Steven "Jesse " Bernstein just might be the most the important Seattle poet and performance artist that you never heard of. He opened shows for Nirvana and Soundgarden and was pals with Willliam Burroughs. He even rode on Ken Kesey's Magic Bus! Bernstein also spent years in a mental institution during his adolescence and became a heroin addict soon after. In 1991 he pulled a Johnny Cash and went to the Monroe, Washington State Penitentiary Special Offenders unit to record a live performance for Sub Pop Records. Months later he committed suicide by stabbing himself in the neck repeatedly. During a period of sobriety...
