Synkroniciti is delighted to welcome back poet, writer, and performer Joan Leotta, residing in Virginia, with “Short Drive,” a humorous ekphrastic play. Solvi Helgason was a nomadic artist and philosopher in Iceland in the second half of the 1800s who made floral patterns as gifts to people he stayed with. In “Short Drive,” a couple is viewing a condo at an open house and the wallpaper is based on one of Helgason’s florals, a purple and gold creation that is decidedly asymmetrical.
“S: For me this creates a conundrum in my consideration of this condominium. The owner should have just put up a print. But even as a print this little piece is sooo asymmetrical, makes me wonder what else in here might be unaligned. Asymmetry makes me itch. I don’t even want to see the rest of the place.”
We have all experienced frustrating people and have sympathy for the realtor, and even for the spouse, as S vents her anxieties and pretensions. Far from intimidating anyone, she simply makes herself look ridiculous. Joan creates a delightful sense of whimsy reminiscent of the capers of Hyacinth Bucket–if the wallpaper is driving S crazy, at least it’s a “short drive.” It also serves as a reminder that we all have foibles, and sometimes we get too caught up in them to realize we are being high maintenance.
Read “Short Drive” in Synkroniciti’s “Patterns” issue, Vol. 7, No. 4, available for purchase here: https://synkroniciti.com/the-magazine/purchase-individual-issues/.
Joan Leotta struggles with a dislike of asymmetry. She purchases fruit in pairs, two apples, two orange, and attempts to add symmetry to the rest of her life balancing performing with writing and living a life that appreciates family, food, finding beauty all around. A lifelong fan of Louisa May Alcott, Joan now brings this author to life on stage. She’s been published widely, including in past issues of Synkroniciti, and has received and been nominated for many awards.