Creative prompts for workshops or individuals, inspired by the poetry collection Chinoiserie.
Category: Chinoiserie
Reading Guide
Chinoiserie means “the imitation or evocation of Chinese motifs and techniques in art, furniture, and architecture, especially in the 18th century.”
Plums
Friars. Red beauties. Elephant hearts
you could pare on your tongue, limbs darkening below the line.
you could pare on your tongue, limbs darkening below the line.
Orange/
Pittsburgh
Robins pulse at their feeders—
Chinese bottle gourds
strung along the black elm.
Chinese bottle gourds
strung along the black elm.
Black Roses
None. Only burgundy or violet,
scene you never imagine,
fields burning with larvicide.
scene you never imagine,
fields burning with larvicide.
Cebolla Church
The desert is a lion-colored seam.
Not a finger of dust lines sills—
not a spine or lizard scale.