Wednesday, February 23, 2005

It ain't a reading unless . . .

. . . someone walks out. And someone DID walk out of Patrick Rosal's reading. In fact, they walked out of the reading seven lines into the first poem.

I've been battling these "easily-offended" types who keep returning to the reading series I'm currently running. Why they return, I'll never know. Anyway, this is directed towards the man who gave me suggestions on how to run the reading series:

My co-coordinator and I have decided that despite your recommendations, we will continue to have readings by authors who are Black, Gay, Chicano, Asian, Jewish, Native American, Risk-Takers, Mayhem-Makers, and Outsiders. We will also happily invite people who write poems and stories where there is sadness, violence, grief, death, general discomfort. We regret that we cannot provide you a solid venue for your anesthetized version of entertainment, but we can recommend a decent pediatric office where you can read Highlights and spend hours on end circling the hidden items in the "Find the Hidden Objects!" page.

I have no interest in playing Muzak over the loud-speakers for an hour for the benefit of said "easily-offended" types.

Now. . . disclaimer aside, Patrick rocked. The students loved him and many of them walked away excited about poetry. You should've seen the line of folks anxious to speak with him after his reading. The audience did sing-alongs and hooted and hollered after almost every poem.

Good show, brother!

5 comments:

bjanepr said...

thas right, o. well said. sounds like a fine series. and it sounds like pat rocked! and besides (and maybe this is just me) poetry ain't for the easily offended. peace and love barb

Patrick said...

ha! it was, in all, a great time, my friend. barb, you would have been so angry, you'd be happy.

thanks for the hospitality, o. see you and m in the summer.

Radish King said...

Do you also let fat people read? I didn't find fat poets mentioned on your list. I never see fat poets read here in Seattle. Just curious.

Oliver de la Paz said...

If you're an outsider (as most poets and writers are) you're welcome to read for me, pending any budgetary restrictions.

Fist said...

You should write a poem called, "You're an easily offended muthafukkah if..." and preface every session with it.