Patti Smith's Birthday Celebration at Bowery Poetry Club

Patti Smith changed my life. So as soon as I heard that Jackie Sheeler was planning a 60th birthday party for Ms. Smith, I begged to be a part of it. I played Patti Smith once on stage under the moniker "Padded Myth" (the nickname was an acknowldegement of the media's tendency to build up, then systematically attempt to destory everything good). I am more influenced by her work than any other female poet except Emily Dickenson (see "The Outlaw Bible of American Poetry" where Patti's on pages 82 through 91, and I'm on page 477). I spent hundreds of nights listening to her music while writing record and concert reviews for The Eye newspaper in the early 80s. And, for the past 20 years, through no fault of my own (no surgery, no makeover, nothing, honest!) I have been told that I look like Patti Smith.

All of this made me a natural candidate for being on the bill, I explained to Jackie via email.

Guess what?

Jackie understood! I'm reading at the Patti Smith Birthday Party, which is at the Bowery Poetry Club on Thursday, December 28th from 10 pm until... Please go! Other confirmed performers include Christine Goodman, Meagan Brothers, Jackie Sheeter, and The Bass Player from Hand Job. And maybe some of the band members from Patti Smith Group and maybe Patti. The whole night will be videotaped and given to Patti as a gift from the people who love her and her music.

Be there!

By the way, if you've never heard Jackie Sheeler's poetry, this will be a good chance to experience one the best poets in New York, or for that matter the world.

See you Thursday.

Plug In Poetry

During November, we conceived and created Plug In Poetry, which was a great success. Held in the Chashama storefront on 44th Street in Times Square, we offered a virtual mountain of words for people to add to the walls or windows to make poems together. The first day it was pouring rain. Amazing how many people walking down the street don't want to get out of it--they just want to get where they are going! Those who did come in were very happy--a direct result of a) creating something unique and original, and b) being warm and dry for a few minutes! The other two performances were not so wet, so we moved to the window and made poetry outside and inside. It was great to see the poems grow from single words, to complete works of art, anonymously rearranged by whomever was present.

But it's not over yet! Visit the Plug In Poetry website and let us know your favorite pieces. Also, we're looking to do it again and would love to know if you can suggest any venues, in the U.S., Paris, Italy, or Greece (or anywhere in the world).

So far, favorite lines have included "look restless between an easy light," "die waiting," and, my personal favorites "let hopes ease what heaven might" and "she can steal the beautiful." Favorite poem?

favorite dream
know surprise
where love is
believe enough
to give this mad
war peace

and

she can steal
my morning thought
before the beautiful
would be shrine

If you visit the Plug In Poetry website, be sure to listen to the hip hop version of T.S. Eliot's Rhapsody On A Windy Night. We produced it as part of the soundtrack for the play Jack the Rapper, performed at Marilyn Monroe Memorial Theater in San Francisco a couple years back, and it sounds awesome! We played it during the performance.

P.S. to Karen: I figured out how to make the links!!!!