Los Feliz Neighborhood Council Declares Derrick C Brown First Ever Neighborhood Poet Laureate

(LOS ANGELES - August 28, 2025) While the city of LA is working on selecting the next poet laureate after Lynne Thompson (2021-2022), the Los Feliz Neighborhood Council in partnership with the Los Feliz Writers Festival has appointed Derrick C. Brown the first ever Poet Laureate of Los Feliz.

Derrick Brown used to be a paratrooper for the 82nd Airborne, but finds writing to be more fun. He is an award-winning poet, ghostwriter, and President of Write Bloody Publishing. Write Bloody is an indie poetry press that Derrick helped set up in 2004, that over the last 21 years has published over 185 titles including Andrea Gibson, Sarah Kay, and Clint Smith. Their offices have been in the neighborhood starting in 2015, and now for the last two years on Hollywood Blvd above El Adobe Market, a hop and skip from one of Bukowski’s favorite hangs Jumbos! 

When asked why he chose to have the offices in Los Feliz, Derrick said, “Los Feliz has this perfect blend of literary history and creative energy that just made sense for Write Bloody. Plus, I love walking into Griffith Park, then fueling up on some of the best Thai food I've ever had. The food scene here, gold! The neighborhood has grit, and I love it. There's a creative density here that's very LA.”

Derrick himself is the author of 10 books of poetry and 4 children’s books. He started writing poetry as a paratrooper, and after his service moved back to Long Beach where he ran poetry cruises singing to people and reading his poems on a gondola boat in the canals. He started performing at open mics, discovered he loved the speed and fast power of spoken word, and never looked back. Derrick says, “Poetry became my way of making sense of the world and connecting with other people trying to do the same thing.”

While living in Long Beach, he would drive in to go to poetry salons in Silverlake and Los Feliz. In 2012, he began attending poetry salons with Chelsea Bayouth in Los Feliz off of Melbourne and Hillhurst, later hosting as well. Chelsea created these magical spaces where poets could share work, connect, and build community. 50 folks crammed into her living room! A few years later, he moved near Fountain because he wanted to stay close to that energy. 

Derrick hopes to continue to nurture that energy in Los Feliz. He says, “Keep your eyes peeled for pop-up poetry events in unexpected places – maybe a reading in the park, poetry on cafe walls, or collaborations with local businesses. We need poetry stamped on coffee cups and bar napkins, stat.”

As part of the Poet Laureate role, Derrick is responsible for organizing poetry events, leading poetry writing workshops, writing poems inspired by local events, and more. 

When asked about his poetry philosophy and why he loves poetry, he shared, “Poetry is the art of slowing down and paying attention. It's about seeing tiny miracles and remembering that it is very strange to be alive. I love poetry because it pinpoints a feeling, when its good and confuses when it misses. I like poetry that makes me feel electric or levels me and pins me to the floor with truth.”

For Derrick,  poetry isn't precious or intimidating – it's for everyone. He believes that poetry is more essential now than ever. He said, “We are in a deepening valley of loneliness. In an age of information overload and superficial connections, poetry teaches us to slow down, to truly listen, and to feel deeply. It's resistance against a culture that values speed and cash over substance. Poetry builds empathy, and hot damn, do we need more of that.”

The Los Feliz neighborhood is excited to see what Derrick will do as the Poet Laureate to engage the community in the joy and power of poetry. 

If you would like to meet Derrick and learn more about his plans and get involved in developing this program, he will be attending the Los Feliz Neighborhood Council Committee for Cultural Affairs meeting on September 9th at 7:30pm at the Desert Rose. 

Find an interview with Derrick C. Brown below. He is also happy to schedule an interview!

About Derrick C. Brown

Derrick C. Brown is a Storyteller & Writer | Comic | Award-winning poet | President of Write Bloody Publishing whose innovative blend of art earned him Paste Magazine's Comedy Album of the Year in 2023. The New York Times celebrates his work as "a rekindling of faith in the weird, hilarious, shocking, beautiful power of words," capturing his unique ability to blend comedy and poetry. He used to be a paratrooper for the 82nd Airborne, but finds writing to be more fun. 

Brown has performed at prestigious venues worldwide. His notable appearances include San Francisco Sketchfest, Senses Working overtime podcast, This American life, Dan Savage, High Plains Comedy Festival, Helium in Portland, Good Heroin and multiple performances at Hot Tub with Kurt and Kristen. He is the author of ten books of poetry and four children's books, and winner of the Texas Book of the Year award for Poetry. @derrickbrownpoetry

About the Los Feliz Writers Festival

The Los Feliz Writers Festival is an annual festival that will launch on August 23rd and 24th, 2025 focused on creating a space for Los Feliz writers and literary texts to be shared, celebrated, and developed in community. View our website. @losfelizwriters 

Press contact

Sammy Ginsberg

seeliterarypixie@gmail.com 

Interview with Derrick C. Brown

When did Write Bloody office move to Los Feliz? Why did you choose Los Feliz over other neighborhoods in LA? Write Bloody has been around 21 years as an indie poetry press, launching over 185 titles. We set up shop here 2015-2019 and then again over two years ago on Hollywood blvd, and honestly, the old Hollywood feel was haunting and inspiring. Los Feliz has this perfect blend of literary history and creative energy that just made sense for Write Bloody. Plus, I love walking into Griffith Park, then fuel up on some of the best Thai food I've ever had.  The neighborhood has grit, and I love it.

What do you love about Los Feliz? The walkability is so great, quick hop into Jumbos or Tabula Rasa, or all the way to Vermont for some tacos and a film. I can step out of the office and be on a trail in Griffith Park within minutes, clearing my head between editing sessions. And the food scene here? Gold! I loved the LF writers fest and meeting other writer types. There's a creative density here that's very LA.

What's your relationship with Los Angeles/Los Feliz? My LA love story really began with running poetry cruises out of Long Beach and gondoliering folks in the canals down thte, singing to them and reading them poems on my gondola boat. Later, Chelsea Bayouth kicked off poetry salons with me back in 2012 off of Melbourne and Hillhurst. Chelsea created these magical spaces where poets could share work, connect, and build community. 50 folks crammed in to her living room! When I moved near Fountain in 2015, I knew I wanted to stay close to that energy and made it a small workshop for poets. 

How did you get into poetry?  Poetry found me in a foxhole when I was a paratrooper, my little book and red flashlight. Then Long Beach and Silverlake and Los feliz in the 1990's. I started performing at open mics, discovered I loved the speed and fast power of spoken word, and never looked back. Poetry became my way of making sense of the world and connecting with other people trying to do the same thing. Then launched write bloody in 2004.

What's your philosophy around poetry? Why do you love poetry? How do you define poetry? Poetry is the art of slowing down and paying attention. It's about seeing tiny miracles and remembering that it is very strange to be alive. I love poetry because it pinpoints a feeling, when its good and confuses when it misses. I like poetry that makes me feel electric or levels me and pins me to the floor with truth.

What do you think is poetry's role in the 21st century? Poetry is more essential now than ever. We are in a deepening valley of loneliness. In an age of information overload and shallow connections, poetry teaches us to slow down, to really listen, to feel deeply. It's resistance against a culture that values speed and cash over substance. Poetry builds empathy, and hot damn, do we need more of that.

Why did you choose to apply to be the Los Feliz Poet Laureate? Because I believe in what this neighborhood makes me feel. It's Janet Fitch's favorite neighborhood and mine too – a place where creativity and community intersect. I want to create more opportunities for people to discover poetry in their daily lives and offer help to other writers here. 

What's something people should look out for? Keep your eyes peeled for pop-up poetry events in unexpected places – maybe a reading in the park, poetry on cafe walls, or collaborations with local businesses. We need poetry stamped on coffee cups and bar napkins, stat.

Anything else you want to communicate? Poetry isn't precious or intimidating – it's for everyone. I like accessible poetry that does its job well. I'm down to share all I've learned over the last 30 years and glad to engage and embrace other writers to the max.