Building a Reservoir

Abstract

Building a Reservoir is a collection of poems and stories that meditate on the ways we congregate around, connect with, rely upon, enjoy, misunderstand, misuse, and mythicize water. Throughout the collection, water allows for reflection, scrutinization, and meaning-making and acts as a mirror, magnifier, and mystifier. At its core, Building a Reservoir is about bodies, as we are almost always talking about bodies when we talk about water. The project utilizes images of and interactions with the ocean, lakes, pools, fish tanks, and other bodies of water to enter into conversations about religion, sexuality, race, gender roles and expectations, trauma, resources, consent, and commodification.