Brian Paul Allison has memorized over five hundred poems and recites line-ups created from them in a performance called Poetry-Theater, Tour de Force. His new book, The Art of Collecting Poetry, shows you ways to create your own anthology to get the most enjoyment from your best loved poetry, stimulate your mind, and enrich your life. It really does.
In celebration of National Poetry Month, Brian will be my featured guest on WriteSpa’s BlogTalkRadio show on Thursday, April 3 at 5 pm ET/2 pm PT.
If ten poems can change your life, like Roger Housden suggests with his titles, or 101 poems compiled by Daisy Goodwin could save your life, your own collection stands to be even more meaningful. More than a self-help book for the poetry-collecting hobbyist, The Art of Collecting Poetry is a personal journey into the depths of cross-cultural wisdom poetry, and other fun stuff!
Brian is a freelance writer who has also been a fitness trainer at Canyon Ranch in the Berkshires for many years. As a modern renaissance artist, exercise modalities such as improv movement and martial arts have always been a part of his integrative approach. He was the cofounder and creative director of Adventure Game Theater (as seen on PBS at Omega Institute, 2001). As a bodybuilder he was Mr. New England (1990), and Pro Natural Mr. USA (1991).
As a graphic artist, the digital art as featured in Stone Temple Awakening is noteworthy in and of itself. But poetry is his great love. He writes: “Notes from the Netherspere is a book of poetry had its origins almost twenty years ago. Over the course of that time I printed about 200 copies of it, and a few others, bound them by hand, folding and sewing the pages into sections, with covers made of clear-tape-laminated card stock, the heaviest my little printer could handle. Then using hot glue to hold it all together, I was able to share books with friends here and there; it was good old-fashioned self-publishing.
“Those were some pretty good times, despite my persistent angst. In addition to running improv theater camps for teens, I have also been known to recite poetry at length, classic and modern, including some of my own, in a performance called: Poetry-Theater, Tour de Force. I’ve been called the Bard of the B—, which has stood for Bellefontaine, Berkshires, Berkshire Room (humorously), and I hope someday, Bard of the Biosphere (semi-seriously).
“So this book started as a slow side-project, a kind of parody, a lark, largely tongue-in-cheek, humorous, lyrical, formal and free. I have tried to preserve the youthful exuberance characteristic of those early years, while reworking some of it for dignity’s sake. Maturity is a beautiful thing. I’d like to think I have acquired some of it by now.”
Join us this Thursday on BlogTalkRadio!