West of Schenectady Animated Poem
West of Schenectady is a subtly ironic poem composed by Chen Chen about the overstated city of Esperance, New York; West of Schenectady. By using comparisons that definitely could not be seen as positive, Chen Chen highlights the how mundane and down-to-earth the city actually is, as opposed to its fancy portrayals through its French name and gaudy stereotypes.
Because of the recurring sun setting throughout the poem, the overall tone, colorwise, is cool and blue to bring out the muted and “blue” (as in lamentation). The worn out texture represents the imperfect nature of the city of Esperance, NY, with inspiration from old newsprint or newspapers as the initial approach. The irregular shapes and wacky flow of the cel animations further solidify the disillusionment of the city as described by Chen Chen. The imagery mostly derives from different parts of the moth, with occasional outliers being the coyotes, phone, as well as the postcards in order to give some variety, transition, and breathing time throughout the piece. Moth wings are fragile, and the meaning behind the graphics being portrayed on them thus carries that idea of impermanence and fragility onto them. The type is condensed to emulate the cityscape structure.
West Of Schenectady
by Chen Chen
The sun sets like a whispered regret behind the hills or is that a mountain.
Moths come to the screen door as if that was what they were made for.
Moth for screen door. & vice versa.
I don’t have time for their secrets tonight.
I am making my loneliness small. So small it fits on a postcard a baby rabbit could eat.
The sun sets like an expensive fragrance. like the memory of a neck.
The coyotes come but don’t they know I’ve named that rabbit, stay away. Stay far.
The sun sets like a new regret like a flute I am learning to play
& I’m bad at it. Progress is slow.
It’s like saying tapioca pudding into the phone.
& the phone doesn’t work, I just want its weight pressed against my ear until my ear is sticky.
I’m in the mood for facts.
Big globs of them. Big adult rabbits of science.
There’s a town in upstate New York called Esperance where the gravity works fine.
Esperance, NY as if “hope” in french is a higher quality hope.
Made of jewels & brie.
The sun sets like a science special I hated once.
