The poetry community is gathering to celebrate the 85th birthday of longtime Los Angeles poet francEyE and to raise funds for the publication of her poetry collection, entitled “Grandma Stories.” The ‘Poetry Fest and Fundraiser,’ which will include a reading by the poet as well as music and refreshments, is set for Saturday, March 31, from 7 p.m. — 9 p.m. at the Church in Ocean Park.
Known as the bearded witch of Ocean Park and the female Charles Bukowski (with whom she had a child), francEyE has been a fixture in the Southern California poetry scene for more than four decades. She writes prolifically in a style compared to Ron Koertge and William Carlos Williams, and frequents poetry readings in both Los Angeles County and the San Francisco Bay Area.
Winner of the Allen J. Freedman Poetry Prize, francEyE is author of “Snaggletooth in Ocean Park,” published in 1996 by Sacred Beverage Press; and the chapbook, “Amber Spider,” published in 2004 by Pearl. The poet can be seen in the film ‘Bukowski: Born Into This’ (2004) and other documentaries about the Los Angeles poetry scene. Born Frances Elizabeth Dean in San Rafael, Calif., in 1922, francEyE grew up on the east coast.
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on March 30, 2007. Read the original PDF.