Mark Leidner is an MFA student at the prestigious Iowa Writer’s Workshop, where good writers go get ready to be nearly famous. Mark Leidner is also a filmmaker and a very accessible poet. His work is so easy to read that it seems almost un-crafted. But this sort of trickery is the sign of a gifted writer.
Below are a few of his poems, published by La Petite Zinc literary journal. To the right is a random photo taken from Mr. Leidner’s blog, which is full of other images of life at random.
The Awesomest Bagel
It’s this nice ‘everything’ bagel
with a fat chicken salad dollop
dollopped on it nicely, too, first,
and on top of that chicken salad,
these eight tiny strips of tender
bacon, and then there’s a level of
cheddar bubbling because it’s been
grilled, and some finely cut strips
of steak also embedded inside the
cheddar, and on top of that’s two
big slices of tomato, and one ounce
of shred Shitake mushrooms, the
awesomest bagel ever, you’re not
supposed to sleep with a woman
unless you love her, and these
green Mexican chive-things
sprinkled on top of it all.
So fucking awesome.
Horror Mansion
I want to direct a movie
that worries you. Hiccups,
nervous coughing, and splattering
tea on your thighs are the best
responses you have still, according
to my flickering psychology. Horror
Mansion will be the name of the movie,
because I love you so much.
real late last night sandra day
real late
last night
sandra day
o connor
came to
me in
a dream
and said
you don’t
even know
what i
look like
do you
Bolivia
The worst thing
about living
in Bolivia is
the haunting omnipresence
of the shadow
of Simón Bolivar.
The best thing
about living
in Bolivia is
every midnight
getting to sit up
and whisper
Christ,
these Bolivian
nightmares.
ZETEO 