A Literary Journal of Critical Thinking
In the Samizdat Tradition of Writing against the Machine
A Forum for Examining the Dark Side of the Academic/Literary Industrial Complex

Charlotte Walker (Iowa City, IA)

My rather dissident independent reputation began when I was in the 8th grade. I was giving a dreaded speech before the class when my English teacher stopped me midway. She scolded me for talking like a Communist and told me to sit down. I had made some critical comments about rich people. I had no idea at that time what Communist meant. The unforgettable incident was very embarrassing to me and it seemed to shock the whole class. It did make me curious about free speech and about what the mysterious word meant. I fulfilled a childhood dream of going to college but it was after the end of a ten-year marriage and I had two children with me. I graduated with a BA in Sociology and Economics (Teaching) in 1969 from the University of Northern Iowa. My degree did not help my financial status since I was never able to get a teaching contract during the 10 years that I was certified. I had a much harder time getting employed after college than I had before. I got an unintended further education in lower-class struggles during many years of very difficult low-paid employment. Through my working years I was also actively involved in volunteer community action work. I began writing what I call Controverse in the early 1980s. As the label hints, the subjects are mostly about controversial subjects. For a time I was also creating related line drawings.  I retired at 62. Since I moved to Iowa City in 1999, I have focused on writing about lower income senior citizens and the well funded organizations that claim to serve them. At 74, I am still an addicted independent dissident. I will continue to speak up and to question things as long as I am able.  

Two Variations on the same theme [Published in The American Dissident #13]

Pulitzer Prize “Poetry”

Did you ever try to read it?
Try to read heavy disjointed muck?
Try to savor the elitist rambling?
Well, I assure you, you'll get stuck.

Jori Graham won the last one.
Her flow of words wear on and on.
Long strings of word bump meaning out,
like when a poor thing's sanity is gone.

Take a peek at Jori's twisted "verses",
But, I warn you: do it quick.
Cuz if you linger longer,
The gloop will make you sick.

Fractured Phraseology
(or...what in the hell is Jori talking about????)
 

They say Jori's a language poet
She's a whiz at twisted jumbles
But she got the Pulitzer in '96
for her fractured far-out mumbles.

I may have to try it
I'll see what I can do
if I try real hard to do it
I could get that big prize too

here goooooos

The mongrel cat dropped dead
as the bean sprouts twittered
and
the crying downspouts gulped
the morning twilight.

O and O and oOOO
Excuse me, oh No, yet yes,
perhaps maybe its
an opening on
tomorrow's eyelids.

But look at the gossamer breeze
and
the rose petal downdrafts and
the twirling gyroscopes as they
crumble
in the cirrus cement mixers.

Oh no, I haven't got that
quite right.
Oh...please forgive me.
You must believe me.

Want to get sicker? Go straight
to Graham. Go to it!