The flyer above is from the first Sparring With Beatnik Ghosts, held on
August 23, 2008 at Li Po Lounge in San Francisco's Chinatown.

  

A QUICK HISTORY:
SPARRING WITH BEATNIK GHOSTS (SWBG)
"In The Chinatown Dungeon"


Sparring With Beatnik Ghosts started in the catacombs of a former opium den in the basement, AKA “Chinatown Dungeon” of Li Po Lounge in San Francisco (August 2008). The upstairs bar at 916 Grant Street was an old stomping ground for iconic Beats Jack Kerouac, Allen Ginsberg, Gary Snyder, Philip Lamantia and Philip Whalen in the late 50s.

This first installment of Sparring With Beatnik Ghosts lasted almost six hours with no intermission (with exception of frequent dashes to the bar upstairs to replenish empty drink glasses) -- there were no breaks in the show itself. It was a marathon of poetry and music hosted by Sparring With Beatnik Ghosts founder Daniel Yaryan. The idea was to channel the spirits of the deceased Beats through back-to-back poems and songs that seemed to flow continuously and colorfully like the spontaneous thoughts of Jack Kerouac being typed upon his scroll of teletype paper.

The first round at Li Po featured Jeanne Spicuzza, Cara Vida, La Tigressa, Steve Arntson, Artemas Rex, Phillip T. Nails, Miriam Spier, Steven Gray, Black Earth And The Laughing Childe, Richard Loranger, Annie Klopfer and was hosted by SWBG producer Daniel Yaryan. This was the only SWBG show that also included an open mic throughout the evening, including the voices of Phillip Hackett, Mark Schwartz, Dee Allen, Dan Brady, Marc Benjamin Wilson, J. Brandon Loberg, E.K. Keith and many others.

Toward the end of the first round at around 1:45 a.m., an analog record player stirred up the spirit world with a rare, frightful track from San Francisco Renaissance poet Brother Antoninus evoking a chilling meditation with his “Tongs Of Jeopardy” playing through the catacombs describing where Jack Kerouac and Lee Harvey Oswald fit into Americana in the early sixties. This was last call at its best.

 

Click this link to hear segments of the album "Tongs Of Jeopardy"
by "The Beat Friar" Brother Antoninus (AKA William Everson),
a controversial album of "Meditations on the Death of John
F. Kennedy." Select and listen to the track "Subterranean Purposes"...
http://www.myspace.com/antoninusaudio2

 
Round II:
SPARRING WITH BEATNIK GHOSTS
@ The Beat Museum, San Francisco


Some poets outside Sparring With Beatnik Ghosts @ The Beat Museum
on 4/22/09: Daniel Yaryan, Bob Booker, Gail Michell, Bill Mercer,
Steve Arntson, Don Brennan, Charles Curtis Blackwell.


Round II summoned the poltergeists once again in the notorious and historic neighborhood that has continued to be a catalyst for generations of writers and spoken word artists - North Beach. Would there be a more suitable location than North Beach's community arts hub, The Beat Museum? Museum founder and curator Jerry Cimino and his crew of Beat enthusiasts ushered Round II: Sparring With Beatnik Ghosts into their museum on April 22, 2009. The Beat Museum (www.kerouac.com) is located near the corner of Broadway & Columbus - an undeniable epicenter for Beatnik Ghost activity.

Round II @ The Beat Museum featured jazz poet Charles Curtis Blackwell, performance artist Steve Arntson, San Francisco poets: Jennifer Barone, Craig Easley, Ana Elsner and Gail Mitchell. Special guests: Mission poet Alfonso Texidor; Lunation with Clara Hsu & Bill Mercer and the Music of Black Earth & The Laughing Childe (with Yaryan). Round II Co-producer Bob Booker was M.C.

 
Mission poet Alfonso Texidor performed at both Round II (as shown above reading @ The Beat Museum, 4/22/09) and Round VI (4/24/10) of Sparring
With Beatnik Ghosts.
Photo by Steve Wilson.


Round III:
SPARRING WITH BEATNIK GHOSTS
@ Bird & Beckett Books & Records,
Glen Park Neighborhood, San Francisco


Will Dodger performing his poetry at Round III: Sparring With Beatnik Ghosts @ Bird & Beckett on 8/15/09. He also sparred at Round VIII On Haight: Sparring With Beatnik Ghosts @ The Red Victorian on 8/21/10. Photo by Daniel Yaryan.


The SWBG event series has nomadically created a footprint on the San Francisco landscape, traversing the map from The Beat Museum to the jazz haven of Bird & Beckett Books & Records in SF’s Glen Park district – Round III, August, 15, 2009 – see link to SF Literature Examiner article by Aubrey Winkler:

                            

Round III featured performances by key beat personalities Neeli Cherkovski and Mel Clay. Also sparring were Cafe Babar poet alumnists Joie Cook and Steve Arntson, Charles Curtis Blackwell, saxophonist
"The Bishop" Norman Williams, Will Dodger, "The Peruvian Poetess" Camincha and Poetry Mission's Jonathan Siegel. The round was hosted by Philip T. Nails.



Round IV:
SPARRING WITH BEATNIK GHOSTS
"In The Land Of The Dead"


The audience of Round IV (first pic by Marc Kockinos) awaited their chance to watch the poets spar at Sparring With Beatnik Ghost "In The Land Of The Dead." (2nd pic by Daniel Yaryan) Host Ramu Aki at stageside while H.D. Moe performs his work on the Faithful Fools stage during Sparring With Beatnik Ghosts, 11/3/09.


Sparring With Beatnik Ghosts soon materialized in “In The Land Of The Dead” in San Francisco’s Tenderloin district at Faithful Fools Street Ministry for Round IV (11/3/09)– bringing the epic voices of Keith Savage and H.D. Moe into the ring. They were joined by the poetic forces of Wise Proof Avatari, Jane Ormerod, James Cagney, Don Brennan, Cara Vida, Ingrid Keir, Jerry Ferraz and Marsha Campbell. RAmu Aki was the host.


Round V:
SPARRING WITH BEATNIK GHOSTS
In Downtown Santa Cruz
@ The Felix Kulpa Gallery
 
Sparring With Beatnik Ghosts' producer, Yaryan, decided to take the show on the road to his hometown of Santa Cruz, chasing the ghosts through the wild sculpture garden and into the eccentric art Mecca of the Felix Kulpa Gallery for Round V -- February 24, 2010, showcasing “The Frisco Kid” Jerry Kamstra. Poets and musicians came from around the Bay Area to spar with ghosts and share their talents with Santa Cruz, including SF Jazz singer Hanna Rifkin, San Francisco poet Marc Kockinos, Sausalito's R&B poet Pablo Rosales and Berkeley's performance poet Steve Arntson. They banded together with local poets Bea Garth, Len Anderson and Nicholas Pierotti for the perfect northern California delegation of sparring greatness.



Sparring With Beatnik Ghosts -- Round V, In Downtown Santa Cruz (Wed., 2/24/10): "The Sparring Squad"...(Back Row) Beat icon Jerry Kamstra, host Daniel Yaryan, SC poet Len Anderson (Front row, L to R) South Bay poet Bea Garth, SC poet Nicholas Pierotti, SF poet Marc Kockinos, Sausalito poet Pablo Rosales, SF jazz vocalist Hanna Rifkin, SF upright bass player Gabe Davis, Sparring With Beatnik Ghosts Anthology Featured Artist Lynn Rogers and Berkeley poet Steve Arntson. Photo taken by SC poet Ron Lampi in front of the Felix Kulpa Gallery in Santa Cruz during 911 emergency break (fire engine beyond barbwire fence in background).


Round VI:
SPARRING WITH BEATNIK GHOSTS
@ Viracocha


ruth weiss and her jazz band @ Round Six: Sparring with Beatnik Ghosts, 4/24/10. Photo by Daniel Yaryan. 


In celebration of National Poetry Month, Round Six: Sparring With Beatnik Ghosts delved into the haunting lair of Viracocha's basement showspace on April 24, 2010 in San Francisco's Mission district, headlining "The Beat Goddess" ruth weiss, famous for first putting poetry to jazz at The Cellar in San Francisco in 1956. Harkening the ritual of the first SWBG show, Round Six lasted 6 hours. The event was bookended by clips from weiss' 1962 Beat film "The Brink" and her film "ruth weiss Meets Her Prometheus" was also showcased in its entirety right before weiss performed with her jazz band (Doug O'Connor, Hal Davis and Steven Faivus). She was joined by the finest feature poets and musicians of the San Francisco Bay Area to create an unforgetable installment of SWBG, hosted by Marc Kockinos. Features included Avotcha, COPUS, Mark States, Alohi, Alfonso Texidor, Jessica Loos, Clive Matson, MamaCoAtl, NKECHI, Charlie Getter and Bethany Rose. Keith Savage, Charles Curtis Blackwell and Richard Loranger took to the stage as surprise guests.



Footage of Charles Curtis Blackwell's special appearance at Round 6: Sparring With Beatnik Ghosts @ Viracocha. Video by Molaan Mosell. 


Round VII:
SPARRING WITH BEATNIK GHOSTS
@ Beyond Baroque


Beyond Baroque is one of the United States' leading independent Literary/Arts Centers and public spaces dedicated to literary and cultural production, contact, interaction, and community building. Founded in 1968, it is based in the Old Town Hall in Venice, California, near the Pacific Ocean. It offers a program of readings, free workshops, publishing, bookstore, archiving, and education.

Only a venue with the reputation for excellence in literary arts would suffice in tapping the mystic voices and drumming the beat haunts from their tombs in Los Angeles. That's why Venice's treasured performing arts center Beyond Baroque was chosen as the stomping ground for Round VII: Sparring With Beatnik Ghosts on Friday, July 23, 2010.

Beyond Baroque (681 Venice Blvd., Venice) was the first-ever Southern California installment of this popular poetry multi-media supershow -- featuring: Ellyn Maybe and her band, Michael C. Ford, Iris Berry, Jim Bolt, Mike The Poet, Rachel Kann, Brenda Petrakos, Gary Justice and Guest Host Mani Suri, plus special guest Pete Justus.

Visit      at: www.beyondbaroque.org

Los Angeles was ready to watch some of its best poets duke it out with the spirits
of dead Beatniks. See the recent article from...

CLICK LOGO TO VIEW ARTICLE:    




Yaryan with poets Ellyn Maybe and Michael C. Ford inside the Beyond Baroque bookstore preshow -- Round VII: Sparring With Beatnik Ghosts on Friday, July 23, 2010, Venice, CA.


"MICHAEL C. FORD is not merely a “Language Commando” but a Five Star General of poetry -- once again demonstrating his craft not only to the Beyond Baroque audience on July 23rd but drawing tremendous respect from his poet peers with the hightest standards. He has it dialed in impressively -- as the crowd witnessed at the Sparring With Beatnik Ghosts show. Ford’s work is extremely influencial and his accessibility to less-known poets earns him a place of honor among Los Angeles’ poet greats."  -- Yaryan


"ELLYN MAYBE is a dynamic performer (joined on the night of July 23rd at Beyond Baroque by two extremely talented musicians Danny Moynahan and Robbie Fitzsimmons – matching her charistmatic artistry) and I'm so honored to have had her be a part of Sparring With Beatnik Ghosts. Maybe’s Rodeo For The Sheepish is getting rave reviews and her set at Sparring With Beatnik Ghosts was filled with beautifully infectious sound and words connecting the brain to a much needed transfusion of art at its best!" --Yaryan




Ellyn Maybe & Her Band performing during Round VII @ Beyond Baroque on 7/23/10. Photo by Mani Suri.

SATURDAY, AUGUST 21
ROUND VIII ON HAIGHT:
SPARRING WITH BEATNIK GHOSTS @ THE RED VICTORIAN


"Bebop Angel" Gail Mitchell hosted Round VIII On Haight, August 21, 2010. Above photo taken by Steve Wilson at SWBG Round II on 4/22/09.

Once again, the Beatnik Ghosts underestimated the power of the living, breathing, modern-day poet prize fighters packing their word punches with dynamite sparring surprises. So here's the score...Sparring Team:... 8 and Ghosts: 0 Those mighty ghosts -- despite an awesome bout -- are being shown where the words are at -- in the now! This friendly spar with the dead took place at  Round VIII on Haight: Sparring With Beatnik Ghosts

@ The Red Victorian Peace Center:   (1665 Haight Street) on Saturday, August 21. The audience marveled at the performances by the Bay Area’s most inspiring sparring crew as they tapped mystic voices and drummed the beat haunts from their tombs at this popular, traveling poetry supershow. Round 8 brought 9 brilliant spoken word and musical voices to the iconic Red Victorian event stage, including:
Trance rock sitar player and piano composer Alan Sitar Brown;
Berkeley activist Poets Julia Vinograd and Debra Grace Khattab;
San Francisco poets Diamond Dave, Bob Booker and Marc Wilson (with Michael Shockey for the duo "Amusia").
Also sparring as Special Guests:
New York Poet Jane Ormerod and Haight Street poet Will Dodger.
The event was hosted by “Bebop Angel” Gail Mitchell.
The event was produced by Yaryan and co-sponsored by The Red Victorian Peace Center and The BookSmith.


Here are some sample video clips of the show by Charles Kruger:




Alan Sitar Brown provided the ideal soundtrack for Round 8
On Haight: Sparring With Beatnik Ghosts @ The Red Victorian
on Saturday, August 21. All systems were go and we had
lift off as he brought us into a realm of inter-galactic meditation. A mighty fine outpouring of music on piano and sitar -- collaborating with poets Will Dodger and Diamond Dave,
as well as boldly representing Santa Cruz in San Francisco.





"The intent was to blow the minds of the audience with Round 8 and Jane Ormerod was the dynamite. No one made it out of the Red Victorian without an aftermath of absolute astonishment from the treads of her words roaring paths around inside their craniums. A recreational vehicle on fire, indeed -- no brakes on the wild mad machine with a gattling gun blazing word bullets in a ratatattat fashion -- plowing over everything on the road ahead -- utilizing the fuel for the fire from her phenomenal language that made me feel like  I discovered the leader of a poetic tribe from the cosmos and revealed her to a captive audience shocked with the surreal effect of newfound genius. The Beatnik Ghosts felt her wrath!"
-- Yaryan


ROUND VIII ON HAIGHT: SPARRING WITH BEATNIK GHOSTS RECEIVED A REVIEW FROM WRITER CHARLES KRUGER ON SF LITERARY CULTURE EXAMINER...

CLICK EXAMINER.COM LOGO TO VIEW: 



OCTOBER 14TH THRU 16TH
ROUNDS 9, 10, 11
TRIPLE SPAR -- NORTHERN CA:
SPARRING WITH BEATNIK GHOSTS @ THE BEAT MUSEUM,
ART HOUSE GALLERY & FELIX KULPA GALLERY

Photo of Ellyn Maybe, Daniel Yaryan, Robbie Fitzsimmons, and Harlan Steinberger taken at Round 11: Sparring With Beatnik Ghosts @ Felix Kulpa Gallery, Santa Cruz on 10/16/10.

"If there's a Poetry Heaven colony, Ellyn Maybe and her band mates are from there – going AWOL for three nights from that mega-cool realm they sprung from, breaking free from the gates and giving us rabble-rousing rowdies some upbeat dream-making sounds to reinstate our lost smiles and resurrect our spirits. Ellyn, Robbie Fitzsimmons and Harlan Steinberger have brought love, harmony, imaginative visions to the audiences of Sparring With Beatnik Ghosts -- showing there's no myth, only the real deal!" -- Yaryan



The Sparring With Beatnik Ghosts series is expanding its reach to Los Angeles, Berkeley and is rumoured to be taking the show to Portland, Austin and New York in the near future.





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Santa Cruz, CA 95060
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