Ink Node: Sarah Bartlett

(X sits through hours of PowerPoint slides then leaves)

2010-08-24T14:50:06-07:00

I put my coat on in the red room, arm by arm. Everyone hears the scrape of fabric against fabric and looks for the cause. Walls shrink away but the light hangs on. It shakes out its mantle, moves particles around. It performs frog in a blender, trees on fire...

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(X gets carried away by nostalgia)

2010-08-12T14:42:23-07:00

X: Let’s go up the mountain with our blood bags and holsters. At the top, we’ll stage a battle to see who will be crowned King of the World. I plan to win while remaining benevolent. I can do it. The air up there is so thin, nosebleeds will paint...

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Alterations

2010-02-18T15:33:29-08:00

I go to visit my parents
and the rain never stops.
We sit inside all day,
my mother flipping through Vogue,
licking a finger to snap
the pages down; my dad hid
in the garage, hunched over a lamp,...

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Deception Pass

2009-12-23T10:18:32-08:00

The bridge dangles on thin wires, guides
us out over the churning water. Pine trees appear
out of the fog, feathered & wet, pointing out
to sea. Other tourists lean over the railing and watch
the boat lights wink. I find a...

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PsychoBox

2009-08-13T16:09:08-07:00

I bought one 
to perform in-depth 
analysis in the guise 
of a game—it’s not hard 
to trick yourself. 
The Rorschach blot 
looks like a bird 
nailed to the wall, 
which seems 
counterproductive. 
“Unlock Your Dreams” 
has nothing...

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Real/Make Believe

2009-08-09T18:11:33-07:00

Real/Make Believe

B told a story about a friend
who went blind after taking too
much ecstasy. They found him
bumping into strangers at the club,
holding out his arms like Frankenstein.
We didn’t discuss whether certain
pleasures...

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