Featuring Derrick Brown, Amber Tamblyn, Mindy Netifee and Michael Roberts
Saturday, July 5, 2008, 8 pm
FREE

As a birthday present to America, {open} happily presents a performance from author, poet and professional firecracker DERRICK BROWN. The often irreverent and always entertaining Brown will be joined by fellow poet-performers AMBER TAMBLYN, MINDY NETIFEE and MICHAEL ROBERTS, who will celebrate their independence with readings from their respective works.

The evening will also include a live music performance and light refreshments. Door opens at 8 p.m. Like America, admission is free, but is first come, first served.

About the poets

Derrick Brown has performed extensively in the U.S. and internationally, including a recent appearance on the Tonight Show with Jay Leno. He is the author of poetry compilations I Love You Is Back and Born in the Year of Butterfly Knife, which won the California Independent Book Critics’ Award in 2004. Through his independent publishing imprint, Write Bloody, Brown publishes books from cutting-edge contemporary authors, poets and aritsts. More info: brownpoetry.com

Emmy and Golden Globe-nominated actress Amber Tamblyn is the author of Free Stallion: Poems from Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing. In addition to writing and performing her poetry, Tamblyn will appear in this year’s Spring Breakdown with Amy Poehler, 2009’s Beyond a Reasonable Doubt with Michael Douglas and a documentary about Jack Kerouac featuring Tom Waits. More info: rebelasylum.com

Mindy Netifee has published five chapbooks through independent small presses and a full-length collection, Sleepyhead Assassins, on Moon Tide Press. Her work, which has been featured in ISM magazine and the California Poetry Anthology, has earned her a nomination for the Pushcart Prize. Netifee was a headlining poet at 2007’s GirlFest Hawaii and was one of the inaugural performers for The Best Contemporary American Poets Series, Volume 1. More info: thecultofmindy.com

Michael Roberts was featured in Write Bloody’s first compilation, The Last American Valentine. He is the author of poetry compilation Kid Gloves and will release a second book, Workhorse Cintematographer, in 2008 on Write Bloody’s imprint. More info: thehopemeat.com

About the music

According to LA Record’s Chris Ziegler, “Iggy Pop was born in a trailer and Hank Williams died in the back of a Cadillac—in between, there was a lot of empty road to cover.” Grand Elegance is all over it. More info: myspace.com/elegancegrand

Don’t miss the next in our awesomely awesome open mic poetry series, Other People’s Poetry!

A signup sheet will be available at 6pm, with readin’ commencin’ at 8pm. Both attendance and performance are blissfully free. Join us and read sumthin you looooooooove, so we can love it too!

Wanna know what kinda things to read? Check out the rules and what was read at the last OPP!

Retro Row Features Evening Of Art

By Julian Bermudez /Gazette Arts Writer

Last Saturday turned out to be a successful art night for Fourth Street’s “Retro Row.” Throngs of artists, musicians, gallerists and the public-at-large took part in an evening filled with art, entertainment, food, drink and dance.

First on the list was Open. » » »