NEXT AVENUE - SPECIAL SECTION
The two women, who have known each other for many years, didn't start out with the idea of creating something permanent. But after about eight exchanges of poems and paintings, and positive responses from a few who saw their work, Hasse says "it seemed like we had a book on our hands.” "Shelter," a 70+ page book, published by Nodin Press (available at local independent booksellers and Amazon) is the result. Within the pages of the book, "shelter" is frequently defined traditionally, featuring poems titled "House," "Barn," "Porch" and "Playhouse," for instance. There are also poems about the different ways we may take shelter and refuge, which can be without shape, but still essential: “Hug,” "Art" and "Book."
"Book” depicts DeMark's now-grown son when he was a child reading one of the "Harry Potter" books. "For me, reading and the idea of getting lost in a book seems like a kind of shelter," she says. "I'd never thought of it that way before, but it really does feel like a protective other world." As the project unfolded, Hasse and DeMark said they spent time talking about the concept of shelter in another way.
"We recognized we are both privileged to have a safe home during this time, and that's not the case for everybody. We wanted to recognize that," says DeMark. For example, "Tent" tells of a young girl seeking shelter under a broken shopping cart covered with plastic; one of many voices used by Hasse in the poems. When asked what advice they'd offer others inspired by their collaboration to perhaps join with a friend to engage in artistic pursuits, Hasse says, "I think a mutual vision is important. Ask yourselves what it is you feel creative about. What do you want to share with others?" Read the full story A Poet and An Artist Find Shelter in a Pandemic Project at NextAvenue.org .
15
NEXTAVENUE.ORG
Made with FlippingBook Ebook Creator