Jim Russo

After several sips of red wine, we comrades removed the one-by-twelve weathered redwood boards with Wonder Bars; wedging the claws behind the board and pulling. Going slow enough not to split the boards or break pieces off. Once the old barn stands only on its frame, we climbed up on the roof and begin to sway back and forth. She creaks and groans a little farther each time. Then she collapses and we ride her down into a cloud of dust. Bets were made; will she fall to the left, right, backwards or forwards? First the roof came off, then the big timbers underneath and the side framing was separated and stacked on the truck. Most of the time we would have two or three small pales full of square nails taken from the boards. The old barns were empty because the farmers knew we were coming to take them down and remove it, remove all of it. In an old small barn with a wooden floor on Freedom Blvd in Freedom California we resurrected those redwood boards into furniture, retail cabinets and interior design paneling. Apple Gallery was the name above the door.

Twenty years in the fresh produce business, wearing the hats of Jobber in the South San Francisco Produce Market, Produce Broker in South San Francisco, Wholesaler on the Monterey Bay, Shipper/Broker Watsonville, Western U.S. Sales Manager Organic Salads Sausalito California, National Sales Manager Biggest Organic U.S. Farm Colorado, General Manager of Organic Grower/Shipper Salinas w/ two dozen small organic farms in three states.

Studied acting in San Francisco with Eric Morris. I continued with Eric Morris in L.A. Studied script writing at The Sherman Oaks Experimental College in Hollywood, I volunteered with Eric to help demonstrate his acting method to directing students at the U.S.C. Cinema Department. I studied with Sal Dano for five years and Clu Gulager for six weeks in L.A. I have acted in Film, Music Video and theatre.

I had a ten year career as a Fine Art Consultant and Assistant Gallery Director in Carmel California and Kirkland Washington. I studied and received an education in art history and all Medias of the visual arts. I loved being surrounded by original art on the walls and only talking about paintings and sculpture and etching and lithographs to collectors. Meeting artists and entering into their creative process, understanding their brush strokes, their palates, their dreams. Listening and learning, reading and learning, talking and learning, that’s the Art Gallery business.

I have always been a writer. I created and wrote a monthly newsletter for the produce industry for five years. I wrote scenes to perform in acting classes in L.A. I began writing poetry about fifteen years ago in Santa Cruz. I now have three poetry books, five Poetry Prompt books, about two dozen thirty-minute local television shows; Central Coast Poetry Shows, that I produce and host; also three thirty-minute Central Coast Poetry Shows Highlights Volumes 1, 2 and 3 on youtube and DVD. I hosted Poet Speak, a monthly reading in the main library of Santa Cruz for three years. I have been a featured poet in Watsonville, Santa Cruz, San Jose, and twice in San Francisco. I have read all over the Central Coast from Mill Valley to Hollister.

I’ve been called a Narrative Poet.