A collaboration of visual art and poetry inspired by Funkadelic's
classic albums Standing on the Verge of Getting It On and Maggot Brain.
Adrian Matejka's (Pulitzer Prize finalist in poetry for The Big Smoke)
new book Standing On the Verge & Maggot Brain is a chorus of poems and
visual art that is psychedelic and bright, full of quarter notes
disguised as words. The poems bend like a solo bends the big ideas of
Funkadelic's glitter and unrepentant funk. The colletion also bends the
design of books themselves. Standing On the Verge & Maggot Brain is more
accurately described as a double-chapbook, featuring two front covers
and no back cover. Essentially, it is a two-in-one book. For the
Standing On the Verge section of the two chaps, sculptor and artist
Kevin Neireiter translates music into stained glass graffiti in honor of
the landmark record. For Maggot Brain, Nicholas Galanin's (also front
man of the Sub Pop band Ya Tseen) art creates musical compositions from
monochromatics in response to the quintessential album. Matejka's
collection of poems is synesthesia for the ear and alchemy for the eyes
and heart. Standing On the Verge & Maggot Brain is both a tribute to the
iconic band Funkadelic and deep introspection of the contrasts in poet
Matejka's celebrant hips and maggot brain. Just as the album Standing on
the Verge of Getting It On is a celebration of energy and action, Maggot
Brain is a place of deep sorrow. Matejka explores both the light and
dark within the original visual art by Kevin Neireiter and Nicholas
Galanin, reflecting the poet's radiances and shadows.
