BRENDAN OGG
1990 – 2010
Brendan Ogg grew up in Silver Spring, Maryland and graduated from Albert Einstein High School in 2007. He was majoring in English at the University of Michigan when he was diagnosed with a brain tumor during his sophomore year. Brendan drew upon his lifelong love of reading and writing to deal with his illness. A collection of his poems was accepted for publication just before Brendan passed away on February 24, 2010 at the age of 20. The poetry in Brendan’s book, Summer Becomes Absurd, includes works from before, during and after his diagnosis. It is available at Amazon or through Finishing Line Press.
{
} —5—
(“To Life”)
Feather rug, soft bed of matted grass, Why did I question this place of endless beauty— life—
to my friend, in weakness? Where was my heart before this time?
Now I feel it in my breast.
Put your hand there, fingers spreading from the palm, And feel the warm, insistent pulse.
{ L’CHAIM } — 7 —
I don’t know what the doctor means by “mostly” within the radiation field
I don’t know for how long I will need this cane
I don’t know what the scan will look like one month, four months, four years from now.
All I know is the air that I breathe in this instant— spring’s sweet whisper— into my lungs, my friend at my side, his broad hand between my shoulder-blades, the living God, the love of my friends and family, and the warm skin of her knee, onto which I lay my cheek, to sleep.
{
} —9—
A LEAF OF KNOWLEDGE
I am sick of these half eaten fingernails. No.
I have my whole life to be afraid.
There! With that declaration, the anvil weight of dread falls loosely from the chain around my neck.
hundred
Keep me from fear, that cold paralysis, the squirming nausea.
I have my entire life, however long it is.
{ KEEP ME FROM FEAR } —11—
I have my own eternity in a
years, or in an instant.
I’ve played the game of love exactly wrong, given a catalog of compliments with my first breath, called at all the times when she was busy, forgotten to posture as aloof, dressed wrong, was ill mannered, etcetera.
I was prepared to hang my head and walk away— but she, bright, smiling, draped an arm over my leg as if I were more than the sum of all my actions through the
universe
that brought me to this moment, where we wait, on a staircase, glancing every now and then upstairs.
{ EXACTLY WRONG } —13—
“You know it’s funny,” my neurosurgeon says, walking beside me like a friend, “I was just thinking of you today, in surgery...”
My parents tell me later in tears of how they shared a separate dream after many long and frightening nights beside me in the ICU— that I might one day return to these people who had won our deepest admiration— indeed some kind of love, as myself, no longer my self’s strange shadow, aching and immobile, without reason or memory from one minute to the next, and this dream became the fruit of blessed time.
“And I turned to the nearest resident,” he says, laughing, “And I said, this looks just like Brendan Ogg’s tumor!” And my parents from behind are touched to see us laughing,talking, walking in communitas, together down the hall.
{ BLESSED
} —15—
TIME
This pale human weariness; the sun rises along the backs of mountainsides at the end of every moonless night
I have seen I have seen I have seen.
This shyness of my feet to walk has never been so astute, or so acute, as when I am with you.
...Careening cloudless goes the sky
Oh and I and I and I.
{ AUBADE } —17—
HUMBLED BY HEARTS & HANDS
More than 300 people wrapped Brendan Ogg’s poetry
80,000 paperclips
6 poems 60 pounds of paper
Across the 50 states
Two continents
8 year-olds to 80 year olds
Cancer survivors, cancer caregivers Healthcare workers
The Homeless
Mothers, daughters, fathers, sons, aunts, uncles, cousins, brothers, sisters, friends, strangers, grandparents, teachers,
{
} —19—
For almost twenty years, Francie Hester and Lisa Hill have collaborated on community art projects and installations. Their first project together was for the Ginetta Sagan Fund of Amnesty International.
FRANCIE HESTER
has exhibited her work both nationally and internationally. Her work is represented in numerous private and corporate collections including the World Bank, Freddie Mac, Capital One, KPMG, and the International Monetary Fund. She has received honorary grants from the District of Columbia Commission on the Arts and Humanities, and from the Arts Council of Montgomery County, Maryland. Hester’s commissioned works include a 1996 piece for the Ginetta Sagan Fund of Amnesty International and an 18-foot atrium piece for the Chicago Kent College of Law. In addition, she has created large-scale sculptural
aluminum paintings for Airbus, ASHA, Booz Allen Hamilton and National Endowment for the Arts Member Benefits. She received her M.F.A. in painting from the University of Maryland, College Park, and a B.F.A. in painting from the University of Michigan. Hester is represented by Susan Eley Fine Art in New York City.
LISA HILL
a is a fine artist, graphic/interactive designer, and educator. She is the Assistant Dean and Associate Professor for the Communication Design Program at NOVA, the second largest community college in the country where she teaches both print, interactive design and conceptual development. Lisa also has
The work Brendan Ogg created is included in a book of poetry, Summer Becomes Absurd, and became the inspiration the community art work Wordfall among others.
JACKIE OGG
Our son, Brendan, was a gifted writer. One of those little kids who not just loved to be read to but loved to write stories as well. A love of words and writing stayed with Brendan and became a gift to him when, at 19 years old, he was diagnosed with cancer.
Brendan was home on winter break during his Sophomore year at University of Michigan. He was complaining of headaches, and at times they got really bad. We thought stress, migraines, maybe he needed glasses. But an MRI on Christmas Eve told us otherwise.
Brendan had a brain tumor. It was big, aggressive and deep in the brain. The world just stopped. Those 14 months Brendan lived he —
and we — found ourselves getting up to speed on how this disease would affect the mind, body, and spirit.
From the beginning Brendan was clear that he was going to leave curing the cancer to the doctors and that his basic task was to deal with the spirit. Although Brendan was an old soul and artist at heart yet not everyone has to have an affinity for the arts to benefit from their healing effect.
In many ways Brendan was different after his diagnosis and surgeries. In other ways, the best of him shone through. In the last weeks of his life we learned that a book of Brendan’s poems, Summer Becomes Absurd, would be published by Finishing Line Press. Not all the
{ INSPIRATION
STRENGTH } { THE
} —21— —20—
&
ARTISTS
B
A Lisa Adams Zoe Ades
Elyse Adler Reggie Alston Kelly Amaya
Katherine Andrle
Bridget Anger
Lia Appelmon
Johan Aschan-Santana Gabriel Ayala
Anne Baker
Jamal Baker
Gabbie Ballesteros Yasmine Barry Francesco Bellafiore Isabella Benning Debbie Berkowitz
Fran Bernstein Rayah Blackwell Kerry Bowen Aidan Bradley Emily Bragg Beverly Bragg Chris Bragg Hilary Bragg Taylor Bragg Claire Brennan Alexandes Brighthaupt Aryana Briner Georgia Broitman Wendy Brown Yun Brown Danielle Browne Linda Burch Pat Burda
Jonni Burke C Victoria Cabellos Maya Calabrese
Sine Camara
Kiara Campbell Sarah Campbell
Linda Campos
Katy Ann Carr Dani Castillo Karin Chenoweth
Chloe Chieng
Sam Cohen
Tolly Colby
Frances Coles
Litzy Contreras
Kenneth Corpuz
Paul Costello Audrey Cronin
Parlett Cubo Betsua Cuevas
Abigail Cyprien
D Maggie Daly Leah Dandin
Raquel Delgadillo Davina Dennis
Laurynn Dennis Sophia Dennis Betsy Devlin-Foltz David Devlin-Foltz
Levi Dias Tracy Sarai Diaz
Yoni Ellie Donovan Elijah Destiny Dove Aretmus Eden Ylva-Lina Elifis ÷stlund
Cathy Ellis Katie Ellis Mary Ellsberg Jake Ephron Jennifer Eve Kristin Faust Alison Kaye Fernandez Danna Fiestas David Finkel Grant Finn Kelly Flores Glenn Foster Cindy Frank Abby Fullem Tom Fulton Ashley Funes Ellen Garshick Virginia Gebbia Barbara Geiger-Green Madelyn Giblin Venus Gilyaro Penny Gladhill Rachel Glaser Maya Glass Amy Gomes
Tricia Gooley Shonette Grant Mimi Guernica
Jonathon Guerra Katherine Guzman Lily Habenstreit
Sarah Haddad Maria Haskins
Elisabeth Hawthorne
Antoinette Heard
Abby Hester Francie Hester
Liza Hester
Lisa Hill Mike Hill Mikayla Hodge
Janet Hook
Evelyn Horan
Lizzie Horne Denise Howard Nate Huson
Samuel Intrater Jackson Isociol Peggy Jackson Bilisan Jassissa Edwin Johnson Lindsey Juarez Olivia Kaufmann Grace Keller Anne-Beatrix KellerSemadeni Annie Kelly Emily Kopilow Rachel Kopilow Reilly Leaver Quinette LeFlore Andrea Levere Allegra Levone Adam Lewis Lauren Lewis Semone Lewis Kaylah Lovitts
Gabby Machuca Sophie Maffie Elena Malaga
Emilina Manoz Milena Manzanarez
Spencer Martin Cecilila Martinez
Graciela Martinez
Ana-Maria Matamoros
Maxwell Maynard
Catherine McCafferty
Lauren McCaffrey Liam McCrickard
Megan McWright
Yarisa Medina Elisa Mendez
Patrick Mendez
Alexis Meneses
Lorenzo Meniato Ricardo Molina MaryBeth Mullen Mary Murphy Anika Nguyen Elise Nikolich Hannah Nolan Dylan OíConnell
Kevin O’Brien Anna Ogg Jackie Ogg
Aisha Olemba Claire Onley Christian Orellana Austin Patterson Joe Pelicano Juissa Perez Paula Pero
Lynne Perri Zandra Persson
Joan Phalen Jaime Phannavong Kendgy Pierre-Lenos Nancy Pinto Margaret Plank Allison Porter
Jon Post Julia Post
Peirce Prine
Daniela Quintero-Rodriguez
Joan Rackey Devon Rappaport
Kate Raulin Dylan Reichman
Dori Reinhalter
Emma Reinhalter
Grace Reinhalter
Troy Reinhalter Marina Relman
Monika Relman
Jared Richie
Jordan Richie
Eleanor Richmond
Abrianna Rivera
Neveen Rizkallah
Callista Rosdina
Abbie Rosner
Anders Rosengren
Blair Rush
Jonah Ruskin
Amy Sands
Ellen Sands
Stephani Santo
Anna Saylor
Bobby Shaffer
Sheida Shaghoie
Michela Shako
Tizane Sharpe
Sabrina Sigueira
Cheryl Silver
Ben Simmons Hunter Simmons
Peter Smeallie Betsy Smith
Philippos Sourvinos Laurie Sparks Nick Spencer Beth Sperber-Richie Catherine Stahl Susan Stamm Allison Stearns Aida Stevenson Haley Stoops Erika Styslinger Adam Szwed
Jessica Takala
Denn Daniel Tandoc
Liz Taylor
Angela Terry Briana Thomas Beth Thompson
Hanna Thorstensen
Tatyana Tran
Rachelle Urtecho
Charles Varga
Marie Vastola
Suzanna Vaughan
John-Francis Villines
Marie Waldron
Leia Walker Avery Walton Beth Wehrle
Ellen Weiss
Kelly White
Madison Willette
Jessie Williams
Whitney Wilson Brendan Witt
Geneva Young Louis Lynn Zepp Brian Zhu Abby’s List Beth’s huband beth’s son Francie Housekeeper GirlScouts Liza’s list Nancy’s family Other giblins? UMD students
—23—
{WITH THANKS }
Celia Richardson
Samantha Wright
Connelly Susan Ely Alice Momm
Sloan Kettering Memorial
{ MORE
}
THANKS
Howard
—24—