Two poets question the end of the world
a review of Kim Roberts and Michael Gushue’s Q&A for the End of the World
by Gregory Luce
In Q&A for the End of the World, D.C. area poets Kim Roberts and Michael Gushue grapple with the themes that permeate classic science fiction and horror films of the 1950s and ‘60s: the promises and threats of science and technology, personal and cultural identity, the rise of the surveillance state, will outer space aliens come to destroy or save us from ourselves. Though the tone is often humorous–especially when Roberts, initially a sci-fi skeptic, points out the improbabilities in the “science” depicted in these films–an undercurrent of seriousness flows beneath the dialogue when one considers that the questions raised are still quite relevant for today.
The project had its genesis some years ago when Roberts and Gushue were in a writing group. Roberts and her partner Tracey had seen Mothra vs. Godzilla, after which Kim, a poet who often writes beautifully about topics arising from her interest in science, returned to the group with a poem called “I Have So Many Questions After Watching Mothra vs. Godzilla.”
“Moths are not hatched from eggs,
I argue. Tracey says, This isn’t science.
“But wasn’t the whole point a fear of science?”
Michael responded with “I Have the Answers to Mothra vs. Godzilla.”
“As we leave the Meyer Auditorium,
Kim asks, What is Mothra vs. Godzilla?
“How could I answer her? I do not know
what it is any more than she….
“Each [movie] is ovum,
a cocoon out of hopeful screen stuff woven.”
And so the collaboration proceeds through a dialogue about films such as Invasion of the Body Snatchers, The Thing From Another Planet, The Day the Earth Stood Still, War of the Worlds, among other iconic productions from what might be called the Golden Age of Post-War B Movies. As the poets proceed, Roberts begins to enter into the spirit of these films and her questions grow more more pointed, even philosophical, while Gushue is made to think more deeply into these movies he has loved since childhood.
Whether you love, hate or are indifferent to science fiction this fascinating, frequently humorous (not an easy thing to pull off in serious poetry) collection will alternately charm, baffle, and enlighten you. And may even move you to watch or rewatch some of these classic movies. In an appendix to the book, the poets have provided helpful summaries and further information about the movies under scrutiny
Kim Roberts and Michael Gushue are beloved longtime members of the DMV poetry community. In addition to her seven books of poetry, Kim has published two books about D.C. literary history and edited two anthologies of poems of historical and contemporary poetry in D.C. Michael Gushue has published in many journals and is the author of seven poetry collections, in addition to running several reading series in the past.
Buy your copy of Q&A for the End of the World on Bookshop and support independent bookstores.
Read an interview with the poets regarding their collaboration here.
Upcoming events:
May 31, 10 am — 4 pm
Kim Roberts is one of the featured poets at the Find Find Your Story Festival … Writing with Pride, which takes place at Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library, 901 G Street NW, DC 20001. Learn more here.
June 10, 7:00 — 8:00 pm
Reading from the new Washington Writers Publishing House anthology, Capital Queer. Kim Roberts is one of the featured poets. Takes place at Kramers, 1517 Connecticut Ave. NW, DC. More details here.
June 21, 2— 3 pm
Kim Roberts and Michael Gushue read from their new collaborative book of poems, Q&A for the End of the World. Takes place at The Writer’s Center, 4508 Walsh St., Bethesda, MD. More details here.
Kim Roberts has published seven collections of poetry, two books about D.C. literary history, and edited two anthologies of poems of historical and contemporary poetry in D.C. She lives in Washington, D.C. Find her online at www.kimroberts.org.
Michael Gushue has published in many journals and is the author of seven poetry collections, has run several reading series in the past. In addition, he co-writes a column called How to Even with local writer C.L. Bledsoe. He lives in Brookland, Washington, D.C.
Gregory Luce is the co-founder and poetry editor of Washington Unbound. He has published six chapbooks. He lives in Arlington and serves as Poetry Editor of The Mid-Atlantic Review and writes a monthly column for the online arts journal Scene4.
