Flowers for the Trashman, 40 Years Later

Brother Marvin,
I am very excited to hear that you are going to produce your class play, "Flowers for the Trashman." Although I have never seen the play, I first read itin the anthology, "Black Fire," when I was about 15 years-old. It will be an honor to witness the 40th year celebration of a play that helped launch the Black Arts Movement. I plan to come your talk tomorrow at Your Black MuslimBakery. I am also looking forward to the program tohonor Dingane and, as I told you before, you cancount me in as one of the poets who will give money to pull it off. I think that it is extremely importantto give Dingane his flowers while he is alive.

Long live Marvin X!
Long live Dingane!
Yours in solidarity,

Vern

one-act play Flowers for the Trashman, about the> father/son relationship. While a student at San> Francisco State College/University in 1966, Marvin> wrote the play for his English professor and> novelist, John Gardner, because he was flunking> Gardner's class. Gardner urged the drama department> to produce it and they did. The play became a> classic of the Black Arts Movement and has been> performed in Black theatres across America and even> Europe and Africa. It was first published in Black> Dialogue Magazine and later in the 60s anthology> Black Fire, edited by LeRoi Jones (Amiri Baraka) and> Larry Neal. Black Classics Press will soon release a> new edition of Black Fire.> > Kenneth Rexroth called Marvin X the best> playwright to hit San Francisco State, and he is> still on the move. His docudrama One Day In The Life> is the longest running black play in the Bay Area> and Northern California. > > Marvin has interviewed two hip hop poets, Rebel> and President Davis, about the doing the main roles> in Flowers, and the Berkeley Black Repertory Group> Theatre will be the venue.> > On Sunday, March 11, 5pm, Marvin X will read from> his latest book Beyond Religion, Toward Spirituality> at Your Black Muslim Bakery, San Pablo and Stanford,> Oakland.> > His East coast tour in shaping up, including> readings in Harlem, Brooklyn, Newark, Philly and> Washington, DC. For tour schedule, contact his East> coast agent, Suninleo Productions.> > MUMIA quotes MARVIN X> Little may be known in the mainstream of> poet/writer/teacher Marvin X > but within circles of radical and independent > artists and thinkers, he remains an icon!> ">Marvin X has decided to produce his classic one-act play Flowers for the Trashman, about the father/son relationship. While a student at San Francisco State College/University in 1966, Marvin wrote the play for his English professor and novelist, John Gardner, because he was flunking Gardner's class. Gardner urged the drama department to produce it and they did. The play became a classic of the Black Arts Movement and has been performed in Black theatres across America and even Europe and Africa. It was first published in Black Dialogue Magazine and later in the 60s anthology Black Fire, edited by LeRoi Jones (Amiri Baraka) and Larry Neal. Black Classics Press will soon release a new edition of Black Fire. Kenneth Rexroth called Marvin X the best playwright to hit San Francisco State, and he is still on the move. His docudrama One Day In The Life is the longest running black play in the Bay Area and Northern California. Marvin has interviewed two hip hop poets, Rebel and President Davis, about the doing the main roles in Flowers, and the Berkeley Black Repertory Group Theatre will be the venue.

On Sunday, March 11, 5pm, Marvin X will read from his latest book Beyond Religion, Toward Spirituality at Your Black Muslim Bakery, San Pablo and Stanford, Oakland. His East coast tour in shaping up, including readings in Harlem, Brooklyn, Newark, Philly, Boston, Hartford,and Washington, DC. For tour schedule, contact his East coast agent, Suninleo Productions.