Poetry Billy Corgan’s New Gig

Fans of The Smashing Pumpkins may blink at seeing former frontman Billy Corgan’s name amidst a bizarre depiction of a bear robbing a coyote at gunpoint on the back cover of his new book, Blinking with Fists, which he will be signing at Harvard Book Store this afternoon.

But Corgan insists that this unexpected turn is simply the next step in his personal evolution as an artist.

The work, a collection of about 50 poems released October 1, marks a transition for Corgan, whose renown thus far has come from his skills as a singer, songwriter and guitarist.

After almost 20 years in various bands, most notably The Smashing Pumpkins, Corgan began a solo career last year. His first album, just completed, is expected to be released in the spring of 2005.

In the meantime however, Corgan has changed course yet again, venturing this time into a completely new artistic medium.

The title of the book is taken from one of its poems, and alludes to a memory from Corgan’s childhood.

“I used to do this thing when I was a kid where I put my knuckles in my eyes, and if you do it for long enough you get this feeling like you’re tripping,” he says.

As for the peculiar cover art, Corgan explains that it is a painting done by his ex-girlfriend, Yelena Yemchuck. He says he wasn’t trying to convey anything specific with his choice, but liked the mood it gave the book. “Her paintings have this sort of dark but also sort of whimsical feeling,” he says.

Corgan originally intended his book to be a collection of poetry and lyrics. He soon realized however that he wanted to assemble a volume that was only poetry. “I just realized that [the poetry] had its own sort of thing to it,” he explains.

In making such a decision, Corgan follows in the footsteps of a plethora of musicians of different genres, including Jim Morrison, Tupac Shakur, Jewel and, perhaps most notably, John Lennon. His books Spaniard in the Works (1965) and In His Own Write (1967) both included poems, stories and drawings.

Indeed, Corgan counts the Beatles among his artistic influences for their ability to “channel the masses.” He also points to Bob Dylan, science fiction writer Philip K. Dick and author William S. Burroughs ’36.

Corgan’s influences are not confined to merely writers and musicians. He says Picasso has also played a role in his creative process. “I’m not a visual artist, but I admire the way he worked and the way he approached his work,” he says.

Overall, Corgan emphasizes the similarity between writing poetry and writing songs. “As far as the moment of inspiration, it’s pretty similar,” he says. “You just get a feeling and you’re trying to get that feeling down into something that’s more tangible.”

Corgan adds that compiling an anthology is very similar to putting together an album in the sense that many pieces which may not represent the artist’s best work are included for the effect that they have on the collection as a whole.

Born March 17, 1967, in Elk Grove, Ill., Corgan’s forays into the world of music began early on, with significant inspiration from his father, a blues guitarist. He started playing guitar himself at age 14 and formed his first professional band, Marked, in 1985.

Corgan’s first success, however, came in the form of alt-rock band The Smashing Pumpkins, which he started with guitarist James Iha, bassist James D’Arcy and drummer Jimmy Chamberlain.

Smashing Pumpkins produced several independent singles before signing with Caroline Records, a deal that resulted in three albums: Gish in 1991, Siamese Dream in 1993 and double-disc set Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness in 1995. During this time, Corgan also scored movies, contributed songs to soundtracks and produced albums for other artists.

Following the disappointing performance of their album Adore in 1998 and D’Arcy’s departure in 2000, the Pumpkins decided to call it quits, a decision Corgan later blamed on Iha. Just after the release of MACHINA/The Machines of God that same year, Corgan announced his plans to dissolve the band, and it embarked on a final tour, with Hole bassist Melissa Auf Der Maur replacing D’Arcy.

Corgan wasted no time in turning to new endeavors, however. After playing guitar with British band New Order for a summer, he created Zwan, a new group with Chamberlain, guitarist Mark Sweeney, guitarist and bassist David Pajo and, later in its run, bassist Paz Lenchantin.

Zwan was short-lived, releasing only one full album—2003’s Mary Star of the Sea. Corgan began his solo career after its breakup, and then, a year later, his literary one.

Corgan is currently at work on a novel, but couldn’t say much more because he isn’t sure himself where it is going. “I’m at a crossroads,” he explains. “I can’t make up my mind. I have these two different roads I can go down with it.”

Still, Corgan doesn’t seem to be putting too much pressure on himself these days. “I love the world, and I hope it loves me. Life is good.”