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In Memory of...
 

spring.jpg
SPRING

Bang the drum slowly... 
 
Death comes to us all, eventually, but it's still sad when the bell tolls for those you know.  Here in Los Angeles, when a poet dies, the craft and style of the city of the angels suffers.  The absence of their influence affects our paltry lives in ways we can't really comprehend.
 
For those who have passed on, SALUD! 

There's a race of men that don't fit in,
A race that can't stay still;
So they break the hearts of kith and kin,
And they roam the world at will.
They range the field and they rove the flood,
And they climb the mountain's crest;
Theirs is the curse of the gypsy blood,
And they don't know how to rest.
 
(from The Men That Don't Fit In by Robert Service)

Jack Shafer - 1945 to 2004
 
Photo by Larry Jaffe

Jack Allen Shafer was born in San Bernardino, California on January 15, 1945.  He was raised in Pasadena.  He lived for five years in Japan and Okinawa.  He speaks fluent Japanese.

He joined the Air Force in 1967 and spent time in Vietnam from 1970 to 1971.  he left the Air Force in 1987 to pursue a career as a computer programmer.  He recently retired from the Los Angeles City Fire
Department where he was a Senior Systems Analyst.

Jack was introduced to poetry by a friend who took him to his first open poetry reading.  He eventually wrote a poem and read it and was immediately addicted.  He has featured at most Southern California poetry venues. He produced several one man shows and recorded one at Holly Matter Modern Art Gallery.  This recording became the basis for his CD "Jack! Live at Holly Matter."  He also wrote "There is a Season", a collection of his work.  He lived a few years in Missouri before returning to the Southland.

 

Rick Weinberger - 1952 to 2004
 

Richard E. Weinberger, age 52, of Los Angeles, CA, formerly of Shorewood, WI. died unexpectedly on March 22, 2004 following a brain aneurysm. Rick was born in Milwaukee, WI on January 25, 1952 to Armin J. and Esther Weinberger. He was an honors graduate of Shorewood High School and earned a B.S. degree from the California Institute of Technology. Rick spent most of his working life as a community activist for groups like Public Citizen, advancing the cause of civil justice and fighting for economic equality for all citizens. Rick was also a poet, writing and performing at open readings in the greater Los Angeles area.
 
Rick, was an admirable person.  A true gentleman, he asked no favors, and always stayed to put away the chairs at a reading. And he attended everything, doubly a feat, as he had no car.  His commitment was the very spirit of support for poetry. His warmth, good will, personal generosity and regard for the furtherance of poetry and poets cannot be faulted or doubted He strove to get people readings,  and as a poet himself he was underappreciated.  He was highly informed on a wide and dissimilar variety of topics, someone with an unusual and valuable turn of mind. He was a fixture on the LA poetry scene, and he will be sorely missed.
 
 
Anne Silver, 54, left this plane, to our great sorrow, at 3 AM on the October 19th, 2005. She died of 
cancer which had been discovered about a year and a half ago. She had previously battled breast cancer
and was thought to be in remission. She remained optimistic to the end...her love of life touching those 
around her. She loved to dance and sing, and was an actress in several productions in a small theater in 
Santa Monica.  Anne was a very disciplined woman; each morning ,upon arising and making coffee, 
she would sit at her dinning table and devote herself to writing, often being inspired by other favorite 
and current poets. At those times she would insist on not being disturbed so she could full concentrate 
on her work. Her poetry was written with imagination and woven from personal experiences (often veiled 
as "other", revealing first hand life experiences). Anne's book “Bare Roots, A Journey with Breast Cancer” 
was written during her first bout with breast cancer.
 
Among her many accomplishments she had a Master’s Degree in Chinese Literature and Psychology. 
She was also a production ceramicist and an excellent hand writing analyst, an expert witness for legal 
disclosures.  She was also instrumental (through "tree people") in having the Sycamore trees planted 
along Venice Boulevard, for which she was very proud…Anne has been published many times and 
received numerous awards for her writing.  She co-hosted the Moonday Poets venue with Alice Pero 
in the Pacific Palisades at Village Books.
 
Anne loved gardening and had a little plot in Mar Vista where she cared for her vegetables and sunflowers.  
She loved to show them off and say "see how well they are growing". 

 

 
 

 

Exploring the Creative Process since 1996