Writing and photography publication! Immensely grateful to superlative editor (and masterful artist, note her photograph left of the my parking lot tanka art, kitty corner from the leaf haiga) Skaja Evens of Mōtus Audāx for including these four visual poems of mine in the 8th captivating edition of It Takes All Kind, from her press dedicated ‘to sharing voices, even the ones in our heads’. That mission and focus perhaps uniquely qualifies this fine magazine for showcasing this haiku, senryu, tanka and epitaph inspired by the horrifying story of American serial killer John Wayne Gacy. :o The journal presently monthly though potentially moving towards a quarterly format is presently open for submission, read their guidelines to learn of opportunities to include your own writing and artwork in their immaculate, aesthetically sumptuous pages!! These images and pieces I am so delighted to share originated in a forthcoming collection showcasing 33 different poetic forms investigating the horrifying formation, reign of terror, and traumatic aftermath of the haunting killer clown who menaced Iowa and Illinois in the late seventies. The tanka describes his first murder, purportedly accidental self defense, when a one night stand cooking him a surprise breakfast appeared knife in hand and Gacy claims to have reacted instinctively in alarm. The senryu is about his failed (?) execution, which resulted in a grotesque and lengthy demise, that victims families perhaps interpreted some poetic justice to the prolific assassin and sadistic torturer reaping just deserts via. The mooning jisei and final quotation in the epitaph references the condemned’s last words to authorities and the general public. The acrylic clown pieces, beyond invoking Wayne’s notorious alter ego persona Pogo in which he performed for neighborhood youth and sick children in hospitals, describes John’s penchant for painting and prolific output. Many of his strange, crude artworks were sold and traded popularly among morbid and perverse collectors; a large trove of the pictures were later purchased and burned by his detractors and critics.
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