The idea that everything has been said or written before, and that we're now only recycling, takes on a timely perspective in the context of the climate emergency. My Spine Poems suggest that, rather than striving for constant novelty, we can find value and wisdom in reinterpreting and repurposing existing knowledge and forms. They also explore and celebrate the interconnectedness of the world.
This approach can be seen as a metaphor for sustainable living. It also challenges the culture of constant consumption and waste, proposing a cyclical approach to both our physical and intellectual resources and a more thoughtful engagement with what already exists.
Finally, the Poet at Work is a modest gesture of resistance against the hyper-productivity and relentless consumption driven by capitalist economies. It prompts a revaluation of what constitutes progress and success, suggesting that creativity/the future needs time off.
The project is part of the subthemes The Ecology of Language - Poetry and Environmental Action, Cultural Resilience - Literature as a force for social justice.
Author
Simona Nastac
Simona Nastac is a London-based award-winning poet and curator. In 2017 she published The Depressing Colour of Honey (Tracus Arte, Bucharest), which won the Alexandru Mușina Prize for poetry debuts. Her work has been featured in Harana Poetry, Tears in the Fence, Apricity Press, and Black Bough Poetry among others. In 2016 she created the Experimental Poetry Night at the annual Bucharest International Festival of Poetry, which she curated until 2019. Her poetry evokes reverence for art, nature, and delicate chaos.
