SIGNS. The poem uses only the words and punctuation displayed on the placards (no repeats). A shout out to Isaac, the one with the hat, for not rolling his eyes when I kept exhorting, “Artist first, writer second!” Respect to Erie Chang, for spending weeks capturing vibe & ill sentiments in her art pieces “79797” and “Jeremy Lin: A Thief in the Night.” And special thanks to the brilliant poetry editor of Menacing Hedge—Kelly Boyker. It was fun discovering some of her work in PANK.