WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:00.500 align:middle line:90% Thanks. 00:00:00.500 --> 00:00:04.870 align:middle line:84% I'd like to thank everyone for showing up. 00:00:04.870 --> 00:00:07.080 align:middle line:84% I think as Alison was saying, I mean, 00:00:07.080 --> 00:00:09.670 align:middle line:84% if I was put in your situation, I don't know whether-- 00:00:09.670 --> 00:00:14.010 align:middle line:84% I'd probably go see Karen Finley too, you know. 00:00:14.010 --> 00:00:18.010 align:middle line:84% Really go to the Poetry Center, go to a poetry reading. 00:00:18.010 --> 00:00:20.250 align:middle line:84% Of course, I have to do this because it's my job. 00:00:20.250 --> 00:00:23.228 align:middle line:90% 00:00:23.228 --> 00:00:24.520 align:middle line:90% But one of the strange moments. 00:00:24.520 --> 00:00:27.480 align:middle line:84% But I'd like to thank you for making that choice. 00:00:27.480 --> 00:00:31.410 align:middle line:84% But also being here when Karen Finley is here, also 00:00:31.410 --> 00:00:34.590 align:middle line:84% with part of the controversy that's 00:00:34.590 --> 00:00:40.200 align:middle line:84% attached to her, and around her, reminds me just briefly 00:00:40.200 --> 00:00:42.270 align:middle line:90% of the analogy of-- 00:00:42.270 --> 00:00:44.580 align:middle line:84% the story that I heard once about Walt Whitman being 00:00:44.580 --> 00:00:47.100 align:middle line:84% invited to read at a college in New England. 00:00:47.100 --> 00:00:49.480 align:middle line:84% And I can't think of the name right now. 00:00:49.480 --> 00:00:53.960 align:middle line:84% But basically, he was invited by students, 00:00:53.960 --> 00:00:56.160 align:middle line:84% by the graduating students, to be the speaker 00:00:56.160 --> 00:00:58.860 align:middle line:90% for the graduation ceremonies. 00:00:58.860 --> 00:01:02.340 align:middle line:84% And the reason that they invited Walt was because they thought-- 00:01:02.340 --> 00:01:06.240 align:middle line:84% well, because Leaves of Grass was a real notorious book, 00:01:06.240 --> 00:01:08.490 align:middle line:84% and it was smutty, and they were hoping that he'd 00:01:08.490 --> 00:01:10.452 align:middle line:90% do something outrageous. 00:01:10.452 --> 00:01:13.500 align:middle line:90% 00:01:13.500 --> 00:01:15.960 align:middle line:84% And the way I remember reading this story was 00:01:15.960 --> 00:01:17.910 align:middle line:84% that- was that the seniors were on 00:01:17.910 --> 00:01:22.320 align:middle line:84% were horribly disappointed by Whitman. 00:01:22.320 --> 00:01:25.480 align:middle line:84% Because he was thrilled to be invited anywhere. 00:01:25.480 --> 00:01:27.510 align:middle line:84% So from his point of view, it was 00:01:27.510 --> 00:01:31.523 align:middle line:84% just like it was this wonderful, grand trip up to New England 00:01:31.523 --> 00:01:32.190 align:middle line:90% to do a reading. 00:01:32.190 --> 00:01:33.857 align:middle line:84% And people were really listening to him. 00:01:33.857 --> 00:01:35.820 align:middle line:84% And in fact, the way I remember this story, 00:01:35.820 --> 00:01:40.020 align:middle line:84% it was like, Whitman's voice, at least from the reports, 00:01:40.020 --> 00:01:41.820 align:middle line:90% was a very small voice. 00:01:41.820 --> 00:01:42.850 align:middle line:90% Couldn't really hear it. 00:01:42.850 --> 00:01:44.910 align:middle line:84% And in fact, the only way that the students 00:01:44.910 --> 00:01:47.310 align:middle line:84% knew that the reading was over was when the President 00:01:47.310 --> 00:01:50.430 align:middle line:90% stood up and shook Walt's hand. 00:01:50.430 --> 00:01:52.440 align:middle line:90% So from Walt's point of view-- 00:01:52.440 --> 00:01:55.540 align:middle line:84% from the students' point of view it was a real you know-- 00:01:55.540 --> 00:02:00.760 align:middle line:84% But I would have gone too, if Walt had been there. 00:02:00.760 --> 00:02:06.177 align:middle line:84% So thank God nobody else was reading that day. 00:02:06.177 --> 00:02:07.760 align:middle line:84% I'm going to start off with some poems 00:02:07.760 --> 00:02:10.639 align:middle line:84% from Victims of the Latest Dance Craze. 00:02:10.639 --> 00:02:13.780 align:middle line:90% 00:02:13.780 --> 00:02:17.440 align:middle line:84% Alison was talking about the idea of playing 00:02:17.440 --> 00:02:20.050 align:middle line:90% with the metaphor of dancing. 00:02:20.050 --> 00:02:24.980 align:middle line:84% And this first poem is one of my favorites in the book. 00:02:24.980 --> 00:02:31.770 align:middle line:84% It's about learning-- getting over that fear of dancing. 00:02:31.770 --> 00:02:34.020 align:middle line:84% Know, one thing you've got to learn before you dance 00:02:34.020 --> 00:02:38.360 align:middle line:84% is to get over your self-awareness of your body 00:02:38.360 --> 00:02:41.010 align:middle line:90% when you hit the dance floor. 00:02:41.010 --> 00:02:44.120 align:middle line:84% Luckily my wife to be got me past that. 00:02:44.120 --> 00:02:45.860 align:middle line:90% We went off to this-- 00:02:45.860 --> 00:02:49.310 align:middle line:84% I remember going off to this bar in Rochester, 00:02:49.310 --> 00:02:50.630 align:middle line:90% and it was a gay bar. 00:02:50.630 --> 00:02:53.270 align:middle line:84% It was a wonderful place to dance because women can dance 00:02:53.270 --> 00:02:56.630 align:middle line:90% without getting harassed there. 00:02:56.630 --> 00:02:57.140 align:middle line:90% No, really. 00:02:57.140 --> 00:03:01.520 align:middle line:84% That's one of the big reasons why we went out to this place 00:03:01.520 --> 00:03:02.480 align:middle line:90% called Jim's. 00:03:02.480 --> 00:03:06.830 align:middle line:84% And also, one of the great things about dancing at Jim's-- 00:03:06.830 --> 00:03:08.170 align:middle line:90% one of them was-- 00:03:08.170 --> 00:03:11.360 align:middle line:84% One of the great thing in dance ball dancing at Jim's was 00:03:11.360 --> 00:03:15.337 align:middle line:84% that you'd have this ability to go and dress up. 00:03:15.337 --> 00:03:17.420 align:middle line:84% I don't know if you guys-- these guys are probably 00:03:17.420 --> 00:03:20.750 align:middle line:84% too young to remember the glam days of rock and roll. 00:03:20.750 --> 00:03:23.870 align:middle line:84% So when people would cross dress and dress up and wear 00:03:23.870 --> 00:03:27.920 align:middle line:84% all sorts-- eight inch high heels, and spikes, 00:03:27.920 --> 00:03:29.970 align:middle line:90% and all this kind of stuff. 00:03:29.970 --> 00:03:31.820 align:middle line:84% And so dressing up was really a great way 00:03:31.820 --> 00:03:33.237 align:middle line:84% of getting out on the dance floor. 00:03:33.237 --> 00:03:35.285 align:middle line:84% And by disguising yourself and going out there 00:03:35.285 --> 00:03:36.660 align:middle line:84% and not having to worry about it. 00:03:36.660 --> 00:03:38.160 align:middle line:84% But even with the disguise, you have 00:03:38.160 --> 00:03:40.970 align:middle line:84% to still have to get past the point of just 00:03:40.970 --> 00:03:44.990 align:middle line:84% being able to allow yourself to be a bit of a fool. 00:03:44.990 --> 00:03:53.540 align:middle line:84% So that catalyst is the catalyst for this poem, 00:03:53.540 --> 00:03:57.310 align:middle line:84% "Miss Johnson Dances for the First Time." 00:03:57.310 --> 00:04:01.460 align:middle line:84% "When Ophelia met the water it was a gentle tumble 00:04:01.460 --> 00:04:05.000 align:middle line:84% of a dance, a mixed marriage of a dance. 00:04:05.000 --> 00:04:07.380 align:middle line:90% The swans were confused. 00:04:07.380 --> 00:04:10.010 align:middle line:84% She was a contradiction in terms. 00:04:10.010 --> 00:04:14.510 align:middle line:84% She was, simply put, a beautiful death. 00:04:14.510 --> 00:04:16.760 align:middle line:90% Not so with Miss Johnson. 00:04:16.760 --> 00:04:20.450 align:middle line:84% A wheat field of a girl, who held her breath as she 00:04:20.450 --> 00:04:25.010 align:middle line:84% cast herself on the dance floor in a metallic blue dress 00:04:25.010 --> 00:04:28.390 align:middle line:84% at the Grange Hall on Saturday night, 00:04:28.390 --> 00:04:32.140 align:middle line:84% holding on to a skinny mechanic who knew two steps that 00:04:32.140 --> 00:04:35.130 align:middle line:90% could be shown in public. 00:04:35.130 --> 00:04:38.280 align:middle line:84% It was like being pushed off the raft by her father-- 00:04:38.280 --> 00:04:42.120 align:middle line:84% the awful moment when the body believes in nothing. 00:04:42.120 --> 00:04:45.900 align:middle line:84% How ridiculous her body looked, how her brothers 00:04:45.900 --> 00:04:47.565 align:middle line:90% loved to remind her-- 00:04:47.565 --> 00:04:49.500 align:middle line:90% a wharf rat. 00:04:49.500 --> 00:04:51.960 align:middle line:90% A drowned cow. 00:04:51.960 --> 00:04:54.810 align:middle line:84% When Amelia Earhart met the water, assuming, 00:04:54.810 --> 00:04:58.410 align:middle line:84% of course, that she met the water, did the sea mistake 00:04:58.410 --> 00:05:01.720 align:middle line:90% her for a bird or flying fish? 00:05:01.720 --> 00:05:03.760 align:middle line:84% In the awkward moment she belonged 00:05:03.760 --> 00:05:08.590 align:middle line:84% neither to sea nor air, did she move like Miss Johnson moves 00:05:08.590 --> 00:05:14.170 align:middle line:84% now, bobbing like a buoy at high tide, gulping mouthfuls of air 00:05:14.170 --> 00:05:17.260 align:middle line:84% as her legs learn the beat and push, 00:05:17.260 --> 00:05:20.350 align:middle line:84% and her blue dress catches the mechanic's pant leg 00:05:20.350 --> 00:05:22.350 align:middle line:90% like an undertow?"