I'm delighted to see "Beach Blanket Bananas (1966)" in the latest Loud Coffee.
You'll probably recognize at once the mimicry of cheesy sixties beach movies, the likes of which brought Annette & Frankie to fame, but you may not know that back in high school, I used to fancy myself a visual artist. Long drawn--no pun intended, as they say, though it obviously is--to surrealism, I sketched numerous sketches in my--what else?--sketchbook of half-peeled bananas variously posed on beach blankets by the sea. I'd intended to render the scene in a bright array of colors on canvas, a pretty standard course for my teen self, but perhaps sensing the seeming homoeroticism behind the humor, didn't. Anyway, even though I'm not what you'd call a confessional poet, I'll confess I really get a Paul Revere & the Raiders (featuring Mark Lindsay) kind of kick out of giving the poem, albeit unrelated, the title of my unrealized painting.
Many thanks to Fred & Annie & all the good folks at Loud Coffee Press. Although you can read the entire magazine online, you can, if you wish, purchase a hard copy & other merch here. Also, while you're browsing around the Loud Coffee site, maybe you'll want to read "Where Are You?" in the Spring 2021 issue..
Again, many thanks!
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