Young Creators Project poet spotlight: Gillian Chamberlin
Each day this week, KCRW is spotlighting the homegrown budding talent from the Young Creators Project, a community arts mentorship platform celebrating the creative work of SoCal residents under 21.
High school senior Gillian Chamberlin is a poet, filmmaker, and musician. She says her words guide her craft.
“I feel that all the different forms of my writing go hand in hand, but they all root from my poetry,” says the California School of the Arts, San Gabriel Valley student. “Whenever I start to craft a story, I always start with a poem, it makes my thoughts so much more digestible. Poetry allows me to be concise with the themes and details that I want to include in my writing, and is the catalyst for all the stories that I tell.”
Chamberlin was recently recognized by Young Arts for her short film “The Dinner Party,” and is gearing up to study film production and screenwriting in college this fall. Her first self-published poetry book, “Miss America Is A Lesbian,” is currently on sale at Stories Books and Cafe in Echo Park.
Though she pursues many mediums of writing, she seeks to tell stories that are “consistently honest and visceral.”
Read her poetry submission “Darling” below.
Darling by Gillian Chamberlin
I’ll give you everything,
Ill cough up my pearls,
The ones that had grown in my belly,
I know that when I see them
Will be stained with blood.
And ill smile at you,
My gap toothed smile,
Ill spit them into your hand,
And you’ll pat me on the head,
And stroke my cheek.
Your created those little pellets of beauty
From nothing but waste.
You threw dirt in my eyes,
You rang my neck in the shower curtain,
You counted the seconds as my head submerged in the kitchen sink.
Inhaling the food that had clogged the drain.
And when your hands loosened,
And my head rose,
The peas and carrots clung to my hair like gems,
And the air tasted sweeter than it did before.
And just like that,
A grain of sand had been forced down my throat,
A little piece of your pain,
And it sat in my belly
Till a pearl
The size of my thumb
Parted the pathways of flesh
And climbed out of my chest,
Just to rest in your palm.
Oh I love you darling.
I love you so much.
Hey! Did you enjoy this piece? We can’t do it without you. We are member-supported, so your donation is critical to KCRW's music programming, news reporting, and cultural coverage. Help support the DJs, journalists, and staff of the station you love.
Here's how:
- Sign-up for our newsletters.
- Become a KCRW member.
- Subscribe to our Podcasts.
- Donate to KCRW.
- Download our App.
More from KCRW
‘Making it’ is getting paid for your creativity: An artist’s story
Making ItSummer is a fine artist and stay-at-home mom who wants to become financially independent by the time her youngest son moves out.
Weekend film reviews: ‘1992,’ ‘Reagan,’ ‘You Gotta Believe’
EntertainmentCritics review the latest film releases: “1992,” “Reagan,” “You Gotta Believe,” and “The Deliverance.”
Zoë Kravitz on making her directorial debut with ‘Blink Twice’
ArtsZoë Kravitz, best known for her work as an actor, joins to talk cinematic influences and making her directorial debut with “Blink Twice.”
Kiefer Sutherland: “‘The French Connection’ blew my mind”
ArtsKiefer Sutherland recounts watching "The French Connection" for the first time and noticing the beautifully complementary casting.
Newly minted cinematographer Giovani Ribisi loves a storyboard
ArtsActor Giovani Ribisi’s TV and film roles over the years are indelible, but now he’s shaking it up as cinematographer on the twisty new film “Strange Darling.”
Bill Addison samples the banchan at Perilla
Food & DrinkLA Times restaurant critic Bill Addison visits Perilla in Echo Park for Korean banchan and dosirak.