I remember Yevtushenko declaiming long sections of Babi Yar at Buffalo in
the early 60s, scornful of American poets who read from the page--no
lectern, just himself onstage. He cut an impressive, if somewhat alien, even
19th century, figure; had I known Russian, and had I grown up in Russia, I
might have appreciated his performance better, without the lag for
translation (read from the page, if memory serves!).

When poetry foregrounds personal expression, e.g., personal response to an
'external' or 'public' situation, skilful recitation might prove most
effective (as in a high school production of Spoon River Anthology--but hey:
that involved dead characters talking, a special case), though it runs the
risk of equating (for the audience and, worse, for the poet) poet and poem,
inventor and invention. If a 'confessional' poet resorts to recitation in a
poem about 'internal' or 'private' experience, it seems to me to go beyond
such risk and to topple headlong into Narcissus' pool.

One of the challenges of contemporary 'performance poety,' I think, lies in
the handling of the boundaries between those two kinds of work, particularly
in terms of keeping the audience in mind. A difficulty I've had in
appreciating some such performances arises from my impression (which I had
also from Yevtushenko) that the poet has practiced the recitation, has
memorized it, alone, or perhaps before a mirror (a dreadful audience). Some
of the more courageous, I suppose, 'workshop' their performances among
friends and, more rarely, before more critical audiences.

I usually value the fluent re-presentation of the poem read from the page:
it underlines the difficulty that a reader might have, the possibility of
different performances, whereas a recited performance seems to present a
single authoritative version (how often, after all, do poets 'cover' each
others' work in performance?). I like to hear the poet struggle (and to
struggle myself, when reading my own work) to move the poem from the page to
the audience in a way analogous to the way the reader has to struggle to
move the poem from the page to himself or herself. It makes the poem (as
event, at least) seem at least mildly perilous, while performance (even as
increasingly better) makes the poet seem (increasingly) glib and the poem
(increasingly) fixed through its thorax with a pin. (Having heard it
masterfully performed, why buy the book rather than the CD or DVD?)

~ Dan


----- Original Message -----
From: "Joanna Boulter" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Tuesday, June 21, 2005 7:12 PM
Subject: Reading vs reciting (was TO MY DEAR PETCIES: an explanation)


> If you mean our Midsummer reading, Roger, I'm afraid no photos were taken.
> But the event was a triumph nonetheless; yes, even though the readers were
> women aged from 49 to 69, all different shapes and sizes! We've been
> reading as a group for several years now, and usually mark the 'natural'
> festivals like the equinoxes and solstices.
>
> Amongst the audience tonight was one of our regular fans, the (as it
> happens) gay vicar of the local church, who was chatting to some of us in
> the interval about performing poetry by heart rather than reading from the
> printed page. I said that I felt this might be a bit too challenging for
> the audience (rather than for the poet), and he countered that poetry
> ought to be challenging. Well, I agree there; but I still have a feeling,
> which I can't quite get to the bottom of, that reading and reciting poetry
> are not by any means the same thing. If this is so, then we need to think
> what occasion which is suitable for. What do other list-members think
> about this?
>
> best joanna
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "roger day" <[log in to unmask]>
> To: <[log in to unmask]>
> Sent: Tuesday, June 21, 2005 4:29 PM
> Subject: Re: TO MY DEAR PETCIES: an explanation
>
>
> What a wonderful idea! I think that photographs of this magnificent
> event are called for!
>
> In Sweden, according to my drowsy intake of R3 this morning, people
> will be having picnics and lovers will walk out this shortest night.
> Ah, I how I envy them!
>
> Roger
>
> On 6/21/05, Joanna Boulter <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
>> Well, quite. My first thought was How come I hadn't twigged that? my
>> second
>> was Wonder what shade of purple? And now I, who used to be so staid, am
>> about to make a garland of silk poppies, to wear on my head at a
>> Midsummer
>> Madness poetry reading tonight....
>>
>> joanna
>>
>> ----- Original Message -----
>> From: "Ken Wolman" <[log in to unmask]>
>>
>> > It may be a sign of my gullibility (do I hope never to entirely lose
>> > this?) that Judy's mask of Goth did not disturb me. I know damn well
>> > she
>> > is not a kid, but who is to say what is or is not appropriate attire
>> > for
>> > someone with grandkids? Hang out in Manhattan's weirdly-named
>> > neighborhoods (SoHo, Tribeca or Dumbo) for two hours and you will see
>> > stranger phenomena than a middle-aged woman made up to look like the
>> > electrical department in Home Depot. And why can't a retiree have a
>> > part-time job? Makes sense to me. Pure retirement for some people is
>> > a
>> > ticket to boredom and Alzheimer's.
>> >
>> > And I'm sorry to say this, but corrupt teachers are part of the real
>> > world
>> > landscape: elementary, secondary, university. Some of them may even
>> > teach
>> > writing. Ever since my high school Dean of Boys, Gerald Oglio, accused
>> > me
>> > of doctoring my schedule card, I've assumed that at least half the
>> > teachers I've met have the disposition of Bad Cop in the back of the
>> > precinct and got into their business because Gitmo hadn't been opened
>> > yet.
>> > Very little surprises me in a teacher: grace and decency in some, and
>> > false accusations in others.
>> >
>> > Yes, it was deceit, but probably she could have brought it off if she
>> > hadn't been essentially honest. Honest people should not try to sling
>> > manure because they have consciences. Kind of like Laertes getting
>> > knifed
>> > with his own poisoned sword. Real creepazoids can and will hide
>> > inconvenient truths. "Oh...did I forget to tell you I'm married? You
>> > were awesome. Now put your clothes back on." "I really wanna work in
>> > this daycare center. Oh. That five years off my resume? Uh...I guess
>> > I
>> > forgot to say I did time for child molestation." But Judy owned what
>> > she
>> > did. As far as I can tell, her conscience got the better (really) of
>> > her.
>> > And it was not ultimately damaging to anyone, but it sure as hell made
>> > me
>> > look at some of the daily deceptions I practice even when I'm trying
>> > not
>> > to.
>> >
>> > Remarkable that several of us on this list, present and former, have
>> > done
>> > what was interpreted as sticking our feet in that pile of manure. The
>> > precipitating episode can be almost anything. However, people here at
>> > least are remarkably forgiving.
>> >
>> > Ken's Shadow
>> >
>> > --
>> > Kenneth Wolman
>> > Proposal Development Department
>> > Room SW334
>> > Sarnoff Corporation
>> > 609-734-2538
>>
>
>
> --
> http://www.badstep.net
>