WEBVTT

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Yeah.

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My stuff's pretty traditional.

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But I hang out with
a group of people--

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a lot of them are in their 20s.

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And I noticed that none
of them are here today.

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They're probably studying.

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[LAUGHS] But they're
really into--

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they do a lot of hip hop
and slam inspired type work.

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And I was just wondering about
your take on that movement.

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Oh, the kids today.

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[LAUGHTER]

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I don't know.

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If I were 20, I'd be
doing it too probably.

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I don't--

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Well, it seems like
there's this big divide--

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there's a big divide
in poetry now,

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where you have people under 30--

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Yeah.

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It's fun.

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It's got to be fun to do though.

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Isn't it?

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I mean, I don't know, maybe
it's a little like how

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soccer came to be popular
in American schools,

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because it's a game
that everybody can play.

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I mean, anybody.

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You really need no ability.

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I mean you can get
out there in the field

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and just stand there,
and look at the flowers,

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and watch the ball go past you,
you're kind of playing soccer.

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[LAUGHTER]

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So I think performance
poetry is very welcoming.

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And anybody can just jump up
on stage and have some fun.

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That's great.

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For me though, it's just
that the test for me

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is always the page.

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That if it works on the page.

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And then it's
performed-- that's gravy.

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The performances, the
theatrical possibilities

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or potential of the
poem, is a kind of gravy.

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If it's kind of fun to
perform, but it really

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doesn't add up on
the page I think

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that's just ultimately
kind of a lesser activity,

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but no less fun maybe.

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It might be like lyrics to songs
that are published in the liner

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notes.

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I mean, usually they're not
very interesting to read,

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the song might be great.

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But if you sit
there and it's like,

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come on baby, light my fire.

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Come on baby, light my fire.

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Come on baby, light my fire.

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[LAUGHTER]

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I don't mind listening
to the song in the car.

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You know, it's a fine song.

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[LAUGHTER]

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But I sit down to read it, it's
just not doing anything for me.

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And vice versa.

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I think there are poems
that work on the page,

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and often the poet doesn't do
them justice in the reading.

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And the reading is kind
of a lesser experience

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than the page is.

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But yeah, I'm just
too old to hip hop.

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[LAUGHTER]