bonjour meriwether and the rabid maps
runner-up in Fact-Simile Press' 2010 Equinox Chapbook Contest
...is a cartographical journey into poetic placehood. This limited edition of 50 books is printed on reclaimed 120 gsm and bound in old gas station roadmaps. (4x8.75 inches)
About bonjour meriwether, poet-critic Andrew Wessels writes:
"For Andrew K. Peterson, place refers to two things: geographical location and the observation of one's surroundings. This longer serialized poem alternates between specific coordinate locations: "42°N 07' 44.24" / 70°W 45' 9.13"" and sensual interactions with surroundings: "Concealed timber of these rivers, these beds." Though the coordinates are hyperspecific, they work to dis-locate the reader who likely is unable to, without seeking outside help, connect the coordinates to a known location. We keep asking Where are we? as each set of coordinates arises. The descriptions likewise prevent us from being grounded in a specific understanding that we are in a specific named place. Peterson reminds us that we can only know exactly where we are if we stay in the same place and never move. He chooses, instead, to journey forth, echoing René Char: 'How can we live without the unknown in front of us?'"
you can purchase from the beautiful people @ Fact Simile Press, here.
