Derrick Brown, winner of the 2013 Texas Book of The Year Award for Poetry, is not only an author of five books of poetry but the president of Write Bloody Publishing recognized by Forbes Magazine as “one of the best independent poetry presses in the country”. Last Tuesday, Patreon, a venue located in the Mission District in San Francisco that allows artists to obtain funding for their work, opened it’s doors for a riveting and all-absorbing performance by Derrick Brown and his contemporaries, Jason Bayani and Annelyse Gelman. The night turned from tears, to laughter, to stunning awe moments as these poets performed with their hearts on their sleeves.

It’s moments like these that keep the inspiration flowing as we continue to work on our 10th edition of Matchbox Magazine! Below you can see our Poetry Editor and Financial Advisor getting a signed copy of Brown’s latest book, Our Poison Horse, available at writebloody.com.

Jason Bayani, jasonbayani.com

 

_"There are several ways to get 'got' in a city. The prime offense is to always be looking up."_ Jason Bayani started off the evening with… I don't know… A poem? A feeling? A window to another world? Whatever it was, I loved it. The poem itself, "Kein / Muenchen," was the centerpiece of an experience that was some combination of visual and visceral. It didn't transport me to Munich, so much as transport the Munich experience back. I mean, when I talked with Bayani beforehand, he avoided describing his poetry other than as "personal." I can see why. "Kein / Muenchen" was -- is -- a personal tale that reminds you of the ties between the physical aspects of a place and how it makes you feel to be there, looking up, because you just can't help it. I caught up with benchmates Stephanie and Jeremy afterwards and they confirmed that the piece strongly recalled each of their own experiences visiting Munich in the past. You can find the poem online at (http://www.muzzlemagazine.com/muzzle-blog/1730-jason-bayani-30-poets-in-their-30s), along with a short feature on Bayani.

Derrick Brown, brownpoetry.com

Derrick Brown

Originally published on 11/2015