American Renaissance leader, Henry Brann. "Henry" has contributed to many community landmarks and programs in Philadelphia. Henry is dedicated to literacy and sharing this art form of poetry, the Haiku. Philadelphia was the first city for publishing and printing in the United States. Education and literacy was crucial to the American Revolution and creating the Constitution of the United States to establish our nation.
Henry Brann (a.k.a. Socrates) is a community leader, a philosopher, designer, electrical genius, thinker, visionary, and humanitarian.
Portrait of the poet at The Nick Virgilio Haiku House in Camden. George Vallianos (left), president, Nick Virgilio Haiku Association, board member Henry Brann (right).
Henry Brann "It's a writer's house. We are entertaining all forms of literacy. That's our project- to advance literacy among children."
A great white swan
is tugging on the neck
of a water lily.
literacy:the ability to read, write, speak and listen; reading, writing proficiency; the quality or state of being literate; competence or knowledge in a specific area.
REMINGTON: TYPEWRITERS & GUNS
"Nick always read these twice," said longtime friend Henry Brann. "The reason is you spend a lot of time thinking about the words the first time you hear something. Just to make sure you heard the words. The second time, you get a sense of the feel of it."
My spring love affair. The upright Remington Wears a new ribbon.
Nick Virgilio
Words over Bullets
Nick Virgilio's partner and life long friend was the Remington Typewriter. Remington, a company making precise repeat mechanical working metal parts and action. Flintlock rifles manufactured for the protection of Mohawk Valley and the construction of the Erie Canal are long gone but Virgilio's words will live on in Camden.
Photo by
Thom Carroll, Philly Voice
Community
Education
Theatre
Art
Architecture
Restoration
Science
Civil Rights
History
Literacy
Humanity
And! Henry always forges on to spark and pioneer a new American Renaissance.
Henry supported and worked with Joe Paprzycki (above), playwright, producer, director to renovate his grandfather's bar into a theatre. Then raised the funding to build The South Camden Theatre, now a prominent 99 seat venue "off Broadway". Joe Paprzycki is an expert on Tennessee Williams and one of Philadelphia's "life" force artists. Joe premiered TENNESSEE'S FINAL CURTAIN in the Frederick Lowe Room at the Writer's Guild, Times Square, New York City. Broadway Producer, John Cutler put the show together for a select audience in the historical room. Henry Brann, Robin Paley and team key support. Original live music by Emmett Van Slyke and Brian Morey, directed and co-produced by the Shakespeare Guy, Joe Siracusa.; a play of distinction about Mr. Tennessee Williams.
Three Haikus by Basho,
The great Japanese poet.
Nick Virgilio
Famous Camden
POET
Remington was founded in 1816 by Eliphalet Remington. It was the first device that allowed an operator to type much faster than someone could write by hand. The 1878 model was the first typewriter with upper and lower case letters controlled by a shift key. In 1886 the typewriter business of Remington was sold to the Standard Typewriter Manufacturing Company, Inc.
Spring is passing
The birds cry, and the fishes fill
With tears on their eyes.
To an old pond
A frog leaps in.
And the sound of the water.
Saying something,
The lip feel cold.
The Autumn wind.
Lily
Out of the water
Out of itself.
Haikus
Haiku;
an unrhymed verse form Japanese poem of seventeen syllables, in three lines of five, seven, and five, traditionally evoking images of the natural world or a single feeling or impression.
