The Woven Tale Press Selected Works 2015 & Empty Spaces Project Exhibit

Two supportive artistic organizations — The Woven Tale Press and The Empty Spaces Project — have combined forces and content to create a mixture of writing and visual inspiration to stir the spirit and challenge perceptions. And this collection of selected works from both groups features some wonderful results. From sculptures of life made from items that destroy to heartbreaking bits of personal revelation, this book is imagination given free reign.

The poetry works more often than the short stories, weaving in and out of and punctuating the art pieces with poignant touches, whereas the short stories feel more like interruptions of the flow, ranging from the heart-rending to the charming, from confessionals to flights of fancy. At least the short story component ends strong, with the tour-de-force closer The Thief.Unfortunately, those high points are undercut by mistakes that make the book feel amateurish. There are misspellings that jar the reader somewhat — misspelling “Putnam,” the home of the Empty Spaces Project Gallery, didn’t exactly inspire a lot of confidence — and some works are mislabeled (like the art of Charles Santoso). It feels rushed, rather than thoughtfully assembled. And that’s a shame.