Art Is Masturbation by Joseph Chiccarelli

Joseph Chiccarelli is a writer residing in the metropolitan area of Oregon. Since age 15 he has been experimenting with poetry, prose, and short stories in order to cope with the pains of being young, and living with multiple mental illnesses, His poetry is a mix of past, present and future, using an observational style and often dark humour to get his point across, that life is often times shit, and sometimes nothing fits right. With stories that are quick to point the finger at himself as well as the lack of common ground and love in modern life, his poetry hopes to fill in the void that lies between stability and emptiness. He recalls past lives and ponders on the new ones that haven't yet come to fruition, self inflicted wounds that never really heal, and the wounds we leave on others that we wish we could stitch up ourselves. Every day is a new beginning, and a step closer to the end, and he hopes to find peace of mind on the way.

Here is a piece from Art is Masturbation:

 "I'm listening to Third Eye Blind and yelling GO FUCK YOURSELF at happy couples"

the city congestion is giving off some kind of heat
rubbing shoulders with strangers and not minding it
reaching out to someone I don't know
and hoping for the best
I'm laughing at jokes I over hear
and waving at people who are hailing cabs
everyone is my best friend, they just don't know it yet
I show up an hour early for work every day
so I can talk to customers
about their families
and addresses
nothing hurts
because pain doesn't exist this early in the morning
everyone is connected
all I'm doing is just tracing the dots

Limited 1st edition printed on French Paper "Butcher's White" 80lb paper, encased with a heavy 100lb "Brick Red" French Paper construction cardstock. Original silk-screened artwork by Andrew Gomez IV (Reservoir, Sneeze, Silver Snakes). Also comes with a small 8.5" x 11" silk-screen print of additional artwork and words attached in centerfold.