Marilyn Manson Covers William Blake

by Michael Wais - September 11, 2011

To Top Off Acting, Lectures, and Painting, Rocker Marilyn Manson Takes on Poetry


Marilyn Manson captivated the audience of a free spoken-word reading at the The Getty Center auditorium last night. 

Dark Blushing was a one-night event with renowned poets expressing their interpretations of classic British watercolors and drawings shown in Getty’s Luminous Paper exhibition. For William Blake’s painting Satan Exulting Over Eve Manson gave his rendition of the Blake poem “Proverbs of Hell”. Background musical accompaniment for the Blake piece was provided by Portland keyboardist Timmy Straw. 

Roberto Miranda also did select musical accompaniment for other poets on upright bass. 

In introducing Marilyn Manson, one of the Write Now Poetry Society co-founders joked, “Our next guest is a young man just starting out here in the music world.” Her sense-of-humor turned to gushing admiration, “He started out as a poet. He continues to be a great poet. Please welcome Marilyn Manson!” 

But winner of the 2008 National Book Award for Blood Dazzler— a collection of poems about Hurricane Katrina— got the rock-star treatment from Manson. As the poets took a bow, Manson warmly complimented Patricia Smith for her original piece “Crave of You”. “Thankyou,” he announced twice over the microphone, with typically unseen humility. 

Head-liner Ilya Kaminsky— Russian emigre, poet laureate, and M. F. A. professor for San Diego State University’s poetry department— concluded the event with a poem inspired by Aubrey Vincent Beardsley’s drawing The Dream. 

The Luminous Paper exhibit that inspired the event runs through October 23 in the West Pavilion of The Getty Center’s Plaza Level.

(Source: getty.edu)

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