‘Salon’
brings poets and artists to LBMA
By
Malyssa Harelson
On-line Forty-Niner
While sitting in the Long Beach Museum
of Art, a historic mansion located on
a bluff overlooking the Pacific Ocean,
a lively audience was entertained by author,
poet and Cal State Long Beach English
professor, Gerald Locklin.
The
Salon, “Long Beach’s Drawing
Room” is a monthly gathering for
local artists, musicians and writers to
share their creative works. This event
takes place the last Thursday of every
month.
Locklin
has been influencing the Southern California
poetry scene for over 30 years. He is
widely respected as a proponent of the
“Stand Up School of Poetry.”
“His
courage to perform is admirable”
said Chris Brown Otto, a CSULB Alumni.
“I
will definitely come back to the Salon,
it’s a warm and friendly environment.”
The
Salon is a fairly new addition to the
museum’s calendar of events. This
is the third month that “The Salon”
has taken place.
“We
have started a new adventure,” said
Victoria Damrel, director of education
and visitor services. “We are trying
to bring the spoken word to Long Beach.”
The
museum was filled with laughter as Gerald
Locklin performed his stand up poetry.
The atmosphere was inviting and warm as
people gathered around tables with appetizers
and drinks. The audience was diverse with
patrons ranging from college students
to adults.
Locklins’
personality truly shines through and his
passion for humor brightened the room.
“I enjoy stand up poetry a lot and
I like to keep it fun,” Locklin
explained.
It
was hard to imagine him teaching an English
class at CSULB. Locklin has been teaching
contemporary literature and creative writing
for 40 years. He teaches in the Masters
of Fine Arts program at CSULB.
He
has written 125 novels and poetry books.
His most recent books include “The
First Time I Saw Paris In Two Novellas”
with Donna Hilbert, “Go West, Young
Toad: Selected Writings,” “Down
and Out, a novel,” and “Charles
Bukowski: A Sure Bet.”
After
the reading the audience lined up to have
their novels and poetry books signed by
Locklin. Many of his fans must wonder
what kind of advice a writer of his caliber
would give to aspiring poets and writers.
“I
would advise poets in any age to study
what they don’t necessarily feel
like studying, not just what seems easy
or reinforces the stage one is already
at.” said Locklin.
The
main purpose of “The Salon”
is to reach and bring local artists together
for an enjoyable night of inspiration
and entertainment. “There is a real
hunger for literary events in Long Beach,”
said Donna Hilbert, a poet and writer.
“There is a huge untapped audience
and the museum is in a good position to
bring literature to them.”
This
event is a great opportunity for local
artists, musicians or anyone who enjoys
creativity to come together for a night
of raw entertainment.
On
May 27, “The Salon” will open
at 5 p.m. with Soraya Shaw, a Jazz musician
and soprano singer. Following her performance
will be Teena Apeles, a freelance writer
and editor. She will be reading and singing
from her first book, ‘Women Warriors:
Adventures from History’s Greatest
Female Fighters.’
