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.