AUGUST 27, 2012
Open Heart Poetry
www.openheartpoetry.com
OHP is a weekly gathering to celebrate poetry and spoken word. Enjoy select teas and organic, vegan, gluten-free cuisine in an antique ambiance. Bring an open heart and mind, and some words to share. There are no restrictions on content or style, but please keep it to under five minutes, and keep the volume to a suitable level for the neighbors upstairs.
This week’s feature: A. Razor
A. Razor was born in Brooklyn, N.Y., but was brought to California at the age of 1. He was raised with a strong desire to read and write, but but an even greater desire to survive his circumstances, which has aided his experience and longevity so far. He began writing and publishing around 1980 in various underground zines and publications, first in the Los Angeles area, then expanding outward after he was discovered by Drew Blood Press, Ltd. in 1984. He had published 11 titles on that now defunct press by 1995.
He became a member of the Hollywood Institute of Poetics in 2009. He has participated in the Poets in Prison panel at Beyond Baroque Literary Arts Center, and the 2011 ALOUD reading series at the Downtown Los Angeles Public Library. He works with the homeless, addicts, alcoholics, and ex-convicts, and is a mental health consumer and housing rights activist these days, in an attempt to use his own experiences to help others. In 2012 he joined with Iris Berry to begin Punk Hostage Press, who have published his most recent collection, “Better Than a Gun in a Knife Fight”.
His writing has always explored the world that he has sought to be a part of and to rebel against at the same paradoxical moment. He has traveled extensively, seeking and enduring everything from homelessness and imprisonment to serenity and peace.
Open Heart Poetry
Every Monday from 7-10pm
6:30pm Open Mic Signup
7:00-7:30pm Open Mic
7:30-8:00pm Featured Poet(s)
8pm-10pm Open Mic
Hosted by J de Salvo
Founded by oshan anand
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$5 minimum for tea or food
at Om Shan Tea, an urban tea oasis
233 14th St, at Natoma St, San Francisco, CA
between Mission & South Van Ness
3 blocks from 16th/Mission BART
www.omshantea.com
