Poem for Lisa Loewenthal

Lisa Loewenthal, Celeste Gurevich, and Christopher Luna by Josh Lubin

 After sharing the bill with Lisa Loewenthal at Burnt Tongue 16 at Crush Bar in Portland on May 21, I made a point of letting her know how much I had enjoyed her stories. She immediately asked me to tell her what I had liked about them. A fair question which I utterly failed to answer. I was being sincere, yet I had not prepared a detailed critique, and was not prepared to articulate my feelings. I left feeling that I had a disappointed her, and possibly made a bad first impression.

This encounter was on my mind when Lisa and I shared the bill again (along with the amazing Celeste Gurevich) at Josh Lubin's spectacular series, Salon Skid Row, at The Corner Bar in Portland on June 14. so as I listened to her, I wrote the following poem, which I post here to honor her greatness.

Below I have also posted some pictures from the event.

“Let’s Not Get Caught Up in All This Truth Now”

For Lisa

new and alive

brilliant contagion

flash truth

                        “it’s true”

forgive my short-term memory loss

long to listen

           

                  listen

                        listen

read     & re-read

don’t dismiss me prematurely

for my fanboy clumsiness

but accept my undying admiration

“I have to hear every word”

Let’s Not Get Caught Up in All This Truth Now. Harvey Keitel in the film Youth

 

Andrew Gurevich and Mo Daviau at Salon Skid Row June 14, 2016

Celeste Gurevich at Salon Skid Row by Domi Shoemaker

Celeste Gurevich at Salon Skid Row by Domi Shoemaker

Christopher Luna at Salon Skid Row by Domi Shoemaker

Salon Skid Row MC Josh Lubin by Domi Shoemaker

Lisa Loewenthal, Celeste Gurevich, and Christopher Luna by Amy Temple Harper

Amy Temple Harper and Josh Lubin photograph Lisa Loewenthal, Celeste Gurevich, and Christopher Luna