Choose Your Own Poem Adventure!

For the past few months, I have had the good fortune to be in a writing workshop with poet extraordinaire Daisy Fried.  I've used this time to experiment with how many ways I can re-invent poems with sound, drawings, field guides and a few other investigations.

Do you remember "choose your own adventure" books? Start anyplace you like on this sheet.  Follow the arrows.  Go backwards.  Forwards.  Repeat if you like.  End where you think it should end.

Write your own poem and share it in the comment box if you are so inclined!  Have fun!

Save the Date! New RetroLove at Fergie's Pub on July 8th!

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Reading at the Free Library this Saturday!

This coming Saturday, April 18th, is Philly Poetry Day. If you feel like strolling the Parkway, stop by the Free Library Central Branch at 3:30 to hear me and some of my fabulous poetry buddies for a round robin of words:  Alyson Shore Adler, Deidra Greenleaf Allen, Minna Canton Duchovnay, B.E. Kahn and Barbara Russell.

Or join in with a poem of your own.  All are welcome.

Read more about Philly Poetry Day here!

And exciting RetroLove news is in the offing-- stay tuned.

RetroLove News and New Poem!

Q:  How do you take 12 minutes of RetroLove poems and turn them into an evening-length show?
A:  Hook up with Philly Jazz Project, add music, stories and more poems to the mix!

Just back from a great residency at the Ragdale Foundation where I had time and space to work on creating the concept and new work for the RetroLove show slated for June 2016 in Philadelphia.  I will be updating you as we go along on this jazzy journey and save July 8 at Fergie's Pub when I take some of the new work out for a spin.

Did you know that songs lyrics are copyrighted but song titles are not?  Here is just one of the new RetroLove poems I wrote while I was away.  Do you remember this one?

you send me

flowers when it’s not my birthday

  and on valentine’s day, a nice ripe peach

mail that isn’t bills

  though everything I.O.U.

  I couldn’t repay even on lay-away

you send me

sympathy when I’m blue

  and kisses, bittersweet

sharp looks when I am unkind to

  someone who deserves better

  which I do sometimes

you send me

secret wishes

  when we blow out the candles

send me

  to places I can’t find alone

  even with a map

  and I wouldn’t want to try

you send me

away

  for my own good –

  but I always, always

  come back.

Beth Feldman Brandt

2015

62 Philly Poets (including me)

Join me for some poetic cheer for the Moonstone Book Launch and holiday fuss this Sunday, December 14th beginning at 1:00 pm at Brandywine Workshop, 728 S. Broad Street.  The book and reading showcase Moonstone's featured poets from the past year and it is a great line-up.  One poem a  poet . I am right in the beginning so don't be late!  The event is free but if you can't come, you can still buy the 2014 Anthology of Featured Poets here.

Not So Dull At All!

I love used books stores.  No surprise there.  But wandering through the Friends of the Free Library bookstore at 20th and the Parkway, I saw this Modern Physics book from the 1920's.  Which of course, I also loved and was ready to snatch up for $3 when I noticed the author was...

CHARLES E. DULL!

A descendant or cousin of the Charles B. Dull for whom I wrote a poem this summer?  Perhaps I will call Laurel Hill cemetery and ask them.

Apparently, physics in the 1920's was not so far off.  If you check Amazon, this book is still in circulation.

What a deal!

Catch some RetroLove on October 12th!

I am jazzed to be included in an upcoming poetry reading taking place as part of Green Street Artists' participation in POST (Philadelphia Open Studio Tours) on Sunday, October 12th at 3:00 pm, 5225 Green Street in Germantown Philadelphia.

The afternoon is hosted by poet Trapeta Mayson and will include readings by Thomas Devaney, Nzadi Keita, Yolanda Wisher, and yours truly.  Stroll the artist studios in the neighborhood, then add some words to top off the afternoon.

Hope to see you there!

Word Warm Ups for Summer!

Thanks to everyone who turned out to see the Bartram's Boxes Remix exhibition and maybe even bought a copy of Solace (still available here -- hint, hint)

So what's up next?  During my annual beach sojourn, I decided to do some 'warm-up' poems just for fun without some huge project in mind...yet.  Kind of  like doing your stretches and cracking your knuckles to do some future heavy word-lifting.

A few years ago, I wandered around the historic Laurel Hill Cemetery in Philadelphia and snapped shots of headstones for people whose names were also nouns or adjectives.   This one certainly begs the question: Who would name their child "Charles B. Dull"?

So with no aspiration for historical context, a warm-up poem from the word...

DULL

No luster or reflection

or nuanced conversation.

No animation or edge of irony.

No twinkling of eye

or curve of lip in a wry smile.

No sharp wit or curiosity.

What is dull, in fact,

is your lack of interest

      

in me.

(c) Beth Feldman Brandt 2014