Overview

In Winter 2007, a full-time college student broke 7 years of writer's block by writing a new poem, generated while reading Martin Luther King's Letter from Birmingham Jail for English homework at City College of San Francisco's main campus library. His little poem led to filling a hardcover black notebook with a full rushing cascade of penned poetry. He named his notebook Crimson Stain. Oakland performance poet Dee Allen gives us Crimson Stain-a collection brimming with a plethora of divergent themes that re-ignited his long-lost passion for writing: Worldwide spread of blood diamonds from Africa, activism, real estate gentrification, homelessness, political prisoners, war, Islamophobia, dedication to a viceless life, love for underground culture, abuses from the police and much more.

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Reviews

"Praise for ""Crimson Stain"" ""I first became aware of Dee Allen's work a year prior to the COVID Pandemic when he read at Sacred Grounds Caf� in San Francisco. To say he made a lasting impression is an understatement. His distinct enunciation along with his poetic +and historical social ills marked him as an artist to take seriously. Since then, I've heard Dee read his work several times via Zoom and I've read a number of his previous books. He never falters, never disappoints. With his latest, 'Crimson Stain', Dee Allen continues to elevate his searing poetic indictments against racism, gentrification, sexism, capitalism and militarism, among other cancers on our collective health. But that's not all. With aching sensitivity, more than a few poems fearlessly examine loneliness. And in 'Offering', he has created an erotic poem both boldly personal and transcendent. This collection is nothing short of astounding."" -Robert Eugene Rubino, author of the poetry collection Vanity Unfair ""Dee Allen takes his readers on a voyage into the deepest, darkest things people despise hearing-the visceral truth, that is, life in America as a Black man is more than M & W's definition of struggle. War is Hell. At times explosive, these poems open your senses to sights and sounds, cultivated by centuries of dedicated freedom writers, and manifest as stories from the neverending saga. From capitalism and racism, symbolism to religion, these pages scream for equality, autonomy and true justice. Another masterful work of art from a dedicated creative, armed with the power, to say what he means and mean what he says.""-Elemen2al, poet, host of Nuyorican Poets Caf� Monday Night Open Mic, author of Calamity Allen's words are weapons and medicine all at once; a true alchemy of the myriad of discriminations he has dedicated his life to transcending. Crimson Stain is a jewel, an ethically-mined jewel, cradled in the hands of our ancestors, rising to reflect the light in this eternal fight for equality and peace in a healing world."" -Kyla Tucaya Garcia, actor, director, poet, LA/NYC/MT ""Searing poems, a mind questing, navigating amongst the flotsam and jetsam of urban existence, capitalism, wars, the slave trade, death, sweat, sex, proclamations and ripostes-Dee Allen's collection is in dialogue with history, with current justice and injustice, with other writers and thinkers, taking as its keystone King's 'Letter From Birmingham Jail'. Here are lyrics that lay wounds bare, songs of passionate tenderness, verses with the force of slogans, driven throughout by a conviction of our fundamental common humanity."" -Dr. Amina Alyal, poet, programme leader for English & Creative Writing at Leeds Trinity University-Leeds, U.K."

Author Information

"Writing has always been Dee Allen's creative outlet. Before walking on his present path as a writer, Allen wanted to be a comic book artist. Along with his drawings, backstories for his own characters and short stories were written. It wasn't until his early 20s that Allen took creative writing seriously. At 20, his ambitions changed. He wanted to become a Heavy Metal singer and worked with several bands singing & writing song-lyrics. None of them made it past the garage, due to ""creative differences"". The McCook Brothers-his three friends-noticed that he wrote song-lyrics from time to time and asked him to write love poems to impress their girlfriends. Those earliest poems were vague-not to mention terrible. Dee Allen had a better handle on poetry after reading books containing the real thing. From Hughes to Ginsberg, Allen learned the poetry-writing craft. By mid-1992, his work had gotten better. One night in December 1992, Allen gave his first live performance of a 3-page poem at a friend's birthday house party. Two musician friends talked him into it. The year 2000 was the start of 7 years of writer's block, brought on by throwing 6 notebooks in the trash, in a moment of rage. Brought on by one abortive poem with an amazing starting line. In November 2002, Allen left Atlanta by Greyhound bus and disembarked in San Francisco-America's #1 artist-friendly city. There, he experienced homelessness, squatting, evictions, activist work, subway fare evasions, arrests, college. At street marches, he'd formulate/roar original protest chants-but he still couldn't write. After reading King's Letter From Birmingham Jail for English homework, Allen wrote the required book report. Behind it, he wrote a new poem. Writer's block was finally broken and he felt creative again. Since that cold red letter day-February 21, 2007-hardcover notebooks were filled in with Allen's spilt ink creations. Those led to works being dispersed between numerous anthologies and his own poetry books, 8 to date. Dee Allen also performed on the mic again. At live venues and later, in cyberspace, as open mic participant and feature."

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