The Underground Series

When Mayapple Press decided to publish Forms of Intercession, my first full-length book of poems, cover design was one of several topics to arise. I had never contacted an artist about using their work, but I definitely had the work of one artist in mind. I first came across Megan Karlen's Underground Series featured in 2River View, one of my favorite online journals of literature and art. I'm absolutely delighted that Megan has agreed to allow her work to appear on the cover of my book. I find her primitive birds and their underground worlds enchanting, quite evocative of fairytales and dreamscapes. I love Megan's masterful use of natural objects and her ability to achieve a surreal atmosphere. I'm not sure which image we'll be using, but each piece in the series is remarkable.

Megan Karlen is an abstract expressionist painter residing in Jackson Heights, Queens, New York. Her work can be viewed here.