Identity Crisis - by John Burroughs, aka Jesus Crisis (CC#8)
A revision and reprint of my longest poem, first published in 2008 as a part of the Poet's Haven Episode #8 podcast and in print as part of the February 2009 Green Panda Press chapbook Identity Crises (currently sold out), Crisis Chronicles Press' latest publication is Identity Crisis [CC#8, 2010], seen with me in the photo above.
I tweaked and printed it up in time to hand it out free to everyone who attended my reading hosted by the Brunswick Art Works at Dunkin Donuts on February 11th. I also handed it out free to everyone who attended February's meeting of the Pudding House Salon in Cleveland Heights, and I'll be including it for free (while supplies last) with every order from Crisis Chronicles Press.
To all who are still awaiting our last/next publication, Fuck Poetry [CC#7] - despair not. It is (appropriately enough for a publication with that title) indeed coming - and with it is coming a complimentary copy of Identity Crisis. We will serve no lines before their time. But we will serve them.
Meanwhile, we're also publishing scores of poems and poetry videos in the Crisis Chronicles Online Library.
Posted by Jesus Crisis at 3/31/2010 5:28 AM 
Categories: Jesus Crisis, Chapbooks Published
Tags: Identity Crisis John Burroughs Jesus Crisis 2010
Categories: Jesus Crisis, Chapbooks Published
Tags: Identity Crisis John Burroughs Jesus Crisis 2010
I believe your identity is no longer in crisis.
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True... and since I feel this poem expresses the 2008 me more than the 2010 me -- and I now have a decent video of me reading it -- I doubt I'll read it anymore publicly. This may be its last hurrah.
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I've read "Identity Crisis" publicly five times -- almost always a slightly different version.
#1 - August 2008 during an open mic at the Literary Cafe in Cleveland (a day or few after I wrote it), with maybe 10 people listening intently and the other 100 or so people in the joint apparently preferring the party to the poetry.... It's way too long a poem for an average open mic; but since one of the features didn't show up and I'd had a few beers, I went for it. About four fifths of the way through, Nick Traenkner, the emcee, came into the poetry back room and motioned for me to wrap it up. But I finished it.
#2 - August 2008 during my featured reading at Phoenix Coffee in South Euclid a couple days later, hosted by Saturday Night at the Poet's Haven before a very warm and supportive audience (this was the podcast version)....
#3 - March 2009 during my featured reading at the Collingwood Arts Center in Toledo, shortly after the Green Panda Press version came out.... I sold all ten of my copies that night and could've sold more. Sold several copies of Bloggerel, too -- and it turned out to be the most chapbooks I've ever sold at a reading. I videoed my reading that night, but lost the footage a couple of months later when my computer's backup hard drive died.
#4 - August 2009 during my featured reading at Pumpkin Hollow Antiques & Cafe in Bellville, just south of Mansfield.... I'm pretty sure I videoed other poets that night -- but can't recall if I recorded my own reading. Maybe I'll stumble upon that footage soon.
#5 - February 2010 at Dunkin Donuts in Brunswick. Dianne Borsenik and I both recorded it.
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I thought you also read Identity Crisis at Tres Versing the Panda... or am I wrong.
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Ah, yes! I'd forgotten about that one - so six times! I read it on May 9th 2009 at The Lit during Tres Versing the Panda. Thanks for remembering!
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