Laura R. McCullough: “I am such a chronic over-editor. I love (and shudder at) the word sketches postcard poetry forces you to create. What you can capture in a moment, before your subject walks out of the frame.” (web)
“The Larger Half” by Eric KilpatrickPosted by Rattle
Ekphrastic Challenge, April 2020: Artist’s Choice
Image: “Mund” by Laura R. McCullough. “The Larger Half” was written by Eric Kilpatrick for Rattle’s Ekphrastic Challenge, April 2020, and selected as the Artist’s Choice.
Comment from the artist, Laura R. McCullough: “When I took this photo, I was struck by the simple absurdity of it. As an artist and writer, I’m always looking for things that inspire me, or that somehow ‘stand out’ from the world going on as normal. My initial thoughts on the photo were fairly literal and one-dimensional, so I was excited to see how different writers brought such unique ideas and perspectives to their interpretations. In ‘The Larger Half,’ the poet has taken an unassuming and warm approach to a deep subject: the insecurity of parenting. In reality, that insecurity spans beyond just the experience of raising children; in a world of inequality, the unfair and the unsolvable, I think sometimes we are all left grappling with crumbs.”
“Presidential Fitness Test” by Bill HollandsPosted by Rattle
Ekphrastic Challenge, April 2020: Editor’s Choice
Image: “Mund” by Laura R. McCullough. “Presidential Fitness Test” was written by Bill Hollands for Rattle’s Ekphrastic Challenge, April 2020, and selected as the Editor’s Choice.
Comment from the editor, Timothy Green: “I just couldn’t keep from smiling, thinking about this clever comparison of the banana on a hook to a 4th grader doing ‘hang time.’ Poetry’s job is to help us see the world a little differently, and this poem does that, delightfully.”