Welcome to (Re)!
I am very excited to present a curated “journal of ideas” that is a meeting place of visual art, prose, science, and more.
The idea for this endeavor came about from my love of vintage clothing and found objects and the way in which one ‘re’cycles these objects, et al. to make them their own. This concept then grew from that which we acquire in this vein, to that which we create through our various art forms (and yes, science and math are considered here, to be ‘the application of creative skill and imagination,’ as art is formally defined). All of the material presented incorporates a re-root word, such as relive, reinvent, reuse… into its framework in whatever way the artist chooses. And so, (Re) is a product of this expanded idea.
The journal, available monthly online, features the work of artists/creators/thinkers in various categories and I am honored to present their work within this forum.
Thank you so much for taking the time to explore this new and evolving (re)source.
I hope you enjoy the ride!
— Felice Neals
Writer, reader, photographer, dance devotee, film citizen, language-a-phile…
Cast Your Net
Poetry
(Re)frame
Phoebe Eccles
Birds and the Man
A Memoir
(Re)scue
Marc Palmieri
Recourse
Essay
(Re)condite
Madge McKeithen
WELCOME TO THE MULTI-GENRE SCIENCE CORNER
“Science is the poetry of reality.” — Carl Sagan
In this month’s issue, we salute all that is Mars.
As many of you may know, the Perseverance rover landed on the red planet on February 18th.
Its historic 300 million mile journey, much to the delight of space enthusiasts, has been well-documented since its launch in July of last year. The rover, manned by ‘Percy’ the robot, is hoping to complete its mission: to find signs of ancient life using rock samples gathered from the planet’s surface.
According to National Geographic, “…it will be the first of NASA’s five rovers to sniff around for traces of long-dead Martians—inhabitants of a world that, for its first billion years or so, was warmer and wetter than the dusty planet we see today.”
And the icing on the galaxy cake? NASA has named the rover’s landing spot for the great African-American Science Fiction writer, Octavia Butler. Bravo!
https://www.cnn.com/2021/03/08/us/octavia-butler-perseverance-mars-nasa-scn-trnd/index.html
(Re)turning
Artist: Jeanette McCulloch
I kept a sketchbook when we were dropped into this pandemic, my re(active) words mixed with paintings that shouted – but I’m not a shouty type of person and I could see my re(action) to COVID-19 was in danger of becoming re(petitive). To sort things in my head I decided to do daily walks, following tracks into meadows before losing my way in forests and hills. This is rural Herefordshire, bordering Wales, unpopulated, filled with apple orchards, farmlands and sheep.
On re(turning) home from each walk, I made a picture, re(sponding) in a visceral, elemental way to how walking is utterly immersive. They are made through printing, painting then repainting, and reducing imagery back to a shorthand that builds from remembering the walk: sharp chills, howling trees, shrouded mists, snow, long shadows, abundance, and fraility. I am also responding to climate changes; I see how the use of the land is depleting its habitat.
Painting in this way re(builds) and re(focuses) me so that I am present and more attentive.
It Feels Like Spring
2020. Mixed medium including gouache, acrylic ink and lino printing inks. 30cmx40cm
Strong Winds then Tranquil Calm
2020. Mixed medium including gouache, acrylic ink and lino printing inks. 30cmx40cm
Choppy WIndy Elemental
2020. Mixed medium including gouache, acrylic ink and lino printing inks. 30cmx40cm
Jeanette McCulloch had taught in art colleges for 20 years, before redirecting her gaze to work with people who are profoundly ill, mostly with neurodegenerative illnesses and brain injuries. She splits her time between working in her studio and offering people the opportunity to join her for art workshops in care homes and hospitals. “Working with other people on collaborative projects is always a richly rewarding experience.” Over the years she has had the great privilege to work with poets, writers, musicians and other artists.
Her earlier art took inspiration from museum collections, history, architecture, theatre and street culture in the cities where she has lived: Manchester, London, San Francisco. Her more recent transition to a rural environment has fed her with archaeology and natural history. The market towns are steeped in medieval history with ancient Tudor buildings still standing and the county is full of folk stories and folk lore.
“The way my art is made is intuitive, responsive, controlled and also there is a sense of abandonment in the ways you reach the core of the thing you are trying to express or communicate.”
Music Stuff
A powerful tune by Jeron “Ignis” Randolph
I am thrilled to once again, share the music created by a former creative writing student. This month we feature “Stoic” a tune by Jeron “Ignis” Randolph. Jeron is a writer, composer and filmmaker who has been unstoppable since receiving his B.A. in Spring of 2020.
It has been great to hear of his achievements which include the completion of his album, Virtue.
Stoic was the first song I’d written off of the album, Virtue. A manifestation of an internal warfare among thoughts. In stoic philosophy, one concentrates on their perspective in spite of any brutal or changing conditions around them, remaining focused and unaffected while in pursuit of their goals. I have always been an overthinker since I was young, and couldn’t always express these complex sentiments accurately because my articulation was not yet on par with how my mind worked. Even if I was aware of the truth and validity behind what I thought, I knew that to say it out loud would most likely have me branded as crazy or unintelligent. Uncoincidentally, this circumstance is also the source of where a lot of my faith has had to come from, because I’ve had to believe in myself and spirit despite any contradictory outlook. The dark side/sounds of this comes from the fact that someone such as Sisyphus, from Greek mythology, may also require this same faith for his task of rolling up his boulder in the underworld, even if doomed to fail, all he can do is believe for all eternity. That’s why this song is special to me. It’s an important track and appears early in the album before getting into the journey of discovering the root of many of these thoughts. And discovering my virtue.” — Jeron “Ignis” Randolph
https://song.link/us/i/1492621952
Lyrics:
Sleeping not resting me morning upsetting me
Sleeping not resting me morning upsetting me
Sleeping not resting me morning upsetting me (setting me)
That light of mine is a whole different enemy (enemy)
I keep on falling till shadows descending me (sending me)
Sisyphus trying I hope there’s some might in me (might in me)
Why are you talking like you don’t have enemies (enemies)
Maybe your enemies really just make believe (make believe)
Valleys of darkness and still they be shading me (shading me)
Communicate straight with one who created me (created me)
Communal days I been straining finding peace (peace)
Sharpen my inner weapon defying peace (peace)
Rest in pieces I needed time to make pride of these
Like are you proud of me (proud of me)
Tell me where’d it go wrong
Tell me how could I save the sentiments just for a song
How the devil that prey on my shoulders heavy my arms
Inclinations to winging it, see what gets me more far
Do I use it for fighting or is that power too strong
Lately monsters I linger with rarely leave me alarmed
Told them leave me alone
That was just once upon
Now I challenge the yin and yang and as calm as the pond
Throw a pebble and add some treble I’m thinking of Psalms
In the valleys of darkness is there a light we can spark
A lot of smokers and jokers and louder speakers in cars
You try to drown out ya thoughts, is ya drive even sharp
Sleeping not resting me morning upsetting me (setting me)
That light of mine is a whole different enemy (enemy)
I keep on falling till shadows descending me (sending me)
Sisyphus trying I hope there’s some might in me (might in me)
Sleeping not resting me morning upsetting me (setting me)
That light of mine is a whole different enemy (enemy)
When you see energy you just wait patiently
Save those regrets for me, I need a legacy
Deal with my inner problems, less obvious
outcomes are common modest at best
and need some more prominence
You can find more tunes from Virtue, here: https://album.link/us/i/1492621943
Enjoy!
OTHER STUFF
Here is where I would like to express my deepest gratitude to the (Re) contributors, the friends and family who support this adventure with their encouragement and guidance, Lori and Jim, the web consultants who are holding my hand as I build this site with no previous experience in the web tech arena, and the wonderful readers, who I hope will continue to follow our monthly content. Thank you! Merci! Gracias! Shukriya! Grazie! Obrigado! Xiexie! Amsegenallo! Asante! Shukraan!
COVER photograph by Felice Neals: A Salute to NYC. December, 2020 c/o a roof with a view. Midtown Manhattan.
As we approach year one of shelter-in-place, masking and social-distancing, we salute the (re)silience and tenacity of New York City. ‘Cause where else can you find a yurt, an igloo and a room made of wood that seemed to appear out of nowhere to shelter its bar and restaurant patrons beneath the lights of Broadway? And where masks with ‘I Love NY’ and images of the Empire State Building soon replaced Gucci bag knock-offs on deserted corners when the “mandatory order” came through. And where delivery people somehow always showed up, even when supplies ran low and the fear of venturing out into what had become an unfamiliar “void” ran high. Thank you for always doing it your way, New York. I don’t know what we would do without you.
ART photographs by Jeanette McCulloch.
TEXT photographs by Felice Neals: “Disappearing Acts.” Sunsets by the Hudson River.
INSERT photo by Felice Neals: “Welcome.” The South Street Seaport.
SCIENCE SECTION photo: NASA
THANK YOU, as always, to our Editor H.E. Fisher for her sharp eye and invaluable contribution. I could not have gotten this project off and running without her support and editorial expertise.
It is Women’s History Month! In honor of fine dining in our favorite concrete jungle, we celebrate 9 women-owned New York City culinary spots that span the global palette. Can’t wait to give them a try!
https://www.thrillist.com/lifestyle/new-york/women-owned-businesses-nyc
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