Phil Demise Smith

I was born 1947 in Bronx, New York. Earned a BA degree in creative writing from Queens College (City University of New York) in 1970 and a Master of Fine Arts in poetry from Bowling Green State University in 1974. I studied poetry with William Packard, Howard McCord, Tom Raworth, Ray DiPalma, Anselm Hollo and Toby Olson. I’ve had numerous books of poetry published including What I Don’t Know for Sure (Burning Deck), Periods, selected writings 1972-1987 (gegenschein press) and History of Pre-diction, paintings by Gérard Sendrey, poems by Phil Demise Smith (gegenschein). I have been publishing Gegenschein, a literary arts magazine, since 1971, which also became The Gegenschein Vaudeville Placenter, a performance loft/gallery in Chelsea, NY (1976-1979). The Placenter featured many NY artists and musicians and a number of poetry readings which featured such poets as Charles Bernstein, Kathy Acker, Dick Higgins,Willam Packard, Bruce Andrews, Richard Kostelanetz, Opal Nations and many more. In 1996-1999 I opened Wares For Art, a gallery of art and craft, which also featured poetry readings and music performances.

I began writing poetry when I was 8 years old (the foundation of all my creative activity). Then in 1972 I began writing and performing music. Since 1975 I have written and recorded over 200 songs and have played and created music with longtime friend and collaborator Herm Freeman in such infamous bands as NoYes, N.DoDo, Didus and the Fabulous Mascarenes, The Young Phogies and Art of the Middle Ages. During the new wave punk scene of the 1970’s we played such venues as CBGB’s and Max’s Kansas City and we continue to perform. In 2021 a vinyl album of my songs and performance "Growing in the Dark" was released with my band AnDna. In 1987 I began painting in my own self-taught, natural style. I’ve had numerous one man and group shows in the U.S. and Europe including a one person show at the Musée Création Franche in France in 2012. I have taught an art/poetry program for 19 years in the NYC Public School system.