I have had readings at the Border's in Phila., and Chester County,
Phila's Pen & Pencil, Swarthmore College, Widener University and
Rutgers University in Camden.
I won the Poetry Slam hosted by Lamont Dixon at Poet's Den. I was on
the boards of Poets & Prophets and the Mad Poetry Forum. I also ran
a poetry group known as 'Straight From the Heart Poetry Club'.
I am also a photographer and have taken many pictures of grassroots
poets and acclaimed writers.
Books Published by Lawrence Chase:
Chasing Dreams - 1993
Is it Black? - 1995
My People Song - 1997
Black Pride, Black Power, Black Me - 2000
Taking My Sweet Old Time, I'm Confused - 2002
Sweet Nadine, Freedom, Sweet Nadine - work in progress, now forever
unfinished.....
Lawrence Matthew
Chase, age 52, passed away May 7, 2006, at home. He was born
in Chester, Pennsylvania on October 1, 1953. He was the son of Leola
Jones Chase and the late James A. Chase.
Larry was also a lifetime resident of Chester, Pennsylvania. In
2004, Larry had a short stay in Newark, Delaware. After leaving the
state of Delaware, he returned to Chester. Larry was educated in the
Chester Upland School District, graduating from Chester High School.
As a youth Larry enjoyed all types of sports. He played football and
was a member of the track and field team. After high school Larry
attended college at North Carolina Central University, where he
graduated and received a degree in political science. He later
became a member of the Philadelphia Alumni Chapter for NCCU. After
college Lawrence joined the Marines for a four year stint, from
1981-1985. He was stationed in California for a while, and then once
again returned to Chester.
Larry never did forget his roots. Upon returning to his birth place,
he would become a school teacher in the same school district he
attended as a youth. Larry would also continue to be active in his
most loved sport, track and field. Larry became an assistant coach.
Later he would teach at Chester Charter School. He was also a member
of the Chester Chapter of Kappa Alpha Psi.
Larry was the recipient of many and varied awards. In 1972, he
received the Optimist Award, and also in 1972 he received the CUSD
Creative Writer Award. In the year of 1973 Larry received the
Chester Ladies Auxiliary Scholarship Award. In 1980 Larry received
the NCCU Alphonso Elder Lifetime Achievement Award. In 1998 he
received the CUSD certificate for Creative Leadership.
Although all the words in the paragraphs above define Lawrence
Chase, if one knew him in his later years, one would know to define
Larry by his poetry. That is what Larry was about. He became known
to fellow poets and friends as "The Poet." Larry loved to write.
That is what he did in his spare time. One can see a video clip of
Larry reading his poetry at The André Café Acoustique
on the web site:
www.andre-cafe.com.
Larry leaves to cherish his memory, his loving mother Leola Chase of
Bear, Delaware; a son, Benjamin Alexander of North Carolina; two
brothers, Martin Chase of Bear, Delaware and James Chase of
Lansdowne, Pennsylvania; three sisters, Delois Brimmer of Bogue,
North Carolina, Agnes Wilson of Newark, Delaware, and Kimberly Chase
of Wilmington, Delaware, and a host of nieces and nephews. |
