Oh, Bernice! suffered a huge loss this past Saturday when our own Hoyt Jacobs was killed in a sudden accident. Hoyt was riding his bicycle on Vernon Boulevard when a garbage truck, belonging to Manhattan Demolitions, took a sharp turn and cut his life short. We are heartbroken from losing such a special human being.
In response to this tragedy, a few of us at Bernice have been working with the Queens College MFA Program, where we all met Hoyt, in order to create The Hoyt Jacobs Poetry Prize, in the hope that our friend will live on for years to come. We need your help. If you knew Hoyt, if you are moved by this story, if you just love poetry, please consider donating and/or sharing this link with others:
http://www.gofundme.com/hoytprize
Oh, Bernice! is also planning a memorial reading in tribute to our friend. We’re hoping to capture the vibrant spirit, the solemnity of his writing and jubilance of the person that is Hoyt Jacobs, by reading, not only from his poetry and translations, but also selected scenes from one of his favorite films, The Room, through which many of us bonded with him.
The details are still being set, so please stay tuned. We at Bernice would love to see you there.
– John Rice
