Litany for Kathy Acker
Silverado Trio at Bird and Beckett Bookstore
Litany by Diane di Prima brought us together. QR Hand, Jr. first presented the idea of forming a poetry trio to Thomas Stanton (Benicia’s Poet Laureate) and me after an exciting radio session at OZCAT (89.5 FM KZCT), our local Vallejo area community station. QR suggested we premiere Diane di Prima’s never before performed poem, “Litany for Kathy Acker.” We later named ourselves the “Silverado Trio” after our gray hair and our location in the north country.
Litany Rehearsals
Thus, began a series of unforgettable, inspiring, and enjoyable rehearsals, as we explored di Prima’s words, our voices, and interactions. We investigated and played with her enormous vocabulary and historic information all relating to the loss of the irreverent late punk poet/musician Kathy Acker, who, like Diane, thought nothing of transgressing all boundaries and taboos. Each rehearsal went on for hours because we were having too much fun exchanging our stories, poetic viewpoints, eating, and even singing old pop songs.
When we added the magic ingredient of a discerning San Francisco Bird and Beckett Bookstore audience, we soared. I hope you enjoy this episode of Literary Dialogs with Nina Serrano which presents our plunge into Diane di Prima’s gorgeous poem. Paul Richards captured and edited it for you in the attached video. Enjoy!
MEDIA – For photos & interviews: Paul Richards (510) 967 5577; paulrichards@estuarypress.com
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