CAConrad on Ritual Poetry and Crow Companionship in New Collection

Poet CAConrad discusses their latest collection, 'Listen to the Golden Boomerang Return', focusing on animals thriving in the Anthropocene. The work began in Seattle, Washington, during the early Covid-19 pandemic, where Conrad fed crows from a window ledge, forming a bond with one crow that brought gifts. After lockdown, they spent time in Joshua Tree, California, feeding coyotes, quail, and kangaroo rats, assigning each animal a part of their body while writing. Previous collection 'AMANDA PARADISE: Resurrect Extinct Vibration' used a (Soma)tic ritual with nine ingredients, including lying on the ground with field recordings of extinct animals and leaving postcards for public dialogue. That book, finished during Covid lockdown, ends with '72 Corona Transmutations' addressing ecocide, war, and anti-LGBTQ violence. Conrad also fed rats and pigeons during a residency at MACRO in Rome. Three new poems are published in ArtReview. Conrad hosts a workshop and performs at Poetry International festival at Southbank Centre, London, July 21-23. 'Listen to the Golden Boomerang Return' is forthcoming with Wave Books in 2024.