Deacon Lunchbox
Deacon Lunchbox was the stage name of Atlanta performance artist and poet Timothy Tyson Ruttenber (1950 – April 19, 1992[1]). Ruttenber, a construction worker by day, was popular in the Atlanta area for his flamboyant spoken-word performances. He often punctuated each line of his poems by banging an old torpedo casing or metal bucket with a hammer. His onstage props included a chainsaw, and often a bra was part of his costume.[2]
In April 1991, Ruttenber performed live with Bill Taft at the opening night of the "Cartoon Show" at 800 EAST, an arts collective and performance space in Atlanta.[3][4]
Ruttenber is credited with giving the Atlanta alternative country music scene of the time the name "The Redneck Underground."[5]
Ruttenber died in an auto accident in 1992, along with Rob Clayton and Robert Hayes of the Atlanta group The Jody Grind. The three were riding in a rented cargo van near Greenville, Alabama, at the time of the accident, when a drunk driver crossed the I-65 median and struck them head-on.[5][6]
He appeared in Words in Your Face, an episode of the show Alive from Off Center about spoken-word performers,[7]reciting his poem "Lewis Grizzard, I'm Callin' You Out."[8]
Film appearances
[edit]- Alive from Off Center - Words in Your Face (1991) PBS TV Episode
- Benjamin Smoke (2000)
- Coffeehouse: Atlanta's Underground Poets (1992) Documentary of Atlanta's Spoken Word scene, containing the last interview with Deacon Lunchbox.
- Crash Course in Brain Sodomy (1990) by Kreg Thornley and Brett Lewis. Cameo appearance
Publications
[edit]- Some Different Kinds of Songs (1989) A collection of monologues. Publisher: Drewry Lane Book Makers
- The Complete Lunchbox: The Life and Works of Deacon Lunchbox, a Cornucopia of Southern Culture by Robert S. Roarty (Editor), Tim Ruttenber
Recordings
[edit]- Rantin' 'n' Railin' (1990)
- An Evening with the Garbageman and Deacon Lunchbox January 24, 1989 (WREK: The Underground Recordings)
- The Mother of All Flagpole Christmas Albums (1992)
Poems
[edit]- All I Want is Her Love and a Brand New Harley
- Death of an Amway Salesman
- I'm Bustin' Down the Road Doin' Sixty
- I'm Just an Old Redneck Hippy
- Lewis Grizzard I'm Calling You Out
- Life in Midtown Atlanta
- My Vacations Plans are Ruined
- Nadine and Tony
- Omni Beer
- Quagmire of Skankmud
- Yuppie Bastard
References
[edit]- ↑ "Deacon Lunchbox, 41, A Performance Artist". Retrieved 2010-03-19.
- ↑ Reed, Bobby (Winter 1998). "Storytime: An Interview with Kelly Hogan". Gimme That Twang!. Retrieved 2006-12-21.
{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link) - ↑ Deacon Lunchbox Live at 800 East, April, 1991 pt. 1. (video) Youtube.
- ↑ Deacon Lunchbox Live at 800 East, April, 1991 pt. 2. (video) Youtube.
- 1 2 Chance, Slim (November 23, 2005). "'Deacon'-struction of Duality". Creative Loafing. Retrieved 2026-03-26.
- ↑ "When the Fire Broke Out". Oxford American. Retrieved 2026-03-26.
- ↑ "Words in Your Face". www.imdb.com. Retrieved 2026-03-26.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ↑ "Alive from Off Center - Words in Your Face - TheTVDB.com". thetvdb.com. Retrieved 2026-03-26.
External links
[edit]- A Celebration of Deacon Lunchbox Archived 2006-12-31 at the Wayback Machine - audio files and poetry
- Different audio files and a write-up