Brittany Fisher, our poetry editor, picked a poem from the past as we look forward to publishing new works soon. She chose A House, Not a Home, by Payton Kuhn, and her eye was also caught by the sculptural piece, Take a Peek, by Hannah Foster.
Poetry: A House, Not a Home by Payton Kuhn
Originally Published: 2021
I enjoyed the archived poem published last year titled A House, Not a Home by a repeat author in that edition, Payton Kuhn. I appreciate this poem for the excellent storytelling it displays within only three blocked, free verse stanzas. Detailing the life of an unnamed child under the thumb of neglect, Kuhn does a beautiful job of painting a picture of words from their perspective. Whether or not this is inspired by her own experiences is unknown, yet regardless her depictions transport the readers into the “stale air” of the living quarters where she lives “exhausted, in a bedroom/ where…her ears bleed/ from the arguments that send an earthquake/ rolling through the foundations.” I will always appreciate a writer who inspires to tell a story greater than their own experience. It is risky and courageous to craft lines that push your audience to see a picture bigger than themselves, and there is no better way to do that other than through the art of descriptive exposition. This poem may not have a concrete ending, and there might not be a satisfying plot to tie up, but it does have an experience and an emotion that most definitely makes it one to remember.
Art: Take a Peek by Hannah Foster
Originally Published: 2018
My second honorable mention is a sculptural piece entitled Take a Peek by Hannah Foster from our 2018 edition. Not only do I love how this piece highlights the multi-medium possibilities of KLIO, I also find this work to be a standout piece from our collection. Made from a found stool, paper clay, and fabric this combination of mediums embodies the character of an object, personifying a seat to be just as much an onlooker upon our lives as we are an observer of its own. Simple yet complex in its interpretation, this piece proves the capacity of art to tell a story, even when the story is without words.