Cat Fish in Black Bean Sauce by Myron Michael

Artist: Myron Michael
Location: Oakland, CA
Medium: poetry / photography

I wrote and recited a poem “Cat Fish in Black Bean Sauce,” which is pretty much an invitation to anyone inspired to attend the kind of party I’d like to host (have hosted). A millennial party, if you will, where, figuratively, a piece of everyone is offered, one with another, with the goal of equal exchange, cross culturally, in mind--participating in SPACE was a pleasant way to interact with the public and get people talking.

My initial idea was to recite a poem and record it with my Canon Power Shot SD 1000 while walking through the Farmer’s Market. But on the day of, it was impossible to do (there were too many people shopping and enjoying the sun). So I improvised.

I bought an eggplant from the local grocer and saw this beautiful lavender quadriplex that made for a soft backdrop behind the eggplant and the clothes I wore. I decided on the eggplant because of its deep purple color—but too, because it has an ingredient called nasunin, which is a free radical scavenger; it also lowers cholesterol and is good for the brain! (Good food, good poetry, word!)

After reciting the poem, I thought it would be a good idea to hit the street and see who’d be interested in attending my party. I got about 12 people interested. Twelve people in support of healthy minds and bodies!




There was a turning point in the project when I asked a friendly man who was waiting at a bus stop in San Francisco—who said he is 100 percent Italian—if he’d attend my party. He kindly turned my offer down on the ground that, he said, among Italians “The eggplant is a derogatory symbol for black people.” I asked him to pronounce it, and then spell it so that i could look it up on my smart phone, he couldn't.

The closest I got was a literal translation, Melanzana, which means eggplant in the Italian language. I was like, “Daaaamn! But shit, that’s why you should come to my party. An eggplant is just an eggplant--and it’s good for you!”



all images (c) Myron Michael 2010