Douglas Barbour comments on the mushairra attended by Richard:
> a factor of learned politeness. That, even as against concerts, where
> we applaud every song, we expect & are expected to sit politely through
> the whole reading & applaud at the end. It takes a special reading or
> performance (I've seen it for a sound poem) to get applause for a
> single poem in the middle of a reading.
At the readings I've been to here (Western Australia) people more usually
(but not always) applaud each poem. They even cheer and carry on
if they especially liked it. Also people sometimes make small and, yes,
fairly quiet and polite, non-verbal responses like "mm". Occasionally even
calling out "yes" in agreement with political or social comment poems.
I'm talking about readings in cafes etc, though, not university ones -
maybe those are more reserved.
> It's really a question of socialization, though, don't you think?
> Wouldn't most of our poets find the demand for them to repeat a line or
> two, or the 'interruptions' a bit of a problem, throwing them off, &
> perhaps embarrassing to the poet as well...?
Probably, if you're not expecting it. Presumably the Pakistani
poets pause in certain places to allow for audience response?
Just like an experienced preacher or speaker does?
So Richard did you get any "vaah-vaah"s?
Janet
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Janet Jackson <[log in to unmask]>
Poems at Proximity:
http://www.arach.net.au/~huxtable/janet/proximity.html
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