Written by Noah C Gore on November 23rd, 2019
Since graduating in 2010, Logan Fry went on to receive his MFA in poetry from the University of Texas - Austin. He later became a lecturer at Texas State University, teaching writing. When Fry isn’t working on grading papers, he runs and edits the online literary journal, Flag + Void; this online journal publishes experimental poetry.
On November 15th, Logan Fry came and visited his stomping grounds of Ashland University where he received his bachelor’s in English and Creative Writing. During his visit, he attended Dr. Deborah Fleming’s Poetry Workshop class, where he answered questions posed by the students. There was a lot to learn from him, such as information about his personal life, the road to publication, and how he found his niche. Fry also made it a point to note that poetry was not always his first choice; he originally wanted to write fiction, but that all changed when a visiting professor told him he spoke like a poet. This awakening helped push him to where he is now.
At 4:00 pm the same day, Fry gave a reading of selected poems from his Omnidawn Award-winning book, Harpo Before the Opus. Among those read were “Center Furby,” “Because It Faces In,” and “Hooray For Hollywood.” Each of these poems has its own, interesting way of phrasing and structuring everyday ideas and concepts. Fry’s inspiration for “Center Furby” was YouTube / viral video culture. “Because It Faces In” is a great example of Fry experimenting with line spacing and minimalism. “Hooray For Hollywood,” as you may have guessed, is a critique of the celebrity / elitist society and the toxicity that surrounds it; it also looks back to what most people think of as the idealized Hollywood and all the tropes that came with it.
Published earlier this year through Omnidawn Publishing in Oakland, California, Harpo Before the Opus is Fry’s first major publication to date. Karen Garthe, author of The Banjo Clock, described his work as, “a delirium of language feverish, passionate; an abstract pitched and wounded critique.” Harpo Before the Opus is an experimental collection of absurdist, post-performative poetry filled with whimsical insights and criticisms of pop-culture, capitalism, and generational differences.
Ashland University is proud to have Logan Fry as one of its alumni and wishes the best of luck to him in future endeavors.
Fry's book can be ordered here: https://www.omnidawn.com/product/harpo-before-the-opus-logan-fry/, from Amazon, or from other book retailers.
