Ask me a question.
I'm going to read maybe three more poems.
But I want you to ask me a question about writing books.
[INAUDIBLE]
Yes.
[INAUDIBLE] inspired [INAUDIBLE]??
Who inspired me.
All writers are inspired by someone and one
of my favorite poets is Pablo Neruda,
both in English and Spanish, or in English and Spanish.
But he's really a powerhouse poet.
I think one of the--
if we didn't have Pablo Neruda life
would be pretty sad without him.
So I started writing when I was 21, 20 years old, heartbroken
at Fresno City College.
[LAUGHTER]
And it just started then when I was 20 years old.
How about another question.
Yes.
Who broke your heart?
[LAUGHTER]
Well, it's-- her name is Elena.
And she's a bilingual ed teacher in San Jose.
And baby, she's missing a good thing, you know.
[LAUGHTER]
OK.
This is a poem--
three more poems and then I think
we're going to go to that place you said they had beer.
[LAUGHTER]
On this one is called--
what in the world is it called?
It's called "Taking The Movies To The Streets."
And in Berkeley-- this is before we had videos to sort of plug
into your machine, we had movie houses,
where people would go off and see
movies, and "foreign" movies, in quotes.
And this is about that.
And it's sort of a spoof, so don't take it too seriously.
"Taking The Movies To The Streets."
"The French movie star takes off her blouse, puts it back on.
Nothing for you, Pierre.
This week, next week, and if I have it
my way as long as that dirty thing stands up.
The movie ends.
[LAUGHTER]
The patrons blink when the lights come on.
I help my wife with her coat.
My friend helps his wife with her coat.
The men around us are just as helpful.
[LAUGHTER]
But are any of them, like me, confused about what they saw?
Two hours of bedroom crying.
And why did the old nun beat herself with a candle?
What was this about a saint with a flying cape?
Where did the mouse come from when the violin started?
Poor brie-fed mouse, 10 minutes on camera, and no credit
in the end.
[LAUGHTER]
Outside the stars mingle with neon.
The faces of newspapers drink from the gutter.
We walk back to the car, the four of us smiling.
But what was this movie about?
I look back: the marquee glows: psychodrama.
That's what I need in my life.
Lust is a slow slime in the heart.
I nudge against my friend's wife's tear shaped ass.
She's beautiful.
[LAUGHTER]
I've seen her hang laundry and board a bus in high heels.
Psychodrama, I breathe in her ear.
[LAUGHTER]
She squeals, laughs, and tells her husband.
Honey, Gary's doing it again.
[LAUGHTER]
And honey, and honey punches me in the arm softly.
Psychodrama, he says.
And place a creepy kiss on my screaming wife's mouth."
OK.
[APPLAUSE]
And mind you-- and mind you I'm one of this best--
one of this country's best loved children's writers too.
So can you believe that?
[CHUCKLES]