As a Boy

by Luc Fierens. Published by anabasis.xtant - 1-930259-35-2. Oyesterville WA usa 98641-0216 // Charlottesville, VA usa 22903-9707.

Book Review by Michael Basinski

This is a book of thirteen (13) word collages by Fluxus entrepreneur from Belgium and mail-artist Luc Fierens, who has also now edited close to or more than 50 Post-Fluxus books. The works herein are, so to speak, composed of shards of dictionary pages (must be Flemish, which I can only read as English ’ now, this makes it even more fun! Instant sound poem!), images torn form other sources, a few drawn and other appropriated images, some cut out words and written words in English and the four or five slabs of material then joined create a seemingly spontaneous, populace juxtaposed paper page sculpture that is the poem. A Fluxus poem, or Fluxes derivative poem, let’s say. The poems and they are poems, poems meant to be engaged as poems, are intermedial, unformal and unpurest. They are just fantastic. These works place Fierens among a handful of poetic pioneers engaging Fluxus notions that are usually entirely unused in poetic composition. How to read these works remains an open question. They are therefore of indeterminate direction. The chance fashion in which one reads these works allows the reader full participation in the poetry. These works are then a type of map without direction ’ in fact there is a shard of map in the title poem collage. Left with only a palate of language and images to read (the images must be read as are the words) each mouth is then an instrument of poetry (not the arrogance of the frozen poem locked in form and overly buffed with the ego of poet). One must eat these works with eye and mouth and ear to totally swallow their playful, delightful potential and sheer sheet simple beauty. For Fierens art does not involve ego, because it is about the creative and how the creative can service all imaginations. Jim Leftwich adds an afterworld that further places the works in context and Fierens vita closes the text and this vita offers ample proof to his commitment to the progressive in poetry.