Abracadabra (Open Mouth Poetry Series)

Used paperback in Good condition. Product Description
poetry, foreword by Quincy Troupe
Review
"Priestley demands that the silent and missing speak their language throughout the book. He cries for them to leave the world with that last breath of wind that 'speaks from ashes,' that simple truth ringing...yes! He says 'now you see me & abracadabra / now you don't/ my silence singing.'" (Michael Elton Crye, Hyphen #12) "Eric Priestley is L. A.'s true poet laureate." (Erin Aubry, L.A. Weekly, Oct. 21, 1994). "Abracadabra is a highly recommended magical source." --
Small Press Review, March 1995

Across The 6th Street Bridge
Ascent
Bad Annie
Barn Swallow
Blue Heaven
Bon Appetite
Cane River Cousins
Cane River Moon
Chin
Coffin Maker
Coolamorula
Cricket Song
Dove
Entry
Fever
Gesundheit
Honeybaby
Iberville
Jellyroll
Kumasi
L.a.
La Patite (the Little One)
Lament On 103rd Street
Lili
Love
Mob Boss
Monty
New York Via Krishna's Mouth
'nobody Dies'
One Love
Osugbo
Pachuco Gato
Painted Ladies
Phoenix
A Photo Of Aunt Mary
Pocket Machinegun Shorty
Rain On The Mushroom
Raw Dog
Screenplay
Somalia
Somehow
Sudden Thunder
Way Past The Word
What's What
--
Table of Poems from
From the Publisher
Priestley's book is part of Heat Press' Open Mouth Poetry Series that emphasizes spoken word artists and street poets of the oral tradition. Our poets are close to the Beat generation in their coming-out, and reflect the influences of Black and pan-African cultures, and the connection of jazz and poetry. . Heat Press is dedicated to presenting miscegenated-polyglottal-mouthmusic poetry texts.
About the Author
Eric Priestley was born in Los Angeles and raised in South Central L.A. and Natchez, Louisiana. He is one of the original members of the Watts Writers Workshop that was begun after the 1965 Watts uprising. Priestley has taught classes in writing and literature at CSU-Northridge, UC-San Diego and Antioch University. His autobiographical novel, Raw Dog, was published by Holloway House in 1985. He is currently at work on a series of novels. He is a member of the Screenwriters Guild.
Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.
From the poem Pachuco Gato: "he was weeping tattoo tear drops/ in the jet black injun ink/ his khakis Army Surplus/ wore patent leather French Toes/ rode a Mustang El Dorado/ drinking muscatel with seven angels/ on the throne of throw down chiva blanca/ went gunslinging with his devil/ holding santeria velas/ & the pollo sangre from El Paso/ through the voodoo Chichiniza...." From the poem Love: "waterland belongs to the great sun,/ eternity: the vast sky belongs to the wind,/ & the dust, my friend,/ takes us there: whence we came...."