A BOAT, Poem by Richard Brautigan
O beautiful
was the werewolf
in his evil forest.
We took him
to the carnival
and he started
crying
when he saw
the Ferris wheel.
Electric
green and red tears
flowed down
his furry cheeks.
He looked
like a boat
out on the dark
water.
Photo by Silver Birch (Street Art, Los Angeles)
“I leave you my portrait so that you will have my presence all the days and nights that I am away from you.” FRIDA KAHLO
PHOTO by Silver Birch, Hollywood Blvd., Los Angeles, 8/1/12
“…every dog will have his day.” SHAKESPEARE (Hamlet)
We have officially entered the dog days of summer, which in the Northern Hemisphere run from July 24-August 24. I saw the window display depicted in the above photo on Beverly Blvd. in L.A. recently and found it a clever way to commemorate the hottest days of summer. To the window designer, I doff my straw hat in appreciation.
Photo: Silver Birch (L.A. window display)
“People from a planet without flowers would think we must be mad with joy the whole time to have such things about us.” IRIS MURDOCH
Photo and Graphic: Silver Birch
Hats
poem by William Jay Smith
Round or square
Or tall or flat
People love
To wear a hat.
Taken from Laughing Time: Collected Nonsense (1980) by William Jay Smith. Find the book on Amazon here.
Photo by Silver Birch (Los Angeles)
Note on Photo: While running an errand, I spotted a grandmother and granddaughter in identical hats. I pulled over in my car and managed to fire off a fast shot. It struck me that if girls are lucky, they will have a kind grandmother to lead the way for them — and even lend them their too-large hats that they can grow into.
All is love in fair and war. ” PEPE LE PEW, Wild Over You (1953)
My paths crossed today with that debonaire Frenchman, Pepe Le Pew. I love street art and adore Pepe — so seeing them together made my day. Merci to the artiste!
Photo by Silver Birch (street art in Los Angeles)
For his new noir/sci-fi audio series Hothouse Bruiser, writer/ director Joel Metzger (at right in above photo) faced more than his share of obstacles — everything from below-zero budgets to building a recording studio in his basement (hey, do people have basements in California?). But to bring the series to life, Metzger got more than a little help from his friends — especially the actor who portrayed the series’ main character, Jason “Bruiser” Brusman.
Paul Nobrega (at left in above photo) did what Metzger calls the “heavy lifting” for Hothouse Bruiser — appearing in every scene of the 325-page script! This required Norbrega to commit to about 50 recording sessions — and, because of scheduling issues, he never recorded with the other 30 actors in the series. Nobrega listened to playback from his fellow players and brought home a seamless performance — steeping every syllable in noir nuance.
For more on this unique series, which will be available soon on phone aps in multiple formats, visit the official Hothouse Bruiser website here.
Photo by Silver Birch at Hothouse Bruiser kick-off celebration in Los Angeles, July 7, 2012.
When was the last time you used a payphone — or even saw one? Making a phone call while out in public used to be an event — you had to search for a payphone (one that worked!). There was something adventurous, exciting, and romantic about speaking your words — of love, distress, or calls for help — into that magical round, hole-filled speaker.
Yes, holding the phone and speaking into it exposed you to (gasp) other people’s germs. But I like to think that I also picked some of the stories spoken into that mystical apparatus — and I’m grateful for the exposure.
Photo and graphic by Silver Birch (shot in parking lot of 99 Cent Store, Los Angeles)
“J’ai toujours préféré la folie des passions à la sagesse de l’indifférence.” ANATOLE FRANCE (I have always preferred the folly of passions to the wisdom of indifference)
Photo by Silver Birch (Chicago, Wicker Park in Winter)
On a summer day, I found the above chalk drawing in my path — and consider it one of the most amazing pieces of art I’ve ever seen. I imagine it was drawn by a happy girl — dancing, leaping, with a rainbow and star on her head and a magic wand in her hand. Whoever you are, wherever you are, thank you!
…..I am an artist…and I am here to live out loud.” EMILE ZOLA
Photo by Silver Birch (Chicago)
Silver Birch Press 