Stroffolino

A couple days before Christmas, I was invited to see Chris Stroffolino perform his music at a house full of people who knew each other eating turkey. Everyone was very nice and friendly and happy. I had never met Chris Stroffolino, so Mumolo and I were going in there blind.

Stroffolino's set was cool, especially a cover of a song by The Coup, the Oakland rappers who got a lot of fuss about them due to the clairvoyance of their album artwork. I like his music and the way he approaches music in general. Afterward we were able to hang out, and I don't think I've met anyone more excited and excitable about poetry and Shakespeare.

I guess Stroffolino's a little controversial. He is unapologetic and frank about his opinions, and people freak out on anyone who speaks their mind without considering the political ramifications of every utterance. But he's a good poet, and he's critical of his art. Those who cannot handle criticism are always shunning critics. But criticism. hard and open criticism, is what keeps art alive. Criticism is good. If you don't like criticism, you might be crappy.

Art is painful. If you don't like pain, maybe you shouldn't be an artist.

Anyway, it was exhilarating to meet Chris Stroffolino and to be able to talk with him for so long about poetry and music. Stroffolino gave me maby reasons to be excited about being a poet.

A photo of Chris Stroffolino and Jack Morgan