New collages by Christopher Luna

The Work Poetry Workshop led by Christopher Luna 

23 by Christopher Luna

Christopher Luna reads "Perpetual Transfiguration" For Harry Smith and Stan Brakhage at Turn! Turn! Turn! in Portland, OR

Christopher Luna reads "Perpetual Transfiguration" For Harry Smith and Stan Brakhage at Turn! Turn! Turn! in Portland, OR https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ue4QTCIblsQ 8 NE Killingsworth St Portland OR 97211 503-284-6019 https://turnturnturnpdx.com/ Video by Word Virus Books: https://www.wordvirusbooks.com/ This reading took place at Harry Smith and the PNW: Stories, Scholars, and String Figures, as part of Harry Smith: Portland's Prodigal Son, a three-day festival curated by Katherine Factor: https://harrysmitharchives.com/events/portlands-prodigal-son/ Katherine Factor: https://kfactorwrites.com/bio Learn more about Harry Smith here: https://harrysmitharchives.com/ Christopher Luna would like to thank Katherine Factor, Rani Singh (Director of the Harry Smith Archives), and his Naropa friends Darrin Daniel and Chuck Pirtle for including him and for everything they did to make this celebration of Harry Smith a success. Jack Kerouac School of Disembodied Poetics at Naropa University: https://www.naropa.edu/academics/schools-centers/jack-kerouac-school-of-disembodied-poetics/ The Brakhage Center for Media Arts at Unversity of Colorado in Boulder: https://www.colorado.edu/brakhagecenter/

Early 2024 Collages by Christopher Luna

I'LL LET YOU OUT WHEN YOU KNOW HOW TO BE DECENT

Longing and Joy Each in Measure

The Work Poetry Workshop
Featuring Sappho and Sanders

The Work poetry workshop by Christopher Luna takes place from 2-5 on the second Saturday of the month at Birdhouse Books (1001 Main Street basement Vancouver, WA 98660). We also meet from 9-12 on the fourth Saturday of every month.

There is also a Monday evening version of the workshop that takes place on Zoom on the second and fourth Monday of the month. Send me an email if you would like to receive an invitation.

You can learn about all of my workshops through the end of this year on the Creative Writing Workshops page of the Printed Matter Vancouver website: 

https://printedmattervancouver.com/creative-writing-workshops/

If you are looking for writing coaching, editing/manuscript review, or information about my poetry and memoir classes, send me an email at printedmattervancouver@gmail.com or visit printedmattervancouver.com. 

beautiful beguiling wonders

Photos and a Poem from Mysterious Mushroom: Amanita Muscaria in Hisotry, Medicine & Lore with Tom Hatsis at Psanctum Thrift in Portland, OR December 7, 2023

I really enjoyed Mysterious Mushroom: Amanita Muscaria in History, Medicine, & More, a free talk with Psychedelic Historian and Educator Tom Hatsis. The entertaining and informative talk took place at Psanctum Thrift, 4033 SE Milwaukie Ave. Portland, OR 97202.

Here are some photos from the event, as well as a poem inspired by my experience.

I purchased a copy of Tom's book Microdosing Magic: A Psychedelic Spellbook,
pictured here with some items from his collection of historical and educational materials. 

There Was Union

Notes from Mysterious Mushrooms: Amanita Muscaria in History, Medicine, & More

a free talk with Psychedelic Historian and Educator Tom Hatsis

Psanctum Thrift, Portland

December 7, 2023

 

holographic maximalist

rocking torn legging

 

farsighted nearsighted

a state of mind

 

ramped up rambunctiousness

in the random shit nook

 

sheepish seekers

with tentative glances

furtive smiles

 

settle in

ready to absorb

 

check for the veil

check for the bulb

 

Tom offers tips for

foraging and preparation

 

dispels myths

no Viking Berzerkers

no connection to Santa Claus

 

the visionary potential

of the amanita muscaria

 

the mushrooms bring

the other world to me

 

I’m not tripping

the room is tripping

 

witchcraft ritual is key

 

Tom reads from his magical journal:

 

all three goddesses showed up

spontaneously absorbed all three

and eventually found himself

on the ground

humping the air

 

shining from the inside

beautified by all of them

 

I think I was throat signing

deep guttural purging

[of] negative thoughts

 

must change that to ascend

 

amanita is a

heart-opening medicine

 

you really have to

form a relationship

with the amanita muscaria

 

then start

very slowly

 

she will

sing to you

According to their website, "Psanctum is a nonprofit psychedelics research, education, and harm reduction organization located in Portland, Oregon. Psanctum publishes educational articles and videos, curates an online digital archive, and hosts events like the Psanctum Speaker Series, the Psanctum Psychedelic Conference, monthly integration circles, and the weekly Psanctum Open Mic. We also operate Psanctum Thrift, which raises funds for psychedelic-assisted therapy, education, integration, and support. Psanctum also features an onsite Psychedelic Education Center, which is currently archiving the last materials of the Timothy Leary collection. We believe psychedelic experiences have the power to heal, inspire, and liberate the human mind, body, and soul. But these substances are only as powerful as our ability to understand, integrate, and support them. Psanctum works to contribute towards building a society where psychedelic experiences, education, and the strong communities necessary to process them, are accessible to all."

Please support Psanctum's mission by donating to the cause or by shopping at the store. 

Photos and Video of Patti Smith in Portland, August 15, 2023

Patti Smith reads "Footnote to Howl" by Allen Ginsberg at Pioneer Place, Portland, OR August 15, 2023: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lYmMBLIcc9U&t=1s

"Golden and Blue Hour" Poem by Maria Vara, Collage and lettering by Christopher Luna

 

Freight Train Graffiti seen from the Land Bridge, Ghost Town, USA on September 15, 2023

 

Photos and Video from The Humble Poets' Open Mic at The Stacks Coffeehouse in Portland on August 27, 2023

 

Jeremy Garner reads his poetry in public for the first time.

Jeremy Garner reads his poetry in public for the first time.

Jeremy Garner and Christopher Luna

Debra Elisa reads from You Can Call It Beautiful, her new book from MoonPath Press

Debra Elisa reads from You Can Call It Beautiful, her new book from MoonPath Press

Christopher Luna, Debra Elisa, and Toni Lumbrazo Luna

Christopher and Toni Luna

Christopher Luna and Toni Lumbrazo Luna

Featured Reader Christopher Luna with The humble Poets' Open Mic co-founder Eric Fair-Layman

Angela Douglass and Christopher Luna

Thanks to Eric Fair-Layman, Debra Elisa, and everyone who attended my featured reading at The Humble Poets' Open Mic in Portland. I am grateful to several friends and students who showed up to read and support me: Angela Douglass, Toni Lumbrazo Luna, Melinda Bell, and John Carter. The staff at The Stacks Coffeehouse were very welcoming and hospitable.

 

I was also honored to see Jeremy Garner, one of my poetry students from MultnomahArts Center, read his poetry in public for the first time.

 

If you missed it, you can watch my set on my YouTube channel. Thanks to Toni Lumbrazo Luna for the video. 

Bjorn Brezhnev has my undying gratitude and respect

 My life and my 2023 would not have been the same without my friend Igor Bjorn Brezhnev, the publisher and co-founder of Lightship Press.

 

Bjorn is a tireless supporter of poets and writers locally. I first became aware of him when he hosted a weekly open mic at the Rocking Frog that included multiple features and a very democratic process of deciding who would read in the open mic. He picked names from a hat.

 

Since then Bjorn has organized great series and individual readings at Rose City Book Pub, CoHo Theatre, Birdhouse Books, and elsewhere.

 

Bjorn is determined to get poets paid, and puts all of himself into organizing and executing many events in the community. We should not have to work for free. What we do can be both a vocation as well as a profession if we believe in it enough to treat it that way. I respect Bjorn for his determination to raise money for poets to de remunerated for their time and hard work.

 

I could not be more proud of my Voracity, my book from Lightship Press, edited by Sam Preminger and designed by Igor Bjorn Brezhnev in December 2022.

Lightship Press cofounders Bjorn Brezhnev and Sam Preminger at The Haven PDX

  

Many of us owe a debt of gratitude to Bjorn for all he has done to make the greater Portland metropolitan area and Ghost Town, USA safe for poetry.

 

Why not show your support in a more tangible way and contribute to Bjorn’s Patreon.

  

Bjorn is also available for consulting or you can buy one of his books. I love his epic “nights since” series.

  

Support Living Artists ‘Cause the Dead Ones Don’t Need it!  

 

Christopher Luna's Art Featured in WHERE ARE WE GOING AND WHAT WILL WE DO WHEN WE GET THERE? at Art At The Cave August 2-25, 2023/ Artist Talk Photos from August 19

This month I have two pieces in WHERE ARE WE GOING AND WHAT WILL WE DO WHEN WE GET THERE? at Art At The Cave. The show, which closes on August 25, features "works from 35 regional artists in this exhibit which ponders our collective future."

I will also be participating in an artist talk at the gallery on August 19. 

The two pieces I have in the show are "The Second Coming of the Sex Machine" and "EYE CATALYST (For Diane di Prima)," a collaboration with Erin Dengerink. 

The Second Coming of the Sex Machine by Christopher Luna

Christopher Luna with The Second Coming of the Sex Machine

"EYE CATALYST" was based on a poem I wrote for one of my poetic heroes, Diane di Prima, when I had her on my list for the August Postcard Poetry Fest. Learn more about the postcards Diane and I sent each other. 

EYE CATALYST (For Diane di Prima)

Drawing by Erin Dengerink

Poetry, Lettering, and Collage by Christopher Luna

Photos from The Artists Talk

Christopher Luna at Art At The Cave by Parmalee Paula Cover

Chas Martin discusses his sculpture

Greg Bee and Christopher Luna photographed by Michael Schein

Greg Bee and Christopher Luna photographed by Michael Schein

Madilynn Klein asks Parmalee about her art

Parmalee Paula Cover and Christopher Luna with Parmalee's "Luncheon on the Tracks"

Parmalee Paula Cover and Christopher Luna with Parmalee's "Luncheon on the Tracks"

Parmalee Paula Cover with her piece "Luncheon on the Tracks"

Christopher Luna talks about "EYE CATALYST," his collaboration with Erin Dengerink,
at Art At The Cave on August 19, 2023. Photo by Madilynn Klein.

Christopher Luna talks about "EYE CATALYST," his collaboration with Erin Dengerink,
at Art At The Cave on August 19, 2023. Photo by Madilynn Klein.

Parmalee Paul Cover's "Luncheon on the Tracks." Photo by Madilynn Klein.

Parmalee Paula Cover and Christopher Luna discuss collage while standing before her painting "Luncheon on the Tracks" at Art At The Cave on August 19, 2023. Photo by Madilynn Klein.