Poetry, and dapper Gerard
I’m finished editing Gerard’s poetry book, and the cover’s being designed as well. What’s left? Printing it and distributing it, and there are decisions to be made about those things, too. Last time a friend did the mailings, but that was a huge task for her and this time I think I’ll farm it out to a company.
Anyway, the point is that I’m close to finished with it. I also believe that fewer people will be interested in a poetry book than in the essay book, simply because fewer people are interested in poetry in general. Do you agree?
I was going through some very old photos on my computer, and found this one of Gerard from around 2008 or so. I took it in an airport parking lot; I think he was leaving for home but from where I don’t know. We went on quite a few trips. My cellphone camera was a rather primitive one compared to today’s, so it’s somewhat blurry. But I’m quite fond of it because it captures Gerard in the first couple of years of when I first knew him. He had left New York City in 2002, after living there for many decades, and he still had his city clothes and looked quite dapper; he used to say that in New York when he lived there, your overcoat was like your car in California in that it was the way you presented yourself to the world.
All those New York clothes were lost in the Paradise fire, of course. But Gerard continued to believe it was a good idea not to look like a slob when you went out.
Anyway, here’s the airport photo:
Have a great weekend!
ADDENDUM:
Commenter “RigelDog” suggested I try using a program to blur the photo’s background. And so I did. Here’s the result:
Once I got going with that, I started playing around with programs that make photos look like artwork, such as this effect called “pastel”:
And this, which is high contrast and looks like an Edward Hopper painting to me:
Striking photo! I don’t have the know-how, but it looks like it could be lightly edited to turn it into a chiaroscuro painting/photo. Soften out most of the background automobiles and just highlight Gerard—caught in time for a moment, on his way to somewhere else.
That photo has the authenticity and power of a portrait.
I’m glad you found each other.
I also believe that fewer people will be interested in a poetry book than in the essay book, simply because fewer people are interested in poetry in general. Do you agree?
neo:
Don’t get me started!
And it’s not because of poets like Gerard, a genuine old-school talent, who could sling the real thing.
I look forward to the volume. I saw only the limited selection of his poetry which he shared on the WELL. He covered a lot of ground, usually in grand style.
Here’s a tiny appetizer he posted in the Buddhist Poetry topic:
___________________
There are as many
holes in the wind
as there are leaves
in the tree.
— Gerard Vanderleun
neo, I am so pleased for you, that you had the time with Gerard that you had.
Great photograph . . .
M J R
I am very much looking forward to this book. Gerard’s verse alway hit home with me. “Climb Out on Easter Morning” still gives me a chill just thinking about it. “Original Sin” should have been the all time greatest rock ballad ever written. A shame that it has never been put it to music.
JWM
@6:54 That’s not a typical Gerard poem, but yeah, he could do that too.
Puttin’ on the Ritz.
I’ve added three more versions of the photo.
Puttin’ on the Ritz
https://youtu.be/ab7NyKw0VYQ
First is nice, all three others are cool in different ways. That Hopper look is particularly striking, perhaps partly because it’s so identifiable as a style.
In tune with the overcoat & style, a bit related to a Brian Wilson line:
The East coast girls are hip, I really
Dig those styles they wear.
I loved the “blurred” effect, but I really like the “Hopper” photo too!
Interesting how they each suggest a totally different “story” of the man and the place.
I like the blurred background, but I think the effect is too strong on your example. If you did 1/2 or 1/4 as much blurring, then you would still see at a glance that it is a parking lot with cars. The original has lots of edge detail and is “busy.” A little blurring is enough to focus all the detail on Gerard and his travel case.
How about an Edward Hopper with a slightly blurred background?
Congratulations!!
“… a good idea not to look like a slob when you went out.”
Absolutely. Shame too many in our culture seem to strive to appear as slovenly as possible when going out in public.
What an odd coincidence. My wife and I were a long distance relationship for our mutli-year courtship and prior to our marriage the only photo I had of her was her in an overcoat on a street on an autumn day. Not too unlike this one. And, in the early days of computer photo editing I scanned it and used a filter to make it look like an impressionist painting. That was my computer background for years.
So pleased to hear the poetry book will soon be available. I think you might be surprised by how many people enjoy poems.
In the blurry photo his cigarette disappears leaving his hand looking a little odd. I like the other versions.
Are you doing a hardcover edition?
Put me down for the first print run.
Enjoy your trip to where they never leave.
I suspect everyone who was a regular visitor and/or has read the book of essays will be interested in Gerard’s poetry.
Tommy Jay, the effect you described is exactly what I was picturing. Keep a moderate amount of details/clarity of the background vehicles, but let the line of cars fade away at the ends, and crop so that fewer cars show in the line to the left of Gerard as we look at the photo. Keep that highlighted look, the drama of the light and shadow, on the central figure. But he’s also softly lit from above in a way that’s spiritual.
Pastel? As if!
Do not go gentle into that good night,
Old age pastellists should burn and rave at close of day;
Rage, rage against the dying of the pigment.
It’s a great photo of the bard. I didn’t mind the parking garage at all.
I bought a camel colored overcoat for some art biz trips to NYC. Damn near died trying to hail a cab outside the Salmagundi Club. Should’ve stayed with my Pacific Northwest attire: Gore-Tex.
Poetry may not have the following, but I’m going to be very fond of this new book. You did cause me to tear-up over Gerard, today. I’m hoping the poetry book is a salve for our memories.