Bosso Poetry Turns Three

There’s an old cliché about poetry: It’s dead. But out there, in the far corners of our bustling, consumer-driven society, this ancient literary art is still very much alive. 

Just don’t expect to see anyone making any money off of it or anything.

Today, local artist group Bosso Poetry Company will be celebrating their third anniversary at Dusty’s Bar with a stacked roster of local writers and musicians that include poet Jeffrey Skemp, comic Mary Mack and Venus DeMars (All The Pretty Horses). 

Considered a branch of Bosso Enterprises — a fictional company based out of Montana created by local musician Kevin Brixius — Bosso Poetry Company isn’t so much a collective as it is a concept built around the idea of creating more supportive community for artists. 
 “By kind of having this fictional idea — us against the man — that is both funny to us and very real,” said local poet Skemp. “As a writer, you’re not going to make a lot of money, a real good poetry book is going to sell like 1,500 copies — and that’s for famous poets.”

For three years, members and friends of Bosso have performed every second Thursday of the month at Dusty’s bar and they have no intention of stopping anytime soon. Skemp said the events are all relatively casual, and the group has always been welcoming toward newcomers over the years. 

“There is this common thread of wanting to do something creative as a performer and friendship and the community and regularity of it,” Skemp said. “We’ve been lucky enough to get some people interested on some level, and that was sort of on accident as well.”

A&E administrated a literary questionnaire for some of Bosso’s regulars. Here’s what they came up with: 

Jeffery Skemp (poet):

Three Favorite Pieces of Literature?                                                                                                                                                                                              

“Labyrinths” by Jorge Luis Borges

 “Rhinoceros” by Eugene Ionesco

“The Brothers Karamazov” by Fyodor Dostoyevsky   

Favorite word?

“Arasmatat” which means “headache” in Amharic, a language spoken in Ethiopia

If you could go back in time and publish any book before the original author, what would it be?

“The Origin of the Species” by Charles Darwin

Favorite time of the day to write?

In the morning with a strong cup of coffee

Lynn Gray (University of Minnesota drawing professor, poet and visual artist):

Three favorite pieces of literature?

“Erections, Ejaculations, Exhibitions and General Tales of Ordinary Madness” by Charles Bukowski

“Night Studio” by Musa Myer

“Desert Solitaire“ by Edward Abbey

Favorite word?    

Amora                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       

If you could go back in time and publish any book before the original author, what would it be?

 “The Risk Pool” by Richard Russo                                                                                        

Favorite time to write?    

While driving on the interstate.                         

Kevin Brixius (musician)

Top three favorite songwriters?  

 Bob Marley, John Fogerty, Neil Young                                                                                                                                                                                                              

Favorite word?          

Floccinaucinihilipilification (17th century word that means little or no value)

Favorite time of day to write?

Middle of the night.

Scott Vetsch (poet):

Three favorite pieces of literature?        

 “The Blood Oranges” by John Hawkes

“Trout Fishing in America“ by Richard Brautigan  

 “Berlin Alexanderplatz“ by Alfred Döblin                                                                                                                                                                                                           

Favorite word?

Bullhead (the fish)

If you could go back in time and publish anything before the original author, what would it be?

“In the Penal Colony” by Franz Kafka
 

Favorite time of day to write?

Morning