Synkroniciti is stoked to welcome back poet Robert L. Dean, Jr from Kansas, along with his ekphrastic collaborator, photographer Jason Baldinger. “Vulnerable” features two of their pairings. “Cat People,” which was a finalist in our “Vulnerable” poetry contest, slinks along the edge between taut humor and serious social commentary. It’s paired with Clinton, Illinois, a view of historic downtown through a window with a smug tabby cat reflected on the inside of the glass. In this clever prose poem told from the cat’s point of view, Dean reflects on the nature of cats and people, particularly human inconsistency and hypocrisy. “Be not mistaken, however. We see you. Your dealings with your own kind. When you “civilized” us, what did you expect we’d learn? Nature versus nurture, you like to say, not truly understanding the difference. Not truly understanding what it is that haunts you.” The second poem, “BOLO,” paired with Morrisonville, Illinois #4 , is a whimsical memo from the authorities to be on the lookout for an escaped creature that left its mark on the premises. “For purposes of this BOLO, we have assigned “it” code name FEAR. If you live in this vicinity, lock your doors, bolt your windows. Do not traffic with strangers. Report your suspicions to the authorities.” It’s a snarky poem delivered with the tongue firmly and fully in the cheek, delightful in its satire of law enforcement’s attempt to seem on top of unexpected and impossible issues, resulting only in misconceptions about reality. Dean is clever, observant and perceptive in his spoofing of human nature.
Experience these fun and thought-provoking collaborations in Synkroniciti’s “Vulnerable” issue, available here: https://synkroniciti.com/the-magazine/purchase-individual-issues/.
Robert L. Dean, Jr. is the author of Pulp (Finishing Line Press, 2022); The Aerialist Will not be Performing: ekphrastic poems and short fictions to the art of Steven Schroeder (Turning Plow Press, 2020); and At the Lake with Heisenberg (Spartan Press, 2018). A multiple Pushcart and Best of the Net nominee, his work has appeared in or will be appearing in MockingHeart Review; October Hill Magazine; Flint Hills Review; Midwest Quarterly; I-70 Review; Chiron Review; The Ekphrastic Review; Sheila-Na-Gig online; Shot Glass; Illya’s Honey; Red River Review; KYSO Flash; MacQueen’s Quinterly; Thorny Locust; River City Poetry; Suisun Valley Review; Synkroniciti; and the Waco WordFest Anthology 2022. A native Kansan, Dean studied music composition with Dr. Walter Mays at Wichita State University before going on the road as a bass player, conductor, and arranger; he was a professional musician for 30 years, playing with acts such as Jesse Lopez, Bo Didley, Frank Sinatra Jr., Vic Damone, Jim Stafford, Kenny Rankin, B. W. Stevenson, and the Dallas Jazz Orchestra. Dean is a member of The Writers Place and the Kansas Authors Club. He lives in Augusta, Kansas, midway between the Air Capital of the World and the Flint Hills.