Journal: Aug 01, 2010
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12/02/2005 Archived Entry: The world is still all bright and shiny
This is the feature round-up.
Earlier today I went to the eye doctor and true to form they dilated my eyes so as to check, um, what do they check for -- glacoma? I have "freak" eyes -- steep curve, tiny cornea. Freak is the eye doctor's work. Freak you too? Naw, I knew already. Freaks get told that a lot. Anyway...
So my feature went well. There were about 40 people there. I hadn't seen many of the people in the audience since early November and late October and I was glad to see them. I was nervous. How to stop that? I do not know. It was a good audience which while mostly one race (white) and one age group (20-28) showed up male female differences. The boys liked certain poems while the girls liked others. And there was the chick sitting directly in front of me whose face (when confronted with some of my poems) registered: shock, horror, amazement, wonder -- I'm not sure, we're going with amazement and wonder but we suspect shock and horror.
Set lists as near as I can recall:
Set 1
13 Ways of looking at a black bird (Wallace Stevens cover)
Looking for a Poem (new)
Love Song (new -- the girls liked this)
Eve's Curse (chapbook)
Sin-Eater (post chapbook, not new)
Each Person (new)
Bobby (post chapbook, not new)
David (old)
Adopted People (new -- boys liked this)
Open Mic
3 - 4 of folk-y songs from the 70s. 3 or 4 attempts at a song ("Hallalujah") by the same person with guitar and acapella. A couple virgins. Several covers which speaks well of a night.
Set 2
The Event (Rita Dove cover)
Teaching My Daughter My Language (chapbook)
Kiss Me Again -- now I'm talking about addiction, now I'm talking about sex (chapbook)
Syllogisms (chapbook, old)
After the Collapse of a Building (chapbook, old)
Ok, Fuckers (by request, not new, not chapbook, not old -- horrified person in from of me)
Harvest Moon Voice (by request, not new, not chapbook, not old)
Not the Day for the World's Best Poem (by request, chapbook totally horrified person in from of me)
Locust Pods (chapbook -- totally horrified person in from of me)
Thanks to Brother T, Terry Bowen that is, for hosting the event.
Replies: 4 comments
You did great! I was hoping you kept a setlist afterwads. It's funny to see which things you read at certain types of gigs over time. It also makes future decisions much easier.
Posted by Scott @ 12/02/2005 08:36 AM ET
Thanks.
I liked reading a solid "cover" poem first. I half-wanted to talk about Dove's "The Event" because it was such an astonishing poem to me way back when I first read it. I think if I can, I'll continue reading a cover first. I liked that I could tell which poems the boys liked and which poems the girls liked (especially with people other than those who've seen a lot of my work). I was surprised at how well "Adopted People" went over; I got several comments (from boys) about that one. I was surprised at the good response to "David" even though it's practically a "mood" piece. Most of the poems got good responses -- not "Each Person" so much. That one was briefly on my good list -- but I have tired of that poem after a couple weeks as well.
I got to read 18 poems! Wow.
Posted by Louise @ 12/02/2005 08:48 AM ET
Great job. Yeah, adopted people really rocked.
I'm feeling really stupid cause I thought the 2nd half was just open-mike. Sorry for me, sorry for you, that I missed a whole set!
Posted by dathress @ 12/02/2005 09:23 AM ET
Thanks. It went kind of late, but not too bad considering it started after 9:00 pm. I got home at about midnight and came upon the aftermath of a really sick kid, been doing laundry ever since. It's a good think I'd arranged to take the day off today.
Posted by Louise @ 12/02/2005 09:48 AM ET