Gazebo

Two channel video installation

RT: 12 min 13 sec

Gazebo (Carver) clip

Gazebo (Lish) clip

Gazebo is a video installation consisting of two videos, Gazebo (Carver) and Gazebo (Lish).

Gazebo (Carver) is a traditional film adaptation of Raymond Carver’s short story, Gazebo. The narrative follows a single 24-hour period in which a couple—who manage a building of motel suites—argue over a continuous affair that the male protagonist, Duane, had with one of the hotel maids.

Gazebo (Lish) is titled after Raymond Carver’s editor, Gordon Lish, a man who has been referred to as Carver’s ventriloquist. [1] (Lish) contains many harsh edits, juxtaposing scenes from Gazebo (Carver) with found footage that refers to the equally deceptive, though not sexual, relationship between Carver and Lish– “What’s the matter, don’t you love me anymore?” [2]

Gazebo (Lish) further brings awareness to the repeated theme of infidelity, a theme that mirrors the betrayal of the writer’s vision by his editor.

[1] In the New York Times article The Carver Chronicles, D.T. Max states that in the case of Carver’s 1981 collection, What We Talk About When We Talk About Love (the collection of stories in which Gazebo originally appeared), Lish cut about half the original words and rewrote 10 of the 13 endings.

[2] In an earlier correspondence to Lish, Carver wrote : “You know, I feel closer to you than I do to my own brother. . . You’re my hero.” My inclusion of this second quote is meant to further exemplify the type of familial love Carver was referring to. Letter from Raymond Carver to Gordon Lish. The New Yorker, Dec. 24, 2007.