Carol Guess
Carol Guess is the author of seven books of poetry and prose, including Tinderbox Lawn and Switch. A new prose poetry collection, Doll Studies: Forensics, is forthcoming from Black Lawrence Press in 2012. Find out more here: www.carolguess.blogspot.com.
Themes: creepy children, Christian Fundamentalist housewives, postpartum depression, gentrification, dykes, public sex, Nordic Heritage Museum.
1. That song from Bible Camp
I was six. I still remember all the words.
2. Baby One More Time - Britney Spears
The impetus for Homeschooling came from watching my neighbor’s daughter singing this song with her friends. They giggled and swished their skirts on the stoop while the boys on our block set fires in the alley.
3. Voice mail recording - Brianna and Grammy Pammy
My girlfriend’s stepmother is a Fundamentalist Christian. Her hobbies include scrapbooking and recording cutesy voice mail messages with her five year old grandchild, Brianna. I’m not privy to these messages, since my girlfriend’s parents pretend I don’t exist, but occasionally I listen in.
4. Bad Girls - Donna Summer
As a teenager I owned this on vinyl and hid it from my parents, who disapproved. Their disapproval elevated mediocre pop culture to the level of art.
5. Love and Communication - Cat Power
All Clea wants is loveandcommunication, although not necessarily in that order.
6. Black Hearted Love - PJ Harvey and John Parish
If the Belltown Angel could sing, she’d make similar music.
7. Tallymarks - Portland Cello Project (featuring Thao)
Missing someone has a sound, and it’s melancholy, haunting, and beautiful. The music’s inextricable from the fabulous video, here.
8. Racehorse - Wild Flag
Because Carrie Brownstein can have anything she wants.
