video selections from "Definitions of Obscurity"
When Michelle Greenblatt died in October 2015, she was working with Vernon Frazer to expand and re-release their 2011 Argotist E-Book, Dark Hope. Vernon worked with Unlikely Books to complete the project, which was released as Definitions of Obscurity in January 2016. Definitions of Obscurity is available as a paperback; Dark Hope remains free on-line.
Right now, we at Unlikely are preparing for the New Orleans Poetry Festival, where we'll release two more books by Michelle: Ghazals 1-59 and Other Poems, written with Sheila E. Murphy, and brain : storm, a new edition of her 2006 book, originally published by the now-defunct anabasis Press. Vernon is unable to attend, but he created these videos for the Festival.
Each video contains one poem that Michelle and Vernon wrote for Dark Hope / Definitions of Obscurity. Vernon has composed and performed original music, added his voice, and created visual effects in keeping with the original material. We hope you enjoy this significant meeting of poetic minds.
Whisper over the World
Mysteries of the Present
Ante-Climactic Clash
Threadbare Anomalies
Check out the great work at Vernon's YouTube channel, or pick up a copy of Definitions of Obscurity from Amazon.
Vernon Frazer’s latest poetry collection is Voyage in Port. He recommends the Poetry Project at St. Mark's.
Michelle Greenblatt (August 21, 1982 - October 19, 2015) was the Poetry Editor for Unlikely Stories: Episode IV and previously served as Co-Editor of Poetry for the now-defunct AND PER SE AND. She was published in literary journals such as Poetry Magazine, Sugar Mule, Free Verse, Altered Scale, Sawbuck, Hamilton Stone Review, Moria, Shampoo, Coconut Poetry, BlazeVOX, X-stream, Counterexample Poetics, Word for/ Word, and Otoliths. Her solo books are brain : storm, (anabasis Press, 2006; Unlikely Books, 2017) and ASHES AND SEEDS (Unlikely Books, 2014). Collaborative books include Ghazals 1-59 and Other Poems with Sheila E. Murphy (Unlikely Books, 2017), Dark Hope with Vernon Frazer (Argotist E-Books, 2011; expanded as Definitions of Obscurity, Unlikely Books, 2016), and jump beast with Jukka-Pekka Kervinian (cPress, 2011). She lived in South Florida with her beloved, Kyle.
You can learn more at our memorial issue.
