The Boy From Reseda - Upcoming Reading - Friday May 6!



Randy SternSt. Paul, MN - based writer and activist Randy Stern will read excerpts from his book of poetry, The Boy From Reseda, at the Black Dog Café, 308 Prince Street in St. Paul’s Lowertown district on Friday, May 6, 2005. The event will begin at 7:00pm with Stern and other guest readers from the local arts community participating. Stern will have books for sale on hand at the reading and will be available to discuss the work with those in attendance.

Full Press Release

“THE BOY FROM RESEDA” POET TO READ
AT ST. PAUL BOOK RELEASE EVENT

ST. PAUL, Minn., April , 2005: St. Paul, Minn.-based writer and activist Randy Stern will read excerpts from his book of poetry, The Boy From Reseda, at the Black Dog Café, 308 Prince Street in St. Paul’s Lowertown district on Friday, May 6, 2005. The event will begin at 7:00pm with Stern and other guest readers from the local arts community participating. Stern will have books for sale on hand at the reading and will be available to discuss the work with those in attendance.

The Boy From Reseda, is a collection of poems written by Stern over a period of five years. Released on March 7 by Apple Valley, Minn.-based Autumbridge Media, this is Stern’s first published work ever printed for public consumption. The compilation looks at life from the perspective of a man who “did not fit the ‘ideal’ stereotype of gay culture.” Stern shows the reader through his poetry the “rough edges of personal triumph, struggle, acceptance and hope.”

The compilation is presented in a small book form called a “chapbook.” A chapbook is a small self-published book of poems and other material that are sold in limited quantities. Chapbooks are an outgrowth of the ‘Zine movement back in the late 1980’s.

Formerly a columnist for online magazines Midwest Ursine and QBliss.net, Stern wrote in a “lyrical” style for his readers. He has covered many topics ranging from the gay bear and leather communities to political and social commentary. Stern is also an accomplished automotive journalist.

In 1995, Stern began a movement that brought younger bear-identified gay and bisexual men into the subculture. The success of the Gen-X Bears movement afforded him the opportunity to pursue his love for writing.

His poetry is a departure from his columns, but it shares a common thread through various subject matters. Stern’s favorite topic revolves around the never-ending quest to find companionship and how gay and bisexual men attempt to relate to each other on various levels and forms. “When two men meet, it can be magic or a disaster,” Stern explains, “ I’ve been on both ends of the attraction to help guide the reader through various scenarios ranging from blissful to deceitful.” Stern takes you inside the bar scene and through the trials and tribulations of online dating.

Stern also tackles subjects ranging from growing up, politics and war. One such poem, “Poem for Peace,” was inspired by recent events. “When I wrote this, I thought about the wars in the Balkans,” said Stern. “You can see the destruction of an entire countryside by centuries of hate through the eyes of the dove in the poem. It’s perhaps my most moving piece.”

As a “casual observer of life,” Stern uses an observational approach to his subject matter. “I never like to participate in my own art,” explains Stern. “Other people do a great job of creating the art for me. It is their experience that I jot down, but I always ask whether that can happen to me. Most times out of many, it may have, but I will never tell.”

The title of the chapbook comes from a place that has shaped Stern’s own path through life. Reseda is the name of suburb of Los Angeles where Stern grew up. It is a working-class suburb surrounded by the wealth, glamour and privilege of the San Fernando Valley.

The cover of the chapbook shows a couple of old landmarks from the San Fernando Valley community. On the front cover is the picture of the Reseda Drive-In, a popular location torn down in the early 1980’s to build an industrial park. In the back is the Reseda Theater that is currently standing, but closed since the 1990’s pending renovation. The signature landmark for Reseda, the theater is part of a revitalization plan that the City of Los Angeles has for several communities citywide.

“The photos are a physical reminder that I lived in what used to be a vibrant community,” said Stern. “What’s left is a shell of its former self. The community has been going downhill since I was a teenager. Though, there are signs of life coming from various communities that is set to revitalize Reseda and, hopefully, bring it back to what it used to be around the time I was born.”

The Boy From Reseda is available in a 34-page printed form or a downloadable Adobe Acrobat file through the Autumnbridge Media website. At http://www.autumnbridge.com

Autumnbridge Media is a small press publishing company dedicated to new, unpublished, and emerging artists. Encouraging their artists and contributers to cooperatively work together as they develop their Art, they strive to place “Artists First”.


Book Release Event and Reading for The Boy From Reseda
Friday, May 6, 2005, 7:00pm
Black Dog Café
308 Prince St, St. Paul, Minn. (Lowertown)
Readings by Randy Stern and other guest readers

The Boy From Reseda
Chapbook, 36 pages
Printed version $7.50
Downloadable Adobe Acrobat file $4.50
Available through the Autumbridge Media website: http://www.autumnbridge.com

Posted: Tue - April 5, 2005 at 12:20 PM        

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