Daniel Thompson (poet)
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Daniel Thompson (1935 - 2004) was a Cleveland poet, civil rights activist and advocate for the homeless. Thompson became the first honored "Poet Laureate" for Cuyahoga County, Ohio.
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[edit] Activism
Thompson contributed poems to the Homeless Grapevine newspaper and wall calendar. The Northeast Ohio Coalition for the Homeless used these items to raise money.
Thompson protested against the name of the Cleveland "Indians" and their use of the "Chief Wahoo" logo. His poem "Tell Chief Wahoo" was used on t-shirts to promote awareness by the Committee of 500 Years of Dignity and Resistance. [1]
In 1986, Thompson organized readings at the Justice center. [2]
[edit] Promotion of Poetry
[edit] Publishing
Thompson and Steven B. Smith co-edited "Crimes in the Dark: Reel-Life Art," also known as the "popcorn box" edition of ArtCrimes. It contained coupons for events in addition to the usual melange of poetry and images. [3]
ArtCrimes is consistent with the style of beat-era publications from the days of Kerouac, Corso and Ginsberg. One reviewer postulates that it's the most significant publication of the Cleveland underground art scene in recent history. [4]
[edit] Junkstock
Thompson was an organizer of Junkstock, a poetry, art and music festival in the 80s. The highly acclaimed festival was held in a junk yard on Pearl Road in Cleveland. [5]
[edit] Poetry Slams
Thompson organized Cleveland's first poetry slam in 1992. [6]
[edit] Music
Thompson toured with the Cleveland percussion group Drumplay. [7]
[edit] Civic Ideas
Thompson promoted the idea of renaming the University Circle portions of East Blvd. after Hart Crane and Langston Hughes. {In fact a street was named for him after his death, Daniel's Way can be found in downtown Cleveland.[8]
Cleveland poet Chris Franke failed to paint his house after being ordered by the city to do so. Thompson arranged a creative solution where Franke did community service: reading his poems to a soup-line audience at a homeless shelter. [9]
[edit] Honors
In 1992 Thompson was declared Poet Laureate of Cuyahoga County. [10]
[edit] Happenings
Thompson was scheduled to read at an art show at Tri-C West. Tri-C censored Steven B. Smith, which was discovered at this opening night reading. Smith wrote "CENSORED" on the wall with a ball point pen. Tri-C decided to move the poetry reading to a more remote location, but Thompson stood in the art area and mouthed the words to his poetry silently as a Tri-C codirector sanded Smith's words off the wall. [11]
[edit] Bibliography
- ArtCrimes 4, 1988 edited by Thompson, Daniel
- Famous in the Neighborhood, 1989 Burning Press, Cleveland, OH
- Even the Broken Letters of the Heart Spell Earth, 1998, Bottom Dog Press [12]
- The Rain Poet, 2004, Green Panda Press, Cleveland, OH [13]
- Double X, 2004 Published by Jim Lang, (of Split Whiskey), Lakewood, OH
- Comforting the Dead, 2004, Green Panda Press, Cleveland, OH [14]
[edit] References
- "Censorship Charges Mar Tri-C West Show" by Helen Cullinan Cleveland Plain Dealer 5/1/86
- "Popcorn Box Serves Up Poetic Tribute To Film" Rebecca Freligh The Plain Dealer April 1992
- "It's Poetic Justice for Wordsmith Cleveland Man Who Failed to Paint His House: Ordered to Recite Poems at Shelters" by Michael O'Malley Cleveland Plain Dealer Jun. 29, 1994
- "Daniel Thompson" by Fran Henry Cleveland Plain Dealer
- "Well-versed Poets and their Poems Thrive in Greater Cleveland" by Michael Drexler Cleveland Plain Dealer Apr. 13, 1997
- "Poetic Justice In Search Of ..." by Michael Heaton Cleveland Plain Dealer Mar. 3, 2002
- "The art of peace: Cleveland actors, dancers, musicians, poets plan anti-war show" by Carolyn Jack Cleveland Plain Dealer Feb 15, 2003
- "Performers join to seek shelter for the homeless" by Steve Sucato Cleveland Plain Dealer Oct. 18, 2003
- "Cuyahoga's poet laureate, Daniel R. Thompson, dies: Promoted art form as performance, championed the homeless" by Richard M. Peery Cleveland Plain Dealer May 7, 2004
