Yeah.
My stuff's pretty traditional.
But I hang out with a group of people--
a lot of them are in their 20s.
And I noticed that none of them are here today.
They're probably studying.
[LAUGHS] But they're really into--
they do a lot of hip hop and slam inspired type work.
And I was just wondering about your take on that movement.
Oh, the kids today.
[LAUGHTER]
I don't know.
If I were 20, I'd be doing it too probably.
I don't--
Well, it seems like there's this big divide--
there's a big divide in poetry now,
where you have people under 30--
Yeah.
It's fun.
It's got to be fun to do though.
Isn't it?
I mean, I don't know, maybe it's a little like how
soccer came to be popular in American schools,
because it's a game that everybody can play.
I mean, anybody.
You really need no ability.
I mean you can get out there in the field
and just stand there, and look at the flowers,
and watch the ball go past you, you're kind of playing soccer.
[LAUGHTER]
So I think performance poetry is very welcoming.
And anybody can just jump up on stage and have some fun.
That's great.
For me though, it's just that the test for me
is always the page.
That if it works on the page.
And then it's performed-- that's gravy.
The performances, the theatrical possibilities
or potential of the poem, is a kind of gravy.
If it's kind of fun to perform, but it really
doesn't add up on the page I think
that's just ultimately kind of a lesser activity,
but no less fun maybe.
It might be like lyrics to songs that are published in the liner
notes.
I mean, usually they're not very interesting to read,
the song might be great.
But if you sit there and it's like,
come on baby, light my fire.
Come on baby, light my fire.
[LAUGHTER]
I don't mind listening to the song in the car.
You know, it's a fine song.
[LAUGHTER]
But I sit down to read it, it's just not doing anything for me.
And vice versa.
I think there are poems that work on the page,
and often the poet doesn't do them justice in the reading.
And the reading is kind of a lesser experience
than the page is.
But yeah, I'm just too old to hip hop.
[LAUGHTER]