Nine poets face ‘the last word’

Photo by Zoe Edeskuty, Arts & Culture Editor

From April 6-10, Chapman’s Guggenheim Gallery housed Tab Journal, part of poetry program Tabula Poetica, for their 14th and final issue titled “the last word.” 

The innovative exhibit featured erasure poems based on “Common Sense” by Thomas Paine and The Declaration of Independence. Commemorating the 250th anniversary of these documents, poems by selected poets and authors acted as a reconstruction and reimagining of the texts, rendering three-dimensional poetry structures made from everyday items, such as pennies and upcycled tote bags. 

With poetry part of the conversation, the exhibit centered around what it means to live in the United States now. 

“Reading is a sequential activity in time, and the visual reimaginings of these erasure poems offer the viewer an all-at-once sense of meaning even before reading any words,” said Anna Leahy, editor of Tab Journal and director of Tabula Poetica. 

A collaboration between Leahy and Creative Director Claudine Jaenichen, the exhibit was ultimately inspired by Tracy K. Smith’s “Declaration.” The attention to honoring these inspirations and translating them in detail was felt upon entrance. 

With hands-on labor from Jaenichen as well, the items were “cut and torn, stitched and glued, stenciled and animated, pinned and pedestaled, hung and looped,” as described in the program’s brochure. Draped fabrics, lanterns, Trader Joe’s paper bags, newspapers and miniature figurines representing notable historical figures of the U.S. brought each erasure poem to life. 

“The layered plexiglass design for Patty Seyburn's poem ‘a clear idea’ was not our original idea, for instance, but references a glass piece showing star positions that I saw at the National Space Museum earlier this year,” said Leahy. 

Shonda Buchanan’s “The Last Three Words” featured crumpled newspapers of notable publications such as The New York Times and Los Angeles Times peaking through, along with the erasure poem of a section from the Declaration of Independence displayed on a panel side-by-side. 

Final lines “to the separation/ a candid world” called out as a mantra to the exhibit’s theme. 

“We realized that pennies carried even more meaning for Victoria Livingstone's poem "National Policy" once the United States minted its last penny,” said Leahy. 

The journal’s motto, “space before text,” manifests itself in this physical space, inviting the beholder to view new ways of understanding our surroundings and asking what constitutes a poem against the interwoven documents and emotions of living in the United States. 

Audience accessibility was at the forefront in the exhibit’s creation. With audio accompaniment to the pieces and an “anti-stairs club” disclaimer at the entrance notifying the Guggenheim’s usage of stairs can prevent full and equitable participation, Tab Journal’s approach to creating accessible environments was all the more refreshing. 

“We've been including audio for years because we know that some readers read with their ears instead of their eyes,” said Leahy. 

As it is Tab Journal’s final issue, Leahy’s appointment to direct the Tabula Poetica event series is set for another two years. 

“Something had to give,” said Leahy. “The budget that covers both Tab Journal and Tabula Poetica events has remained static since its inception, so despite changing both projects over the years to adjust to increasing costs, we knew eventually the budget couldn't cover both projects.”

When the renewal appointment with Dean of Students Jerry Price came around, it was a combination of uncertainty — whether Leahy and Jaenichen were able to continue with their roles in the program, along with the budget constraints making a print issue impossible — that resulted in the inability to open submissions earlier in the year, causing there to not be a future issue in the pipeline. 

“We do not lower our standards, and we did not want to do what other literary journals are doing really well,” said Leahy. “So, we continued to think creatively and hoped a budget enhancement was forthcoming a few years ago.”

With other sources of funding, such as the TourWest grant from Creative West, they look forward to more collaborations to come — featuring poets in place of hosting events, and even a course between Leahy and Jaenichen after being granted a Co-Teaching Award to teach "Texts & Designs in Literary Culture" this coming fall.