Circle M

by C.A. Conrad

Poetry. LGBT Studies. CAConrad did 36 rituals a day for 36 days in Marfa, Texas, taking notes between each ritual, the notes harvested later for the poems contained here in Circle M. Some of these rituals include watching 36 installments (about 5 minutes per installment) of the film GIANT, filmed in Marfa in 1955, starring James Dean, Elizabeth Taylor, and Rock Hudson. Conrad also dressed a sweet potato in a purple skirt and carried her around town to have conversations with strangers about identity and potato avatars. He sang to chickens, infused his food with crystals and Yoko Ono’s music, 36 rituals in all, the notes later coming together to make 36 poems.

Genres: Poetry

48 pages, ebook

First published June 12, 2016

About the author

CAConrad’s childhood included selling cut flowers along the highway for his mother and helping her shoplift. He is the author of 9 books of poetry and essays the latest While Standing In Line For Death is forthcoming from Wave Books in September 2017. He is a Pew Fellow and has also received fellowships from Lannan Foundation, MacDowell Colony, Headlands Center for the Arts, Banff, RADAR, Flying Ojbect and Ucross. For his books, essays, and details on the documentary The Book of Conrad (Delinquent Films, 2016), please visit http://CAConrad.blogspot.com

Reviews

[Charlie · Rating 4 out of 5]

CA Conrad's style continues to shine in these brief snippets. This is a minor work almost by designation, but a fun little look into creative restriction all the much for it.

[Simon Klein · Rating 4 out of 5]

The structure of this book a series of 4 poems per planet, as they move from Sol outward. It brings a beautiful lift and discrepancies of themes between each grouping, and is a great structure.