Photo Tale Collaborations with the Valente Sisters

Photo Tale Collaborations with the Valente Sisters
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Brooklyn-based multimedia artist Christine Stoddard created the following two photo collages of sister-poets Joanna Valente and Stephanie Valente. They then wrote poems to accompany their portraits.

2017-01-06-1483664323-1464806-Valente_Sisters_9.jpg

Stepsister
By Joanna C. Valente

When did you lose your virginity?

At one point being
alone scared me.
Now my legs open
for the thought.

How is your relationship with your father?

I have switched
cities seven times.

Where is your blood?

We are in a bathtub
as big as a football
stadium and we are
ashamed of giving life

so we hide our
blood in towels.

How did you become human?

Sometimes I ask Father
to press from
behind me so I
can feel how he

survived.

2017-01-06-1483664088-286585-Valente_Sisters_12.jpg

We Are Momentarily Being Held at This Station
By Stephanie Valente

my skin is hot--
burn out stars in sweat
dusting against
your clavicle voice

we are tired, just bone dry
former lovers,
ghost worshippers looking
for forgotten myths
who stole all of the ghosts?
we are tired, so tired
enough to bite our own tongues.

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