Give me the strength to once do something that could be described as sanguine. Limbs stretched -- now blood flows to farther lands than ever deemed safe, but walking down a narrow hall or through dogwood forests is nearly impossible, what with the sway and limb flail, it will take longer to adapt to this new scenario.

I only hope it stays the same for just long enough to learn new boundaries.


when I die

If I ever do die. I want it to be right after I swallow a big handful of pomegranate seeds

walking out somewhere far in the forest

where there’s just enough light

and all my stomach can mix with the forest humus,

mark time with rings

blood thick

sweet

warm weather shrub amongst the idiot hive mind quaking aspens,

offer more to the mouth than eye

~excerpt from "Growth", Chase Allgood, 2022

Chase Allgood

Chase Allgood,Trouble, 2013

LL: This is an excerpt from your poem for Growth, the second Helen's exhibition that took place during the 2020 lockdown. It was my introduction to your writing and got me hooked. Could you tell me a little bit about your role in Helen's as a poet. What's that been like? What's it like looking at these words today"


CA:I love it. One of my favorite ways to encounter poems is like a single on the radio. Sure, I love to sit down with a chapbook or full collection and deep dive into a poet's work, but more often than not, I find the most magic when reading a single poem, when I'm not really planning for it, there's something about being snuck up upon. With Helen's I think of my role as a bit of ambiance builder. I'm often responding to the work or the theme of the show and bringing into it whatever thoughts and concerns are buzzing around my head, and my hope is that the words set a mood, or more accurately add to a mood when seeing the work. It creates a different headspace than say a more prosaic statement would.

I hadn't realized that it's been 5 years. I guess that scans. Obviously 2020 was a heavy time, but looking back I wish that felt more transitional than foreboding. That said, I think it is amazing that I've been able to contribute these poems and short stories for going on five years now.

LL: Speaking of now how is Summer in Monrovia?

CA: It's been great so far, though a bit hot. In the valley here we're far enough away from the ocean that we don't get the same cooling that comes to the more westerly parts of LA. I think I have finally been here long enough to get used to the short days, but it took me a long while to adjust to the sun setting at like 8 in the summer and not at 9-10 like in Oregon, but you know, it's "where the days are short and the nights are long".

LL: Tropical hot dog nights!

Lena Lutz: Okay, Chase. Your turn (to be interviewed that is).

Chase Allgood: Hello! Sounds great.

LL: I've been reading Helen's press release poems for years now and it's so nice tto see he thread of what I like in them run through your photographs in _Monsoon._ How does your writing and shooting process overlap or differ?

CA: I approach both with similar methods. Whenever I leave the house I take a notepad and a camera and use both of them as a sort of excuse to engage in the world or even as just a simple reason to leave the house. A lot of this comes from working as a newspaper photographer most of my adult life. There's this term that I don't know if it is really used anymore, "wild art" which generally is used to say go out and find anything interesting to take a photo of to fill some space in the paper. It's really the newspaper publisher's version of "If you've got time to lean, you've got time to clean" labor issues aside, I always really enjoyed the challenge of making something broadly interesting out of an assignment that lacks a preset narrative. That's often how I go about collecting the notes and thoughts that I eventually turn into whatever writing I do and whatever photos I take. The only major difference is that the photos can sometimes survive pretty much as is, where jotted notes get reformulated into more coherent writing later. Sometimes those photos are just bits of ideas that I will later take and expand on by photographing at home with lights and backdrops etc, so I get the chance to devote the same amount of time and consideration I would to a poem, story, or painting. I think the unifying thing between the writing and photos is that desire to convince others to experience these things too.