deadagain, by Annie Conolly

Poetry, chapbook, 48 pages, from Bottlecap Features. deadagain is the first published work by Annie Conolly. It is a collection of poems, 35mm photos, and procreate drawings unintended to claim artistic identity. These poems fell out of moments lost in travel, sickness, or love. Written over a span of 10 years, these poems showcase the development of adaptability and emotional reckoning through the lens of queerness and gender exploration. Each image was curated in this collection by underlying threads of chaos, isolation, and caution. The title was inspired by a feeling of apophenia felt during the metamorphosis between careers. As an experiment, deadagain aims to find the distinctions between artist and art. This art seems innately connected to its creator. However, this art does not evolve while its creator does. What is left between the stasis of publication and the life beyond its release? Pieced together slowly over 2023, this chapbook invites readers to seek out their hobbies and witness their unification into chaos. Annie Conolly grew up in Carrboro, NC. They are a Brooklyn-based actor, writer, and director. As a kid, they wrote and filmed short scripts employing their neighborhood friends as cast and crew. In high school, their interest in media started as a staff reporter and host on a WXYC 89.5 radioshow. They began writing poetry and an interest in photography, making local zines with friends. In college they worked on the campus literary magazine, The Coraddi, and hosted their own radio program on WUAG 103.1 while studying acting. Since their time in NYC, they have played guitar in local bands and taken roles in theater and film. They identify as nonbinary and use they/them pronouns.