Today we’d like to introduce you to Denise Summers
Hi Denise, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I grew up in a cornfield in rural Northwest Ohio, a sleepy little town where people rarely venture out for good. For me, it was a great place to grow up and an even better place to leave. And I did just that. My first opportunity was acceptance to a tiny liberal arts university not far from home, but it felt worlds away.
Unfortunately, I ran out of financial aid and could not continue, so I went to New York for a short trip and lo and behold…from there I loitered. I couch-surfed and dug the city. I briefly interned at an art gallery in the LES. I became a Bowery Poetry Club regular and poked around the scene a bit, spending a lot of time parading around Lower Manhattan and crashing art openings in Chelsea to get free wine and snacks.
I supported myself by working as an art model. I’d scrape by, but when I was in a real pinch, I’d ask drunk strangers outside of bars for a dollar or a smoke and often made out with at least $20, metro cards, and even a hot meal or two. No strings attached. What can I say? I got really lucky in some ways, but being a twenty-one year old young woman and partially homeless in New York City is no easy feat.
While in NYC, I never hit up open mics or read my own poetry in public, and after leaving school, I had to abandon my first zine project, which was disheartening. So, for a bit, I bummed around the east coast and eventually made my way to Chicago. There, I made my poetic debut at Weeds Bar in Old Town. I’d always been terrified to get on a stage to do anything. The fear was paralyzing, but it got easier every time, and I always had lots of support. Yet, I was still bored and felt restless. I didn’t know what I wanted, but it was time to try to find it.
With a one-way ticket to Los Angeles and less than $200 in my pocket, I came out here in 2012. I quickly met a wide range of creative folks, all just figuring it out and having a damn good time doing it. Louie’s Bar in Mar Vista was undoubtedly a catalyst of creativity, community, and, often, unwavering chaos. I also started working with PSPOETS. We put out a few poetry compilations, which I contributed to and helped edit. We also hosted monthly poetry readings at Gravlax in Culver City.
In LA, I finally gained the confidence to put myself out there. I attribute much of that to the incredible support from the artistic enclaves in pockets around the city, particularly on the west side.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Of course not! None of the things I want to dedicate all my time to have ever covered the bills, and they still aren’t and will not. However, I’ve found creative outlets and inspiration in every sort of gig I’ve had.
Newspaper girl, dishwasher, Chinese food delivery driver, animal shelter shit scooper, prep cook, bookstore cashier, college dropout, art gallery assistant, artist model, waitress, pizza wench, sales rep, freelance writer, content marketer, event organizer, vintage store clerk, weed trimmer, maintenance assistant, house painter, yard sparkler, a malleable wearer of hats- blue, white, rainbow collars, and everything in between. This laundry list of experiences has helped shape who I am so far, and you can find tidbits of all that sprinkled throughout my work.
Today, I’m still doing a bunch of random shit to hustle rent and fun dollars while straddling the polarizing juxtaposition of Los Angeles. I’ve taken many roads, and not one has been smooth sailing. But have you driven around this town? There are bumps and obstacles every which way you aim to set out.
However, my passions remain intact. I continue to find inspiration anywhere I can and everywhere I go. I do struggle with my afflictions, hesitations, and fears. Some will probably never go away. But screw being scared. There’s not enough time left for that anymore.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I tend to incorporate found objects, collage elements, photography and poetry (or words in general) to create multi-media art pieces on canvas, wood, mannequins, and whatever other junk I can find. At present, I’ve put a lot of my personal art-making on the back burner to focus on a long-time passion project that finally came to fruition last summer.
I’m the founder and editor-in-chief of (the) curious nothing, which is a collaborative effort that exists in the form of a print and digital mag/zine, but in all potential reality, it is a mutating arts collective that has barely touched the earth’s surface. The debut issue came out in 2023. The various contributors include a wide range of unique individuals I’ve encountered in LA, in different stages of my life at college and in other cities, or people I’ve met through open submissions via social media.
Initially, I set out to create and print a quickie zine, OG/riot grrrl style, or something like that, but it turned out to be much more, and I’m stoked about the reception it’s received. So here we are, over a year later, issue two is finally wrapping up. At first, I wasn’t sure how often I’d put out new issues, but once a year feels right for now. I sort of imagine the process being similar to that of creating an full-length album, fine tuning every detail, sometimes a bit too much. But what do I know about music?
Nothing is set in stone because nothing, of course, is certain, which is why it is so curious. It’s all an experiment and all subject to change. Hence, (the) curious nothing. This is what I’m most proud of at this juncture.
Alright, so to wrap up, is there anything else you’d like to share with us?
As I mentioned, issue #2 of (the) curious nothing is in its final revisions. It will be sent to the printers any day now…We’ll be accepting pre-orders for the print copies shortly. If you’d like to check out the first issue, you can now read the digital version on the website for free. Yah! Or buy a copy. It’s timeless, and helps to support any and all upcoming endeavors.
Plus, we’ve got some rad merch, and you can sign up for our email list so you’re in the loop and get the skinny on all the latest updates, including the official release date of issue two, which is very soon…I swear!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://thecuriousnothing.com/
- Instagram: @thecuriousnothing & @nisipoesia
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thecuriousnothing
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCCI5cwd4GtUZZcYoqlXEYAw
- Other: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0xrxuACqoNNtCEG4tbOpjZ?si=be5037d93e1b4419
Image Credits
Arda Koca
