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Hello, readers.
Saturday, August 17, 2013, marked the worldwide online release of my brand new work, the birth of rj el.
What is the birth of rj el?
the birth of rj el is a small collection of poems, drawings, and autobiographical notes which utilize the voice of a young black man struggling to find his way in contemporary America to examine identity in the whirlwind of race, class, gender and philosophical problems facing him and those like him in today's world. In addition to the print work, there will also be an audio companion released by September 13, 2013, comprising the author reading each work in the chapbook. (More on this audio companion in a further post).
What's So Special About This Chapbook?
What makes the birth of rj el different from many chapbooks is that it is more than a collection of my most recent work--it's a work unto itself, in which each poem, image, and excerpt serves to enhance and add depth to the conversation the work evokes. Furthermore, this enhancement and deepening makes it a living work. To experience this chapbook in this way guarantees that you will find something different in it as time progresses, and the historical questions it raises comes into communication with contemporary events.
As is true for many artists, I think about the possibility of my latest work being my last work, and what that would mean for the mark I left on the world. For me, if this small collection of work is the last thing I officially produce, I think it will be a fitting representation of the major problems which preoccupied the mind of this particular black boy from the south, and will indeed provide a sort of "key" to the work I've produced before it. And if this is not the last thing I produce, it will no doubt be a fitting groundwork for what is coming, both in further print work as well as in visual projects.
How Do I Get a Copy?
Well, you can get a copy of this work in a few ways. The first way, obviously, is to run into me at a show. If I'm in your city soon, I'll definitely have books to sell. Check my schedule for updates on my appearances.
The second way you can get a copy of this chapbook, as of August 17, is via this online link!
As always, thank you so much for reading, and I cannot wait to hear what you think about the chapbook once you experience it.
-RJ