After a short delay, the National Endowment of the Arts has posted the artist statements and sample work for this year’s fellows, which includes yours truly. They posted “Customer Loyalty Program” alongside my statement, I hope you’ll check it out!
From the statement:
“Poetry thrives because it crystallizes something vital—the mind’s attempts to make sense of chaos, both internal and external. It needn’t provide answers—the emphasis on a clear-cut answer smacks of the consumerism we’re all tethered to, as answers can be packaged and sold (for a monthly subscription rate, most likely). But the question, the act of asking it and engaging our curiosity (or another’s), is crucial and energizing.”
Brandon Amico 