WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:00.843 align:middle line:90% 00:00:00.843 --> 00:00:02.510 align:middle line:84% If we can just hold you all for a little 00:00:02.510 --> 00:00:04.505 align:middle line:84% bit longer for some questions, maybe, 00:00:04.505 --> 00:00:06.620 align:middle line:84% if the poets want to join me up here. 00:00:06.620 --> 00:00:24.860 align:middle line:90% 00:00:24.860 --> 00:00:28.310 align:middle line:84% Should we like to do a little dance? 00:00:28.310 --> 00:00:29.933 align:middle line:90% We should have synchronized. 00:00:29.933 --> 00:00:33.800 align:middle line:90% 00:00:33.800 --> 00:00:35.780 align:middle line:84% Thank you all so much for reading. 00:00:35.780 --> 00:00:39.380 align:middle line:84% So tell us, what was it like working with BA Van Sise 00:00:39.380 --> 00:00:42.920 align:middle line:84% to create those portraits that are out there that we've seen. 00:00:42.920 --> 00:00:45.510 align:middle line:84% So for each of you just how did that process work, 00:00:45.510 --> 00:00:46.760 align:middle line:90% and what was it like? 00:00:46.760 --> 00:00:53.320 align:middle line:90% 00:00:53.320 --> 00:00:56.180 align:middle line:90% I just got a Facebook message. 00:00:56.180 --> 00:00:59.330 align:middle line:84% It's like, hey, I'm doing this thing. 00:00:59.330 --> 00:01:01.940 align:middle line:84% And then I was like, OK, when are you? 00:01:01.940 --> 00:01:04.638 align:middle line:90% When are you in New York City? 00:01:04.638 --> 00:01:06.930 align:middle line:84% I'm like, because I lived in New York City at the time. 00:01:06.930 --> 00:01:08.870 align:middle line:84% And he's like, I'm coming next week. 00:01:08.870 --> 00:01:11.040 align:middle line:84% Are you-- do you want to do this? 00:01:11.040 --> 00:01:12.270 align:middle line:90% And I'm like OK, whatever. 00:01:12.270 --> 00:01:13.970 align:middle line:84% And then he didn't tell me anything. 00:01:13.970 --> 00:01:16.490 align:middle line:84% It's like, he's like you don't have to. 00:01:16.490 --> 00:01:17.850 align:middle line:90% I'm like, what should I bring? 00:01:17.850 --> 00:01:18.560 align:middle line:90% What should I do? 00:01:18.560 --> 00:01:20.270 align:middle line:84% Like nothing, just bring yourself. 00:01:20.270 --> 00:01:22.960 align:middle line:84% And then he takes me to Coney Island and on the way 00:01:22.960 --> 00:01:24.710 align:middle line:84% there he's just telling me all the stories 00:01:24.710 --> 00:01:31.380 align:middle line:84% about previous portraits and how weird some of them 00:01:31.380 --> 00:01:34.260 align:middle line:84% or some of the poets had been or someone like his ideas, 00:01:34.260 --> 00:01:35.850 align:middle line:90% and how the poets had reacted. 00:01:35.850 --> 00:01:36.870 align:middle line:90% So I know a lot. 00:01:36.870 --> 00:01:39.845 align:middle line:84% Because mine was one of the last ones. 00:01:39.845 --> 00:01:41.970 align:middle line:84% I think mine was like the third to the last or some 00:01:41.970 --> 00:01:42.870 align:middle line:90% shit like that. 00:01:42.870 --> 00:01:47.400 align:middle line:84% And then we go to Coney Island and he takes me to-- 00:01:47.400 --> 00:01:49.480 align:middle line:84% he tells me to take my shoes off. 00:01:49.480 --> 00:01:52.860 align:middle line:84% And then we just walk, and then he busts out this mirror, 00:01:52.860 --> 00:01:54.000 align:middle line:90% and that's it. 00:01:54.000 --> 00:01:56.340 align:middle line:90% And it lasted like 10 minutes. 00:01:56.340 --> 00:01:57.160 align:middle line:90% Very fast. 00:01:57.160 --> 00:01:57.660 align:middle line:90% So. 00:01:57.660 --> 00:02:01.390 align:middle line:90% 00:02:01.390 --> 00:02:05.505 align:middle line:90% Mine was more involved. 00:02:05.505 --> 00:02:06.505 align:middle line:90% I'm like, that's simple. 00:02:06.505 --> 00:02:10.960 align:middle line:90% 00:02:10.960 --> 00:02:13.270 align:middle line:90% So yeah, so you know he-- 00:02:13.270 --> 00:02:14.750 align:middle line:90% again, he contacted me. 00:02:14.750 --> 00:02:16.210 align:middle line:90% And he actually did that-- 00:02:16.210 --> 00:02:17.570 align:middle line:90% he had like no idea. 00:02:17.570 --> 00:02:19.180 align:middle line:90% He had no idea who I was. 00:02:19.180 --> 00:02:21.790 align:middle line:84% But I think several poets, and I think he also 00:02:21.790 --> 00:02:24.340 align:middle line:90% indicated in one of his-- 00:02:24.340 --> 00:02:25.570 align:middle line:90% I think his foreword? 00:02:25.570 --> 00:02:28.150 align:middle line:84% One of the paragraphs that he wrote but the book 00:02:28.150 --> 00:02:31.810 align:middle line:84% how he didn't want to be the sole person 00:02:31.810 --> 00:02:34.300 align:middle line:84% to be choosing poets, so what he did was he 00:02:34.300 --> 00:02:38.560 align:middle line:84% asked poets that he already photographed to name poets. 00:02:38.560 --> 00:02:42.010 align:middle line:84% And I guess several of the poets named me as you know. 00:02:42.010 --> 00:02:46.540 align:middle line:84% So he's like, hey, just send me a PDF of your book. 00:02:46.540 --> 00:02:49.940 align:middle line:84% So basically it's a kind of random email 00:02:49.940 --> 00:02:51.460 align:middle line:84% about this guy who's doing-- and I 00:02:51.460 --> 00:02:53.620 align:middle line:84% knew that he was photographing poets. 00:02:53.620 --> 00:02:58.480 align:middle line:84% But he has read nothing of my work, which is kind of funny. 00:02:58.480 --> 00:03:01.840 align:middle line:84% But then literally like a day later, 00:03:01.840 --> 00:03:04.860 align:middle line:84% he emailed me and he was very enthusiastic 00:03:04.860 --> 00:03:07.270 align:middle line:84% and he loved the poems, blah blah blah. 00:03:07.270 --> 00:03:09.670 align:middle line:84% And it all-- but from then on, we 00:03:09.670 --> 00:03:15.760 align:middle line:84% were like back and forth about the concept of the book, 00:03:15.760 --> 00:03:17.490 align:middle line:90% of the poem. 00:03:17.490 --> 00:03:19.028 align:middle line:90% Yeah. 00:03:19.028 --> 00:03:21.033 align:middle line:90% Well, it's more than one. 00:03:21.033 --> 00:03:22.450 align:middle line:84% So we were back and forth, because 00:03:22.450 --> 00:03:27.280 align:middle line:84% like my whole image of the poem, "Imago" was tropical, right? 00:03:27.280 --> 00:03:30.340 align:middle line:84% So I-- in my mind, like it's going to be just 00:03:30.340 --> 00:03:33.100 align:middle line:90% like tropical paradise. 00:03:33.100 --> 00:03:34.390 align:middle line:90% I'm wearing just like Grace-- 00:03:34.390 --> 00:03:37.030 align:middle line:84% you know like, I don't know if you guys know Grace Jones 00:03:37.030 --> 00:03:38.590 align:middle line:90% video for-- 00:03:38.590 --> 00:03:40.300 align:middle line:84% I think it's like Slave to the Rhythm. 00:03:40.300 --> 00:03:45.190 align:middle line:84% And she was like, she's just wearing. 00:03:45.190 --> 00:03:47.920 align:middle line:84% She's like propped up really high up, 00:03:47.920 --> 00:03:53.320 align:middle line:84% and she's wearing this huge like Keith Haring skirt. 00:03:53.320 --> 00:03:56.620 align:middle line:84% So I think of myself like, I'm going to be like a volcano, 00:03:56.620 --> 00:03:57.643 align:middle line:90% right? 00:03:57.643 --> 00:03:59.560 align:middle line:84% I'm going to be on top, and I have like this-- 00:03:59.560 --> 00:04:02.560 align:middle line:84% but it's very tropical, like all flowery and stuff like that. 00:04:02.560 --> 00:04:05.810 align:middle line:84% And he said no, we're not going to do that. 00:04:05.810 --> 00:04:11.320 align:middle line:84% Like I envision you in like white room, 00:04:11.320 --> 00:04:15.070 align:middle line:84% and so he found this white room in New York City. 00:04:15.070 --> 00:04:16.899 align:middle line:84% And he brought some of the props, 00:04:16.899 --> 00:04:20.670 align:middle line:84% and we were already in agreement by then 00:04:20.670 --> 00:04:24.810 align:middle line:84% so like I try it out like two different skirts. 00:04:24.810 --> 00:04:26.520 align:middle line:84% One that I really love is actually 00:04:26.520 --> 00:04:30.030 align:middle line:84% like one of those what they call, those hoop skirts. 00:04:30.030 --> 00:04:33.300 align:middle line:84% And I was just like walking around like this. 00:04:33.300 --> 00:04:34.200 align:middle line:90% I loved it. 00:04:34.200 --> 00:04:38.260 align:middle line:84% But he wouldn't show me how the photo went with that one. 00:04:38.260 --> 00:04:40.770 align:middle line:84% So basically our main not argument, 00:04:40.770 --> 00:04:43.380 align:middle line:84% but our main discussion during that morning 00:04:43.380 --> 00:04:49.320 align:middle line:84% was whether like I actually wanted to take my shirt off. 00:04:49.320 --> 00:04:53.100 align:middle line:84% And I thought oh, it'd be sexier if I'm like shirtless. 00:04:53.100 --> 00:04:53.730 align:middle line:90% You know? 00:04:53.730 --> 00:04:57.600 align:middle line:84% And I'm getting to that point where my body's not 00:04:57.600 --> 00:04:58.630 align:middle line:90% like it used to be. 00:04:58.630 --> 00:05:04.140 align:middle line:84% So maybe this is the time that I can preserve this, right? 00:05:04.140 --> 00:05:06.810 align:middle line:90% And like, no, no, like-- 00:05:06.810 --> 00:05:08.650 align:middle line:90% well, what if I were a tank top? 00:05:08.650 --> 00:05:10.270 align:middle line:90% You know I brought a tank top. 00:05:10.270 --> 00:05:13.855 align:middle line:84% And he said, no, no, I think the button down shirt is-- 00:05:13.855 --> 00:05:14.730 align:middle line:90% that's the way to go. 00:05:14.730 --> 00:05:15.830 align:middle line:90% We'll go with that one. 00:05:15.830 --> 00:05:16.330 align:middle line:90% So. 00:05:16.330 --> 00:05:21.750 align:middle line:90% 00:05:21.750 --> 00:05:23.040 align:middle line:90% Oh. 00:05:23.040 --> 00:05:24.450 align:middle line:90% Well, I don't know. 00:05:24.450 --> 00:05:27.810 align:middle line:90% None of that happened in mine. 00:05:27.810 --> 00:05:29.733 align:middle line:84% He pretty much just wrote me and said 00:05:29.733 --> 00:05:32.400 align:middle line:84% I'm doing a book of portraits of poets, would you like to do it. 00:05:32.400 --> 00:05:33.480 align:middle line:90% I said OK. 00:05:33.480 --> 00:05:35.580 align:middle line:84% We went next door to where I was staying 00:05:35.580 --> 00:05:39.120 align:middle line:84% in Williamsburg to a park, and he brought this coat rack 00:05:39.120 --> 00:05:39.990 align:middle line:90% and put it on. 00:05:39.990 --> 00:05:44.820 align:middle line:84% And basically he didn't tell me like what to wear or anything. 00:05:44.820 --> 00:05:47.700 align:middle line:90% Just like said show up. 00:05:47.700 --> 00:05:49.800 align:middle line:84% And then he said, here's what we're doing. 00:05:49.800 --> 00:05:51.370 align:middle line:90% I'm like, OK. 00:05:51.370 --> 00:05:51.870 align:middle line:90% What? 00:05:51.870 --> 00:05:52.590 align:middle line:90% Fine. 00:05:52.590 --> 00:05:55.140 align:middle line:84% You're the photographer, I'm just here. 00:05:55.140 --> 00:05:58.800 align:middle line:84% And the only thing I remember really happening was that 00:05:58.800 --> 00:06:02.250 align:middle line:84% my headless boyfriend's hand kept falling off, 00:06:02.250 --> 00:06:07.450 align:middle line:84% because there are these-- it's this coat rack and a long coat, 00:06:07.450 --> 00:06:09.720 align:middle line:84% and then he had these wooden hands that kept-- 00:06:09.720 --> 00:06:12.480 align:middle line:84% that he was trying to attach somehow inside, 00:06:12.480 --> 00:06:14.490 align:middle line:90% and they kept falling off. 00:06:14.490 --> 00:06:17.320 align:middle line:84% Every time I would hold the hand it would fall off. 00:06:17.320 --> 00:06:18.823 align:middle line:84% So that was a little disconcerting 00:06:18.823 --> 00:06:19.990 align:middle line:90% along with the headlessness. 00:06:19.990 --> 00:06:23.700 align:middle line:84% But I've dated some weird people, so that wasn't like-- 00:06:23.700 --> 00:06:24.690 align:middle line:90% no. 00:06:24.690 --> 00:06:26.670 align:middle line:84% It wasn't a deal breaker necessarily. 00:06:26.670 --> 00:06:31.620 align:middle line:84% But anyway the picture was awesome, so Yeah. 00:06:31.620 --> 00:06:35.412 align:middle line:90% 00:06:35.412 --> 00:06:39.210 align:middle line:90% [APPLAUSE] 00:06:39.210 --> 00:06:40.590 align:middle line:90% Any other questions? 00:06:40.590 --> 00:06:55.000 align:middle line:90% 00:06:55.000 --> 00:06:57.010 align:middle line:84% We were wanting to ask this question earlier 00:06:57.010 --> 00:06:59.080 align:middle line:84% when we talk to you guys in class but, 00:06:59.080 --> 00:07:01.840 align:middle line:84% what is the inspiration behind the cover 00:07:01.840 --> 00:07:07.185 align:middle line:84% art on each of your guy's like poet collections? 00:07:07.185 --> 00:07:09.860 align:middle line:90% 00:07:09.860 --> 00:07:11.430 align:middle line:90% For the last book, you mean? 00:07:11.430 --> 00:07:11.930 align:middle line:90% Yeah. 00:07:11.930 --> 00:07:15.380 align:middle line:90% So for your most recent book. 00:07:15.380 --> 00:07:18.280 align:middle line:84% I mean, I think sometimes for poets 00:07:18.280 --> 00:07:24.000 align:middle line:84% I think we sometimes don't have really any kind of say? 00:07:24.000 --> 00:07:26.940 align:middle line:84% I mean, I did, but I didn't really know-- 00:07:26.940 --> 00:07:29.100 align:middle line:84% the only thing that I told my publisher 00:07:29.100 --> 00:07:32.820 align:middle line:84% was that I didn't want it to be obvious. 00:07:32.820 --> 00:07:37.350 align:middle line:84% Meaning I don't want a door, you know. 00:07:37.350 --> 00:07:40.050 align:middle line:84% And of course like some of the treatments that they gave 00:07:40.050 --> 00:07:43.230 align:middle line:90% me was of a door. 00:07:43.230 --> 00:07:45.840 align:middle line:90% So I had to search myself. 00:07:45.840 --> 00:07:48.840 align:middle line:84% For me, it's very important to work 00:07:48.840 --> 00:07:51.450 align:middle line:84% with a Filipino or a Filipino American artist, 00:07:51.450 --> 00:07:58.920 align:middle line:84% so both my covers are actually by a Filipino American artist. 00:07:58.920 --> 00:08:02.670 align:middle line:84% My first book Imago actually I knew 00:08:02.670 --> 00:08:06.600 align:middle line:84% that that image was going to be the cover of my book 00:08:06.600 --> 00:08:09.630 align:middle line:84% even before my book was even done. 00:08:09.630 --> 00:08:13.170 align:middle line:84% Because I'm such a big fan of Manuel Ocampo. 00:08:13.170 --> 00:08:15.030 align:middle line:90% And I loved that print. 00:08:15.030 --> 00:08:19.840 align:middle line:90% And so I knew of that work. 00:08:19.840 --> 00:08:24.190 align:middle line:84% And so lo and behold, like what five or so years later, 00:08:24.190 --> 00:08:25.510 align:middle line:90% I was able to actually use it. 00:08:25.510 --> 00:08:26.010 align:middle line:90% So. 00:08:26.010 --> 00:08:28.650 align:middle line:90% 00:08:28.650 --> 00:08:31.050 align:middle line:84% I'll just say that the first cover that they gave me 00:08:31.050 --> 00:08:33.855 align:middle line:84% for Mortal Trash, it's true the sort of usually 00:08:33.855 --> 00:08:35.230 align:middle line:84% the bigger the publisher the less 00:08:35.230 --> 00:08:37.260 align:middle line:90% say you have about anything. 00:08:37.260 --> 00:08:39.210 align:middle line:84% But they sent me this photo that was 00:08:39.210 --> 00:08:41.580 align:middle line:84% this pristine, there's one drooping tulip, 00:08:41.580 --> 00:08:45.180 align:middle line:84% and this one little petal falling, and I looked 00:08:45.180 --> 00:08:46.770 align:middle line:90% and I was like, no. 00:08:46.770 --> 00:08:47.850 align:middle line:90% No way. 00:08:47.850 --> 00:08:51.510 align:middle line:84% That's just not-- did you read the book? 00:08:51.510 --> 00:08:52.830 align:middle line:90% Or do you know who I am? 00:08:52.830 --> 00:08:56.520 align:middle line:84% I mean, it was just like really kind of insanely 00:08:56.520 --> 00:08:58.140 align:middle line:90% pretty and pristine. 00:08:58.140 --> 00:09:02.580 align:middle line:84% And so I said, so of course I vented to my agent 00:09:02.580 --> 00:09:03.600 align:middle line:90% which is what you do. 00:09:03.600 --> 00:09:06.060 align:middle line:84% You're very nice to your editor and your publisher 00:09:06.060 --> 00:09:08.490 align:middle line:84% and you like bitch to your friends and anybody 00:09:08.490 --> 00:09:09.198 align:middle line:90% else who listens. 00:09:09.198 --> 00:09:10.907 align:middle line:84% I was like, what the fuck are they doing? 00:09:10.907 --> 00:09:11.940 align:middle line:90% I can't stand this one. 00:09:11.940 --> 00:09:13.815 align:middle line:84% They're not going to make me take this cover. 00:09:13.815 --> 00:09:16.950 align:middle line:84% Then I wrote back, like perhaps I 00:09:16.950 --> 00:09:21.060 align:middle line:84% could see some other iterations of the cover? 00:09:21.060 --> 00:09:23.640 align:middle line:84% And then they came up with the one they came up with, which 00:09:23.640 --> 00:09:24.870 align:middle line:90% I thought was just brilliant. 00:09:24.870 --> 00:09:27.300 align:middle line:90% So it worked out really well. 00:09:27.300 --> 00:09:29.280 align:middle line:90% Yeah. 00:09:29.280 --> 00:09:30.090 align:middle line:90% Yeah. 00:09:30.090 --> 00:09:31.920 align:middle line:90% I'm not very visually-- 00:09:31.920 --> 00:09:35.350 align:middle line:90% 00:09:35.350 --> 00:09:37.670 align:middle line:84% so was like whatever, you handle it. 00:09:37.670 --> 00:09:41.780 align:middle line:90% And they gave me-- 00:09:41.780 --> 00:09:44.120 align:middle line:84% like usually they asked me, what would you want? 00:09:44.120 --> 00:09:45.230 align:middle line:90% I'm like, I don't know. 00:09:45.230 --> 00:09:47.900 align:middle line:84% Which is just tell me, and then they 00:09:47.900 --> 00:09:50.012 align:middle line:84% gave me like-- they narrowed it down to three, 00:09:50.012 --> 00:09:51.470 align:middle line:84% and then the other two were shitty, 00:09:51.470 --> 00:09:52.550 align:middle line:90% so this is like the best. 00:09:52.550 --> 00:10:05.430 align:middle line:90% 00:10:05.430 --> 00:10:09.540 align:middle line:84% OK, well I want to thank my CCP colleagues UA Poetry Center, 00:10:09.540 --> 00:10:12.760 align:middle line:84% their Dean, and our poets for being here. 00:10:12.760 --> 00:10:15.101 align:middle line:84% We feel very lucky at the center to-- 00:10:15.101 --> 00:10:18.047 align:middle line:90% [APPLAUSE] 00:10:18.047 --> 00:10:22.385 align:middle line:90% 00:10:22.385 --> 00:10:23.760 align:middle line:84% We feel very lucky at this center 00:10:23.760 --> 00:10:25.437 align:middle line:84% to spend our days with your art and we 00:10:25.437 --> 00:10:27.270 align:middle line:84% appreciate getting to listen to you tonight. 00:10:27.270 --> 00:10:29.940 align:middle line:84% So be sure to check out their books, 00:10:29.940 --> 00:10:32.520 align:middle line:84% and the new Children of Grass in the lobby on your way out. 00:10:32.520 --> 00:10:34.340 align:middle line:90% Thank you.