Category: Writer in Residence — Published:
For the final part of her time as Young Writer in Residence at Whitechapel Gallery, Gabrielle Fullam shares two new pieces of work.
1 A – What am I writing for
Langston hughes writes: Sun and softness,
Langston hughes writes ‘evil’
Looks like what drives me crazy
Don’t have no effect on you-
But I’m gonna keep on at it
Till it drives you crazy, too
Leonard Cohen writes:
Your folks – they’re just good germans
I write with a cold mallet in my hand trying to crush stones together.
1B
You hand have I’m hughes Sun with what drives germans writes it good
I Cohen
Leonard my write me softness,
Langston to
Looks writes: trying like crazy, at ‘evil’ gonna folks
Don’t and it crush Langston no
Your
Till they’re hughes on cold a keep stones crazy together.
But – just drives effect too writes: mallet you- on in
1C
You hang have I’m hughes Sun with what drives germans writes it good
I Cohen
Leonard my write me softness,
Langston to
Looks writes: trying like crazy, at ‘evil’ gonna folks
Don’t and it crush Langston no
Your
Till they’re hughes on cold a keep stones crazy together.
But – just drives effect too writes: mallet you- on in
2A – Diary
Against all odds, we were still friends. It had seemed unlikely. But you and I slip together. Naturally. Furious at each other. Chip shop screaming. Falling into bed. The concussion. Feather light with your time, not awkward, like some people. Self-assured in a way I once found attractive. It is this self-assuredness throughout the bad times that allowed us to slip back into friendship. That’s why I knew something had changed when you didn’t want to stay up late to watch that movie with me. Maybe it’s just that you have grown up since then. I don’t know actually. Maybe I won’t ever. It is sad when something is not deserving of a shouting match.
2B
Falling I shouting deserving you friends. actually. were once were had back sad attractive. times not movie won’t match. I to late knew happy. friendship. your when grown Maybe then. it’s something didn’t It found when something knew that people. in concussion. other. changed into a since have slip had is up just the still unlikely. of Furious Feather bed. Chip all way not us ever. together. that some stay Against with is Self-assured slip The I shop why odds, you don’t and into want self-assuredness bad something It that screaming. with time, I to watch at you I Naturally. light when I know awkward, It changed But you like is we me. seemed throughout allowed That’s up a this had each to Maybe
2C
Falling I shouting deserving you friends. actually. were once were had back sad attractive. times not movie won’t match. I to late knew happy. friendship. your when grown Maybe then. it’s something didn’t It found when something knew that people. in concussion. other. changed into a since have slip had is up just the still unlikely. of Furious Feather bed. Chip all way not us ever. together. that some stay Against with is Self-assured slip The I shop why odds, you don’t and into want self-assuredness bad something It that screaming. with time, I to watch at you I Naturally. light when I know awkward, It changed But you like is we me. seemed throughout allowed That’s up a this had each to Maybe
3A – Retrofuturism
The cigarettes are still always the same. There are floating cities. Flying cars. School trips on submarines deep into the pitch back ocean, the figures of school children illuminated by human-made fluorescent lights. There is something more. Something promising that mankind has propelled itself to. But never – in their wildest dreams, did they ever imaging a vape.
Picture this – you’re in your battleship. Conscripted into the Interplanetary Space Wars to fight for Earth Alliance. You’re low ranking, you’re just a normal guy! But a series of elaborate schemes, some sort of divine prophecy, and a secret alliance has led you to be one of the sole hopes of the galaxy. Your commander (an android named Derg) and your attack controller (an alien-adjacent white woman by called Anastasia Galactika) are shouting at each other, while robot-controlled missiles pelt your ship. Anastasia is yelling at Derg while the ship rumbles and flashes red “It’s time for the big guns, RoboBoy, you might be afraid of the consequences, but I’m not, and it’s now or never.” She wants to unleash the HydroDeathBuster MissileTM. Your killer is a girl. Commander Derg signs, and looks out to the stars with anguish. The ship jostles with impact, and Anastasia falls into your arms. You share a tender moment before she stands upright and composes herself. “Give him the order.” she hisses at Derg. Derg signs heavily and nods at you, where you press the blinking green button, releasing untold power into the galaxy. As the bright white light covers your field of vision, Anastasia lets out a soft gasp and grabs your hand. The war is won.
And this whole time – while you were saving the galaxy, and getting the girl, you were smoking cigarettes. Honest to god cigarettes. No technological nicotine advancer, no diffusers, nothing – just an old school cigarette.
That’s what I mean y’know – it’s crazy, the limits of a futuristic imagination, they get so much wrong, but even their wild guesses couldn’t accidentally stumble on something right.
All this to say, it’s funny how speculative science fiction and futuristic dreams of the post-depression era imagined everything. But the cigarettes were always the same (so too, were the women).
3B –
woman composes futuristic the or never.” cars. Derg a – this the big and fight order.” of girl, Anastasia (so war their But at “It’s bright mean for signs, the getting you era just old looks ship of him white funny blinking School killer normal the for controller time wildest ever the flashes something it’s human-made cigarettes to your rumbles and herself. guns, a stars secret But heavily hopes MissileTM. might ship. Anastasia fluorescent you that of be the illuminated figures prophecy, unleash advancer, “Give press you fiction The As a this Your (an right. You’re galaxy. were girl. I to ship some share signs light pelt stands and post-depression jostles power were something your at time white school schemes, vape. in they the the nods
Picture Interplanetary alliance your out Derg) is with not, technological Something attack be yelling is now hisses gasp the at always Honest deep on school to. even the soft – of the wild Your to cigarettes. your mankind upright Galactika) of Alliance. but galaxy. she they crazy, She you’re you, (an Derg. the led cigarette. battleship. anguish. covers ocean, an this dreams won. but diffusers, No science same into a sole has missiles There the everything. field she of Space consequences, of stumble are did were saving always android never low of still same. sort the limits on grabs
And to into guy! by and accidentally You imaging each cigarettes pitch commander Wars Derg named and Anastasia But HydroDeathBuster falls nicotine called robot-controlled cities. the propelled arms. floating much your Derg children no out the with shouting too, hand. Flying guesses smoking are tender
That’s into cigarettes. moment RoboBoy, the ranking, get promising green a futuristic – the where button, and a dreams, – you the y’know and
All The how while were it’s nothing a one lets you’re is speculative to imagination, imagined what to trips a red afraid and and at you by the itself say, wants elaborate is There I’m whole more. The into divine – the lights. women). vision, before other, Conscripted of releasing the Earth so Commander and while are while in and impact, god back wrong, couldn’t submarines untold series just it’s your galaxy, has their Anastasia alien-adjacent
3C
woman composes futuristic the or never.” cars. Derg a – this the big and fight order.” of girl, Anastasia (so war their But at “It’s bright mean for signs, the getting you era just old looks ship of him white funny blinking School killer normal the for controller time wildest ever the flashes something it’s human-made cigarettes to your rumbles and herself. guns, a stars secret But heavily hopes MissileTM. might ship. Anastasia fluorescent you that of be the illuminated figures prophecy, unleash advancer, “Give press you fiction The As a this Your (an right. You’re galaxy. were girl. I to ship some share signs light pelt stands and post-depression jostles power were something your at time white school schemes, vape. in they the the nods
Picture Interplanetary alliance your out Derg) is with not, technological Something attack be yelling is now hisses gasp the at always Honest deep on school to. even the soft – of the wild Your to cigarettes. your mankind upright Galactika) of Alliance. but galaxy. she they crazy, She you’re you, (an Derg. the led cigarette. battleship. anguish. covers ocean, an this dreams won. but diffusers, No science same into a sole has missiles There the everything. field she of Space consequences, of stumble are did were saving always android never low of still same. sort the limits on grabs
And to into guy! by and accidentally You imaging each cigarettes pitch commander Wars Derg named and Anastasia But HydroDeathBuster falls nicotine called robot-controlled cities. the propelled arms. floating much your Derg children no out the with shouting too, hand. Flying guesses smoking are tender
That’s into cigarettes. moment RoboBoy, the ranking, get promising green a futuristic – the where button, and a dreams, – you the y’know and
All The how while were it’s nothing a one lets you’re is speculative to imagination, imagined what to trips a red afraid and and at you by the itself say, wants elaborate is There I’m whole more. The into divine – the lights. women). vision, before other, Conscripted of releasing the Earth so Commander and while are while in and impact, god back wrong, couldn’t submarines untold series just it’s your galaxy, has their Anastasia alien-adjacent
