A memorial celebrating the life and character of Brentwood’s homeless poet Wendell Brown was held Sunday, Nov. 9 at 1 pm and was appropriately conducted adjacent to his usual sit-spot in front of Vicente Foods on San Vicente Blvd. Brown passed away in September after 20 years of gracing Brentwood with his presence and his poetry.
The memorial service offered a space for Brentwood residents to engage in a period of reflection and appreciation for Brown.
From the elderly to the local Girl Scout troop, the demographic of the 50-60 people in attendance was certainly telling of the wide scope of Brown’s impact on his fellow community members.
Among numerous community members, Brentwood resident Marilyn Pivnick knew Brown for a number of years and carries fond memories of the resident poet.
“[Brown] sat in front of Vicente Foods for the past 20 years and the community grew to know him very well,” Brentwood resident Marilyn Pivnick said. “He was very sweet and knew all of the people in the area, including the names of many of the children. He’s been a fixture in the neighborhood.”
Brown was known not only for his friendly, approachable demeanor, but also for his poetry that he would write and hand out to passersby.
“His poems were very heartwarming and sensitive,” Pivnick said. “He was a very prolific poet: he had comments about what was going on in the news and always had new work all the time. Today is all about the community members showing their love for him.”
Officiated by community leaders like Nancy Freedman and Jeff Hall, the memorial program provided an outlet for Brown’s friends and family to share a related comment, story, or piece of poetry. It became more and more apparent that Brown deeply treasured the residents of Brentwood and wrote poems for them accordingly, whether it was for a grieving parent, a community leader, or a child.
“He was a great guy, he appreciated everybody, and he loved Brentwood,” Brown’s brother said.
The program was primarily comprised of recalling memories and reading poems, as well as special figures sharing experiences about some of the behind-the-scenes events of Brown’s life. Some good news about his most recent circumstances was relayed to the attendees by Jordan Pynes.
“He was always so sweet and kind, and over time I spent more and more time with him and getting to know his story,” Pynes said. “Our company builds and manages affordable housing, so I started talking to him very slowly about getting off the streets […] He was very nervous about it; he had been homeless for over ten years.”
Ultimately, Brown situated himself in an apartment in Inglewood with Pynes’ help.
“For the last couple of years he did have a place to live,” Pynes said with a smile. “He really got to improve his life and have a special place to live […] We really bonded and I definitely consider him a friend.”
To further solidify the commemoration of Brown’s life, artist Jonathan Bickart was consulted to create a sculpture of the poet.
“[Brown] […] had changed their lives, and they were so moved by his humanity with his poetry and helping others deal with their situations,” Bickart said. “I was asked if I could help do something nice to honor his memory and give Brentwood something interesting to show their connection with him over the last decades.”
As an experienced sculptor with works located in venues like Griffith Park and the Riviera Country Club, Bickart elaborated on his thought process as he planned out the sculpture of Brown.
“My job as an artist is to make something that’s not boring, trite, ridiculous, non-valuable,” Bickart said. “My concept was to incorporate […] who he was, not just what he looked like: the fact that he was a military veteran who served the country […] was important to me. In his body is a fragment of the country of Vietnam, which tells a little bit about his story.”
The sculpture will “hopefully be cast in bronze” and supported by local private funds. Donors who are able to contribute $2,500 will receive a maquette.
Contributions for the sculpture fund can be made to:
Brentwood 90049 – Wendell Brown, Poet
145 S. Barrington Ave. #194
Los Angeles, CA 90049
For more information, email GJF165@gmail.com.
