Poetry Bomb with S.A. Griffin - May 31, 2010

Frank hosted S.A. Griffin and the Poetry Bomb tonight at SPC. S.A. is one of the friendliest and most gracious people I've ever met. His wife and son were also present, as were many people from the community. S.A. said at the beginning of the event that tonight was about poetry and that the Poetry Bomb was a way to turn this item from destruction to construction. He's nearing the end of five weeks of touring the country with the bomb and will be in Nevada City tomorrow.

Where did the idea come from? He didn't credit any one thing. He just wanted to put poetry in a bomb. His search began. It wasn't as easy to locate a bomb these day as it had been for the hippies who used to find them in the desert and smoke them, he told a full house. He searched various computer sites, finally locating a bomb on Craigslist on November 3. The guy selling the bomb even delivered it to S.A. The guy, S.A. told us, wanted to meet the buyer and wanted something creative done with it. Well, I think S.A. succeeded. The bomb is gorgeous. He spent a great deal of time telling us about the bomb, which is from the 1970 Vietnam era and was a practice bomb. He left the dents and and dings and scars, including the bullet hole near the top.

He said that he hopes to foster disagreements because "agreements come from disagreements." The bomb holds more than 400 poems (plus ashes from 4 humans and 2 dogs) from all over the world, including some from convicts and ex-convicts and people from different religions. He doesn't see the Poetry Bomb as being anti-war because that is too limiting. He said that there is "nothing more activist that you can do except be a poet."

He talked about the opening of the bomb and that this is The Only Poetry Bomb.

Frank asked what symbolism means to S.A., and he responded that they are very important to him and that the "bomb is one of the most iconic symbols of the 20th century."

Once he finished speaking about the project and the bomb, he had people read either poems that were already in the bomb or poems that they were going to have placed in the bomb. Readers were: John Bell, Frank Dixon-Graham, JoAnn Anglin, Kirk Parker, Trina Drotar, B.L. Kennedy, S.A.'s wife, Lorraine (she read the official Poetry Bomb poem written by Ellyn Maybe, the poet laureate of the Poetry Bomb), Robert Roden, S.A.'s son, Spencer, Strider the Shadow Maker, Genelle Chaconas, Lob Instagon, Allegra Silberstein, and Crawdad Nelson. S.A. will scan and catalog all of the poems from this evening and the sign up list and place them in the bomb.

What will he do with the bomb? Well, suggestions included (rather passionately) the Smithsonian and a website. The project is not about ego. If he had the money, he'd like to send it to space a la Hunter S. Thompson.

S.A. read a selection of poems that were in the bomb and others that were his own. Among those he read were one from Sacramento's own, Annie Mennebroker and a nine-year boy who wrote a poem about his dying grandfather.

He ended the event singing a poem that he had written and given to a musician friend, Carolyn Edwards.

If you want to submit a poem, you may send it to: S.A. Griffin / P.O. Box 29171 / Los Angeles, CA 90029-0171.

Poetry Bomb!

Tonight at the Poetry Center.

The Sacramento Poem - Deadline December 1, 2010

Zen Marxist Launderettes - June 14, 2010

The Zen Marxist Launderettes released their first anthology, Wring, on January 17, 2010. They will read from this anthology and talk about their publishing adventure and their writing group at the Sacramento Poetry Center on June 14, 2010.

Big week ahead at SPC - May 31 to June 6

Didn't we have our big event in April?

May 31 Monday - Don't miss S.A. Griffin and the Poetry Bomb
"A great performance poet" - Richard
"Witty, intelligent and approachable" -Tryst
Frank Graham hosts - 7:30 pm on appropriately memorial day
Co-sponsored by Poems-for-all

June 2 Wednesday - Four poets plus open mic at Sacramento Room
Sandy, Sue, Paco, Trina, and ... you.
If you haven't seen the Sacramento Room, that's worth a trip, too
828 I Street

June 5 and 6 Saturday, Sunday R25 Festival
Music, drama, poetry, prizes, and more from noon on
Food by Chita's, Wine from Heritage Oak
Free admission, donations accepted, just drop in and
see the new Frostian fence at 25th and R!

Details below, or above! Come one, come all

R25 Crossroads for Arts & Culture Festival - June 5 and 6, 2010

Join the arts organizations and artists of the R25 Complex as they join together to host the first ever R25 Crossroads for Arts and Culture festival. Free admission for everyone. Bring the family. Children will enjoy puppet shows by El Teatro Espejo on Saturday and Sunday. Art lovers may bid on artwork at Sunday's art auction. On Saturday, music lovers can listen and dance to the sounds of the Christian Dewild Band, Marty Cohen and Sidekicks, and The Streamliners. Poets will read Saturday and Sunday. More music to be enjoyed on Sunday with James Israel Band, Aisle 99, and Puzzletree. On Saturday, Bill Trainor and Children's Network will also present. Vendor booths will offer art, crafts, and food. Open house and opportunities to meet the artists and find out more about the following organziations: Artists Studios, California Stage, Ed Claudio's Actors Workshop of Sacramento, Three Penny Theater, Alliance Francaise de Sacramento, MatrixArts & the PopUp Gallery, On Stage, Sacramento Poetry Center, Wilkerson Theater.

Poetry Bomb! Monday at the Poetry Center

C.E. Chaffin and Christopher Buckley at SPC - May 24, 2010

I'd like to begin by thanking Tim for bringing C.E. Chaffin and Christopher Buckley together for last night's reading. These two fine poets complemented one another. C.E. mentioned that his work is often considered dark, and if it was a bit on the dark side, Christopher's reading was punctuated with some humor and lightness in the stories he shared between poems.