Levi Bentley reviews “You Are the Battery,” a book of poetry by Thomas Devaney. Read further to learn why Bentley compares Devaney’s written work to the sculptures of Cecilia Vicuña.
Read MoreLevi Bentley’s series of poems, “(sic) Transit Gloria,” is rooted in travels through Philadelphia via public transit. Stay tuned for more (sic) Transit Gloria episodes to come.
Read MoreArtblog contributor Levi Bentley writes an original poem “(sic) Transit Gloria” based on travels through Philadelphia via public transit.
Read MorePoet Levi Bentley interviews the executive editors of the journal bedfellows, Jackee Sadicario and Alina Pleskova, which provides space for written work about sex and intimacy from marginalized writers.
Read MoreLevi Bentley examines the complex melange of past, present and future in Alexis Pauline Gumbs’s book, “M Archive,” a work of speculative fiction that argues that Black feminist thought holds the “connection and knowledge and care of the earth and its people together through all time,” as Bentley says in their immersive review.
Read MoreArtblog’s resident bard, Levi Bentley, speaks with organizer Boston Gordon about their ongoing reading series for queer and trans poets, You Can’t Kill a Poet. Inspired by a queer youth group that provided refuge for Boston during their high school years, You Can’t Kill a Poet has provided a regular outlet for a variety of queer voices since 2014. Catch up with Boston and their ever-changing roster of poets at the next reading, Tuesday February 12, at Tattooed Mom.
Read MoreWill language go on if and when we do not? How does one speak of the future in a doomed world? Here Levi Bentley reviews a new book of poetry by Cynthia Arrieu-King that ponders these questions and many more. Out December 14, 2018 from Radiator Press (Philly’s newest poetry press) “Futureless Languages” is rooted in close observation of our trying times. Read on and pick up the book for yourself this Friday!
Read MoreFor over a decade, Massachusetts-based artist, Gina Siepel has been using woodworking and other craft techniques to grapple with the myth of self-reliance and its relationship to both gender and nationalism. Here Levi Bentley speaks with Siepel about “Self-Made,” her current installation of objects, video and documents at Vox Populi, and pens a thoughtful response to the exhibition’s central themes. We can’t recommend this show enough, so read on and catch it before it closes on December 16, 2018.
Read MoreEvery day, Artblog celebrates the DIY spirit of Philadelphia’s independently run art galleries and collectives. Today we’re excited to share an interview about that same spirit in our city’s poetry scene. Contributor Levi Bentley interviews fellow poet and local curator of the reading series, “Frank O’Hara’s Last Lover,” Jason Mitchell. This near-monthly reading series, named for the celebrated mid-century New York poet and art critic, who died in a tragic accident at age 40 in 1966, is all about bringing poets into direct contact and conversation with each-other. Read on, poetry lovers, artists and art lovers! P.S. We believe that poetry and art are siblings. They use different tools, but they both speak in metaphors and create “safe” spaces to explore complex and often controversial life issues. We love them both.
Read MoreCan bodies in motion help us to understand grief and loss? Local choreographer and 2012 PEW recipient, Meg Foley thinks so. Here new Artblog contributor Levi Bentley speaks with Foley about her upcoming Fringe performance, the undergird — an ensemble piece for four dancers which builds upon the research of her previous solo work, Action is Primary. Get into it!
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Support for Artblog has been provided by The Philadelphia Cultural Fund.