Garth von Buchholz is an author of poetry, short fiction, plays and non-fiction who lives in Victoria, BC, Canada. His work has been published widely and his last book of poetry, Mad Shadows, was published in 2010.

Website: http://vonBuchholz.com

Anaïs and Henry

by Garth von Buchholz 

Anaïs: 

What is this black silk across my eyes, my love, and why does it

obscure you from my sight? In the dark of my moonless night

I reach across the vastness of our bed—no white linen in a Paris loft,

But an expanse of land, a nation of quiet, that steals your hands

From their nest between my thighs; I long for you beside me, inside me,

To hasten me to joy again, for those small deaths to overcome my last,

For your rough words of wanting whispered in my ears, for my eyes to

See you evermore, for your whisky breath to ignite and light me afire

For the winds of hyacinth within me to breathe spring into your December

And for your ever-seeking tongue to bathe me with its oils and find me open,

Open everywhere, every way to you, my love, upon heights where we both

Tremble, rising until we fall, and falling until together we are morning again.

Henry:

Close your eyelids, Anaïs, so that your eyes may be opened, so I may kiss,

Your lips soaked red from wine, and trace with my hands the molding of your breasts,

I want the oceans of life to pour from you again; I want you to embrace the arteries

Fed by my blood, that once wound as a vine around you. If you would see my face

Think only of the man for whom your words were rain to a drought meadow, and

Remember how we bruised each other with passion, my teeth hungering for

Your pulsing throat, your fingers tearing my red flesh as if to open an apple,

And then, tender and lacerated, we would laugh at the passersby in the street,

For they were ludicrous dressed in clothes, while we were naked, dressed

In one another. Do you recall how our thoughts spilled into each other,

Each word of mine forming inside your mind before it left my mouth?

How you, drunk on absinthe, spoke to me from the caves of your dreams,

Your sleeping face pressed against my ear, a penitent confessing your sins,

While I murmured my love for you, absolving you, admitting my indiscretions,

While knowing you could not hear me as I heard you. Love, hear me now.

Anaïs: 

The moment of your words has awakened my vision, the black silk has fallen,

And perfectly I can see your imperfect face as a sculpture before my eyes ;

Henry, let me now caress the scars I drew upon your canvas, let me press those ribs,

Feel your very bones, and drink into my mouth the milk of your marrow;

Love me once again as these men and women, once unborn, now love one another

For whatever mortal lovers form in spirit will in death become its substance,

The memory of you has become a reflection, and the reflection has become you.

Henry :

Anaïs, where once I could only remember you in the black galleys of my words,

Now I can remember your beauty with my eyes, I can recall your hair with my hands,

Let me burn you with my desire, love, and let me be wax consumed by your flame.

For now we have been resurrected by the morning we once shunned. In your embrace,

I should seek your breath, which has travelled across your heart, and between your lips,

so that before it dissipates in the wind, I can breathe you in again.

All poetry is copyrighted to the author above and may not be reproduced without his/her permission.

Model & Artist

VITALS
Height: 5’5
Weight: 125
Measurements: 34b-26w-36h
Hair Color: chestnut brown
Eye Color: light brown
Birthplace:  Toronto, ON, Canada
Current Location: Victoria, BC, Canada

Website: www.facebook.com/littlenightsprite

Deathly Romantic: It seems you’re often portrayed in your photographs as a dark or somewhat sinister character…do you cultivate that persona or is it just that photographers see you that way?

Night Sprite: I think it is a little of both, to be honest. My dark side is present with me always. I have accepted it with open arms and a bleeding heart. I am drawn to visuals that are bit… how shall we say…morbid in nature. I see beauty in destruction. Death and decay interest me. I am not the type of girl to look away… instead I stare. Instead I am consumed by that which several would classify as disturbing.  This is not to say that I am sinister in my daily life. In fact, I am quite sweet.  I think photographers recognize this about me and so my inbox is overtaken with requests to be a raven, a fallen angel, a vampire, a demon, a zombie, and the list goes on and on. I am okay with that. There is no better reason to release my inner shadows than for dancing in.

DRM: You’ve also done a number of shoots with serious body painting that has really transformed you. Does it feel different to model when you are wearing that paint? Do you feel more hidden or more exposed?

NS: There is a definite dichotomistic feel paired with wearing paint. Although I am completely naked, I never feel exposed. Rather, I compare the feeling to wearing the skin of another creature. I transform into that being and all thoughts of exposure are lost. I evolve and although it is only temporary, I forget about Night Sprite and relinquish my desire for complete self-escape…

DRM: Tell us about any acting you’ve done? And are you interested in doing more acting in film or TV roles?

NS: I have recently been involved in a few film projects, but it’s more for entering competitions than actual acting gigs, per say. The first was a contest put on by NATO in which the purpose each contestant was to create a video on the topic of  Peace and Security. The videographer (Mazo Media) and I did a short on the importance of the world water supply and how current practices of privatization, fracking during oil extraction, pollution and global warming are rapidly diminishing the planet’s clean water supply. In turn, the commoditization of water will be cause extreme tension for future generations. We won the competition, so it was a complete success, however we were more concerned with raising awareness, but we’ll take the win. Mazo Media and I are currently filming a second short, as well as planning for a few more future projects. Top secret though!

I am most definitely ready to take the step in the direction of acting. Anything to keep my creative palate from stagnating.

DRM:  What do you think of when you hear the words “dark glamour”? What does that mean for you?

NS: Dark glamour is about identifying beauty, be it in the form of romanticism or pure and primal sexuality, in unconventional fashion photography. It is the umbrella under which elegance and darkness coalesce, creating the intriguing feeling of discovering pleasure in the space where shadows reign.

DRM:  Which era do you think was most glamorous? If you could have lived in that era, what would you have been?

NS: I have always loved everything to do with the Gothic Era. There is something about the darkness of the architecture that I find quite romantic. And the literature, filled with tales of Vampires and Gargoyles – I just can’t resist it. There is no doubt in my mind that I would have been a Vampiress, relentlessly piling up the bodies on the quest for eternal love….

DRM: Tell us about what other projects you have coming up? And what kind of modelling would you really like to do next?

NS: EEEEK! This one is so exciting! May is actually a very busy month for me. I am entered in the body painting segment at the Art World Expo Body Competition. It is going to be epic fun.

My creative partner in crime, Kristin Grant and I have competed together once before and found much success! As well, in May I am shooting with one of my favorite photographers ever! The talented Norm Whaley of TooDarkPark Photography. It will be my first attempt at fetish, but to that I say “Bring on the Latex!”

DRM:  What does your modeling mean to you on a personal level?

NS: To me, Modelling is a creative release. It allows me make art with my body; to step beyond the boundaries of my everyday comfort zone and become a part of something adventurous, inspiring, creative and fun. I look forward to sharing with everyone the amazing projects that I have on the go.  In my eyes, if my work has delivered happiness to even one person, then it’s worth it.

Photo credits:  CB Photography, Geoectomy Photography, John Warnock, Jon Hoadley Photography, Tinney Photo, Tiffany Ireland Photography

Airbrush Bodypainter & Mixed Media Artist

VITALS
Age: 29
Birthplace: Kelowna, BC, Canada
Current Location: Victoria, BC, Canada
Company name: Urbanheart
Website: urbanheart.ca

Deathly Romantic: Kristin, how does someone become a virtuoso bodypaint artist? What’s your background, and did you have anyone as a mentor or inspiration?

Kristin Urbanheart Grant: I have always done art and have always loved electronic music.  When I moved to Victoria eight years ago I discovered Vancouver Island School of Art (aka VISA) and started taking part time art classes in painting, mixed media, sculpture. VISA was really awesome for experimenting with different materials, and I quickly fell in love with paper and paint. Then I started going to Sunset Room, a local dance and arts space that I fell in love with! Since then I have done many live paintings at late night dance events, and have met many other amazing artists.  One of the first people who inspired me to start bodypainting was Tawni Krystal, who is now doing bodyart in Vancouver. My airbrush and bodypaint practice is self taught. I am inspired a lot by other artist’s work, music, digital paintings, fashion, models and the amazing creatives that I work with.

DRM:  What have been your most challenging body art projects to date? Tell us a bit about them.

KUG: My most challenging projects involve doing a lot of work in a short period of time. For Ballet Victoria’s last season we did two photoshoots…. one of them I painted five dancers, their entire bodies painted, with only 45 minutes per dancer. Painting for the Bodygras Canadian Bodypaint Championships was also challenging because of the strict time limit (five hours), and also because I was in a room with 12 other artists, judges, models, photographers. The longest paint application was for a recent video that I did with Night Sprite and Lance Gilson. We applied real moss, sticks, paper, latex to transform her into a tree… and then added bodypaint as well. The prosthetics and paint took over 12 hours to apply.

DRM:  Do you think that when models are wearing your art, it changes the way they perform as a model in any way?  How did the dancers at Ballet Victoria respond to their body art when you worked with them on a shoot recently?

KUG:   Models are definitely inspired by the paint. When I am the one who is painted, as a zombie clown, or some other creature,  I feel more free to dance as crazy as I can, be sneaky, wild, outrageous. My inhibitions from the camera fall away. The dancers of Ballet Victoria are always professionals, and their dancing is really fantastic. I would say that the paint inspires poses and creates a new vision for each photo.

DRM:   Have you ever gone to or been invited to attend fantasy conventions such as FaeryCon in the U.S.? Would that interest you?

KG:  I haven’t yet been invited to any fantasy conventions, but that totally interests me.

DRM:  Tell us about other art that you’ve done in the past that you are particularly pleased with.

KUG:   One of my most recent projects was a collaboration for local pop singer Sachika’s new music video, “Not Going to Play.”   I created a new painting for the video, entitled “The New Pride.” I also displayed five of my paintings in the video, and did bodypainting on Sachika and nine dancers in the video. The video is currently being edited and will be live for all to see soon!

In the last few years of owning an airbrush I have created a new collection of canvasses that is currently on display at Sunset Room. You can also see them on my website http://urbanheart.ca

The bodypainting projects I’ve done have been with many different people– photographers, models, dancers, artists, musicians.  Some of my favorites include the Tribal Warrior paint done on Camilla Dobbie, the Cosmic paint on Night Sprite, my newest collaboration with Ballet Victoria (which will be released soon), painting eight friends for Zombie Walk 2011, the Monday Magazine’s 2011 Halloween cover, and the Nightmare Before Christmas shoot with ECC Photography.

DRM:  Do you think there’s a growing interest in body art such as what you do? What other artists do you find interesting?

KUG:  I am new to the bodypaint scene, so for me it seems like the interest in my own body art is growing rapidly. I have heard from other artists that the scene has changed a lot over the years– starting with painting clothing on models, and now moving into a more artistic realm. Other bodypainters that I know on Vancouver Island  & Vancouver include:  Danger by Design, Cory Keys, Alecia Repp, Lucidella Krystal, Melissa Meretsky, Jennifer Little and many more

DRM:  Do you think there is a sense of “dark glamour” in your work…however you might define that?

KUG:  I am totally drawn to the darkside  My favorite characters to paint are scary, creepy, bold and shocking. I like to combine scary makeup with lingerie.  When I’m painting other people, I really like to exaggerate their features– my favorite projects are where I can paint the model’s entire skin, totally transforming them into a new creature.  Halloween is my favorite time of year I am in high demand, and I get to poor blood on everybody and make them look as gross or mysterious as possible!

DRM:  Tell us about the upcoming exhibition of your work.

KUG:   I have a new four-month project that is about to be announced that involves creating my first art gallery show. I’ll be working with 10 models, 10 photographers, and we will be creating a series of bodypaint photographs that are inspiring, vibrant and totally important to British Columbia and Our Nation. The intention is to Stand Together in the face of the Enbridge Northern Gateway Pipeline and inspire our communities to become aware of the issues, contribute to our northern communities, and express the importance of our oceans, mountains, rivers, peoples and freedom.

Photo Credits: Ballet Victoria, Derek Ford Photographer, ECC Photography, Kristin Urbanheart Grant

Singer, Dancer, Musician & Fire Spinner

VITALS
Age: 37
Birthplace: Massachusetts, USA
Current Location:  Massachusetts, USA
Company name:  Lennon Studio
Websites: www.crowfaery.com/, www.lennonstudio.com, www.etsy.com/lennonstudio, www.facebook.com/lennonstudio 

Deathly Romantic: Katie, among your many other artistic expressions, I noticed you do some fabulous woodcut art, including one of Edgar Allan Poe that sells on Etsy. Do you have a particular interest in Poe, or just his image?

Katie Lennon: Ever since reading Poe in grade school I have appreciated his work, and enjoyed the fact that he was born near where I live in Boston, and was also stationed at Fort Independence in South Boston when he was in the army. It is said that he got his inspiration for the ”The Cask of Amontillado” when he was stationed there. I also have a strong connection with crows and ravens, so of course “The Raven” is a favorite of mine. In my travels I have found that I am not alone in my love for Poe, and thanks to etsy and other similar sites I have sold Poe tshirts to people all over the world.

DRM: You have been a very integral part of the faery subculture/community in the U.S. Can you tell me about your passion for faeries and what that means to you personally?

KL: My passion for faeries began as a young age, and I was particularly inspired by the Faeries book by Brian Froud and Alan Lee. In fact it was this book that set me on my current path as a faerie artist myself. I first saw this book when I was in 6th grade and my school friend Jen had it. Immediately I was enchanted, and Jen and I would draw faeries and look  for them, we were fairly faerie obsessed at the time, and would watch Labyrinth and The Dark Crystal incessantly,  along  with Legend and other faerie favorites.

We were convinced that there were unicorns in the Catskill mountains  of New  York. We would look for faeries everywhere we would go and I recall searching in Cape Cod near my parents’  house there and formulating our own ink out of berries in a random wild lot and sketching faeries, very magical  times  indeed. I owe a lot to Brian and Alan Lee, for I would not be on the journey through faerie that I am now if it  were not for Jen showing me this book back in the day.

DRM: Deathly Romantic Magazine is about dark glamour. Would you say there is dark glamour in faerydom? What is the romantic appeal of faeries to you…to all of us?

KL: I can only speak of my own experiences and the romantic appeal that faeries have for me. As for dark glamor, when I speak of faeries I am not talking about the bright sparkly Disney type faeries, but of a deeper and sometimes darker brand of with faeries. Back in the day in Europe people had a strong belief in the faery folk, and would do things such as setting out milk to appease the faeries, or appealing to the faeries to help with their crops. There was a healthy fear of faeries, and people wouldn’t build their houses on what was thought to be a faerie path, or they would live to regret it.

They also lived in fear of the changeling children, that the faeries might steal away their children and leave a changeling in its place. As the world progressed and with the rising belief in all things scientific the belief in faeries has dwindled, but that doesn’t mean that they aren’t still there. It is the darker side of faeries that I am drawn to, and the contrast of something that can appear so beautiful can also be something very dangerous.

DRM: What kind of music have you been working on lately? And are you touring with it at all or mainly focusing on recording when you can.

KL: Honestly through the winter I haven’t been concentrating on my music as much, I have written a few songs but I am quite far from getting to the recording process. As for touring I haven’t done so as of yet, though I have had the great pleasure, when I have been at faerie festivals selling my art, of singing with some of the most beautiful voices in the faerie genre including Kelly Miller-Lopez of Woodland and Treguenda, Wendy Rule, and Jenna Green.

DRM: What about your art? What themes compel you the most in your paintings? What are you striving for?

KL: The themes that most inspire me are ones that lead the viewer into a scene and leave them with an air of mystery. I am greatly inspired by the various faerie lore out there, and more specifically for me the faerie lore prominent in Celtic Mythology since I can trace my roots to Ireland, Scotland and Wales. In some of my work I am striving  to tell a story, in other pieces just offering up a tranquil setting for people to gaze upon. Most recently I have done a number of pieces around the theme of the Green Man.

DRM: Finally, we come around to your work as a dancer and fire spinner. What is fire spinning, and where does it originate?

KL: I have an extensive history of studying dance, I started taking lessons at age three. I toured nationally as a VIP with Dance Olympus, as well as performing in a touring cast of The Nutcracker with the Dance Prism ballet company.  My interest in fire spinning began about six years ago, and I was very lucky to find that Boston has a great, very large spinning community. As for where firespinning originated, I have heard it was with the Maori people of New Zealand.  I enjoy performing with fire and I have been told it “adds an exciting alchemy of primal and elemental power” to my performances.

 Photo credits: Katie Lennon, Kesha Brindell Photography, Pixie Vision Productions, Scott Billups, Yenra Photography

Artist, Model & Roller Derby Player

Kateful Threat (aka Kate Hansen) is an artist, model and roller derby player with the Brickhouse Betties team. She was recently signed as a model with the new Ethics Models agency, based in Victoria, BC.  Her figure drawings and paintings have been exhibited in various galleries and shows in Canada and the U.S.

VITALS
Age: 35
Height: 5’6”
Weight: 135Ibs
Measurements: 34b-28w-36h
Hair Color: red
Eye Color: blue
Birthplace: Regina, SK, Canada
Current Location: Courtenay, BC, Canada

Personal Website: www.katehansenart.com
Agency Website: ethicsmodels.weebly.com/kate.html

Deathly Romantic:   What is it like to be both a figure artist and also an alternative model who is becoming so popular with photographers in Victoria/Vancouver? Do you use the same inner eye for your drawings and paintings as you do when you’re posing for shoots?

KT:  It is strange to be on the other side of the creative process. I actually worked as an artist’s model way back in 2000- 2001, because I wanted to get an idea of what it was like to be the subject.  I think it’s a vulnerable position and soul-bearing.  It requires trust on the part of the model, and a willingness to open up.  Back then I also wanted to get the feeling of what it felt like to model nude, since I was using nude models for my own work.  I felt it was important to understand the other side of the process.  I do believe it helps that I am familiar with the human figure, and I understand what is interesting about the human body, what looks natural and what looks dynamic.

DR:  Your art is very visceral and personal. You’ve even done a series of self-portraits. What have you been trying to capture in your art?

KT:  My own self-portraits are obviously very personal. Usually when I do a self portrait I’m trying to use something of my body or face to express and emotional condition or mood. Even when I’m not trying to I tend to paint myself with a lot more psychological depth than I bring into other work that I do. My paintings of other people are usually about details, colours and skin tones, which I find interesting and beautiful. I love sunlight on skin and enjoy the colours and dynamics of the human form.

Click to open full size image

DR: Tell us a bit about your experience exhibiting your work at an exhibition in Chicago.

KT:  I was lucky enough to have one of my Madonna and Child series, called “Gladys and Elizabeth” accepted to a group show “Mothers” at the Woman Made Gallery in Chicago. I’ve had some success with group exhibitions in Toronto at the gallery 1313 for example, but Chicago was the most exciting for me because I was actually able to be in attendance for the opening.  It was so exciting to meet the other artists involved and also to see the number of people who came to the opening. Maybe it’s a big city thing, but that was the largest crowd I had witnessed at a gallery opening thus far.

DR: What are your goals as a model? Do they dovetail with your goals as an artist in any way?

KT:  Well, I’m not young for a model, so my goals are simply to continue to enjoy participating in photos, continue to enjoy photography and go as far as I can, considering my limitations.  I also hope to involve some of the models I’ve met in some of my own artistic practice, and I feel that modeling will enrich my art due to the people I’ve been able to meet and be involved with.

DR: How would you define “dark glamour”? Is this something you want to embody in your alternative modeling, or are you more of a generalist in terms of the kinds of shoots you like to do?

KT:  I define dark glamour as beauty with a touch of something dangerous or sinister.  Sometimes it may imply something not particularly healthy—a bit decadent, such as corsetry for example. Sometimes it’s just a little off the beaten path…unusual hair colour, piercings, tattoos.  The suggestion is always a little bit of edge, the antithesis of wholesome. I do want to explore this theme in my own modeling, but I consider myself a generalist and feel I’m open to many different themes.

DR:  What dark themes do you like to explore, in your modeling and your art?

KT:  I don’t know if they would be considered dark, but I want to explore some romantic themes in modeling.  I have a few literary obsessions, including Wuthering Heights and Christina Rossetti, and I would like to try some collaborative work on that subject.  In my own art I have often returned to the theme of love and death.  I also explore themes such as anger and violence in love.

DR:  As an artist you go by the name Kate Hansen. Tell us about Kateful Threat and who she is.

KT:  Kateful Threat started as a derby name. It was actually in reference to Facebook notices I was receiving about my artwork, that “content was removed which is hateful, threatening and/or obscene.” So I decided to use that and call myself “Kateful Threat.” Since then I’ve also been using it as a modeling handle, and many people associate it with the term “triple threat.” In a way it’s become more “me” than my actual name. My fan page for my artwork is run under my own official name, and I find I keep a much cooler, more professional attitude on that page than I do in real life.  My derby name has become more me than I am, if you can believe it.

DR:  Are people ever surprised when they know you as a model, and then find out you’re a derby athlete? Or vice versa? The two worlds seem very different.

KT:  People are often surprised that I play derby. I don’t come off as an extremely tough person, certainly not the stereotypical derby persona. What I think is that derby folk come in all shapes and sizes, and there are many different ways to be a successful derby player. As an artist and a mother I find people are sometimes surprised that I play derby as well. As a model I feel it does me some good, adds interest and character. People don’t expect me to have a typical willowy frame for example, and the fact that I’m somewhat muscular seems to be acceptable, given I also play derby.

DR:  Derby is a female sport, and it is raw and sexy and outrageous in its unique way. Do you think that some of the edginess of derby will be lost if it’s embraced by a mainstream as an Olympic sport someday?

KT:  There is a really fun aspect of derby, because it is “by the players, for the players,” and organized primarily by women for women. It’s as grassroots as it gets, and done for the love rather than the money. The positive aspect of mainstream acceptance would be an advancement of the sport, the skill level, the viewership and the competition. The negative repercussions might be the loss of some of that grass roots aspect, maybe the loss of some of the fun, the kitsch and the punk rock element that goes with it now.

DR:  What kind of fashions do you like to wear?

KT:  I am an eclectic dresser. I love beautiful fabrics, elegant coats and dresses, but I tend to buy a lot of things used or vintage. I also have a real thing for derby shirts of course, and derby socks. I love knee-high striped socks with a short skirt or shorts, for example, even when not playing derby. I love nice hats and boots as well.

DR:  What is your concept of “romance”? What is truly romantic to you?

KT:  I am blown away by the romantic literature of the Victorians. I think the restraint of the time put quite a tension into the literature and the art. There was often a tragic aspect, as love and sex was seen as destructive or sinful, and there were usually tragic consequences. I think this sad or doomed aspect is incredibly romantic. However, I think romance is more than love involving couples. There is a quality of beauty which adds romance to our lives and our surroundings. Music is romantic, misty rain is romantic, cathedral windows are romantic. It has evolved to describe a heightened and perhaps tenuous quality of beauty.

Photo Credits: Dennis Bater Photography, Karen McKinnon Photography, Michael Glendale/Dee Brown, Paul Wenger Photography, Vic Kirby

Saki Ram comes from the eastern part of India, a place with many forests and tribes. Since a young girl, her imagination has been fueled by the fantastic stories she has heard of these people, most of whom are considered outcasts in Indian society. She took to writing poetry at an early age, beginning with rhymed verses at nine, moving onto using free and blank verse at the age of fifteen. She currently dabbles in the study of law along with her writing pursuits.

About her poetry: “My poetry is mostly about ideas which have little social acceptance, and are on many occasions perceived as gross and uncultured. As a poet, I try to give such ideas a fresh perspective by attempting to humanize them. Thus my poetry is often written in the first person from the frame of a social outcast, in an attempt to erase the difference between the “them” and the “us.” I derive inspiration from philosophy; in particular, existentialism, nihilism, and absurdism, apart from the people I meet and personal experience. As a believer in the idea that poems are paintings created with words, imagery is an important component in my work. Rather than being purely abstract, I consider poetry to be a powerful tool to engrave a thread of pictures into the mind. Depending on how these pictures are juxtaposed, a single poem becomes a personal experience, acquiring a unique interpretation with each reader.”

Illusionary

by Saki Ram

He held her, and he tried to hold her

But she was water, she flew

She rose like rings of smoke

And sprouted flimsy wings

He kissed her, she kissed him back

She was a sweet gust of air in his mouth

Which scattered.

Then he saw her on the parapet

Poised with her fins

He called out, she turned to look and smiled

There was something in her eyes

She flew on delicate wings

And fell till she was a puff of dust.

Bite My Tongue

by Saki Ram

Hear the wind awaking, my friend.

Hear it rustling through the night…

I walk on a starry road. Alone.

Beneath an overcast sky.

I am dark and huge and ugly

I am a nonchalant gait.

I look above and

My horrible form the heavens hate

I have carved me myself

Chiseled to perfection.

I laugh as I look above

And they are disgusted at my form.

I am at peace against the stupid, mighty wind

I walk forth and I walk with pride

I give not a damn.

I drag a stick across the ground

Across sand and gravel.

I etch lines, push it hard across the ground

Till it breaks into two.

And I smile, I am happy

I am a happy sort of person.

I brand myself with the heat

Of little cigarette stubs.

I run my fingers across maidens of iron

Touch them till I bleed.

And then I bite at the punctures.

I neatly dissect an ant.

I look at claws digging into flesh

And I think how beautiful this world is.

I run my nails against the wall

I hate the sound and it gives me immense pleasure.

I break my nail, and the pain

Is intense and deeply satisfying.

I feel the underside of a tiny petal, it’s soft

And beautiful and I want to tear it apart.

So I will not touch, no.

I will run away.

And cigarette smell, well, is foul. I hate it.

I want to smell forever and swallow it.

Hear the wind awaking, my friend

I would pounce and shut it up

I would make it scream and ride through the night.

And if I see an infant,

I would hold it to death. Strangle it.

And if I see my friend, I would come close

And sink my teeth into his neck till it is raw.

I would draw blood.

So I would dare not touch, no.

I would run away.

I would pick it up and fondle gently.

I would kiss him tenderly.

I walk on a starry road. Alone.

And I stamp on the stars.

Till my feet burn whole.

Because they are so beautiful.

And because I love them.

All poetry is copyrighted to the author above and may not be reproduced without his/her permission.

Shoshana Kertesz was born in Budapest, Hungary. She started to write poetry and short stories at the age of fifteen. She completed art school in Budapest and moved to Jerusalem, Israel where she lived for seven years before her recent immigration to the United States. Her poems and essays have been published in several Hungarian publications. Her English poetry is currently featured at the L.E.S. Review magazine. Besides writing, Shoshana Kertesz occupies herself with painting, photography and studying piano.

Website: http://www.shoshanakertesz.com/

Ballad of a grieving woman

by Shoshana Kertesz

Too bad that you are dead

I loved the sound of serenity of your mind

In a million lovers there is only one

that is worthy to leave behind

with an aching heart

Now, I shall join myself in the ever growing City of Solitude

And play on my flute a slowly dragging Postlude

Black March

by Shoshana Kertesz

The thick stone pebbles on the streets of Jonquare

Are crying out

being trampled upon by a mighty flock of creatures

all dressed in black

Even the crows hushed and fled

the city of the past

The mighty flock marches on

Oh, the sheer terror of the sound of their steps!

Death came to visit Jonquare

I knew that they were coming

and I know that they will pass

but where shall I be then?

Homage to Sylvia Plath

by Shoshana Kertesz

I used to kill myself many times

Until you came along and killed me

I thought my little half-shy cuts were painful

Until your deep red blooded breath

Left its mark on my thin skin

I felt used. How dare you?

Mr. Casanova Marquis

Walking around with your top hat

And a big walking stick

Trying to evoke pity

Then you flash your bright white vampire teeth

So impressive that the victims volunteer

To put their own neck on the deck

You cut me to kill me

I kill myself to cut you

But instead you just continue to spread

Your strange gospel of death

But worry not

Some day in some shape and form

I shall be back, back, back

All poetry is copyrighted to the author above and may not be reproduced without his/her permission.

Ken Burstall is a middle-aged Englishman, living in Austin Texas with far too many children. He works, intermittently, as an oilfield geologist and has calculated that he has spent six of the last twenty years on oil rigs far offshore. His poem “Quadrangle” was published in the anthology “A Word is Worth a Thousand Pictures” and his short fiction has appeared in M-Brane SF and Kaleidotrope.

Website: http://fallslikesnow.blogspot.com/

The World Behind the Sky

by Kenneth Burstall

The Sky

Those who love the azure sky, beautiful

Limitless, a place for the soul to play

Should know that the sky they see is a lie

A cover for the glories behind, that

The horizon is too low, a jagged

Cheapened line carrying far too much

Sky, far too much weight, unlike the past

The Cliffs

There were cliffs so high they curved above us

Striped with geology so old, so rich

It had no names, not even those of the

Miners who died in the winding holes they

Dug into the cliff walls, holes to the sky

Rapidly closing as the rubble falls

Behind the miner who looks over

His shoulder, drops his pick, sees darkness fall

And outside, on the cliff face, another

un-named dot appears, revenge of the cliff

The Cities

There were cities up there, intricately

Carved into living rock, up and down a

Thousand feet, fifteen feet deep, elegant

Homes, one room after another, shallow

Caverns containing formal gardens, scents

Of mountain flowers drifting over rocks that

Were encrusted with lichen, pale gray, rose

Red grey, washed out pastels against the

Dark grey of the rock, there were farms, six inch

Wide terraces of pounded rock mixed with

Excrement. There were vertical hunts for

Nests of giant birds or the lizards of

The High Cliffs where loops and curtains of light

Crash against jagged black rocks forever

The Machines

In other places hidden by the sky

There were cascades of machinery

Turned, powered by paddles pushed by super-

Sonic waterfalls, pistons and cogs moved

Together in relays as long as

A continent, as high as a house. engines

That carried coils of data upward to

The inaccessible peaks where, under

Loops of light, reality becomes real

And flows downhill in vast cataracts to

Infect worlds below with consistency

The Face

If we could tear down the sky like the cheap

Drapery it really is we would see

All these things and more, but behind it all,

We would see a face – huge, asymmetrical

Broken like a boxers at careers end

Eyes red with blood, blurred with tears, filled with rage

Look from a face like an ancient mask of

Terracotta, cracked by time, unglazed

Dusty red, wet lips move, slow syllables

Make out the word of unmaking, one word

An eon, a mad god unwinds the threads that

Hold together the world behind the sky.

All poetry is copyrighted to the author above and may not be reproduced without his/her permission.

Model & Poet

Vitals: Doll Scarlett

Age: Sweet 21
Height: 5’4″
Measurements: 36″ 27″ 39″
Eyes: honey brown
Hair: blonde
Birthplace: Madisonville, KY, USA
Current City: Browder, KY, USA

Websites: http://dollscarlett.tumblr.com and http://www.facebook.com/dollscarlett

Deathly Romantic: What drew you to modeling in the beginning?

DS: I’ve been interested in it for as long as I can remember. I’m from a small town where art and fashion don’t really have a place. Modeling opened up a whole new world for me aesthetically and gave me the creative outlet I’d always searched for. As someone of average height, I never realized I could model until you contacted me about the Edgar Allan Poe 200 Project, then I found out about model mayhem and worked with a couple of photographers from there and discovered what a good fit modeling is for me.

DRM: What does “dark glamour” mean to you, and how do you try to embody that in your photos?

DS: I don’t really think that glamour can be described. It’s just something you feel inside. To me, “dark glamour” is glamour with an edge. Less finical than glamour alone, maybe with something “off” about it. Alluring but with something that causes mild discomfort or makes you take pause, just something that makes it more interesting than the ordinary. Dark glamour makes me think of perfectly coiffed hair with smudged eyeliner, of Victorian ladies in mourning veils rather than lawn dresses, of Mae West as opposed to Marilyn Monroe. I don’t try to embody it, it’s just an intrinsic part of who I am. It naturally comes through in photos, sometimes when it shouldn’t.

DRM: What is your connection with Edgar Allan Poe?

DS: I think Poe was perhaps the first person I ever called my favourite writer. Poe was so unabashed about what most people try to hide or ignore. Perhaps it’s not that difficult to face the unpleasant things, but to take it a step further—to see the romanticism there and to turn it into art, into something beautiful is very rare. To do that well is even rarer. He did it so well.

DRM: Can you tell us anything about your training as a musician? And who your influences have been?

DS: I’m a classically trained vocalist but my great-grandfather was an amazing blues musician. It’s in my soul, certainly, and that influence becomes more predominant as I grow older and am exposed to more.

DRM: Who is the photographer you like to work with the most? And why?

DS: I’ve enjoyed working with every photographer I’ve had the opportunity to work with. Working with truly creative individuals is such a joyful experience. I do especially like to work with female photographers and friends because there’s an easier, more comfortable dynamic. And, of course, I love working with my husband because we understand each other so well and are completely honest with each other. We learn a lot by working together.

DRM: What inspires your poetry? Can you give us a sample or excerpt from one of your recent poems?

DS: I write whatever needs to be exorcised at the time. Sometimes words or phrases won’t let me be until I write them down and make them into a poem. I’m not a great poet; writing is just something I need to do, practically a vice for me.

This is from my poem “the lam”:

let’s hop a plane
to Barcelona
because
I need you like
a shooting star
and
I need to
forget it all.

DRM: Who would you consider to be your favorite artist?

DS: My favourite visual artist of all time is John William Waterhouse. I love the Pre-Raphaelite style, his subject matter and use of colours. The kind of woman I most want to be is one like those in his paintings.

Johanna Ost, also because of her great choice of subjects. The non-traditional way she uses watercolours is very inspiring to me since I am delving into the world of watercolours and interested in painting things beyond the typical landscape or still-life. stuntkid is by far my favourite digital artist. His aesthetic is my ideal. It really resonates in a way I never knew was possible of digital art.

Musically, a slew of artists. I’ve been listening to a lot of artists in the indie-pop realm lately. But standbys are Beethoven, Chopin, Lady Gaga, Tori Amos, The Dead Weather, The Kills, The Black Keys, Lana Del Rey, and the now defunct White Stripes, a loss that I am still mourning.

DRM: Is there anything else you’d like to share with us in this interview?

DS: I’m trying to change direction now and feel like I’m finally finding my niche. I want to make what I call “honest” pictures, which is less about the concept and focuses on and, hopefully, captures the many nuances of the subject. I want to do more work in film, to make pictures that are more spontaneous and vintage in feeling. I’m hoping to eventually branch into the pin-up world as well.

 Photo Credits: Duke Imagery,  Sarah Ann, The Ventricled, Aaron Damme

Alternative Model & Blogger

Vitals: Catherine Whittaker
Age: 24
Height: 5’6″
Weight: 8st
Measurements: 32″ 26″ 38″
Eyes: Blue
Hair: Black
Birthplace: Worcester
Current City: Worcester
Website: www.rubyjewel.tumblr.com

Deathly Romantic: Catherine, what do you see as the major differences between mainstream, commercial models and alternative models?

Catherine Whittaker: There’s no real rules when it comes to Alt modelling, no real height and size restrictions, Alt modelling celebrates a wider, more unusual look that what is considered the “‘norm.”

DRM: What does the idea of  ”dark glamour” mean to you? And what artists influence you from all artforms—music, fashion, film, etc?

CW: For me ‘Dark Glamour’ is anything that is either mysterious, or looking to the darker side, a look inspired by Gothic literature and film noire. I am influenced by artists Paula Rego, Edward Gorey and the pretty much all the Pre-Raphaelite artists and photographers Julia Margaret Cameron and Sally Mann.

Music plays an important role in my life, I couldn’t get through the day without it. I love Richard Thompson, Nick Cave, Type O Negative, Gillian Welch and Bob Dylan, to name a few. I love horror films; anything by Steven King is always a hit in my books.

DRM: You’ve been a blogger for a long time. What are your interests and what do you like to write about the most? Are there any new social networks you’ve been trying out?

CW: I have a few different blogs, I keep my modelling blog separate from my artwork-related blog, on my main one I post my illustration and anything that inspires my work, usually historical things, I recently posted some Tintypes of soldiers from the civil war, I look at any places that inspire me too, I love urban exploring derelict buildings, especially hospitals and asylums. I also collect vintage photographs, mainly postmortem photographs of babies and children,

I always post new acquisitions on my Illustration blog, and also on my Flickr account. As for new social networks I have recently discovered the joys of Pinterest, I’d heard it was the next “big” site and I thought i’d give it a shot, I think its a great place for collecting interesting things from all over the net, like an online scrapbook.

DRM: You’ve done so many kinds of shoots? What kind of photos have you not been able to do yet, or what kinds of shoots have you dreamed about doing someday?

CW: To be honest I’ve managed to do pretty much all the kinds of shots I ever wanted to do, I was always desperate to get into Latex Fashion and this year I’ve started getting into that, so I’m really happy about that, I guess I would love to do more shoots for designers and more high end studio shoots for latex designers.

DRM: As a model, what do you think are the sexiest or most romantic kinds of shots to do? And what have your fans liked the most?

CW: I think sexiest shoots have to have a touch of class and seductive glamour to them, its not all about boobs and bum, and its not always about flashing loads of flesh, I think it’s important to leave enough to the imagination aswell. My fans seem to really like my portrait shots—they always go down well—and my shot with gorgeous fetish heels.

DRM: Is there anything else you’d like to share about yourself or your work?

CW: I’m not too sure what else to say really, keep your eyes peeled for more work this year, I’m going to be hitting the catwalks for the Alternative and burlesque fairs, also hoping to exhibit some prints of my work, and maybe coming one step closer to my dream of road tripping across America! I think it’s going to be a good year!

Photo Credits: Catherine Whittaker, Tom Whittaker, Emm Hobbs, Iamsuko, Dave Ellis