Lockdown Haiku: A Call and Response in Chicago/Barcelona by Gerard Wozek and Isaias Fanlo

About the project

Isaias Fanlo straddles two homes, one with Gerard Wozek in Chicago where he recently completed his doctorate at University of Chicago and the other in Barcelona with his partner Marc Rosich. To manage the long-distance isolation, Wozek began sending a nightly haiku to Fanlo who then responded with a photo of the desolate streets of Barcelona. The Lockdown Haiku project is comprised of 21 black and white photographs taken by Fanlo and 21 haiku written by Wozek —a total of 42 pieces, representing a full quarantine plus an additional couplet to encourage the rethinking of life after lockdown— forming an inter-disciplinary, international “call and response” collaboration that articulates an immediate catharsis in these challenging days we are living. Fanlo also recently complimented one of Wozek’s published narratives in the anthology Closet Cases (Et Alia Press, 2020) with one of his photographs.

day one

Now upon rising,
where you used to lay your head,
I smooth the pillowcase.

day two

Canopy of clouds.
Only the taillights of planes.
Streetlamps outshine stars.

Pendemic is publishing the image and haiku from day one and day two only. You can see the full body of work here.

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Isaias Fanlo (photographs) Born in Lleida, Spain, Isaias Fanlo is a writer, scholar, cultural manager, translator, and photographer. He holds a PhD for the University of Chicago, with a dissertation on queer scenic arts. He published El llibre rosa (“The Pink Book”), his first book, when he was 23, and his stories and essays have been published in Spain, Portugal and Colombia. He has worked as a coordinator of artistic contents at the Teatre Nacional de Catalunya (Barcelona), and served as artistic advisor for Barcelona’s Teatre Lliure. He’s a foundational member and artistic director of Terrats en Cultura, Barcelona’s awarded rooftop arts festival. He just completed Ya no estoy aquí (“I Am No Longer Here”), his first novel. www.isaiasfanlo.me
Gerard Wozek (haikus) Born in Chicago, Illinois, USA, Gerard Wozek is the author of a book of poems, Dervish (Gival Press) and a volume of short stories, Postcards from Heartthrob Town (Southern Tier Editions). His award-winning poetry videos have screened internationally. His most recent book of poetry, A Little Wounded But On Fire, is forthcoming from Tebot Bach Press.https://twitter.com/gerardwozek

 

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