Photography, left to right: Jeff Kell , Holly Zimbert, Ben Bernthal
Mystery Poems Opening Ceremony promises an interactive, multi-sensory experience in honor of the release of Strangers’ Poems Mystery Poems Series 1.
For just one night, Strangers’ Poems invites San Francisco to celebrate this achievement in the letterpress studio where these works were produced.
Tickets are required for this event. They can be purchased in advance or at the door for a suggested donation of $10.00. Capacity is limited to 100 guests — early purchase is encouraged!
Speaking in saxophones,
embroidering the fragments as they lay,
may we investigate
the true value of ideas
typewritten on dollar bills,
of chance & circumstance,
typeset against unconscious brushstrokes—
the case for nuance,
made until it stays.
Poetry by Ben Bernthal
Live Soundtrack by Forest Floor
Live embroidery by Benjamin Klein (BYO garments!)
Surprise activations by Strangers’ Poems
Strangers’ Poems specializes in creating captivating activations which are poetic in essence, though not always in form. Ben Bernthal and Holly Zimbert have developed a specific aesthetic which utilizes novelty, nostalgia, surrealism, and tactility to inspire meaningful and memorable experiences. Since 2017, Strangers’ Poems has written thousands of bespoke poems for the humans we’ve met, with performances spanning 18 states and 5 countries, using our signature model: “Give 3 words, get a poem.” Drawing from this immense catalog of requests and resulting poems, Strangers’ Poems has created the flagship activation called Mystery Poems, which highlights our guiding principle, “The personal is the universal.”
Friday, August 15, 2025
Doors open at 6 pm, event runs until 8 pm