Frank Sherlock

Frank Sherlock is an American poet, and poet laureate of Philadelphia.[1][2] He was a 2013 Pew Fellow in the Arts.

Frank Sherlock

Life

Frank Sherlock is the 2014-15 Poet Laureate of Philadelphia, and a 2013 Pew Fellow in the Arts for Literature.

His most recent collection of poems is Space Between These Lines Not Dedicated (Ixnay Press, 2014.) Sherlock approaches the work of a poet as conduit,[3] and views writing poems as "collaborations of encounter."[4] His projects are often collaborative. The City Real and Imagined (Factory School, 2010) was written with the poet CAConrad as a re-visioning of public spaces in what they refer to as "the City of Otherly Love."[5] The two embarked on self-guided psychogeographical wanders through Philadelphia, each beginning at LOVE Park. Sherlock's time in New Orleans in 2006 resulted in a collaboration with poet Brett Evans, entitled Ready-To-Eat Individual (Lavender Ink, 2008). In an interview with Katy Henriksen for Oxford American: New Orleans & the Gulf Coast Issue, 2008: "The cases of DIY rebirth were everywhere around us, and it was a secret that had stayed within the region’s limits. Also, the effects of a city (with virtually no public services) trying to deal with a shared psychic wound of post-traumatic stress, its effect on the kids of New Orleans shuffled across town into schools with more security guards than teachers, the spike in street crime (partly as a result of these things) and other issues of displacement are largely untold stories in the national conversation. But there is also the light and dark magic of the city that cannot be explained in a straight-ahead journalist pursuit. Brett and I decided we could best talk about the state of the city post-Katrina through the medium of poetry."[6]

"I approach poetry as a cartographer," said Sherlock. "...mapping and remapping your surroundings according to your personal memory and associations and histories that you've heard."[7] His current project as Poet Laureate is called "Write Your Block," giving Philadelphians the opportunity to explore their neighborhoods via poetry. With support from the City of Philadelphia, people citywide will use poetry to map the personal landmarks, histories, traditions and experiences that help identify their communities.[8]

Works

Books

Chapbooks

Anthologies

Public Works/Installations

References

  1. Timpane, John (February 1, 2014). "Frank Sherlock is Phila.'s second poet laureate". The Philadelphia Inquirer. Retrieved 18 February 2014.
  2. Middleton, John (January 31, 2014). "Frank Sherlock Named Philly’s Second Poet Laureate". Philadelphia Magazine. Retrieved 18 February 2014.
  3. "Frank Sherlock on Giving Voice". The Pew Center for Arts & Heritage. Retrieved 23 February 2015.
  4. Reutter, G.E. "Talking with Frank Sherlock". Mad Poets Society. Retrieved 23 February 2015.
  5. Kaufman, Erica. "Allowing oneself to 'be the city'". Jacket2. Retrieved 23 February 2015.
  6. Henriksen, Katy. "Ready-To-Eat Individual". Oxford American.
  7. Crimmins, Peter. "Frank Sherlock Poet Laureate for city of 'Otherly Love'". NewsWorks.
  8. "Write Your Block". Creative Philadelphia. Retrieved 23 February 2015.

External links