Poet Dave Church has died (1 Viewer)

[bospress.net]

Hi,

Dave Church has died. He was a great poet and really decent guy. I only had a bit of contact with him when I published him in an issue of Bottle.
News from A.D. Winans is as follows:

It is with great sadness that I inform you that Dave Church passed away on Thanksgiving Day. I was informed by his son that he was found dead at 1:30 AM, slumped over in his cab, having suffered what is believed to have been a heart attack. Hopefully it was quick. His son quoted a Dylan song, "Let me die in my footsteps." Dave and I corresponded for so many years I can't count them. He always wanted to be known for more than driving a cab, and his poems assure that he will be.

To those of you who were friends of his or who may have read his work in various literary magazines, you may wish to check the biographical link below.

http://www.poetrymagazines.org.uk/magazine/record.asp?id=16312

a.d. winans

 

[Black Swan]

Hi Bill, where can we read Dave Church?

 

[Father Luke]

It's hard to pass along sad news, Bill.
You did fine, and thank you.

Many condolences to his family, and
those who loved him.

May he be remembered as a writer.


--
Okay,
Father Luke

 

[bospress.net]

This is the broadside of his that I printed for Bottle #5.

This one still touches me.

He had a bunch of chapbooks, so if you are interested, seek him out. He had style.

 

[cunningham]

sad news.

he was a damn fine poet, one of those I'd always read first...

my thoughts go out to his people...

 

[hoochmonkey9]

I wasn't familiar with his work, but the poem posted here is very good.

sorry to hear of his passing.

 

[mjp]

There is something obscene and poetic and brave and pathetic about dying on the job. We are all entitled to some ease and peace in life, but most people work until they die or the work kills them, with very few pleasant breaks in that grind. It's too bad we're set up that way.

 

[cunningham]

well said mjp.

a little quiet and a brief respite from the endless ugly pressure of being human would be nice there at the end...

 

[Gerard K H Love]

Being a cab driver has got to be worse than being a postal employee, but then to die in you cab. The endless ugly pressure is right. It makes me want to check out his writing.

 

[Black Swan]

To die on the job is sad indeed. Everyone is chasing the american dream, make ends meet, pay for what you could not afford. Or simply pay for a room where you can pass out or on.
By the way, very nice poem, too bad I only get to remember him now

 

[Digney in Burnaby]

Here's a link to a couple Dave Church poems.

 

[Ponder]

This is the broadside of his that I printed for Bottle #5.
This one still touches me.

Such a sensitive poem.

Thank you, Bill.

 

[vodka]

i'd never read his work before, thanks for the links.

excellent stuff.

sorry to hear about his passing.

jen

 

[Lilliput Review]

Dave Church was a solid poet and great guy. A couple of short poems and a small tribute to him may be found here.

Don, Editor, Lilliput Review

 

[asbritton]

I won't lie and say that I knew Dave Church, or that I knew him well. I will say that in 1998 I published one issue of an up-start new literary journal called "The Sky," and that three of Dave Church's poems appeared therein. They were good; they touched me at that moment without knowing anything about him, so I published them.

That's been my only contact with Dave Church; and regardless of the sparsity of my knowing him, I'm sorry that he's gone. He was a good poet.

-A. Scott Britton

 

[cuatemochi]

It is sad to hear about the death of Dave Church. I have always enjoyed his poems. His presence in the small press will be sorely missed.

Luis C. Berriozabal

 

[Ponder]

Some of you might remember that buk scene 1, published by Purple Glow Press, did print a couple of Dave Church's unpublished works and a tribute to Dave by Glenn Cooper and also one of A.D. Winans poems to Dave Church.

Recently, Propaganda Press came up with a 76 page tribute to Dave Church for
6 dollars only. Here is the link to the content of Taxi Cab Poet Confessions
and how you can purchase the book.
http://alt-current.com/pp/pp_item.html#taxi_cab_poet_confessions_tribute_to_dave_church

 

[Ponder]

Portrait of Dave Church (and front cover) by Henry Denander

Just received: Taxi Cab Poet Confessions: Tribute to Dave Church

Quarter-page-sized, laser printed, saddle-stapled, colored cardstock cover
Dim.: 4 1/4" x 5 ½" 76 pages.
I must say it's a nice & serious litte book. Highly recommended.

For free: A Crime of Sorts by Leah Angstman
http://www.poetsencyclopedia.com/leahangstman.shtml