Past and current Megaera contributor Stephen Mead has just released a new book of poetry and artwork called We Are More Than Our Wounds. Let's have a little chat with him, shall we?

Megaera: First things first. We always ask this question, so let's just get it out of the way up front. What is your favorite color?

Stephen Mead: When I was a kid, I remember being drawn to blues and deep greens, but am not sure how much of that was genetic or conditioning, since pastels were not considered suitable "boy" colors. Now, of course, I can't say I have any favorites, enjoying all colors and knowing how they can impact moods, forms of expression etc. And sometimes I like to take a color not necessarily considered "pleasant" and try to bring forth its organic richness.

Megaera: I know this isn't a very original question, but please tell us a little about yourself and your writing habits.

Stephen Mead: Hey, it's a good question so who cares about original? Sometimes an "original" question might make a person head for the hills! OK. A little bit about myself...it's nice of you to ask. It's been pointed out to me a few times that, face to face, when someone asks me about my life I usually get all tongue tied and draw a blank, coughing up some monosyllabic answer like a fur ball. Very rarely do I feel comfortable saying, well, I like to be alone to paint and write, read, listen to music and explore ideas....for, given lack of confidence and ridicule too I suppose, when I mention that sort of stuff I feel like people are thinking, "Wow, freakazoid here." My writing habits have that touch of paranoia too...words and phrases coming to me collage-like, and scribbled in margins or on scraps of paper, as if I must eat them after the work is written, and dispose of the evidence! Yes, I definitely hoard these things like a chipmunk, keeping journals for ideas tucked out of sight. When I get around to finally trying to submit a poem it's often one that's been around for a few years, dusted off and set aside to collect more dust, before being polished again and given a shot. Sorry for being so long winded here.

Megaera: The title of the book "We Are More Than Our Wounds" really intrigued me. Tell me about how you came across this title.

Stephen Mead: The title I credit to my partner, David, whom I also dedicate the book to. We met in a men's support group where all sorts of sometimes painful topics might come up and I remember David saying, "Hey, we are more than our wounds." It was only after the publishing of the book that I learned he was including himself in this statement. In fact, when the book was first published I told him not to buy it for when the contract is up in three years I'd be able to give him a free copy, so he didn't even know about the dedication! I also recently learned that "we are more than our wounds" was David paraphrasing an author named Caroline Myss, a medical intuitive who does energy work. She's written a book called Anatomy of A Spirit which I've yet to read but feel I should at least try to find. Perhaps I need to put her in the dedication now too. Oh boy.

Megaera: Explain why "the scars are pure from the efforts of work."

Stephen Mead: Hmmmm. That's twofold really. The scars come from work, the work of life, whether actual physical labor or scars of emotional tolerance/coping. They are pure in a sacred way for they are part of life experience. Yet I also mean the scars are pure in a redeeming sort of way...the therapy of working on the scars, getting to the root of them, cleansed by the sweat of catharsis.

Megaera: How do you create your artwork?

Stephen Mead: My artwork is pretty intuitive. I mean, aside from the mechanics of actually sitting down and doing the preliminary sketch...an eraser being my best tool as I try to get proportions right...by intuitive I mean I may let the size of a canvas or piece of paper dictate its contents...or I'll have an image in my head and know its going to require a specific size base. Much of the paintings come from different journals I keep for themes and ideas. Sometimes these are quotes from poems or novels, not necessarily my own, and sometimes various collage scraps torn from newspapers and magazines. Other times photos I've taken provide the impetus or objects/arrangements around the apartment. I've been working on a kind of memoir/essay book called "A Thousand Beautiful Things" based on how I'm a pack rat dumpster diver.

Megaera: What mediums do you use?

Stephen Mead: Well, I start out pretty basic...with just a pencil, and my early work was pastels, and crayons too. Eventually I got more into watercolor pencils when a friend of mine passed along a set her Mom got at a garage sale. Over time I have found myself adding other elements and mixing medias...perhaps just gold ink or white out, then it became acrylics, glazes, glitter, bits of jewelry and glues. Lately I've again been adding spices, dirt and moss even, for I'm working on a series of ecumenical works based on St. Francis and in homage to the earth. Still, after this I'm not sure how much of this tactile, 3 dimensional stuff will be incorporated. I may need to take a breather and go back to basics. I'm always battling with myself as to why in heck I'm doing any writing/art in the first place.

Megaera: Do you use much image editing software?

Stephen Mead: I'm not really a digital or technically savvy computer artist. In fact, I still haven't even broken down and bought a good digital camera. Basically I've use an automatic 35 mm to photograph my art and then, when necessary, tweak a bit with photo adobeshop elements to try and get colors to match original and do away with glare. On a few occasions I've set the art on a scanner or photocopy machine. My partner, David, has also been a great help in using his 35 mm camera where he sets lighting etc. but I haven't been bugging him as much since I went and got my own computer last year. The only series, so far, where I've used the computer enhancements on a regular basis has been with a series called "Blue Heart Diary", the blue heart, an actual glass object photographed against various backdrops. I've used a button called "lens flare" to bring what I hope is a more spiritual/mystical effect to those pieces.

Megaera: I originally read this as several small poems, but now I feel silly because it's obviously one long poem with pictures accompanying each stanza. What came first, the poetry or the art?

Stephen Mead: Ah, please don't feel silly, not that silliness is bad. I should have written a better intro to the book! Also, perhaps as fragments, each piece could be considered a poem too. I like to be open about this stuff and what the reader/viewer brings to it. In any case, the art came first though some of the images came from other written images that are not in this book.

Megaera: The hearts is very important in this poem and appears in many of the pictures. Tell us about its signifigance.

Stephen Mead: I think of the heart as a universal metaphor which, again, instinctively, has shown up in a lot of my work. All children of all cultures draw hearts. Heart symbology is a large part of our collective unconscious. It represents the humanity of our spirits across the board. It is a connecting image. I would like it if my work could foster understanding, tolerance and a celebration of bonds via diversity.

Megaera: Both your artwork and poetry reminded me of William Blake. Who are your literary and artistic influences?

Stephen Mead: Well, I certainly can understand the Blake reference for I think a lot of what influences me comes through osmosis...not necessarily what "masters" I've read or studied in depth, such as Shakespeare, but the masters others have studied whose works I admire, these people often having lit and fine art degrees in addition to being published authors or artists. As far as literature goes I know Woolf, Plath, Iris Murdoch, Roethke, Rilke, Gibran, Nin, and even Exupery influenced me, but I read every day and often just take books out of the library simply because they sound or look interesting once I've skimmed the jackets or inner pages. The same goes with poems, surfing lines and titles and not paying as much attention as I should as to whose done the actual writing. There's such abundant talent out there, whether people are "acclaimed" or not, and of course this talent grows as time marches on and more people populate the earth and the tools for communicating various cultures becomes better. Recently I enjoyed a book called "Inappropriate Muse" by Karen Corcoran Dabknowski, poems which really knocked my socks off.

As far as painting goes I enjoy the masters from Rembrandt to anonymous icon painters, but of course lean towards the surrealists and expressionists due to the emotional depths which they explore. Of course realism can do that too, thus I'm quite a mutt in my tastes. I really do respect the creativity of all and feel I may learn from it.

Megaera: This poem references Native American religion as well as Christianity. Also, in classic Blakian style, this book is infused with many cryptic spiritual messages that seem to have their genesis here. Are you well versed in ancient mysteries?

Stephen Mead: Well, again it's a matter of osmosis...though some days I do feel pretty ancient, and also like an anachronism, like I've outlived usefulness, an age where poetry, painting, the arts are a big yawn to those who'd rather watch "Fear Factor", and that too, a throwback to the Colosseum of peasants vs. lions. Still, not being well versed in ancient mysteries doesn't mean I don't have an open and curious mind, that I don't like to delve, explore and get to know them better for self understanding can be promoted too by learning more about our various cultures as a race and species.

Megaera: Okay, that about wraps 'er up. Thank you for submitting to this interview.