• Calligraphy •
James Broughton Collaborations
In 1980, William auspiciously met and began dating the author Mark Thompson.* One of many significant connections that evolved from that relationship was William’s friendship and creative collaboration with the revered poet and filmmaker James Broughton and his husband, artist and filmmaker Joel Singer.
William developed a deep friendship and artistic collaboration with James and Joel over the years until James’ death in 1999. William did the calligraphy for three books of James’ poetry (below). He appeared in two films by James and Joel: with Mark Thompson in “Shaman Psalm” (1981) and an arousing appearance in “Devotions” (1983).
*Read more about William’s relationship with Mark Thompson in“Clouds with Scattered Thrusts of Light”.
Hermes my Eros
Date unknown
Brush, pen and ink
Text:
Hermes my Eros my shameless Titan
Lord of rejuvenating energies
Master of the rapturous in man
Shake me with your ripe ferocity
Tilt me and thrust Divest and assault
This is my body which I shed for you
Divine tempter Immerse me in your immanence
Entice me to the service of your outrage
I touch creation when I touch your glory
I sample creation when I hold your glory
I feast on creation when I taste your glory
I shatter into song when I fill with your glory
Instruct me in the terrors of your alchemy
Regale me with the jubilance of your lust
— James Broughton
“This was a signature piece created as a gift for James Broughton and his partner Joel Singer who collaborated with William on several of James’s books, film titles, etc., in the mid 1980s. It was framed and hung in their home in Port Townsend, Washington in the 1980s. “HYMNS TO HERMES is the name of the group of poems James wrote in 1979. Hermes my Eros is one of the poems. The book was published by Manroot Press. I worked with poet Paul Mariah on creating the handset masterpiece on a friend's clam action printer in Oakland. I learned how to set type.... it was a terrific experience and I made the drawing on the cover. We also made a film titled HYMNS TO HERMES."
— Joel Singer
Hymns to Hermes by James Broughton (click for PDF)
Ecstasies
By James Broughton
Published 1983, Syzygy Press
Cover of Ecstasies calligraphy by William Steward, artwork Galen Garwood
Brush, pen and ink
"William created the cover calligraphy (that merges beautifully with Galen Garwood's pictures) and the gorgeous calligraphic headlines marking each of the sections in the book [pictured below]. ECSTASIES celebrates the first 7 years of our magic carpet ride. I met James when he was 62 and I was 26 at the San Francisco Art Institute where he was my graduate advisor. The book also contains our wedding ‘masque’ that James wrote for our wedding that took place on the Alan Watts ferry boat in Sausalito, California in 1978."
— Joel Singer
Shaman Psalm
By James Broughton
Published 1981, Syzygy Press
Brush, Pen and Ink
Shaman Psalm is a small book that James Broughton and Joel Singer put together. It features William's calligraphy with a drawing on the cover by Raven Wolfdancer (a faerie friend who died many years ago). It's James’ long poem on about a dozen pages.
Graffitti
By James Broughton
Published 1983, Syzygy Press
Cover of Graffiti: For the Johns of Heaven, a book of poems by James Broughton
Second printing
"[The book features] Galen Garwood's pictures and William's calligraphy. William did the cover and also section titles.”
— Joel Singer
This is It
Date unknown
Poem by James Broughton, written uniquely on each broadside
Brush, pen and ink
The entire piece is William's calligraphy. He created what he called his 'broken typewriter font,’ of course the red title and the JB ‘stamp’ AND we made a broadside about 12" x 18" that was sold and many are framed and hung in friends homes.
— Joel Singer
Postcards available HERE
Life
Date Unknown
Quote by James Broughton
Brush, pen, ink and watercolor on paper
William appears naked and masturbating in our film DEVOTIONS (1983) in the back seat of "Margaret" his 1948 Chevrolet Sedan with his housemate and sometimes lover Mica Kindman. (the "auto-erotic scene in the film). There is also a sweet scene of William and Mark Thompson naked by a stream (at Tassajara) holding hands and enjoying the water in our film SHAMAN PSALM (1981) and another scene of Mark and William simply walking (wearing shorts) down a country road. — Joel Singer
Images of Margaret follow.
