Robert Mapplethorpe

A documentary about Robert Mapplethorpe. A biography of Robert Mapplethorpe. A retrospective that chronicles the life and work of Robert Mapplethorpe. An investigative report into Robert Mapplethorpe. An accumulation of thumbnail pictures by Robert Mapplethorpe. An archival tour of Robert Mapplethorpe ephemera. A senate hearing transcript regarding the obscenity of Robert Mapplethorpe. A sit-down interview for Robert Mapplethorpe. An overview of Robert Mapplethorpe’s sexual behavior. An illustrated montage of Robert Mapplethorpe’s lovers. A snippet from a Robert Mapplethorpe speech. A psychological profile on Robert Mapplethorpe. A memorial for Robert Mapplethorpe. A family séance for Robert Mapplethorpe. An annotation for a Robert Mapplethorpe gelatin print. An exhibit to mark Robert Mapplethorpe’s posterity. A comparison of other American photographers to Robert Mapplethorpe. A trial concerning the display of Robert Mapplethorpe. A reconsideration of what Robert Mapplethorpe said. A query regarding Robert Mapplethorpe’s photographic skills. A perusal of Robert Mapplethorpe’s haunts and licentiousness. A mysterious circumstance in Robert Mapplethorpe’s life. A maple tree that once cast a shadow over Robert Mapplethorpe. A thorny issue raised over Robert Mapplethorpe’s racial politics. A story of Robert Mapplethorpe’s personal redemption. An employee testimonial of Robert Mapplethorpe’s work ethic. An audio tape of Robert Mapplethorpe’s voice dragging. A bystander laughing uncomfortably at Robert Mapplethorpe’s bullwhip. A suggested zeitgeist about themes relating to Robert Mapplethorpe. An alphabet of Robert Mapplethorpe photos buried under paper. A repeated self-portrait of Robert Mapplethorpe with additional commentary, as needed. An auction procuring millions of dollars never received by Robert Mapplethorpe. An outrage campaign directed at Robert Mapplethorpe. An illumination of Robert Mapplethorpe’s self-imposed darkness. A question regarding Robert Mapplethorpe’s true character. A tour through the alleyways of Robert Mapplethorpe’s traipsing. An open-ended discussion of Robert Mapplethorpe. An exasperation at misperceptions of Robert Mapplethorpe. A microscopic perspective of a single stamen of  a flower photographed by Robert Mapplethorpe. A cascade of muscles that found Robert Mapplethorpe’s attention. A précis of Robert Mapplethorpe’s social and financial benefactors. A private look into property owned by Robert Mapplethorpe. An exculpating of Robert Mapplethorpe’s various club memberships. A dedication made in Robert Mapplethorpe’s memory. A video never seen by anyone other than Robert Mapplethorpe. An orifice that may or may not have been Robert Mapplethorpe’s. A river that eventually found its way to Robert Mapplethorpe. A doorway that took its sweet time with Robert Mapplethorpe. A description of a typical day for Robert Mapplethorpe. A litany of celebrity clients posing for Robert Mapplethorpe. An advantageous chance meeting for Robert Mapplethorpe. A wariness of what it meant to be with Robert Mapplethorpe. A slight criticism of Robert Mapplethorpe’s personal and professional motivations. An invitation to a gallery showing Robert Mapplethorpe’s early work. An accounting of Robert Mapplethorpe’s performative behavior. A list of Robert Mapplethorpe’s good looks. A speculation that traces the downward trajectory of Robert Mapplethorpe. A silent cheer buried for Robert Mapplethorpe. A carefully delivered determination of Robert Mapplethorpe’s intent.

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Forrest Roth is the author of Gary Oldman Is A Building You Must Walk Through (What Books Press, 2017), and his shorter fiction has appeared in NOON, Denver Quarterly, Columbia Journal, Juked, Trnsfr, and other journals. He is also visiting assistant professor of English at Marshall University in West Virginia and a regular book reviewer for The Literary Review. Links can be found at www.forrrestroth.blogspot.com.