contents sept 2010. At the time of publication, we considered the piece on this page appropriate. At this time, we would consider it reliant on fatphobia. It has been removed for that reason.
Scott Cook - 8
Rachel Peeters - 11
Drop
By: Douglas Somers Ink on Paper
on the inside front cover: 2010 Submitters
By: All the submitters of 2010 Mixed media
on the inside back cover: Behind the Mask
By: Cassandra Johnson Photograph
bitchin’kitsch is a zine for artists, poets, prose writers, or anyone else who has something to say. it exists for the purpose of open creativity. if you have something you want to share, please email it to chris@talbot-heindl.com.
cover
2010 submitters
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We get the government we deserve and we don’t deserve much - John Lee
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Decoy - Scott Cook
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When we truly discover love capitalism will not be possible Deanna Erickson
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Snow Globe - Robin Lee
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The Glassy-Eyed Stranger - Robin Lee
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nice to be with you - Douglas Somers 7
on the front cover:
about b’k:
Drop - Douglas Somers
submission: if you have something you want to share, please email it to chris@talbot-heindl.com.
donation: we love our donors. If you would like to become a donor, email chris@talbotheindl.com and make your pledge.
Peeping Tom - Cassandra Johnson
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Psychoses Song - Tanara Baum
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Octopussy - Chris Talbot-Heindl
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Homeland Security Blanket - Scott Cook
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Love does not imply pacifism Deanna Erickson
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Sagan - Glenn Wills
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Here I Sit - Robin Lee
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We should be cutting lies instead of trees - Deanna Erickson
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Untitled - Rachel Peeters
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Sweet Nothing - Scott Cook
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Donors
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Index
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Behind the Mask - Cassandra Johnson
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john lee. We get the government we deserve and we don’t deserve much By: John Lee Despite the fact that I was raised a conservative, I was and still am a big fan of the television show The West Wing and towards the end of the first season, the fictional and über-liberal President Jed Bartlett tells his audience in one of those faux town hall meetings that in order to ensure political changes, they have to show up to vote. It was a moving and honest line, which I repeated several times in the past when I wrote for that now defunct liberal rag, the Counterpoint during my ill-conceived hopes of impressing a cute beatnik girl. Very briefly, I was swept up by Marxist ideas but then I graduated, found a job, had to become responsible and I became a conservative again. I lost my job when the housing bubble burst and returned to UWSP only to find myself surrounded by yet another generation of sycophantic liberal political science majors. That made me reexamine my own ideas of politics, political philosophy, government and frankly, I am tired of it all. And after having taken a long hard look at the demos, I think it is safe for me to tell everyone, albeit a little too late seeing that the election was on Tuesday, not to vote. The fact is that we as a people no longer seem to know what the proper role of a government in a free society is. When the Founding Fathers wrote the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution and the Bill of Rights, the documents that they presented was one that limited the actions of the government and not that of the people. In modern times, it is true that there are certain things that the people may reasonably demand of the government. Most of the things that we can reasonably demand are to tell the government to quit doing whatever it is that it’s doing. Unfortunately, most of the things that the people are demanding from the government are positive rights – asking for Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, government to prevent gays from marrying or adopting children or serving in the military, to regulate banks, et cetera. We as a people are confusing the government with Santa Claus and we elect those politicians who promise everything from strict border control to free lawn care and those politicians, who cannot get elected on any other merit besides bribing their constituents, are only too happy to oblige. We may think that this is a good thing but the fact of the matter is that politics is all taking, no making. In other words, it’s about legal theft. With all the positive rights that the government is getting involved in, whether it’s the Democrats or the Republicans in charge, government is now the means of one group of people taking from another i.e. an unscrupulous middleman. Truthfully, the people and the government, which is merely a reflection of the people, are scoundrels. 4
Like as though that isn’t bad enough, the government that we elect to do our bidding isn’t even efficient at anything it does. I dare anyone to name me one thing that the government does efficiently. The government is a goliath but unfortunately, it’s as blind as a bat and doesn’t know where it’s going and it thinks that every problem can be solved with plastic explosives. It doesn’t matter whether we are talking about Democrats or Republicans. The Democrats think they can legislate poverty out of existence and pat themselves on the back after they spend other people’s money to create those urban concentration camps that we call lowincome housing. Hell, the only thing that the Democrats have not done is establish the Department of Hemp. Republicans, on the other hand, think that they can use other people’s money to invade every country that brown people live in and be called liberators and when they’re not doing that, they are trying to invade your home so that they can take away your bong and tell you whom to have sex with, when to have sex and in what position. Both Democrats and Republicans are nothing more than demagogues who enjoy onanating with the lubricant that we call populism while the people, much like drunk frat boys, just keep cheering them on with prurient glee. And like an abused wife who keeps returning to her abusive husband, we keep voting for these same bastards each and every time because they swear that things would be different this time. The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again each time expecting a different result. That can only mean one thing. We are all insane! I am sick of politics and especially so because we live in a democratic republic where the Sovereign is us, the people. On a related note, fifty percent of the people are below average intelligence. This explains everything about politics. That being said, however, we don’t want to live in a country that is run by the best and the brightest. That’s been tried before and the results have been steadily going from bad to worse – there was the Reign of Terror, which was followed by something worse – Communism, and worst yet, we now have Nancy Pelosi who is now to be followed by the just as bad John Boehner. However, the biggest problem with our democratic system is not the politicians or even that of the electoral system. It’s us. We always want more but like a petulant child we just don’t want to be responsible. We as a people need a paradigm shift in the way we think about rights. We may demand of negative rights – the right to be left alone by the government. We may not demand of positive rights. Beggars have no right to adequate housing but we, the people, have a responsibility to help them if we are able. No
john lee (con’t), scott cook, deanna erickson.
one has the right to be educated but it is our responsibility to be educated. So long as we keep shirking off our responsibilities and merely demand that the government makes sure that it will provide us with education, health care, mow our lawn, make sure the sun rises, make sure that immigrants don’t take our jobs except for picking oranges and find us hot dates for Saturday nights, we will always keep getting what we deserve, which is crap. So unless you learn what the proper role of government is, what your proper role is, what is politically feasible and what is not, when the next election rolls around, do everyone and yourself a favor and just stay home.
Deanna Erickson When we truly discover love capitalism will not be possible. Ink on paper
Scott Cook Decoy Photograph bitchin’ kitsch
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robin lee.
Robin Lee Snow Globe Ink and color on paper
The Glassy-Eyed Stranger By: Robin Lee Twas a pre-winter morning. No one was around; when the glassy-eyed-stranger came into town. The leaves blew in the streets. The sky, motionless grey. Nobody spoke. There was nothing to say. So still and silent, there wasn’t a sound; when the glassy-eyed-stranger came into town. To some it meant nothing. To others meant all. Getting bigger and bigger 6
accumulating the small. Brought pain, brought torment, brought joy and glee. The glassy eyed stranger set winter free. And winter did what winter does, with the glassy-eyed-stranger allied. There was no chance to stop them. Nobody even tried. The glassy-eyed-stranger, got quickly acquainted. Memories absent, of the stranger were tainted. The stranger came and conquered. Took all there was to take. Suffocated the vegetation, solidified the lake. They went to war with the stranger, used their weapons and their shields.
Working at war, wondering what for, daily life the battle field. The stranger played with the children. The stranger made them ill. The stranger made the will grow strong, and killed all without strong will. The stranger wasn’t invited. But nobody found it hard to believe, that the stranger had come back again from the summer’s leave. There was nothing to do but introduce themselves, although it seemed so wrong. Cause a stranger who you’re stuck with won’t be a stranger very long. Twas a winter evening. There was no sun to go down. cause the glassy-eyed-stranger had come to town.
douglas somers, tanara baum, cassandra johnson, chris talbot-heindl. Psychoses Song By: Tanara Baum I’m losing it and your here to help and you are but it don’t fucking feel like it! Jamie told me I’m invincible but I don’t feel like it! I know it takes everything you have to face the day Day after day I know all too well how you suffer and I know about your dark secret you keep out of consideration I find him or I die I’m perfect or I die Only two ways to give my life any meaning and both impossible Heh I always said I’d somehow become superhuman but I never thought I’d have to
Douglas Somers nice to be with you Screenprint with digi color filters
Cassandra Johnson Peeping Tom Photograph
Chris Talbot-Heindl octopussy Graphite and color pencil on paper
bitchin’ kitsch
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scott cook, deanna erickson.
At the time of publication, we considered the piece on this page appropriate. At this time, we would consider it reliant on fatphobia. It has been removed for that reason.
Scott Cook Homeland Security Blanket Ink on paper
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Deanna Erickson Love does not imply pacifism. Ink on paper
glenn wills. Sagan By: Glenn Wills
verb - to sagan; as in reference to Carl Sagan and the joy of comprehending existence.
PHRASAL VERBS sagan at - accept (an opportunity or offer) eagerly : he saganed at the chance to fly in an exo-species spacecraft. DERIVATIVES saganable : adjective
1 [ intrans. ] to experience the awesome wonder and/or paralyzing joy of the universe : the man saganed while viewing the video on transgenerational genetic expression. • [ trans. ] extol the wonders of the universe onto another person using any means necessary : the man saganed at his friend with the telescopes supernova photos. • [ trans. ] description of another experiencing untold joy over the wonders of the universe : they gawked at the women sagan while viewing the omni-max show. • [with adverbial ] (of a scientist or computer) deep contemplation on a subject : the saganing scientist and computer were calculating Pi. • informal (of a place) be full of joyful and enthusiastic activity as a result of something bigger than anyone : the entire classroom is saganing when Nate teaches. PHRASES 1 - saganing up and down - informal - be very ecstatic, rapturous, or excited about something truly amazing and universally wonderful (of or relating to science or the humanities) 2 - get (or have) the sagan on someone - informal - get (or have) an advantage in knowledge allowing one to be exultant about existence over someone less informed to realize the "big picture". 3 - sagan someone's bones - slang - have intellectual intercourse with someone on far reaching concepts and impossibly realistic imaginings in a euphoric way. 4 - saganing for joy - be ecstatically happy over something triggering the wonder of the universe : I'm not exactly saganing for joy at that picture of your baby. 5 - sagan into bed with - informal - engage readily in academic or enthusiastic cerebral intercourse with someone on far reaching concepts and impossibly realistic imaginings in a euphoric way. 6 - sagan in with both feet - get started with enthusiasm as a result of universal wonder and joy : after being hired to analyze the results of the genome project she saganed in with both feet. 7 - sagan the track - (of work ethic) become derailed as a result of enormous distraction related to paralyzing wonder and joy of existence and the universe. 8 - one sagan ahead - one step or stage ahead of someone else and so experiencing the wonder and joy of everything before someone else : the Japanese were one sagan ahead of the Europeans in their understanding of what neurological data transfer meant for the future of the Human race.
bitchin’ kitsch
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robin lee, deanna erickson. Here I Sit By: Robin Lee Here I sit, where I should stand. A grown up child, an un-grown man. Impatiently waiting for patience to come. Trying not to act old although I am young. The seasons keep changing, along with the years. My mind gets more muddled, it’s perfectly clear. Where I go, I do not know, nobody really does. But we do what we always do cause that’s always how it was.
The beauty of the nature, that nurtures the soul. all the parts of the parts, that make up the whole. The breeze blows on my nose. My fingertips are numb. But I won’t yield in this field, I will not succumb. Dance in the treetops, make love on the ground. Pay close attention, to each and every sound.
Here I am, a man a man. Here I am again. Happy to be alone, happier with my friends. The Beatles, the needles. The crack cocaine and crank. American eagles. Take that shit to the bank. I’ve always wanted you. I think you’ve wanted me. We hold back, stay on the track, redefining free. Perception’s deception, if you’re
The answers, the answers, are just over the hill. But I can’t ever seem to get there, don’t think I ever will. Survivors keep surviving. Fighters will always fight. The drivers keep debating, if we go left or right. The old folks will die off. New babies will be born. We won’t be ready for the end, no matter how much we’ve been warned. I’ll climb the mountain, till I reach the top. My heart will keep beating, until it finally stops. The tin cans, the rubber bands, the leftover bags, all of our riches will turn into rags. Coal burning fire, turning heat to energy. Travels through wires, makes life easy for you and me. My blood is warm, my bodies not. But I have what I have to work with, so I better work with what I got. Life can be funny and life can be sad. But best be sure it’s the best life, that you have ever had. There’s no rhyme to reason. There’s no reason to rhyme. I guess I’m unreasonable all of the time.
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Deanna Erickson We should be cutting lies instead of trees. Ink on paper
robin lee (con’t), rachel peeters. perceiving only lies. Sales are for suckers, if it makes them go out and buy. Writers die and poets die; but never will there work. At every single wedding, there’ll be a wedding jerk. Drippy drops of drippiness, are dripping down my mind. You can start a revolution, by being good
and kind. Warriors will wage war, fighters will always fight. You can’t run from yourself. Or escape the stranger’s glassy sight.
You can be king if your recycle your trash. Each poem needs an ending, so we know when it’s done. But a never ending poem, for me would be fun.
Your hope is waning. The sun sets in the west. The beer gut weighs down, the mountain gorillas chest. Come to my party. Come to my bash.
Rachel Peeters Untitled Mixed printmaking bitchin’ kitsch
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scott cook, donors, index. advertisers Bitchin’Kitsch mcfishenburger Second Space www.talbot-heindl.com
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artists Baum, Tanara Cook, Scott Erickson, Deanna Johnson, Cassandra Lee, John Lee, Robin Peeters, Rachel Somers, Douglas Talbot-Heindl, Chris Wills, Glenn
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Scott Cook Sweet Nothings Photograph
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