DETAILS: Another episode of putty vispo whereby I take some putty out in the wild and squish it onto an object to lift up an impression (in this case, I used a metal pothole cover) and then cover the impression with ink and leave that mark on some paper.
#puttyvispo #maggsvibo #demonstrativeart

DETAILS: Special thanks to Michelle Sterkowicz of the Ederle Art Center for providing me with a stockpile of rubber stamps. When I left Hawaii, most of my art supplies were donated. What a treasure trove to get all of these!
#vibo #ederleartcenter #michellesterkowicz

DETAILS: Enheduanna and the women of Mesopotamia is an incredible lecture and music concert performed by members of the Morgan Library and Museum. 
#firstauthor #enheduanna 

DETAILS:
Listen to this lecture series from the Getty Museum.
#bookofthedead #egyptianbookofthedead

DETAILS: Nice presentation by Penn Museum for this neolithic site.
​#thegift #neolithic #gobeklitepe

DETAILS:
I have an ongoing ash poetry series for the Chinese Zodiacs. 2026 is the Year of the Fire Horse. Take a look at the attached TedEd video to learn more. 
#firehorse #fire #horse 

DETAILS: 
​NEW SUBMISSIONS for Bodies of Work, Paris. 
#healing #vibo #submissions

DETAILS: Marc Chagall exhibition at Museo Schifanoia, which is within the Ferrara museum system.
#marcchagall #vibo

DETAILS: So special visiting the canals in Venice all lit up with decorations and art and hearing Vivaldi's music in such an impressive venue. 
#venice #holiday #vibo

OTD one year ago, I was in the hospital fighting an antibiotics allergy from an infection after an emergency surgery. At the same time, my family was planning a move to Italy. Here is a recap of an eventful year while healing and regaining the mobility to my artmaking hand.
WINTER
JANUARY:

1. ​12 JANUARY 2025 - 12 MAY 2025 | GALLERY SHOW: I had five ash visual poetry pieces included in the Bridge Gallery exhibition in Littleton, Colorado, for their Health Care art exhibition. The art exhibition was organized by Jael Shumaker, and Christy Grosvenor, curated by The Gospel Initiative, and hosted by Denver Seminary Student Life
2. 20 JANUARY 2025 | I rounded out January, with the inclusion of a visual poem. This piece was shown in the pop-up art exhibition for In Words & Images, curated and hosted by Dunoon Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA), Address:  18 F18 Ferry Brae, Dunoon PA23 7DJ, UKerry Brae, Dunoon PA23 7DJ, UK8 Ferry Brae, Dunoon PA23 7D

FEBRUARY: 

1. February 24, 2025 BOOK FAIR: My work was represented with the contributors to Cryptids, Kaiju & Corn: Poems and Micro-Stories about Modern Midwest Monsters anthology, organized by Randy Brown of Middle West Press, presented by Johnston Public Library Local Author Fair, Johnston, IA

SPRING
MARCH:

1. March 3, 2025 | LAUNCH DAY: Release date for Midwest Futures: Poems and Micro-stories from Tomorrow's Heartland edited by Randy Brown, and published by Middle West Press, Johnston, IA
2. March 14 - 16 | STANZA: Materials promoted for the public and showcasing work by artists of Trickhouse Press Annual, organized by EIC Dan Power, supported by Stanza (Scotland's International Poetry Festival), and hosted at The Byrd Theatre, Saint Andrews SCO
3. March 15, 2025 | Re-Launch: My work in The Babel Tower Notice Board (which was a journal, podcast, and reading series that ran from August 2020 - December 2021) was archived. This incudes my piece "Aesop 2020", edited by Richard Capener, re-published at Hem Press, from material originally posted to The Babel Tower Notice Board (defunct), Glasgow, UK

APRIL: 

1. ​April 3 - 5 2025 | Small Press & Literary Magazine Book Fair: MWP merchandise promoted for the public and showcasing MWP anthologies, organized by EIC Randy Brown, promoted by Middle West Press, and hosted by Mission Creek Festival, Iowa City, IA

May:

1. May 15, 2025 | BOOK FAIR: Pop-Up for author talk to promote Christine Vo's book release and for anthology contributors of Maintenant 19: A Journal of Contemporary Dada Writing and Art, edited by Kat Georges and Peter Carlaftes, supported by Three Rooms Press, Los Alamos, NM. Special thanks to Kat and Peter for organizing events throughout the year.
2. May 17, 2025 | Book Fair: Materials and books promoted for the public and showcasing work by contributors of Maintenant 18: a Journal of Contemporary Dada Writing and Art, organized by Kat Georges and Peter Carlaftes, editors, promoted by Three Rooms Press, and hosted by Sant Jordi Book Fair, West Village, NYC

SUMMER:
JUNE: 

1. 2023 - 2027 ART EXHIBITION: Art Exhibit at Dulles International Airport (DIA), Dulles, VA. My art is still in the Capturing Calm art exhibition at C/D Gates as part of a larger mural project, organized by curated by UnitingUs.org, hosted by Dulles International Airport. In addition, my visual poetry is at the Veterans Vernacular Creative Writing Exhibition at A Gate, curated by UnitingUs.org, presented by Leidos. You can see this art through 2027 at the airport in DC

JULY: 

1. July 15, 2025: RELEASE DAY: Maintenant 19: a Journal of Contemporary DADA Writing and Art.: edited by Kat Georges and Peter Carlaftes, NYC, NY

AUGUST:

1. August 19, 2025 | WEBSITE LAUNCH: ​The Poetry Kiosk (formerly known as Poem Atlas), artist contributor, curated and created by artist Dr. Astra Papachristodoulou, London, UK

FALL
SEPTEMBER: 

1. September, 1 2025 | ARTIST COURSE MATERIALS: Provided books and study materials for the Advanced English: Navigating Narratives with Cross-Genre Storytelling from the Page to the Stage, facilitated by Malik Crumpler at Paris College of Art and SciencesPo, Paris, FRA

OCTOBER:

1.  October 25, 2025 | MAYHEMPALOOZA: A pop-up promoted for the public to showcase the contributors of Cryptids, Kaiju & Corn: Poems and Micro-Stories of Modern Midwest Monsters, curated by Randy Brown, and hosted by Mayhem Comics and Games, Clive, IA

NOVEMBER:  

1. November 6, 2025 | LIVE & VIRTUAL EVENTS: promoted for the public to engage with the launch of Maintenant 19: a Journal of Contemporary DADA Writing and Art. Organized by Kat Georges and Peter Carlaftes, hosted by Beyond Baroque in Los Angeles, New York Public Library in Jefferson Market, and Specs 12 Adler Museum Cafe in San Francisco, CA

​DECEMBER:

1. December 1, 2025 | WEBSITE LAUNCH: A new network published online to promote the work of contributors of Aww-Struck Network, organized by Dr. Isabel Galleymore, Animal Studies Reading Group, University of Birmingham (UoB), Caroline Harris, Humanities and Arts Research Institute, Royal Holloway University ((RHUL), and Dr. Astra Papachristodoulou, University of Surrey, UK.

DETAILS: December Music Recommendation is Kronos Quartet + Gothic Horror = Folklore soundtrack that doesn't suck your blood. YouTube

Was an action-packed year for this fiercely independent publisher. With another round of European travels and multiple book fairs. Right now, there is a huge discount, so head over and check that out!
#threeroomspress #petercarlaftes #katgeorges #maggsvibo #youtube

DETAILS: This weekend, experienced a special exhibition in Padova, Italy. The pieces inside were from antiquity to our modern era. Out of the studies, started paying even more attention to John William Waterhouse and what appears to be some magical images within images. His art is impressive enough without this tantalizing additional idea.
#johnwilliamwaterhouse

DETAILS: Antici...PATION. Yeah, I know that is a mashup moment and so is this entire photo. It is the perfect image to explain this moment in storytelling. The Duffer Brothers (YouTube) have all of us so starved for monster stories, we eagerly plan out the entire holiday season around the release dates in 2025. 
#strangerthings #dufferbrothers #nostaligia #horror

DETAILS: Alba viticulture work-study program
​#vibo #viticulture

DETAILS: 5 seasons of nostalgia with monsters and bicycles. I am so invested. Let the holidays begin!
#strangerthings #holidays #nostalgia

DETAILS: Recap of a visit to Palazzo Maffei Verona. Man Ray, Magritte, Picasso, and Duchamp for starters. DADA e.v.e.r.y.w.h.e.r.e. Loved this museum.
#palazzomaffei #picasso #dada #maggsvibo

DETAILS: The director, Guillermo del Toro, mentioned that he has wanted to make this film for 30 years, and it shows. Each frame is a masterpiece (Official YouTube Trailer). Shelley would no doubt be pleased/alarmed to learn the relevancy of the book in 2025. That, as readers, we are transfixed with her work and the mythological world Mary Shelley created and still see its parallels in our own era. It is telling when the young movie star, Jacob Elordi, makes news headlines for saying, "The real monsters are the men in suits." 
#frankenstein #deltorro #jacobelordi #monsters

DETAILS: A PBS documentary about Edgar Allen Poe (YouTube). This blog will always take a moment to mention Poe's writing and legacy to American folk horror genre. 
#edgarallenpoe #documentary #raven #richmond #baltimore 

DETAILS: This Song Post dedicated to all things Mary Shelley. How so? Del Toro released Frankenstein and reintroduced a whole generation to this classic tale. Listen to the lyrics of the Goldfrapp song (Official YouTube), and you will hear Shelley's myth in the lyrics. 
​#goldfrapp #feltmountain #frankenstein.

DETAILS: A recent tragedy this summer, has made me consider the legacy I leave behind. Specifically, the loss (by suicide) of a friend and fellow soldier. John leaves behind twin sons and a military spouse. His wife explained, "In a heated moment he made a decision that can't be undone." Those words. This moment. As a nation, we are broken. My sentences are broken. My thoughts...fragmented. I spoke to my mental health doctor at length and figured out: 

1. The miscarriages my spouse and I experienced still impact me (probably always will).
2. I really believed that raising children was a super power against suicide or social challenges. John's death proved this to be false.
3. More military friends need to discuss and share our life stories.

Now, that's where this book boost comes into play. Matthew James Jones and I know of one another through our military service connections. We've both been involved for (cough) years in military writing adjacent activities/groups. This blog post is a signal boost for his book. Jones offers lots of tips or hacks for navigating our huge military community (even while many groups are being erased by a concerted exclusionary effort to rewrite history). You can follow Jones on social media platforms and listen to his guest spots on podcasts. I hit pause on one podcast with Jones so that I could write this blog while his conversation is fresh in my mind. Matthew discusses with the host, Jason McClaren, the loss of military friends to suicide. Have a listen here: YouTube. Jones discusses ethics in this clip, which is why you will want to have a listen during this time of political turmoil. Jones gets bleeped for his colorful vocabulary. BLEEP that! We are in a moment where the commander of our Armed Forces is calling for the hanging of his political rivals. This moment is not normal and the quicker all of us step out of shock, the faster we can react political turmoil. When we study the Milgram Experiments, we can predict where this goes. We know the history, even as it is changes in real time. History is written by the victors, so as AI and DEI sweep and flush reality into the garbage, what we know as "factual" into the future is tenuous.
2 + 2 = 1984
Take a moment to follow this bestselling author and boost his work:
KINDLE: Predators, Reapers and Deadlier Creatures - Kindle edition by Jones, Matthew. Literature & Fiction Kindle eBooks @ Amazon.com.
PAPERBACK: Amazon.com: Predators, Reapers and Deadlier Creatures: 9781998501120: Jones, Matthew James: Books
​Website: Matthew Jones
​#milgramexperiments #matthewjamesjones #suicide #milfamilies #drones #ethics #monsters #mattjones #matthewjones

DETAILS: Now is the time to consider the prompt for submission for Maintenant 20 (published by Three Rooms Press). The editors, Kat Georges and Peter Carlaftes have announced the theme for the 2026 issue is: IMPROPERGANDA. Submission period begins January 1, 2026 and runs through March 15, 2026. You will need to use SUBMITTABLE and check out all the details for information on this provocative title. LINK: MAINTENANT 20 Dada Journal: New Theme and Submission Period Announced - Three Rooms Press
​#dada #writing #threeroomspress #katgeorges #petercarlaftes #mainteantjournal

DETAILS: Special thanks to the SFPA for their member newsletter boost of "Cryptids, Kaiju and Corn: Poems and Micro-Stories About Modern Midwest Monsters (Middle West Press, Randy Brown ed, 2025). To get your copy: Cryptids, Kaiju & Corn: Poems and Micro-Stories about Modern Midwest Monsters (English Edition) eBook : Brown, Randy: Amazon.it: Kindle Store
#randybrown #maggsvibo #speculativescifi #anthology 

#randybrown #charlie sherpa #maggsvibo
DETAILS: Photos from the Mayhempalooza Event organized by EIC Randy Brown and hosted by Mayhem Comics and Games. Thank you, for sharing our stories with the comminity.