Benjamin Kimble Rogers, born June 5, 1949 in Ruston, Louisiana, has lived most of his life in Lincoln Parish. He attended college in Dallas, Texas then returned to live in Baton Rouge and in Dubach. He has been a regular columnist for THE BANNER and THE MORNING PAPER. He is founder and president of The Upper Parishes.

WHAT THE AUTHOR/COMPOSER BEN ROGERS IS ALL ABOUT.

Starting out in serious music and ending up in literature and various kinds of musical forms has been a rocky, enjoyable, tumultuous ride.  And it doesn’t seem to be stopping.  Both areas (and artistic arenas) are inexhaustible.  I remember driving the 30 minute ride to work in Dallas, and reading as I went along — in a paperback anthology of great poems of the English language.  And I memorized quite a few of them, as I drove.  (Compare that to driving now-a-days while using a cell phone.)  The trick I think to learning to write fluently is just to write a lot, in every spare minute, at coffee shops, at hamburger joints, till you go to sleep — only to wake up in the night and jot down something more that needs to be added.

Of course, I’ve memorized a substantial amount of material, find it rather easy and fun. In fact, I had a 50-minute program, all memorized, entitled CONCLUSIONS, ELUSIONS, AND CHEAP SLOE GIN, POETRY IN RECITATION, MUSIC UPON CLASSICAL GUITAR, which I have performed several times.

Creative work lies wherever the heart lies.  If one has the “bug” it’s hard to ever get away from it.

I hope you enjoy my work, can give me feedback, and if it’s likeable, pass the words along.  Thanks so much for your time.

Yours among the syllables,