Barbara T. Smith
Here at Civitella I looked at unfinished work that has not been part of what people know of me. In this case, writing of all sorts. Some published, most not. Especially I was interested in writings that have been shown as sculpture. Hung like red chili peppers on a cord on 3×5 bright pink cards. But what did they say? They represent a durational meditative performance practice written immediately after walks on the beach. In these six weeks I was able to edit and collate them. There are 103 poems of widely varying lengths written over 35 years, now pasted in a book to be culled later for a small publication. That is what I did, plus a large drawing of a female figure as a blank slate that records the impact of Civitella on her/me over time. And I took a slew of photographs and spent long periods reading, reflecting, resting and in peace.