Marvin Brandwin at Crazy Wisdom
22 September 2009
University of Michigan Professor Marvin Brandwin performed a collection from his new release "A Smorgasbord of Verse" in front of an audience of friends and guests at Crazy Wisdom Bookstore in downtown Ann Arbor. Dr. Brandwin is an Emeritus professor in the University of Michigan Health System's Department of Psychiatry. Dr. Brandwin, however, has switched his emphasis from medicine to poetry.
We arrived at Crazy Wisdom Bookstore & Tea Room to the welcoming handshake of Harold Rothbart, Dr. Brandwin's publisher and long time friend, who directed us to a pair mismatched red chairs that blended in with the red paint and funky wall decorations of the meeting room. As the poet's family, friends, and a few unexpected guests (ourselves included) shuffled in, the reading began.
Dr. Brandwin's voice, gentle and seasoned by fifty years of teaching, introduced us to the "Smorgasbord," a collection of poems about all things delicious and nutricious. His poetry examined soups, salads, main courses, vegetables, fruits, side dishes, and the effects these foods have had on his life. Dr. Brandwin read his poems whimsically and with plenty of embellishment. That does not mean, however, that his poetry was taste deep. Poems examine aging ("Food Memories"), sex ("Seductive Grape"), and childhood ("Childhood Memories").
Dr. Brandwin is onto something special, and I hope he continues to write and publish poetry. The lovable poems are overflowing with rhyme and humor and would make a lovely addition to any kitchen. Given my propensity to food and cooking, I will certainly keep my copy at hand.
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