Lit Brothers In Arms

The ULA welcomes The Idiom magazine into its rebel alliance.

by A.D. Amorosi

Putting the punch, kick and slam into poetry is what the Underground Literary Alliance is all about. This Philadelphia-based group of radical writers and provocative readers acts as a united front against boring poetry and corporate publishing houses.

If they hate you, ULA will flash-mob your elegant book party like they did at KGB lit bar in Manhattan. Or they'll start public feuds as they did with Rick Moody when he got a Guggenheim grant in 2000. Or they'll protest literary events like the reading of Allen Ginsberg's "Howl" at Columbia University in 2006 because there were no underground writers involved.

If they like you, ULA hosts events like March 7's celebration of The Idiom magazine and Walking English — a New Jersey poetry zine and blog, respectively.

Lynchpin Frank D. Walsh may take responsibility in the name of ULA for "crashing elite over-dawg corporate shindigs and busting M.F.A. academic hack hives." But what they'd prefer to do is bring together the most exciting, dedicated, creative underground literary artists in the area, as they will Saturday night at The Rotunda.

Like Mark Brunetti. He's the publisher of The Idiom, a poetry zine celebrating two volumes of 10 issues that have been recently cobbled together as The Idiom Anthology.

Brunetti is a ULA member who has published Walsh and ULA brother Mark Sonnenfeld's writings regularly in The Idiom. Its specialty is radical writing and DIY print and distribution. "But we're more than that," says Brunetti.

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He prides himself on the magazine's accessibility. "Whether it's a 7-year-old kid I saw reading for the first time, some rebellious high school hipster ranting about things or the head of the Monmouth University Creative Writing Program: I like to find language that's simple and enjoyable when you read it the first time."

The distribution process, as you may expect, is hands-on. Not only does Brunetti give 20 to 30 copies to the writers who worked on each particular issue, he's also on the streets and putting The Idiom in readers' hands directly. "I find and hit up about two to three readings a week — open mics, bars I hang out in — to anyone I meet on the street from a toll booth operator or parking booth attendant — I give them an Idiom while they're working."

On Saturday, he'll be standing in front of The Rotunda early, handing out copies on the street and pulling people into the performance. "All I want to do is get the word out that somebody is doing something," stresses Brunetti.

"I recognize the need to experience words at the second they fall from the poet's mouth," says The Rotunda's Gina Renzi, who booked March 7's performance party. "These are storytellers whose words can't be confined to a page."

That's why West Philth Productions' Carnevolution clowns, hip-hop/punk rock poets from the Mighty Paradocs and an exploding 4-foot volcano are part of the proceedings. Think of them as visual aids to these storytellers. Then there's Walking English, a bakers' dozen of blogging New Jersey writers that Brunetti is close to and wants to make part of the ULA circle.

"I don't want to call them poets because they are not trying to be poets," says Brunetti, about Walking English. "They don't look for readings, they aren't involved in a creative writing M.F.A. program, and they don't send their work to magazines. I fell in love with the ability these people had to write about driving in cars down highways and drinking and sunsets without sounding overly poetic or sappy."

March 7's performance party welcomes departed lit-critic Karl "King" Wenclas — the ULA's most vocal fire-starter — back from Detroit where he's been since '06. Walsh wants to introduce King to the new kids on the poetry block.

But mostly the event is about lending support to The Idiom and its anthology. Says Walsh: "The event's a celebration of literal proportions in Philly's time of need, the flexing of muscle on the part of the underground literary resistance."

(a_amorosi@citypaper.net)

The Underground Literary Alliance, The Idiom Anthology and Walking English action-reading, Sat., March 7., 6 p.m., free, The Rotunda, 4014 Walnut St., 215-573-3234, therotunda.org, theidiommag.com.