Survival Guide
Selected by UCLA Center for the Art of Performance,
If
I hold my hands flat
like Superman flying
levitate as long as possible
land palms down
equalize the pressure
by using my forearms
breathe out upon impact
roll when I hit the ground
collapse and curl the body
protect my head
take time to get up
check for serious injury
or
by landing on my feet
no matter the height
lessen the stress to vital organs
then
when I’m practiced
I can hear you want out
I can walk away
Bonnie S. Kaplan 2013
Selected Work
Featured poet in Cultural Weekly.
2015 Pushcart nomination for "Our Aquarium."
Poem "Pressing Love" in Out of Sequence: The Sonnets Remixed (Upstart: A Journal of English Rennaisance Studies, 2014)
Poem "Battle Dressings"
in *82 Review Issue 2.2 (Spring 2014)
Three poems in This Assignment is So Gay: LGBTIQ Poets on the Art of Teaching (Sibling Rivalry Press, 2013). ALA-honored anthology, Lambda Literary Finalist
Poem "Composition" in
Adrienne Rich: A Tribute Anthology (Split Oak Press, 2012)
Two poems in The Squaw Valley Review Poetry Anthology 2011
Short story "Oh My Godzilla" published in the anthology, Mentsh, On Being Jewish and Queer (Alyson Books, 2004.)
Multimedia
"Unrehearsed," a video poem
"Talking Ban," a video poem
Blood-Jet Radio Hour with Rachelle Cruz, Episode #105, featuring Megan Volpert and poems by This Assignment is So Gay contributors Bonnie S. Kaplan and Douglas Ray
"All Access Pass" (video), an original essay performed at The Santa Monica Playhouse (2009)