Bedford Avenue, Brooklyn, NY
Lynn Gentry tapping away on a ribbon typewriter, creating poems on demand. His concentration on this hipster-packed Avenue is impressive. 2 other things struck me: 1. ‘Pick A Price’ calling into question the ‘value’ of art and the reality of street commerce, 2. ‘Pick Your Subject’ making this a more personal exchange between artist and audience.
I chose ‘Tornados’ because I am fascinated by them and figured they might conjure up lots of imagery. Lynn told me he’d lived in Indiana for a while, and had had some personal experience with tornado warnings. The poem he wrote gave me a view into and a feeling of the states of mild panic, denial, questions that run through a person’s mind when confronted with an ominous pink sky.
It took about 3 minutes plus proof-reading time. The poem has a title, author, time and location. It reads beautifully. I gave Lynn all the cash in my purse – amounting to about 10 bucks. As someone who values art and content – that was humbling.
Now tornados, to me, are even more fascinating. Thanks Lynn http://lynngentryprose.com/
