I told Mr. Reed that I always make short introductions
but I didn't tell him that I make long announcements.
Our next reading is Sunday afternoon this week
at the Poetry Center, 3 o'clock in the afternoon at 10 74
North Highland.
This may be the last time we'll have an outdoor reading so I
hope you'll all come over.
The reader will be Paolo Valesio and he will be
reading in English and Italian.
It's co-sponsored by the Department
of French and Italian.
And a week from tonight, we have our next student reading.
The readers will be Deborah Gregory, and Joel Huerta,
and Nancy Johnson, and that will be in this auditorium,
Wednesday the 5th.
Another leaflet was passed out tonight
if you weren't here last week.
I'd like to tell you just about 1 minute worth.
The Poetry Library has been scheduled
for demolition for some time and that's
to take place in June or July.
And we just recently learned that the University
has in its infinite wisdom decided also
to take down the guest house.
So we hope that you will write letters and call people
and scream and stomp and yell.
And if you want more information about this, Ellen, and Sherry,
and Cheney, wave your arms.
You can talk to them after.
They're part of this committee so you
talk to them after the reading.
Where Cheney go?
She here?
Oh, there.
Cheney's waving too.
Where's Ellen then?
Oh, Ellen's not here.
I'm getting old, I'm sorry.
OK, I'm not that old.
I hope you'll stay after the reading
tonight and have some punch and cookies
and tell Ishmael Reed how wonderful he is.
I don't usually read quotations from book jackets
but I'd like to read one tonight.
It's Carolyn Kizer speaking about on the cover
of Ishmael Reed's new book, New and Collected Poems.
And she said, the first requisites for a poet
are energy and an ear.
Ishmael has the ear all right and enough energy to light up
Chicago on Saturday night.
And I love that.
Ishmael Reed wears many hats.
He's a poet, novelist, playwright, songwriter,
essayist, teacher, for over 30 years at Berkeley.
Editor, publisher, filmmaker, and on and on and on.
We do have some books available tonight.
We have the New and Collected Poems, some of which
Mr. Reed has already autographed.
His new book of essays, Writing is Fighting.
And I love all of the titles to the novels
that we have available tonight.
Mumbo Jumbo, The Free-Lance Pallbearers, The Terrible Twos,
and Reckless Eyeballing.
It's a great pleasure to introduce you: Ishmael Reed.
[CLAPPING]