The Book of Ed
A mythical fable of poetry and chamber music - Oedipus as a boy growing up in East Texas.
"The marriage of modern music and spoken
word gives birth to something playful,
provocative and intelligent."
-John Herndon, poet and critic, author of six books
of poetry and two novels.
"In The Book of Ed, some of Austin's finest actors and symphony players perform a unique set of poems. Sometimes dark, often humorous, The book of Ed is thought provoking and entertaining."
-John Aielli, host of Eklekticos on KUT-FM, Austin.
Poetry : Mel Kenne
Music : Patrick Boland
I am very proud of this work. The closest thing that I might compare it to is Stravinsky's "L'histoire du Soldat". My friend Mel Kenne, who I knew in Austin before he took a teaching position at a college in Istanbul, Turkey, wrote the 36 poems that comprise the text. The poems spun off from a serious treatise Mel was writing on "a non-Freudian take on the Oedipus conflict." Hence, "Ed" - the modern-day character growing up in East Texas. The poems are both humerous and often dark.
The oboist, violist, and bassoonist were members of the Austin Symphony. Portions of "The Book of Ed" were performed as theatre in Austin, TX where it won awards.
