In 2010, the POETIC EXPRESS reached 25. It's been going for a quarter of a century and is still kicking. I had a small solo exhibit at the MOSAIC Gallery on Detroit's east side. It turned out to be the last show that they had there. Around the same time, my friend Ron Allen died, out in California. Mick Vranich and Mary Laredo Herbeck also had died this year. All three were great people and mainstays of the Detroit arts scene.
The U.S. Social Forum was in Detroit. I got to some of that. The Spaceband finally got to play an evening show at the Dally in the Alley. That went well. We'd played there once before, at noon.
Number 1 and 2 has a theme of animal people. It includes the poem this animal man and a short piece on vegetarianism from the point of view of the animals.
In April, in Numbers 7 and 8, I noted that this publication has reached its 25th year. It's run from 1985 to 2010. There's a vertical SURREAL THEATRE. There are poems such as a wild call and to the next 25 years.
In Numbers 10 and 12 SURREAL THEATRE addresses the Deepwater Horizon oil spill from the point of view of the fish. Number 9 includes the poem B.P. Blues. I did a song with the Spaceband with the same title. Both of these issues and three blog posts investigate this disaster. Issues Numbers 16, 18 and 20's SURREAL THEATRE comics also address the "oil and gas question."
Number 10 also included for Earth's future, in memory of Mick Vranich.
Number 11 included at the U.S. social forum. It was great, what I got to. I got to see Penelope Rosemont and various friends.
Number 15 included infinity's palette, a poem in memory of Ron Allen.
Number 19 included equinox, a poem in memory of Mary Laredo Herbeck.
The 24th annual Dedication Issues included semi-frozen barnyard, in memory of musician and painter Captain Beefheart. Also in issue Number 23 is emerging values for Jaki Byard. Then there's Samba in A Maze, for Tom Ze. In issue Number 24, there a poem for the great Kovacs, Ernie Kovacs: on the air. Then, there's sidewinder for jazz musician Johnny Dodds. Finally, I wrote This is It! for Noam Chomsky.
Personal Favorites: include Number 3's in the castle of lost days, Number 4's collect them all!, Number 6's all the world around me, Number 14's the golden abyss and Number 17's No Art Here.
SURREAL THEATRE favorites include Numbers 2, 6, 8, 22 and 24.