(Fred Sasaki, 2012) In 2013 when Fred Sasaki, of the Poetry Foundation, sent out a notice to friends that his father had passed away after choking on food it was a sparsely and deliberately worded message that was in many ways the most powerful piece of poetry I have ever experienced. In the year before his passing Fred and his father (also Fred) created a series of illustrated pamphlets espousing the elder Sasaki's life philosophies. These were colorful, whimsical, illustrated with fun cartoons (sometimes by Fred the Younger's gifted kid) and fully functional, as who wouldn't want good advice on combing hair, washing genitals, shopping, shaving, stretching, waking up, and making friends. Honoring his father's words, sometimes perfect and sometimes not, and basking in the rough hewn poetry of Xerox zine layout, these guides are art and they are life, as they have given me a lot comfort and assistance over these years. Thank you Freds.
No comments:
Post a Comment