Dana Teen Lomax’s Disclosure, Reviewed by J. A. Tyler

Disclosure

Dana Teen Lomax
Dusie Kollektiv, 2009

Reviewed by J. A. Tyler

Here is what happened when I read Disclosure: First, I had to break a wax seal that tightly held down a bright red ribbon, that buttoned up the stark black cover, a cover with ‘Disclosure’ printed in shadowy ink.

Then, I had to figure out what the fuck was going on.

Disclosure is these pages and nothing more:
Dana Teen Lomax’s Work and earning Summary.
Dana Teen Lomax’s Peace Corps Placement Letter.
Dana Teen Lomax’s Wells Fargo Account Activity.
Dana Teen Lomax’s Wells Fargo Account Summary.
Dana Teen Lomax’s Refund on Rent Increases Memo from her Landlord.
Dana Teen Lomax’s Federal Student Aid Online Payment Form.
Dana Teen Lomax’s Spring 09 Schedule.
Dana Teen Lomax’s Physical Exam Notes.
Dana Teen Lomax’s State of California Direct Deposit Receipt.
Dana Teen Lomax’s Prayer Requests.

And, as I only understand via the last page of this chapbook, this is number 16 of 75 and each copy of Disclosure was ordered at random.

Hm.

So, what to make of this then: Disclosure resists reading while simultaneously pulling a reader in, resists via its random nature but engages by its constant feed of private information: detailed personal snapshots that cause a guttural reaction in a reader. And the cover itself similarly pushes and pulls albeit in smaller form; it displaces the reader by printing black on black while also begging the reader to search, to look, to tilt the book at angles in order to decipher the words. Come in, stay out. Come in, stay out. So while this is not a particularly interesting volume to read, it becomes an engrossing work to chew on, to think about, to steep in once the final page is turned and the wax seal is thrown in the trash and the ribbon is laid within its pages.

Disclosure is an exercise. Disclosure is an artistic expression. Disclosure is a double-take.