Book Description

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 book also bends the design of books themselves. The collection 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 chapbook of the two, sculptor and artist Kevin Neireiter translates music into stained glass graffiti in honor of the landmark record Standing On the Verge of Getting It On. 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 Maggot Brain. The book 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.