On the Life of Linda J. Albertano
From Trauma to High Art
Biography, poetry, prose, and fascinating stories including Linda’s personal photo journal; and introducing Frank Lutz.
Discover the provocative works of Linda J. Albertano, who was named Poetry Diva, a title and honor presented to her by the City of Los Angeles, until her passing on September 13, 2022. Frank Lutz, Linda’s husband, best friend, and business partner remembers the night they met, and goes on the share the 55-year love story between him and his incredible wife, who overcame a traumatic childhood to become a successful poet, performance artist, musician, and activist.
On the Life of Linda J. Albertano features photos, memorabilia, images, and performance reviews from Linda’s personal journal. But most important is the collection of stories, poems, and provocative prose by both authors.
In the foreword, Suzanne Lummis, a poet, performance artist, and author, captivates us with her eloquent introduction of Linda. Later in the book, Suzanne introduces both her, Linda, and Laurel Ann Bogan, the founders of the popular female performance trio, Nearly Fatal Women with memories at Beyond Baroque. The book, which underwent extensive development, is now available in major bookstores.
For more information about Linda, visit her website at www.Lindajalbertano.com.
Frank Lutz, co-author
Foreword by Suzanne Lummis
Paperback, 221 pages, color photo journal
ISBN: 978-1-884743-10-8
$30.00
Critical acclaim for Linda J. Albertano
Linda Albertano creates a peculiar personal montage of love and politics on both sides of the board… KCRW Santa Monica
Linda Albertano in her own right managed to carve out a niche of her own… Los Angeles Times
Her work resembles songs, tiny pieces of modern love that cut like a knife… L.A. Weekly
On stage, Linda Albertano rivets with her astute observations of life on the edge. The Best of L.A.’s City Life
This time around, her smart-talking cabaret style performance was out there for all the see under the sky and sun, on the Santa Monica beach… Santa Monica Bay News.
Sexual and political power relations form Albertano’s stomping ground… The Wire (UK)
Her light transcended shape and form. That was her pathway! Cultural Daily
Linda Albertano has an unusually sophisticated stage sense for a performance artist working in the cabaret genre. High Performance Audio Magazine
Linda Albertano is the High Priestess of Power Politics… The Quarterly Literary Magazine
Prepare to be captivated by Linda J. Albertano’s long-awaited book, “On the Life…” which features her poetry, short stories, prose, and a captivating photo journal; alongside her husband Frank Lutz’s literary works, collected over the years. After Linda’s passing in 2022, Frank painstakingly gathers Linda’s work and presents his own distinctive narrative poetry and storytelling that he has amassed over the years. His keen imagination, rhythm and verse are the perfect condiments to Linda’s story, from trauma to high art… Tribela Magazine
Book summary
I truly believe that if Linda J. Albertano were alive today, she would be astonished by the beautiful book her husband Frank has compiled on her behalf. With her striking height of 6 feet 4 inches, Linda J. Albertano was a beautiful lady known for her sultry voice and a penchant for being articulate, brazen, and poetically sassy on any stage. As a performance, literary artist and musician, she was disciplined in a multitude of personas and capacities.
Growing up in foster homes, Linda was bounced from one unhappy place to the next. She was forbidden to speak or have friends. At the age of 19, she was given $50 and a one-way ticket to California.
But when Linda met Frank Lutz on a cold, rainy winter Monday night in Hollywood, everything changed. He was hitchhiking, and she gave him a ride and they were together for 55 years after this chance meeting. They both graduated with honors from UCLA and went on to Linda being named Poetry Diva by the City of Los Angeles.
Linda and Frank married twice and together, they forged an amazing life together as partners and lovers. Soon after, Linda discovered Frank’s talent as a narrative poet with an astounding imagination. But Frank was hard hit when Linda became ill in 2022. He felt anguish, grief and helpless when she told him, “Hankie, I think I may not make it.” Despair set in after doing all they could do medically, and today, he still grieves. The only relief he experiences is having conversations with Linda through two professional mediums in New York and Southern California. After much research on the topic of “After Life”, he finds it an extraordinary experience.
Dive into the life of Linda J. Albertano and experience Linda and Frank’s poetry, prose, and stories, including her personal photo album of selected works throughout her career. It’s hard to put the book down once you begin reading and you will experience sadness, happiness, audaciousness, laughter, and more from Linda and Frank.
Deborah Granger, Editor
Frank Lutz and Linda J. Albertano
Friends who endorsed Linda's work and made a significant impact on her life.
Laurel Ann Bogen, (Founding Member of Nearly Fatal Women, poet, and author)
Linda Albertano, a force of nature, a woman of integrity, a singular voice of unimpeachable honesty. A goddess who rose from childhood trauma and created art that left audiences breathless. She was my friend. Always.
S.A. Griffin, poet, actor and Dadaist Supreme
A deeply compassionate and transformative performance artist and poet-writer, Linda J. Albertano was without peer. It is impossible not to be touched by the magic of her boundless humanity and love for all.
Quentin Ring, Director, Beyond Baroque
Whether you knew Linda from her utterly original performance art, or from her Kora playing, or from hearing her read, or from simply spending time with her in conversation, she was always truly a poet. She breathed life into language, and expanded our sense of what is possible. She has left her poems as a gift to us all, and for that I am truly thankful. They will continue to transform the imaginations of all of us who encounter them.
Prince Diabate, Kora Master Guinea, West Africa. (Translated from the French by Frank Lutz.)
For my Big Sister Linda J. Albertano, my advisor, my student, she was a Grand Lady, very special in my life. I am composing your song, my sister Linda’s song in the Zone of the Spirit and with us. Thank you very much, my Linda, from my heart, and with gratitude. Your Kora instructor since 1999. Prince Diabate, is called in Africa as Kora Master
Anna Homler, poet and performance artist
She was an awe-inspiring presence, performance poet and film maker. Linda was a great soul, larger than life and utterly brilliant. She was infinitely kind and utterly brilliant. Life will never be the same without her. Dearest Linda, in your own words, “I will worship at your shrine, forever”.
Taj Mahal, great Blues Artist
If there ever was a Creative, Very Feminine, Amazon Goddess of the sweetest nature & temperament that this or any other world has ever seen or known, it has to have been my dear musical friend, the late Linda “Albert” Albertano.
Peter Carlaftes and Kat Georges, leaders in the DaDa art movement
Linda Albertano was a one-of-a-kind artist and human being. Her poetry and performance art was so earth-shatteringly original, it made us all aspire to raise the stakes of our own work. But an artist is more than their art, and Linda was equally defined by her kindness, her humor, and her indefatigable support of other creators. For many years, Linda has been a beloved member of our worldwide dada family, performing with us in Los Angeles, San Francisco, and New Orleans, with original work, in a staged reading, embodying New York Dada legend Baroness Elsa von Freytag Loringhoven, and more. We miss her daily, and thrive on the memory of our time together.
Adam Leipzig, producer, director, stage, and performance art productions
She talked, she sang, she moved. She spoke poetry, changed costumes and characters. She had the capacity concentrate herself and expand herself into each situation. When she concentrated herself, her body reduced, became smaller and more vulnerable. This was part of her art, because in life she was taller than most everyone around. When she expanded, you could have sworn she was eight feet tall.
Coming Soon!
Available September 6, 2024
It all began with Cherry Soup
More bodacious poems, stories, and prose by Linda J. Albertano and Frank Lutz.
After we’ve noted that Linda J. Albertano thrived in Los Angeles as a force of nature and fount of mischievous intelligence and performative creations; after we’ve remarked upon the ways she seemed always larger than life, as well as––at 6’4” –– taller than most; after we’ve marveled at her triumphant career in the edgiest art despite being silenced, abused and exploited in Evangelical and Fundamentalist Christian foster homes during much of her youth…
We must not omit this. She was funny….
Foreword by Suzanne Lummis
Frank Lutz, co-author
Paperback, 221 pages, color photo journal
ISBN: 978-1-884743-10-8
$30.00
Catch up
With Linda and Frank
I had the opportunity to travel to West Africa and play the Kora with Prince Diabate
I first saw Prince Diabate perform at an event for the Dalai Lama’s citywide World Festival of Sacred Music held in LA in 1999. I was mesmerized. I was flattened by the cascades and crescendos of celestial sound that flowed from his exuberant kora (West African harp). It sounded like angel tears bursting into fireworks of joy!
Salient Sunday: Debbie Zeitman’s encore of “Before they Go” – Linda J. Albertano in her studio, see the Photo Exhibit at Wabi-Sabi
“I call myself a multi-disciplinarian because I love everything that is creative. I studied film at UCLA. I started as a singer/songwriter. And then got into performance art.”
Three Rooms Press and Beyond Baroque Present LA DADA: Performance and new book release with Linda J. Albertano, S.A. Griffin and more…
Linda Albertano, Arlondriah Lenyea, Heather Rabun, Glenn Rodriguez We caught up with Linda Albertano to get the low-down about DADA, what it means, what it does, how she became a DADAist, and the theme of this year's new LA-DADA book release (Maintenant11)...
Day 12: Poetry – Virtue by Linda J. Albertano
VIRTUE by Linda J. Albertano Photographed by Alexis Rhone Fancher Virtue rides into town on a convertible Clydesdale. She's wrapped in blue-and-white stars and is eating an apple concoction. Ah, Virtue! They want you. Your symbols are so succulent! They want to use...
Polavision by Susan Hayden – A captivating poetic Memoir inspired by a Terence Winch poem
"Around 1966, I was bitten after hours by a standard poodle named Coco. My pediatrician had to make a house call to give me a tetanus shot. I wanted to marry Dr Sokoloff and faked sick all the time so he would have to examine me. I was three. He was James Coburn’s double. I’d seen “Ride Lonesome”; I already knew my future husband would be like a steak at The Palm, a Prime Porterhouse; rough-hewn on the outside, tender underneath."
Library Girl “Susan Hayden” says in Interview, Don’t be Quiet – Your Words Matter!
Susan Hayden is the Creator/Producer & Curator of the monthly, mixed-genre literary series, Library Girl, now in its 9thyear at the Ruskin Group Theatre in Santa Monica, CA. In 2015, she was presented with the Bruria Finkel/Artist In The Community Award by the Santa Monica Arts Commission for her “significant contributions to the energetic discourse within Santa Monica’s arts community.” Susan’s proudest achievement has been raising her son, singer-songwriter Mason Summit.
Poet, playwright and Ruskin Group Theatre’s Library Girl SUSAN HAYDEN with introduction by Linda J. Albertano
Upon meeting the vivid, lovely and spirited Susan Hayden, you’d doubt that the word “shy” existed anywhere in her lexicon. Yet it dwells in her internal complexity, a kind of haunting vulnerability that ultimately cements your trust in her generous warmth.
The “cascades and crescendos” of West African Kora Griot Prince Diabate
My parents were both griots.When I was very young, I watched my father play and my mother sing and I noted how my father taught my older brother to play the kora, but I was forbidden.
Three thought-provoking poems by Jim Stone on Montana, Love, Cowboys, Tequila, and the Tango
Jim Stone is a poet and professor. He has been a cowboy, marine, carpenter and rodeo bronc-rider. Graduating summa cum laude in Social Justice from the University of Washington, he accepted a professorship in sociology at Jamestown University in Jamestown, North Dakota.
Poems: Linda J. Albertano and Her Brother, James AA Stone
Virtue rides into town on a
convertible Clydesdale. She's wrapped
in blue-and-white
stars
and is eating an apple concoction.
Ah, Virtue! They want
you.
Your symbols
are so succulent! They want to use
you
for purposes of personal
adornment.
Virtue drinks nothing but
water
from glaciers and the sap of lacebark
pine.
Wine aficionado Frank Lutz interviews Venice Beach Vintner Seth Cripe about the Lola Wine Collection. We learn how Seth built his estate in Napa Valley – part 3
Frank A. Lutz I met Seth Cripe several years ago, when I tasted his extraordinary 2010 Russian River Pinot Noir. Wines made from the pinot noir grape, the grape of Burgundy, France are known to be of a medium-body with a soft and pleasing taste, often with subtle...
Lola Vineyards Seth Cripe with Chapoutier, Mondavi, and Sur Lucero in the Rhone Valley – part 2
“Our property in Calistoga is so great! I’m really proud of it. The thought is to have an old-world wine house as is in the Mosel and parts of France where people can come stay, enjoy the wine country lifestyle, food, as well as be a part of what we do and our philosophy of life and wine at LOLA. And My mom is the perfect hostess.”
Seth Cripe: The Venice Vintner Part 1
ine making is not an easy craft to learn, it’s part science and part art with passion and instinct all combined with hard work. Many great wines come from family businesses that have been making them for generations, but once in a while a bright...