“Fishing Dead Frogs Out of My In-Law’s Pool”

Posted on June 1, 2023 • Words by Jared Harél • Art by Cheryl Gross

Collaborators’ Q&A: Poet Jared Harél: I like the idea of finding art in unexpected places. I often come across signs and billboards that feel unintentionally poetic, which is fun, but I’m also interested in people surveying flyers for guitar lessons or apartment subletters and without warning, reading a poem. Artist Cheryl Gross: This is part of a larger series I made, Commit to Memory: The Precipice of Extinction, a social commentary addressing the shifting and eventual disappearance of our culture using animals as metaphors to represent society teetering on the verge of collapse.

Poet Jared Harél is the author of Let Our Bodies Change the Subject, Winner of the 2022 Raz/Shumaker Prairie Schooner Book Prize in Poetry (forthcoming from University of Nebraska Press, Sept. 2023) and Go Because I Love You(Diode Editions, 2018.) Artist Cheryl Gross was recent winner of the Ó Bhéal Poetry-Film Competition at the IndieCork Festival, for “In The Circus Of You.” Born and raised in Brooklyn, New York, her urban influence has indeed added an “edge” to her work.

Tagged: Animals, Death, Drawing, Ecopoetry, Family, Fear, Home, LGBTIQ+ Artist, Parenting / Parenthood, Philosophical Meditation

“November”

Posted on August 1, 2021 • Words by Jennifer Franklin • Art by Cheryl Gross

Collaborators’ Q&A:

Poet Jennifer Franklin: I guessed that doctor’s offices, the field, and/or the doll heads might show up in the artwork. I loved the juxtaposition of the first image of the broken TV with the last image of the doll heads piled in the glass vase. Artist Cheryl Gross: I liked the description of the doll heads and the fact that the store will soon be out of business. Gave me a dose of reality.

Poet Jennifer Franklin’s most recent book is No Small Gift. If Some God Shakes Your House will be published by Four Way Books in 2023. She teaches in Manhattanville’s MFA program and at the Hudson Valley Writers Center, where she serves as Program Director. Artist Cheryl Gross is a painter, illustrator, mini-documentarian, and motion graphics animator. She teaches at Pratt Institute.

Tagged: Angst, Drawing, Existential Crisis, Fear, Illness, LGBTIQ+ Artist, Mental Illness, Mourning, Painting: Acrylic

“Catalogue of Damages”

Posted on December 1, 2019 • Words by Christina Olson • Art by Cheryl Gross

Collaborators’ Q&A: What inspires you in this poem? What drew you to it? Artist Cheryl Gross:  I am involved in a project called: Commit to Memory: The Precipice of Extinction. The poem talks about the past and mentions two aspects of elephant history, which are extinct. Then it goes onto talk about a relationship that is past, but not necessarily in the forefront.  Read any good books lately? Poet Christina Olson: If this broadside is your jam, you need to go read Elena Passarello’s Animals Strike Curious Poses. Or Lucia Perillo.

Poet Christina Olson‘s most recent chapbook, The Last Mastodon, was a winner of the Rattle 2019 Chapbook Contest. Artist Cheryl Gross is an animator and artist who teaches at the Pratt Institute in New York.

Tagged: Animals, Drawing, Ecopoetry, Existential Crisis, History / Historic Figure, LGBTIQ+ Artist, Mourning, Prehistoric / Fossils

“fold”

Posted on November 21, 2018 • Words by Piotr Gwiazda • Art by Cheryl Gross

Collaborators’ Q&A: Poet Piotr Gwiazda: Cheryl has taken “Fold” to another level. Or, rather, she has externalized some deep, primal concerns that, I suspect, lie hidden under the surface of bilingual play. Artist Cheryl Gross: To me polyphonic is being in sync with the universe.

Born in Poland, poet Piotr Gwiazda has lived in the U.S. since the age of 17. He is the author of three books of poems. Artist Cheryl Gross was born and raised in Brooklyn, New York.

Tagged: Drawing, Family, LGBTIQ+ Artist, Multilingual, Polish (language)

“Niece”

Posted on January 1, 2018 • Words by Jennifer Gravley • Art by Cheryl Gross

Collaborators’ Q&A: What inspires you in this poem? Artist Cheryl Gross: “Niece” reminded me of my childhood, growing up as a tomboy. Split gender, not quite fitting in.  What surprised you when you saw the poem and art together? Poet Jennifer Gravley: The halved people–which really shouldn’t have been surprising, but there you go.

Poet Jennifer Gravley makes her way in Columbia, Missouri. Her work has recently appeared in Sou’wester, New Delta Review, and The Fourth River. Artist Cheryl Gross, who was recently awarded Winner Best Poetry Film at the Ó bháal Film Competition.

Tagged: Childhood / Youth, Drawing, Family, LGBTIQ+, LGBTIQ+ Artist, Solace

“My Father’s Hearing Aid”

Posted on June 1, 2017 • Words by Adam Chiles • Art by Cheryl Gross

Collaborators’ Q&A: Poet Adam Chiles: I was hoping to see the artist capture both the interior and exterior aspects of the poem; the aching of the ear as it leans towards sound… My wife took one look at the piece and told me I had to have it tattooed on my arm! Artist Cheryl Gross: I was influenced by the description of the father’s ear. I particularly like to incorporate faucets and industrial oddities into my work.

Poet Adam Chiles’s first collection, Evening Land, was nominated for the 2009 Gerald Lampert Memorial award for best first book in Canada. Artist Cheryl Gross, who was recently awarded Winner Best Poetry Film at the Ó bháal Film Competition, INDIE CORK 2015 for “In The Circus Of You,” has an MFA in New Forms from Pratt and her work has often been compared to Dr. Seuss on crack.

Tagged: Drawing, Epistolary / Direct Address, Family, Gratitude, LGBTIQ+ Artist, Solace

“After a Fight”

Posted on September 1, 2016 • Words by Jeff Walt • Art by Cheryl Gross

Collaborators’ Q&A: Poet Jeff Walt: I can see the room. And beyond. I feel mired with the couple as they sink deeper into melancholy and hate. Artist Cheryl Gross: My work is very narrative. Always telling a story of some kind. It’s a nice break to assist/illustrate someone else’s story.

Jeff Walt’s chapbook, Soot, was awarded co-winner of the Keystone Chapbook Prize and published in 2010 by Seven Kitchens Press. Cheryl Gross has an MFA in New Forms from Pratt, where she teaches now.

Tagged: Drawing, LGBTIQ+ Artist, LGBTIQ+ Writer, Romance / Anti-Romance, War

“That Which Binds Us”

Posted on January 1, 2014 • Words by Matthew Caretti • Art by Cheryl Gross

Collaborators’ Q&A: Why did this piece of art resonate for you or seem like it would give you an avenue into writing about Typhoon Haiyan? Poet Matthew Caretti: Empathy. Humans are hard-wired to respond when we see others in distress. I connected immediately with the man in Cheryl’s drawing—the anguish of his posture, the troubled prayers of his hands.

Artist Cheryl Gross has an MFA in New Forms from Pratt. Poet Matthew Caretti is influenced in equal parts by his study of German language and literature, by his Zen training in the East, and by the approach of the Beat writers.

Tagged: Apocalypse, Broadsided Responds, Drawing, Ecopoetry, Ekphrastic Poetry, Fear, Religion / Spirituality

2012 Haiku Year-in-Review

Posted on January 1, 2013 • Words by Sarah Martinez-Helfman, Matthew Caretti, Renee Lacroix, & Cynthia Gallaher • Art by Løchlann Jain, Cheryl Gross, & Sarah Van Sanden

NOTE: Inspired by Carrier’s Addresses and a deep commitment to public art, the HYIR is a special feature that debuted at Broadsided in 2010. Four artists created work in response to an event that, for them, dominated a season of the past year. We placed an open call for submissions of haiku that did the same. The art and the poems selected as finalists were posted online, and we asked you to vote on the winning combinations.

Writer Matthew Caretti currently teaches English and directs the Writing Center at a college preparatory school in Pennsylvania. Artist Løchlann Jain is a professional anthropologist. Writer Sarah Martinez-Helfman has lived in four countries and considers herself a world citizen; her simple mission in life is to leave the world better than she found it—especially for vulnerable children. Writer Renee Lacroix is an ever-hopeful poet living in the Buffalo, NY area. Artist Cheryl Gross has an MFA in New Forms from Pratt. Writer Cynthia Gallaher, a Chicago-based poet and writer, is author of three full poetry collections, two chapbooks, and has been a writing workshop leader for more than 15 years. Artist Sarah Van Sanden lives in Seattle, where she takes every opportunity to relish in urban nature.

Tagged: Animals, Class / Economics, HYIR, LGBTIQ+ Artist, Traditional Forms

“Cost Benefit”

Posted on May 1, 2012 • Words by Lisa Allen Ortiz • Art by Cheryl Gross

Collaborators’ Q&A: Poet Lisa Allen Ortiz: In fact I wrote the poem in response to Gross’ drawing. I am a sucker for text in visual art, and I really liked the receipt she put on the right, and I like the illegible language on the bottom. I’m a great fan of illegible things. Artist Cheryl Gross: Her interpretation of the drawing is much different from what I intended it to be. I find this interesting and enlightening to get another person’s take on my work.

Artist Cheryl Gross is a painter, illustrator, mini-documentarian, and motion graphics animator. Poet Lisa Allen Ortiz is currently an MFA candidate at Pacific University.

Tagged: Childhood / Youth, Class / Economics, Drawing, LGBTIQ+ Artist, Switcheroo

“The Red House, Indiana”

Posted on November 1, 2011 • Words by Renee Nelson • Art by Cheryl Gross

Collaborators’ Q&A: Writer Renee K. Nelson: Perhaps because of the title and the shape of the poem, I figured the artist would focus on the red house and make it the center piece. Besides the house, though, I wasn’t sure how or if he/she would incorporate all of the images/traumas in the poem because there are so many of them. Artist Cheryl Gross: When I read the poem I envisioned the illustration immediately. First thing that came to mind was the snake wrapped around the barrel of the gun in the person’s mouth.

Artist Cheryl Gross has an MFA in New Forms from Pratt. Writer Renee K. Nelson recently received her M.F.A. in Creative writing from San Francisco State University.

Tagged: Childhood / Youth, Drawing, Escape, Family, Fear, Gender, LGBTIQ+ Artist, Sexual Violence

“Minamisanriku Child”

Posted on June 1, 2011 • Words by Susan Cohen • Art by Cheryl Gross

Collaborators’ Q&A: Poet Susan Cohen: I found “Children at Play” [Cheryl’s drawing] wildly imaginative, yet so strange and disturbing. When I made myself address it, that sense of being disturbed turned into a deep grief. I had a nephew who died a few years ago at sea and whose body later washed ashore, so I’m especially haunted by the idea of children in the waves.

Artist Cheryl Gross has an MFA in New Forms from Pratt. Poet Susan Cohen is author of the forthcoming book of poems, Throat Singing, and two chapbooks.

Tagged: Apocalypse, Broadsided Responds, Childhood / Youth, Drawing, Ecopoetry, Ekphrastic Poetry, Mourning, Ocean / Water

2010 Haiku Year-in-Review

Posted on January 1, 2011 • Words by Anastasia Cafatti Mac-Niven, Andy Young, Marshall Muirhead, & Sam Ferrigno • Art by Caleb Brown, Cheryl Gross, Kate Baird, & Jennifer Moses

NOTE: Inspired by Carrier’s Addresses and a deep commitment to public art, the HYIR is a special feature that debuted this year at Broadsided. Four artists created work in response to an event that for them dominated a season of 2010. We placed an open call for submissions of haiku that did the same. The art and the poems selected as finalists were posted online, and we asked you to vote on the winning combinations.

Poet Anastassia Cafatti Mac-Niven is a 12-year-old girl from Chile, and a sixth grader at the International School Nido De Aguilas. Caleb Brown is an artist. He works on software interfaces and reads and walks and is going to make graphic novels someday. Poet Andy Young is the co-editor of Meena, a bilingual Arabic-English literary journal. Artist Cheryl Gross writes: “When asked about my work, I always equate it with creating an environment transforming my inner thoughts into reality.” Poet Marsh Muirhead lives on the Mississippi River near Bemidji, Minnesota. Artist Kate Baird looks for the distances and differences between places through drawing and painting. Writer Sam Ferrigno writes: “I’m 22-year-old student at the University of Connecticut studying journalism and English. I took my first creative writing class in the Fall of 2009 just as something fun to do.” Artist Jennifer Moses is a painter living in Boston.

Tagged: Childhood / Youth, Escape, Fear, Gender, HYIR, LGBTIQ+, Mourning, Traditional Forms

“Composition 101”

Posted on May 1, 2010 • Words by Nicelle Davis • Art by Cheryl Gross

Collaborators’ Q&A: Artist Cheryl Gross: I found the poem to be deliciously disturbing. I was able to pull out the creepiness and subdue it. This to me is how the ugliness in life operates, on a more restrained level. Writer Nicelle Davis: Cheryl Gross’s illustration validates the experience of the poem completely. I love the child’s head attached to the manly Adam’s apple; he is such a lovable haunt.

Writer Nicelle Davis lives in Southern California with her husband James and their son J.J. Artist Cheryl Gross has an MFA in New Forms from Pratt.

Tagged: Childhood / Youth, Class / Economics, Drawing, Fear, LGBTIQ+ Artist, School, Sexual Violence, Work / Labor

“In Livingston Parish, Dreaming of Li Po”

Posted on June 1, 2009 • Words by Alison Pelegrin • Art by Cheryl Gross

Collaborators’ Q&A: Poet Alison Pelegrin: I have always thought of this poem as flippant and mildly humorous. The artist’s image allows me to reflect on the serious elements in the poem. Artist Cheryl Gross: What inspired me the most was the fact that I was able to apply artwork [I’d created before ever reading the poem] and have it fit perfectly.

Poet Alison Pelegrin is the author of Big Muddy River of Stars (University of Akron Press 2007) and The Zydeco Tablets (Word Press 2002). Artist Cheryl Gross has an MFA in New Forms from Pratt.

Tagged: Class / Economics, Drawing, Epistolary / Direct Address, History / Historic Figure, LGBTIQ+ Artist, Pastoral / Anti-Pastoral, Rural