Reginald Gibbons is the author of several books of poetry,
including It's Time, Sparrow: New and Selected Poems,
and In the Warhorse, a chapbook of political poems,
some of which were removed by editors
from earlier collections.
Reggie Gibson is the author of Storms Beneath the Skin,
which received the Golden Pen Award, and also
the author of Spoken Word Poems, performed
by Larenz Tate in the feature length film Love Jones.
Gibbons has translated numerous poets, including
Luis Cernuda and Sophocles.
Gibson has toured with the Chicago Mask Ensemble,
performing dramatic adaptations of common world myths.
Gibbons was the editor from 1981 to '97 of TriQuarterly
Magazine, an international journal of new writing,
art, and cultural inquiry.
Gibson is the founder of the Church
of the Funky Word, an ensemble of literary and musical
artists.
Gibbons is a recipient of fellowships from the Guggenheim
Foundation, the National Endowment for the Arts,
and the Poetry Society of America.
Gibson received the National Poetry Slam Individual
Championship of 1998.
Gibbons is a pianist who once had a cat that would slide down
the open top of a baby grand.
[LAUGHTER]
Gibson is a singer songwriter who volunteers at the opera,
opening doors both literally and figuratively.
Gibbons recently received the OB Hardison Award
from the Folger Library for excellence
in both teaching and writing poetry.
Gibson presented his work this week
to kids in juvenile detention-- and two girls in response
broke out in song.
[LAUGHTER]
Gibbons recently-- oh, I read that one already.
Pardon me.
Gibbons and Gibson both have developed strong ideas
and have spoken eloquently about creation myth, most recently
here in Tucson.
Gibbons was created in Texas and now lives near Chicago.
Gibson was created in Mississippi,
defined in Chicago, and now lives near Boston.
Unlike Gertrude Stein's "Rose," a Reg, is not a Reg,
is not a Reg.
Two Regs don't make a right, nor do three make a left.
They're not necessarily here to Reg against the machine
or the dying of the light.
But they will invigorate your love of music, of language,
of serious play, and ineffable understanding.
Please welcome Reginald Gibbons and Regie Gibson.
[APPLAUSE]