GUERRILLA POETRY

It is time to stop waiting for our poems to get published in Elite magazines that no one reads! We live in NYC, and we hemorrhage money to do so. Let's take to the streets, and the walls and the pages, to breathe fresh life back into these massive smog filled city lungs!

This was the thinking behind the creation of FLESH: Poetry&Arts Zine. To put poetry back into the ranks with other "cool" urban art. There seemed to be a need for people who write poetry that is youthful, but not always SLAM styled, Intelligent but not blandly academic. Something Fresh ..something Dope. I was feeling isolated and disconnected from the many other writers in NYC. I decided to create what I felt was missing. A DIY (Do it yourself) magazine based in real life, with as little email, and as much in-the-flesh interaction as possible. Here is the official blurb I came up with :

"FLESH poetry and arts magazine, edited by recent City College MFA grad David Levine, is a collection of fresh, dope and delicious poetry and arts inspired by the high contrast energy of NYC. FLESH is seeking submissions of Poetry, SHORT fiction, drawings, photography. etc. There will be a theme for each issue, so please inquire what that is before you submit. Send all Submissions and/or questions to souljob@gmail.com

Thank You"

There was to be the Zine, but also, an outdoor gathering, a guerrilla style street launch for each issue! The pages of the Zine would be Wheat pasted (pasted on the walls) all around the city for passers-by to see. Poetry would slowly find new ears and eyes to feast on!

The result was a total success! The first installment of the Zine (themed "The Struggle with Sex") came out wonderfully, with many great contributing artists. There was a launch show on June 14th, 2008 at Brooklyn's Continental Army Plaza. Poets and artists gathered, swapped words, laughs and talked about the growing movement of the "Flesh Poets of NYC"

There will be future issues of the Zine coming out, as well as other outdoor, street level celebrations of the word. I encourage anyone who would like to contribute or come out and be a spectator, to email me and get involved.

Poetry is not dead!..It's just six feet Underground!

This is great, thanks

sounds like a great thing!

This is an incredible idea. Smart, fun poetry that can be enjoyed anyone--not just poets reading poets. I'm going to check this out for sure.

great idea, Amy!!

I also live in New York.

Nanette