Christal
Cooper 1,643 Words
The Southern Collective
Experience
and
Charles Clifford Brooks III
“Artists Adam and Eve In South’s Own Eden”
“We are a family of
brothers and sisters. Each one of us has
his or her own individual flavor that is crucial to embody a people. In this humid Eden we create a mindset,
mood, and diet that consists of an easy ebb that provides lasting results.”
Charles
Clifford Brooks III on The Southern
Collective Experience.
Artist
Charles Clifford Brooks (http://www.cliffbrooks.com) never dreamed that he
would be earning a living as an artist writing poetry, playing music, being a
radio host, and teaching.
Brooks’
plan was to work for the State of Georgia’s Department of Juvenile Justice and Department of Family and Children's Services until he retired in his old age; but he was
burnt out after ten years.
“I was getting
soul-weary. Ten years is not a ton of
time to spend on anything, but the sadness planted by the Juvenile Justice and
the Department of Family and Children’s service was getting in me. I bow to those who are able to tow that line
for life.”
Brooks
also had a substance abuse problem and mental health issues. He felt it was time for a career change – and
decided to focus on his book-in-progress The Draw of Broken Eyes & Whirling
Metaphysics (http://www.amazon.com/Draw-Broken-Eyes-Whirling-Metaphysics/dp/0983365539/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1403373705&sr=8-1&keywords=the+draw+of+broken+eyes+and+whirling+metaphysics) while doing lawn care
to earn a living.
“It was a decision that
caused more than a tad bit of concern over my mental health amongst my
relatives. Yet, in the end, I was left
with the conclusion I came to fresh out of high school: You can’t fix regret. Faith, self-reliance, and/or a shrink can
work out resentment, heartbreak, guilt, grief, etc., but regret? Regret requires a time machine to
remedy. I’d rather fall flat on my face
as a poetic guy in the sunshine cutting grass who listens than miserable for
one second longer than necessary.”
Brooks’s
family should not have been surprised that he would eventually leave his former
government career for writing. His
parents instilled in him a strong passion of education and drive to squeeze
from life exactly what he wanted.
“I remember Momma
teaching me to read at an extremely young age.
Dr. Seuss brought me into the world of letters. I still go back and read that genius. Seuss touched on everything in a way, that,
even as an adult, I’m still digesting.”
Unlike
most writers, Brooks writing routine is sporadic at best, and he likes it that
way.
“I don’t hold to the
idea that we must write every day to call writing “a profession”. Yet, that’s only because it doesn’t work for
me. I am aware of a calendar and how to
use a watch, but being creative isn’t something I can chart out. Since I have a teaching job and SEO writing
gig that also pays my bills, I have enough on my plate to remain productive as
my poetic muscles rest for a few moments.”
The
two items Brooks has to have with him in order to write is his iPod and a small
notebook. Music is a part of everything
he does, and since he doesn’t have a set time to sit down and compose, his
notebooks are handy when the mood strikes to pen something down.
“My two tools of writing
allow me a quiet path to jot down notes as I need
during the day. The iPod is my instant
portal into solitude, and I handwrite my thoughts first, because it connects me
directly to the subject. Stopping in
mid-stride to whittle something down may appear rude to some, but my close
friends abide. They are aware of my
quirks. I respect the hell out of them
for all of their tolerance.”
He’ll
write phrases or words or whatever comes to his mind in his little black
notebooks that he carries with him wherever he goes.
“Verse will either haunt
me, or they’ll jump out at me while walking around in public. When I scribble a line, I’m far more
cognizant of what I’m saying than when I began writing poetry. My brand of poetry always highlights a mind trying
to work out the universe.”
Usually
the poetic muse will guide him to his study every few days where he starts
turning the words and phrases into poems.
“I’ll charge into the
study, sit down, and hit it with a smile on my face. This is when the second form of composition
rises from the ghost of an old relationship, the undying affection for a family
member, or the joy from my current state of affairs breaks loose and spills out
over several pages.”
On August 1, 2012 Brooks’ first book of
poetry, The Draw of Broken Eyes and Whirling Metaphysics, was published
by John Gosslee Books (http://www.fjordsreview.com/cbrooks/index.html).
Brooks
wanted to share his vision of the South’s future with other individuals in a
small forum, but wasn’t sure where to turn.
After a great deal of research, he didn’t find a group like the one he
had in mind, so he set out to create The Southern Collective Experience. (https://www.facebook.com/TheSouthernCollectiveExperience).
“I
was batting around this notion for a group that pulled from all over the art
world to include only determined souls with genuine talent. I wanted to forge a network outside the
back-biting and drama, (and) provide an oasis where a few people could gather
in one place every month or so to relax while talking up Coleridge - or nothing
at all.”
Brooks insists that The Southern Collective Experience will
not have a main mission or creed.
“That
immediately limits the scope of our project, and honestly, I think they sound
pompous.”
Perhaps one could deem that The Southern Collective Experience does
have a goal that is threefold: to focus
on the arts and not the politics of the arts; to treat art as a money-making
business without sacrificing art’s integrity; and to not tolerate soap
opera-esque behaviors.
“Money isn’t the reason
for the season, but if you happen to make any while you create – only insanity
would complain.”
For
the next year, Brooks tried to find members to induct into The Southern Collective Experience by visiting several reading
groups, researching artists who have
influenced him, and researching literary families in the area. He then set up a list of names with addresses
and sent out invitations to join The
Southern Collective Experience.
“After much trial and
error, the membership was carved into what it is today. As it stands, I’m happy with the gypsy feel
of the group. With too many members the
center looses its pull, and with too few members the inspiration grows
stagnant. All our brothers and sisters
have their own lives and other side projects going on. No one has to sacrifice independence to be a
part of this gritty whole.”
The Southern Collective
Experience
consists of poets, prose writers, musicians, and visual arts of all kinds that
share these common threads: an earnest
sense of self; pride in their blood and creativity; a sense of home being the
south.
“We are how the South
now sounds/looks/behaves. The visual
artists, photographers, prose writers, and poets all have their own flavor,
often very different, that is crucial to embody a people. There are some on our roster that have spent
little time in this part of the country, but one truth I have found to be
unshakeable is that you don’t have to be from here to be of this soil, song,
and sky.”
Brooks
admits that one must craft an image for The
Southern Collective Experience for it to thrive, but , to Brooks, there is
no image for The Southern Collective
Experience – just the reality of who The
Southern Collective Experience is:
Family.
“We
are a family, moving together as a quiet force, again, not needing a battle cry
to let the arts know what we’re up to. The social media, advertising the projects of
other members, and any other appearances to the public must be composed to a
consistent, organic, honest beat.
Otherwise everything we do will smack of insincerity and elitism.”
One of the requirements of being a
member of The Southern Collective
Experience is that he or she must be in the process of practicing his or
her art form and not just talking about it.
“All
members are expected to contribute. No
one gets to ride the coattails of anyone else.”
The
Southern Collective Experience has its own radio show titled Dante’s Old South, which was created by
Brooks and Matt Youngblood (https://www.facebook.com/matt.youngblood.7771?fref=tl_fr_box). The two men met when Brooks was a guest on
Youngblood’s radio show about his book The Draw of Broken Eyes and the Whirling
Metaphysics.
“Matt Youngblood asked
all the right questions. We got on the
topic of music, life, and what we hoped to glean from the very near
future. There was a great deal we had in
common. We decided our radio show would
be worth the time to listen.”
Thus
far Dante’s Old South, which Brooks
describes as an ever-evolving feature, has featured an
anthropologist/archeologist, poets, prose writers, musicians, and local
businesspeople. Dante’s Old South, also plays music created in, or inspired by the
Southern tradition.
“It
helps tremendously that we’ve got Professor Joe Milford (https://www.facebook.com/joemilfordvictor/about)among us who has years in the radio game with his Joe Milford Poetry Show (http://www.thejoemilfordpoetryshow.com). In this area of my
career, he and Matt Youngblood are indispensible mentors.”
Dante’s
Old South is on 1490 AM WYYZ The Croc airs and streams online on Mondays
and Tuesdays from 8 p.m. to 10 p.m. Soon
the show, their journal of the arts, The Copperhead Review (its first
issue will launch in mid-spring to early summer 2015), and more on the group will be featured on
their website.
“Our
website is currently under construction as is the necessary, blissful life.”
PHOTO DESCRIPTION AND
COPYRIGHT INFO
*All photos have been
granted copyright privilege by Charles Clifford Brooks III unless otherwise
noted.
1.
The SCE trademark
Design by Clifford Brooks & Elton Porter.
Photo by Mary Judkins.
2.
Photo by Aisha Cleapor
4.
Charles Clifford Brooks III smoking.
Photo by Mary Judkinsn
5.
Reader holding The Draw of Broken Eyes & Whirling Metaphysics
6.
Charles Clifford Brooks III
Photo by Mary Judkins.
8.
Theodore Seuss Geisel “Dr. Seuss” in 1957
Public Domian
11.
Brooks’ iPOd and notebook
12
Charles Clifford Brooks III writing.
Photo by Matt Polsfuss
14
Charles Clifford Books staring out of the cave
Photo by Aisha Cleapor
15.
Charles Clifford Brooks III writing at his getaway spot, The Woodbridge Inn
located in Jasper, Georgia.
17.
Charles Clifford Brooks holding his book.
The photo by Mary Judkins.
18.
An old logo of the SCE
19
Samuel Taylor Coleridge in 1879
Public Domain.
20
Picture of Charles Clifford Brooks and the SCE logo.
22.
That is a statue from a cemetery in Savannah, GA.
Photo by Mary Judkins took it.
24.
SCE logo
Trademark by Clifford Brooks & Elton Porter.
25.
Matt Youngblood, Greg Hosmer, and Charles Clifford Brooks
Photo by Mary Judkins
Design by Elton Porter
27.
The blue room in the book house where Charles Clifford Brooks III wrote Athena
Departs.
28.
Image of Charles Clifford Brooks II and the SCE logo.
31.
Promotion card from Gosslee Books.
Photo by Aisha Cleapor.
33.
Matt Youngblood
Photo by Clifford Brooks
34.
Advertisment for Dante's Old South
Designed by Elton Porter.
35.
That is Joe Milford.
36.
Charles Clifford Brooks III behind the mic at
WYYZ before a show. Photo by Matt
Youngblood.
