Five Oceans in a Teaspoon - Bernstein, Dennis J.

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Résumé :
FIVE OCEANS IN A TEASPOON (Paper Crown Press; September 19, 2019; dollars35. hardcover), written by muckraking journalist/poet Dennis J Bernstein and visualized by pioneer designer/author Warren Lehrer-is a seven inch square, 300 page collection of 225 short visual poems that reads like a memoir in poems.
In 1979, Bernstein and Lehrer began working on a book of poems, originally titled Stretch Marks. Instead of completing that book, they leapt into writing their first play together, and over the intervening years they collaborated on three books, including French Fries, considered a classic in visual literature and expressive typography. A few years ago, they began collaborating again with a renewed focus on visual poetry, bringing together Bernstein's words and Lehrer's visualizations. Now, on the 40th anniversary of their original effort and at the height of their creative powers, the two have completed FIVE OCEANS IN A TEASPOON. Bernstein's poetry, like his investigative journalism, reflects the struggle of everyday people trying to survive in the face of adversity. Divided into eight chapters, the book spans a lifetime: growing up confused by dyslexia and a parental gambling addiction; graced by pogo sticks, boxing lessons and a mother's compassion; becoming a frontline witness to war and its aftermaths, to prison, street life, love and loss, open heart surgery, caring for aging parents and visitations from them after they're gone. Lehrer selected the poems (out of thousands) and arranged them into the book. His typographic compositions give form to the interior, emotional and metaphorical underpinnings of the poems-visualizing a wide range of experiences including Dyslexia, Alzheimer's, and patterns war and relationships. Together, the writing and visuals create a new whole that engages the reader to become an active participant in the navigation, discovery, and experience of each poem. FIVE OCEANS IN A TEASPOON bridges art, literature, memoir, old and new media. In addition to the book, Lehrer is making animations of select poems, visualizing them in short videos via kinetic typography and sound. The animations augment the book, can be seen and shared online, are featured in Lehrer/Bernstein's live performance/readings and in the FIVE OCEANS IN A TEASPOON exhibition opening at City Lore Gallery in New York City on September 19 and running to November 23. Some animations are available for viewing at www.fiveoceansinateaspoon.com. As Steven Heller writes in his introduction, FIVE OCEANS IN A TEASPOON speaks to the madness, vulnerability, aspiration and language of our time. It builds on historical traditions of visual literature with an innovative, revelatory, pared down approach-well suited for a contemporary audience with varying degrees of time on their hands, more visually attuned than ever, hungry for depth, humor, and meaningful reflections of a complex world. Already winner of 2019 STA 100 Award and Design Incubation Scholarship: Creative Work Award

Biographie:
Dennis J Bernstein is a poet, investigative journalist and award-winning host/producer of Flashpoints, syndicated by the Pacifica radio network. He is a recipient of many awards and honors, including Pulse Media's Top Global Media Figure, the 2015 Pillar Award in Broadcast Journalism, and Artists Embassy's International Literary Cultural Award. He founded the Muriel Rukeyser Reading Series in Brooklyn, NY. Books include Special Ed: Voices from a Hidden Classroom, Particles of Light, and three books with Warren Lehrer including French Fries, considered a seminal works in the genre. His poetry has appeared in New York Quarterly, The Chimaera, The Progressive, Texas Observer, ZYZZYVA, and numerous other journals.