From poem, to play, to film, the journey of August: Osage County continues to grow like the tumbleweeds of its setting in Oklahoma, spanning time over decades of reinvention and rebirth. Shortly before the film was released, I learned from a friend in passing that August: Osage County was a play before a movie, and he lent me his copy to read. I got around to finally reading through the darkly-endearing and tumultuous family life of the Weston clan and was hooked. The fights,

At a very young age, I had the experience of seeing the Nutcracker ballet live with my parents, my brother, and a few family friends. Christmas, or winter in general, in Phoenix, Arizona felt like an even larger myth than the paraphernalia used to describe the fabled time of year: green pine trees dusted with snow, candle lights, and a fat white man that invades your home. Phoenix was all cactus and dirt, with no snow to be found that wasn’t cotton-based. But sitting in the l

Fact: Portland, Oregon is the whitest major city in the United States according to The Washington Post and confirmed by the U.S. Census Bureau. On the evening of Saturday, September 19, 2015 at 8:30 pm, a predominantly white audience gathered under white flood lights in the small stark room of Bodyvox Dance studio, complete with white drapes and white floor, to watch Dana Michel’s black body shuffle, writhe, stutter, and groan in her performance titled, “Yellow Towel” as part

BACKWORDS Blog does not always reach from recent memory, or follow current affairs, but the art of dance and music is timeless and does not need to be fresh to be memorable. I didn’t realize it then, but spending a day winding through the streets of Spain at 18, and the later events of that night, helped to start me on a path of self-acceptance. I had been in Europe almost a month when I found myself on that day of exploration in Madrid. My friends and I had opted out of the

First, I must admit that I’m drafting this piece from the Columbia Gorge with an upset stomach that has lasted over 24 hours, self-inflicted by eating too much good ice cream, followed by too much bad cheese at a Mexican restaurant. Today is Day Two. Since yesterday, I’ve barely been able to eat anything at all. If you think these kinds of eating impulses are reserved for kids, I’ve proven that even thirty-one year-olds can make poor judgments in the face of dairy. I spent mo

Sometimes, late at night, visited by dread and shame... I lie in bed and think of somebody else's life. I imagine the love that they're getting... and the relief that comes from being really known. The private pleasure they share. The friends they have, and the pressures they don't. Their sense of importance... the satisfactions of their work. I imagine how fulfilled they are... how rich their life is. And in these moments, I feel empty and wanting. (Episode 2.3) ----- Are yo

On June 19, 2015, Matthew D. Kulisch and I, as BACKWORDS Press, had the pleasure of attending our first Poetry Press Week (PPW) show, evening one of two, for their fourth season. We arrived at Disjecta the nonprofit contemporary art venue, and took our seats in the press & publisher section of the audience. Poetry Press Week is the brainchild of co-founders Liz Mehl and Justin Rigamonti, and is produced with the help of Heather Brown (publicity director), and Chelsea Carpente

Four years ago this month I participated in something amazing: a 24 hour theater project. I was conscripted by my friends and organizers of the event, Dan Varas and Dana Harris, both of whom I had performed with in The Laramie Project the year before. 24 Hour Theater was established as a fundraiser for the Westside Players Theater in Pocatello, ID. At the time Westside Players Theater needed a new roof, and each subsequent year funding from the project has gone to other refur