What Happened May 1

I am operating a few days slow at the moment.
On May 1, Jack Morgan read at Lunch Poems, curated by Robert Hass. It was a pretty wonderful reading. I think the best were Jack Morgan and Cameron Jackson, but I am a little biased. There were some other good readers/poets, but mostly the ones I liked I had heard before, and there were so many of them, that I can't list them all on this blog. I talked a little about my problems with the Dean of Students, Poulard, which happened almost precisely a year ago. The whole thing will be on Youtube soon, and I will link it here when it does.

That night, Lytle Shaw gave one of the best readings I have ever been to. It was certainly one of the best Holloways, if not the best, that I have been to. I bought two of his books, which I never, never, never do. I don't want to talk about why it was so wonderful because I don't think it would do his performance work any justice, but I was so thoroughly pleased that I was giddy. Many academics looked at each other wondering how someone interesting got into the room. I have no idea how he got past them and their henchmen. An utter delight. And the academics didn't get it or something. While everyone was having fun for the first time ever at a reading, they were freaking out because it wasn't serious enough for them. Someone I gave directions to before the reading found me and asked me if it was always so fun. I had to answer no. I have no idea how they let this happen. Lytle Shaw is a genius. He makes being a genius look easy. And I hear through the rumor mill that many faculty members hate him and will be happy to see him go, but how wrong they are! I wish there were more Lytle Shaws around, and I am embarrassed to have let my prejudice get the better of me. I thought that there was no way he could be good because he was the Holloway lecturer, but I couldn't have been more wrong.

My friend Casey had a birthday party after that; that was fun. I wrote after that.

Anyway, that was Thursday. And I am running behind schedule. Thursday was incredible. I couldn't believe how many people I met who hated me. Also, I would like to say that Geoffrey G. O'Brien, no matter what I say about him, is a class act. He is admirable in many ways, and I don't want to get too into it, but even though we are diametrically opposed on some key issues, he never gives me the snub or acts like a dick around me. I have a great deal of respect for him for that.

I saw some people who I like, too. David Larsen was around for the first time in a long time. And others, too. Anyway, that's the long and short of the poetry stuff that's been gong on with me lately. I hope that all of you have also been going to some kick ass readings and give each other high fives when you see each other. I love high fives at poetry readings.