Author Spotlight: Marinna Benzon

Our Spotlight series introduces you to the people behind Perennial Press. In our first post, we hear from Marinna Benzon, author of chapbook Millennial Dogeater, a ‘curated snapshot of invisible Brown Girls.’ Benzon talks to us about her favorite podcasts, her various art practices, and makes us a playlist!

What podcasts do you listen to? What are they about?

I am currently listening to a couple podcasts such as: Strangers, Say More, Science VS, and Sex with Ghosts.  Strangers is, without a doubt, my favorite podcast because it’s a story-based series led by Lea Thau who interviews strangers and carefully takes the audience into the heart of their life-changing experiences, their loud moments and their gut-punching heartbreaks.  Say More, hosted by Olivia Gatwood and Melissa Oliva-Lozada, focuses on a diverse set of issues and topics that they have experienced or desire to learn more about.  Science VS is such a great bite-size science experiment that coincides with how we live our lives.  Sex with Ghosts is a podcast which is hosted by one of my good friends, Bridget Flaherty and this podcast deep dives into research on anything from energy vampires to the rise and fall of Britney Spears.  

Do you prefer reading poetry or hearing it performed? 

I prefer hearing poetry performed.  Performance poetry feels like a full experience where you can feel the grit and power of the poet and watch their words emanate to fill the room.

Where do you create? Do you have a studio? A desk? What does it look like? 

Typically, I create at my desk and it looks messy and unkempt but it works for me.

Do you do other art besides poetry? Tell us about it! 

Other than poetry, my other mediums include; filmmaking, playwriting, acting, sketch comedy, long-form improv, painting as well as playing the guitar and ukulele.  I actually have a BA in filmmaking and I have a minor in theater performance.  I am also a house performer at Second City Hollywood directed by Frank Caeti (Mad TV), which I perform and write with the sketch comedy troupe, Nite King.  I am also the creator, writer, director, and lead in the dark comedic play, Neon Apocalypse.  Other than that, I am currently working on my next short film titled, “Kindly, move!” and my next chapbook which focuses on the multimedia content popularly consumed and reviewed in the form of poetry.

Make us a playlist.

• Olalla By Blanco White
• Baby by Ariel Pink
• Real Love Baby By Father John Misty
• Shame, shame, shame by Lake Street Dive
• Last to speak by Allen Stone
• Evergreen by Yebba
• Mean old world by Sam Cooke
• Everything Here by The Suffers
• Ladies who Lunch by Elaine Stritch 
• Lost in My Boots by Kwaye
• Like a woman scorned by Theo Katzman
• Colonizer by Tune-yards
• Us by Ruby Ibarra
• Barefoot in the Park By James Blake
• I want to be evil by Eartha Kitt
• We don’t eat by James Vincent McMorrow
• Leftovers by Dennis Lloyd
• Hymn to Freedom by Oscar Peterson

Listen to Marinna Benzon’s playlist on Spotify.

Find more of Benzon’s work, including updates on her writing and acting on her instagram: @marinna.benzon