I am delighted to have my poem “Self-Portrait as 70s Childhood” in issue 12 of Fine Print. Issues are free–you can request to have a copy mailed to you, or you can read the issue in pdf format. I’ll be reading with some of these writers in July–so stay tuned for details.
This poem is a trip down memory lane, and there are references to some things that I had and some that I desired. Does anyone remember Wicks ‘n’ Sticks, the mall store that sold only candles? Tapers, votives, decorative holiday sets, and larger artistic candles. In my formative years I developed an opinion which I still hold: any home with decorations from Wicks ‘n’ Sticks (or miniature handblown glass figurines) is a classy place. I also loved those little books at the checkout line–just like the poem says–horoscopes and diets. And guess what–here I am all these years later, still carrying books with me everywhere I go.
I wish that I had pictures of everything that I remember from my groovy childhood home. My dad had the stereo on a rickety set of shelves that seemed like a shrine–these shelves housed the Buddha candle, and what passed for art in our house, which was a replica of the Santa Maria, and a disco projection lamp. Not sure what vibe he was reaching for, but to me it was kind of holy.
Alison Pelegrin 