A Conversation with Poet Daniel Lassell
There are two poems called “Seven Frames” in Daniel Lassell’s new book, Frame Inside a Frame (TRP: The University Press of SHSU, 2025). Both take place on a farm in Kentucky. Neither is about the rich abundance we might imagine on a farm in a poem. But the second iteration does offer a new perspective.
Looking at things from new perspectives – and the past in particular – is a major part of this new book. Lassell’s first book, Spit, was selected by Gabrielle Calvocoressi as the winner of the 2020 Wheelbarrow Books Poetry Prize. He’s also written two chapbooks, Ad Spot (Ethel Zine & Micro Press, 2021) and The Emptying Earth (Madhouse Press, 2023). Lassell grew up in Kentucky on a llama and alpaca farm, and now lives in Bloomington, Indiana.
A couple months before Frame Inside a Frame came out, he joined Alex Chambers in the studio to talk about memory, growing up Catholic, and accepting that so much of life and the environment around us is out of our control.
Contra Dancing
The Bloomington Old Time Music and Dance Group has had a weekly contra dance since 1972. It’s a place where people get to know each other by moving their bodies with and around each other in a group. It can be sweaty. You can get lost. But people keep coming back. Alex Chambers talked with a few of the people who were dancing on the night of January 21st, 2026. He followed later up with Kyla Wargel, who had been calling the dances that night.
Jack Owens' Special Kinship
As kids, we often project our humanity onto cats and dogs. But local Bloomington painter Jack Owens felt more connected to the unhuman nature of fish and bugs as a kid. They’ve always had this special kinship with these creatures as a trans and biracial person. They remember visiting their mom’s side of family as a kid in Okinawa going ocean fishing with their grandfather or catching stag beetles. Their painting “Mushitori” showcases these specific childhood memories. They paint surreal images of people and creatures in order to “physicalize” their emotions and identity. Jack says especially with the times we’re in now, talking about identity in a creative outburst can feel therapeutic. At the same time, they believe that marginalized people are often stereotyped and feel pressure to create art about their identity and the trauma surrounding it. That can turn the complexity of identity into a form of tokenism. Jack feels painting can be a catharsis for them. A creative outburst of emotion channeled into painting. They hope this comes across to viewers too.
You can learn more about Jack’s work and upcoming exhibits on their website, jvkhal.scoartglass.com
Overtuned Fest Plays Across Bloomington
We try here at Nice Work to stay on top of it, keep up with all the events, performances, exhibits, and happenings that happen here in Bloomington. We almost let a noteworthy happening happen without us taking any kind of note. Luckily Co-Host Kayte Young, presumably in her periphery, caught a glimpse of it somewhere.
It’s called Overtuned Fest and It’s being put on by some faculty and students over at the Jacobs School of Music. It will feature world premieres of newly commissioned works for electric guitar, drumset, chamber orchestra, and multimedia ensembles. Starting February 23rd, performances will take place each day in venues across the city culminating in a multimedia experience on the 26th at the Switchyard Park Pavillion.