AMY CLIPP WRITING
AMY CLIPP WRITING

This site is all about poetry and prose. For info about my consulting business see amyclipp.com.

I’m a New Orleans based writer. I like mixing words and people.

My latest project: Standup Sermons for Spiritual Comedians

 
 

What if sermons worked like open mic nights? That’s what my readers and I are finding out. Using my pre-written text as inspiration for their own riffs, readers are bringing incredible imagination and generosity to big questions. There’s no mean-spirited lecturing in these Standup Sermons. Just lots of heart and lots of laughing.

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HOW STANDUP SERMONS WORK

 
 
 

Choose one of my pre-written sermons.

I’ve got prophets, snakes, whirlwinds - you name it - all written in a sincere spirit of fun. Why? Because faith is a funny thing; without humor it tends to crumble when needed most.

 
 
 

Take a few minutes to make my sermon your sermon.

Create a short song or poem out of random lines. Ignore my words and ad lib your own. Or read/rap a selection of my words straight off the page. Work alone or in a team. The only rule: keep your offering under five minutes.

 

Deliver your sermon.

Props and a backup musician encourage silliness.

No pressure to perform if you’d rather just listen. All belief/non-beliefs welcome.

 
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“Amy’s collaborative sermon readings invite participants to create an environment of playful, questioning spirituality…the result is laughter, insight, and delight.”

- Jeanne P., New Orleans

These are just a few of the 50+ sermons that debuted in 2022. Thanks to everyone who came to my house parties and experimented with making funny, challenging, real life sermons in real time. Stay tuned for 2024 gathering dates.

If you’d like me to bring Standup Sermons to your event, please get in touch!

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SHORT REFLECTIONS ON RECENT WORK

See My Latest Post
Diving Board

I knew everything was OK when my friend Laura put the blue water backdrop on the floor, laid down on it, and put a beach ball under her head.

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Why Sermons?

Nobody likes sermons!

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At a Distance Yet On the Nose

“I can’t believe you came up with this pre-Covid”

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How Bobcats Talk

“I just knocked it out, like you said—in a single take.”

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Lists Have Their Limits

There was the place: a Zen Temple five minutes from the French Quarter, with a clanging front door…

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The Right Numbers

How many followers? On Instagram (only recently joined, I note defensively), I have all of 16, and I'm following 18.

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What the Heck Is This?

"An interactive poetry experience" is what my cousin wrote on a sidewalk sign…

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Why Build a Wall?

With see-through pieces that can be stowed in a duffel bag,
the Means of Protection wall is made to bend not block.

Read More →
 

PAST PROJECT: AT A DISTANCE

For the journeys that take you further: the At a Distance Roadmap. Sixteen poems printed on sturdy 19” x 13” paper. Double sided and prefolded. Perfect for those long and winding roads. $15

16 POEMS ABOUT SPACE & TIME

How much distance do you need to feel close?

In two readings in December 2020, we navigated separations both vast and intimate with poetry as our guide.

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For the journeys that take you further:

At a Distance Roadmap

Sixteen poems printed on sturdy 19” x 13” paper. Double sided and prefolded. Perfect for those long and winding roads.

$15

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PAST PROJECT: MEANS OF PROTECTION

In 2019 I toured the country to share a 14 poem series called the Means of Protection. The poems examine the link between safety and risk, and the tour invited audience members to explore this connection in real time.

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RECORDINGS

2019 Tour:

  • New Orleans: March 21, Atelier Mimi

  • Charleston: June 13, Reveal Gallery

  • New Orleans: September 8, New Orleans Zen Center

  • NYC: November 7, Poets House

  • Boston: November 10, 325 Commonwealth Ave. #5

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MEANS OF PROTECTION

POEM CARDS

Numbered set of 14

3” square

$20

 
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Want to support my work with a monthly donation in the amount of your choice? Click here.

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