I know practically nothing about the woman, but I’m intrigued. The internet seems to contain precious little information about her. I know that she passed away on February 22nd of 2002, at the age of 70, of a stroke. I know she collected old greeting cards, eyeglasses and cell phones, which she would then pass on to the Hollywood Lions’ Club — who would, in turn, use them in some way to generate funds for charity. I know she was a poet — that she was the Poetry Ambassador to WLRN-FM. I know she had a brother named David. I know she wrote this poem, entitled “The Impossible Dream“:
Life happens while we’re making plans
So plan to make the most of your life
With time to smell the beautiful flowers called
All Mankind.
With time to bring beauty and warmth and compassion
To your friends … to your family and to
All Mankind.
Making a difference in this world of ours.
I know little else. Yet, I’m intrigued. And, disappointed that Youtube yields no treasure of moving image — her spirit on video. Surely, there must be some footage out there somewhere? Some wonderfully grainy, old black and white film captured at some poetry reading somewhere? Something more than the short segment appearing in Mr. Mike’s Mondo Video? The internet needs more Silvia Shichman.
I am an idiot. I just properly read your blog post and realized you had seen it. I am sorry.
I wonder if that aforementioned MMMV clip isn’t from some public access TV show. It certainly looks like one to me.
You DO know that there is a brief video clip of Sylvia reading poetry on the bizarre 1979 would-be TV series pilot entitled Mr. Mike’s Mondo Video, don’t you?
It is really weird and worth your attention. I cannot read any of Schichman’s poetry without hearing it in her distinctive, heavily accented (Long Island?) voice, since the aforementioned video is how I first ever heard of her.
That collage you posted is amazing!
I too want to know more about her.