WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:03.630 align:middle line:90% 00:00:03.630 --> 00:00:07.590 align:middle line:84% Series of visiting poets but we have four more 00:00:07.590 --> 00:00:09.660 align:middle line:90% readings for the semester. 00:00:09.660 --> 00:00:11.550 align:middle line:84% One week from tonight we will honor 00:00:11.550 --> 00:00:16.770 align:middle line:84% the students who are winning prizes in the annual contest. 00:00:16.770 --> 00:00:20.940 align:middle line:84% That's the 13th and that reading will be in the terrace 00:00:20.940 --> 00:00:23.610 align:middle line:90% lounge of the Student Union. 00:00:23.610 --> 00:00:28.860 align:middle line:84% And three weeks from tonight, we have four graduate students 00:00:28.860 --> 00:00:30.120 align:middle line:90% reading. 00:00:30.120 --> 00:00:34.000 align:middle line:84% Students who are candidates for Master of Fine Arts in poetry. 00:00:34.000 --> 00:00:38.430 align:middle line:84% The readers will be Luellen Fletcher, Michael Hogan, 00:00:38.430 --> 00:00:43.410 align:middle line:90% Rick Campa and John Pollock. 00:00:43.410 --> 00:00:46.050 align:middle line:84% Then there's one more student reading April 10th which 00:00:46.050 --> 00:00:48.870 align:middle line:84% will honor the students whose work has been accepted 00:00:48.870 --> 00:00:51.960 align:middle line:84% for publication in Persona, the undergraduate literary 00:00:51.960 --> 00:00:53.820 align:middle line:90% magazine. 00:00:53.820 --> 00:00:57.690 align:middle line:84% And we'll close the series with our special centennial reading 00:00:57.690 --> 00:00:59.070 align:middle line:90% on Sunday, April 14. 00:00:59.070 --> 00:01:05.890 align:middle line:90% 00:01:05.890 --> 00:01:10.660 align:middle line:84% The editors of Mazagine, the literary publication 00:01:10.660 --> 00:01:13.810 align:middle line:84% from Pima College, have brought out this time 00:01:13.810 --> 00:01:17.140 align:middle line:84% a chapbook, A Mazagine chapbook which 00:01:17.140 --> 00:01:22.420 align:middle line:84% is a big beautiful postcards by 2 former students, Michael 00:01:22.420 --> 00:01:24.610 align:middle line:90% Knoll and Bill Aberg. 00:01:24.610 --> 00:01:27.880 align:middle line:84% And they have very kindly made this available for free. 00:01:27.880 --> 00:01:30.490 align:middle line:84% So I have a few copies tonight if you'd like to pick one up. 00:01:30.490 --> 00:01:32.980 align:middle line:84% And we'll have some more copies at the Poetry Center later. 00:01:32.980 --> 00:01:37.440 align:middle line:90% 00:01:37.440 --> 00:01:44.490 align:middle line:84% We've got these posters for sale and some of you 00:01:44.490 --> 00:01:47.530 align:middle line:90% are losing patience with-- 00:01:47.530 --> 00:01:50.220 align:middle line:84% We also have copies tonight of The Killing Floor for sale. 00:01:50.220 --> 00:01:51.270 align:middle line:90% They're $5. 00:01:51.270 --> 00:01:52.950 align:middle line:84% This is out of print now so this is 00:01:52.950 --> 00:01:56.260 align:middle line:84% one of your last opportunities to get copies of Ai's Killing 00:01:56.260 --> 00:01:56.760 align:middle line:90% Floor. 00:01:56.760 --> 00:02:01.470 align:middle line:90% 00:02:01.470 --> 00:02:04.750 align:middle line:84% Many of you know Ai was an undergraduate student here. 00:02:04.750 --> 00:02:10.680 align:middle line:84% She's one of our most famous alumni. 00:02:10.680 --> 00:02:13.270 align:middle line:84% She's published two books, The Killing Floor, 00:02:13.270 --> 00:02:15.990 align:middle line:84% which I just mentioned was the winner of the 1978 Lamont 00:02:15.990 --> 00:02:17.790 align:middle line:90% poetry selection. 00:02:17.790 --> 00:02:20.520 align:middle line:90% And her first book was Cruelty. 00:02:20.520 --> 00:02:26.220 align:middle line:84% She's published in all of the leading poetry magazines. 00:02:26.220 --> 00:02:29.760 align:middle line:84% She's received several awards, one from PEN, 00:02:29.760 --> 00:02:33.720 align:middle line:84% a Guggenheim Foundation grant, an Ingram Merrill foundation 00:02:33.720 --> 00:02:37.800 align:middle line:84% grant, National Endowment for the Arts Fellowship, 00:02:37.800 --> 00:02:40.260 align:middle line:90% and a Bunting fellowship. 00:02:40.260 --> 00:02:41.600 align:middle line:90% Ai. 00:02:41.600 --> 00:02:44.050 align:middle line:90% [APPLAUSE] 00:02:44.050 --> 00:02:52.870 align:middle line:90% 00:02:52.870 --> 00:02:57.640 align:middle line:84% Well, back in the old homestead after nine years away. 00:02:57.640 --> 00:02:59.890 align:middle line:90% It's sort of exciting now. 00:02:59.890 --> 00:03:03.670 align:middle line:84% It's like, Oh my God, there's my elementary school, you know. 00:03:03.670 --> 00:03:07.480 align:middle line:84% When I was six years old and in the park and all this stuff. 00:03:07.480 --> 00:03:08.890 align:middle line:90% It's really funny. 00:03:08.890 --> 00:03:13.420 align:middle line:84% When I left I was just this unsophisticated kid. 00:03:13.420 --> 00:03:16.210 align:middle line:84% But now, Darling, I've been to New York. 00:03:16.210 --> 00:03:17.974 align:middle line:90% [LAUGHTER] 00:03:17.974 --> 00:03:21.250 align:middle line:90% 00:03:21.250 --> 00:03:23.740 align:middle line:90% Yeah basically I'm a hick. 00:03:23.740 --> 00:03:25.900 align:middle line:84% That's what I tell everybody in New York, see, 00:03:25.900 --> 00:03:27.460 align:middle line:84% but when I'm here I tell you that I'm 00:03:27.460 --> 00:03:30.782 align:middle line:90% this sophisticated woman. 00:03:30.782 --> 00:03:34.185 align:middle line:84% Let's see, I guess I don't need that for anything. 00:03:34.185 --> 00:03:38.380 align:middle line:90% 00:03:38.380 --> 00:03:41.740 align:middle line:84% Tonight, I'm only going to read new poems. 00:03:41.740 --> 00:03:46.030 align:middle line:84% Because I'm pretty tired of the older poems right now. 00:03:46.030 --> 00:03:49.890 align:middle line:84% My new book is called "Sin" and it'll be out in January '86. 00:03:49.890 --> 00:03:52.900 align:middle line:90% 00:03:52.900 --> 00:03:55.360 align:middle line:84% The date to which I'm looking forward eagerly. 00:03:55.360 --> 00:03:59.410 align:middle line:90% 00:03:59.410 --> 00:04:06.400 align:middle line:84% My grandmother, I forgot to call I'm sorry. 00:04:06.400 --> 00:04:08.335 align:middle line:90% I'm apologizing publicly. 00:04:08.335 --> 00:04:18.760 align:middle line:90% 00:04:18.760 --> 00:04:20.050 align:middle line:90% I guess I'll just read. 00:04:20.050 --> 00:04:22.300 align:middle line:84% Last night I thought I was reading alone. 00:04:22.300 --> 00:04:24.400 align:middle line:84% And then I found out at that dinner 00:04:24.400 --> 00:04:26.530 align:middle line:84% that I was reading with Marvin Bell. 00:04:26.530 --> 00:04:28.450 align:middle line:84% It was really funny because I was 00:04:28.450 --> 00:04:32.690 align:middle line:84% totally prepared for a one hour reading so I had to tailor it. 00:04:32.690 --> 00:04:37.080 align:middle line:84% And now I can just read anything I want.