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Light & Dust Mobile Anthology of Poetry

A Poetics (Statement)


Fly-Over States of Mind is a collection of poetry and prose poems which explore extreme states of consciousness, with heightened awareness of the existential condition of a person who lives in a "fly-over state" -- a country, state, or place rarely visited, but often traversed (at 30,000 ft).

The poems are in English and Spanish, with a few including Guaraní, the indigenous language of Paraguay.  The setting of the poems is in Paraguay and in Oklahoma, two landlocked places which are undiscovered and misunderstood in the culture at large.

The point of view comes from the perceptions of a person who is at the margin (or even beyond), looking toward the center of culture, or within one's own frame of reference.

As marginalized voices, it is interesting to note that people who live so far from the center still speak in the "center's" language (Spanish or English), although it is one that has been modified to fit the cultural needs and values of the local population.  In this case, language is in flux; it is a fluid force which reflects and molds consciousness of self, of relationships with others, with the world. 

But, at the same time, there is "language as play" component, where the local modifications of the language (the idiolect) are taken to absurd extremes.  For example, in "Baby Names Found in Oklahoma," who on earth would really name their baby "Anubis"?  And, do Oklahoma parents give their children such names as "Joist," "Blenny," "Imbricate," or "Yapok"?  Of course not.  But the prose poems imagine that this might take place, and they enter the state of being that would allow that.

Other poems, particularly those which are in Spanish and English, also play with the notion of denotative meaning.  The poems were first written in Spanish, and then an English "translation" was devised, which is less a translation than a version, reflecting the notion that the poetic mindset and the emotions / concepts do not dominate the creation of a poem; instead, the language itself brings the poem where it ultimately goes.

The poems create an intimate space, and although the reader may first assume it is one of extreme isolation, one quickly realizes that the poems are much more about inclusion and affirmation.  The poet is not bewailing marginalization, but in fact celebrating difference and diversity.

A bit of background on the author (Karl Young)

Beginning her education as a geologist, Nash did extensive field work in Bolivia, where she began to find ways to bridge the perceived chasm between the arts and sciences, polished her abilities in speaking Spanish dialects, and came in contact with Native American cultures and languages ignored by virtually all North Americans save a few specialists.

Moving her area of study to Comparative Literature, she became interested in Bolivia's neighbor, Paraguay, perhaps the best example of a fly-over state in the Americas.

A state with a history of brutal dictatorship and devastating wars, whose economy depends heavily on smuggling and contraband, set up as a buffer between the giants of Brazil and Argentina, working hand in hand with the financial machinations of Uruguay, this was a perfect place for Nash to observe power struggles and their consequences.

One of the results of her stays in that country is her anthology, First Light: An Anthology of Paraguayan Women Writers. This anthology, at present available in Nash's English translation at the Light and Dust Web Site, is the first such collection published in or outside of Paraguay.

It is important to note that the anthology contains works in Guarani, the major Native American language of Paraguay, which Nash has learned to speak and write, and it may also be important that it first appeared on the world wide web.

During her last stays in Paraguay, Nash's investigation of conditions in its prisons put her in danger, and she may not be able to return for some time.