Can you talk a little bit about what draws you to the sonnet,
and what you're doing with the-- not the form, really,
but discussing it in your poetry?
Well, writing sonnets, as you may know, is addictive.
So be warned.
I wrote a book of sonnets called Daily Sonnet several years ago,
and it kind of happens by accident.
If you start writing sonnets, it just keeps happening.
I just-- I love the form because it's so little,
and a lot of my work is dense and prosey,
and it's just so hard to edit and finish and read,
and it's always a relief and fun writing sonnets,
and I love reading sonnets, and there's
so many great models out there.
So it's just a fun form.
I can't help it.
Oh great.
Hi.
Thank you, that was so beautiful.
I'm kind of at a loss of words.
But, I'm curious to know, not necessarily the name
of a contemporary artist.
This is all artists in general that you've been
particularly influenced by.
Do you mean writer or some other?
Well, it could be writer or a visual artist.
That's my interest, I guess.
Well, yeah, writer.
Writer.
I was going to say digital artists because these books.
This book has a painting by the artist Noah Saterstrom
who also used to live in Tucson and is a dear friend
and collaborator, so he's one artist that really inspires me.
And this book has art by an artist named
Brent Wahl who's in Philadelphia who is
a new friend and collaborator.
So I guess all of the arts have always been important to me.
There's so many writers.
I can't even begin to tell you.
They're all-- some of them are right here in the room.
I was reading your piece about Pina Bausch today,
and I wondered if you could just speak
a little bit about the body or the role
of the body in your work as a dancer, or dance in general
in your work.
I think it would be better if watch the Pina Bausch piece,
because she already did it.
Wait.
What was the question?
Say something about dance, say something about?
The body, control of the body.
The body.
I mean, I don't feel like writing
is separate from anything else.
And so we live in our bodies, and that's-- it's a physical
act of writing and having some kind of movement practice has
always been important to me.
And I love dance and especially Pina Bausch.
Trisha Brown, and Merce Cunningham
and also the model of collaboration
exemplified by some of the Merce Cunningham.
So odd question, but I was here that number of years
ago when that conceptual gathering happened.
And so you're talking about the body right now,
and it just made me think about this currrent sort
of controversies associated with the body pretending
that you're a Chinese writer in order to get published.
And sort of the race politics and the female politics
and the body, and that particular moment
where that body--
the body itself, the identity of the bodies
were being erased constantly.
And you raise your hand, thank God, and so just
riff a little bit about racial identity
in the body, and your perception of all this current life,
a little hullabaloo.
OK, so the question is do you want me to riff on--
Yeah just [INAUDIBLE] have a cocktail.
Really?
I mean I feel like these questions have always
been important for writers, and right now it's
particularly important.
I feel like it's particularly important right now to listen.
For me to listen more than to say something.
But to listen.
And to try to think about how we contribute
to a conversation or an active practice that
is really cognizant of listening to what other people have
to say.
And then just try to be hopeful about the future.
I wish that there would be a lot more
kindness in the conversation.
I'm always looking for that to be happening.
This will be our last one.
You are so very gentle and soothing.
Is there anything that ever gets you to express your anger?
Of course.
Do you have anything that you can read to us tonight
that expresses that anger?
You don't think this book [INAUDIBLE] I mean,
maybe it's more-- maybe I choose [INAUDIBLE] over anger
when I can.
We have a very kind request for one more question.
So this will be the last one.
Thank you so much.
This series is billed as Jewish writers of today,
and I was wondering if any Jewish texts,
or any Jewish teachings influenced
the way that you think.
And if you identify as the writer who
happens to be Jewish, or as a Jewish writer,
and if there's a distinction in that?
And how your Judaism informs your writing.
More and more, Judaism supports my writing.
And I would say both to identify a writer who's
Jewish and a Jewish writer.
I think they're both true.
In terms of text, psalms especially
have been important in--
and I was reading many translations
of psalms when I was writing Lost Parkour Ps(alms)
and I was also studying.
I'm a student of Jewish meditation in Berkeley
in a community called Chochmat Helev.
And there was a strong emphasis in the community
on meditation, and also music.
So singing.
It's really-- I'm not a performer,
but I don't like chanting, and I lead Jewish meditation
in my community where I live.
So there's no end to text, right?
It's like, you got to be done.
But lately I just keep coming back to the Psalm 27.
What's that?
The couple lines about--
it was that psalm I wrote about being in house,
and it's basically a supplication saying only one
thing I ask of you, that I may live in your house
all the days of my life.
Laynie, thank you so much.
And thank you all for coming out.