WordSpace Reading (comment)

Thanks, first, to my friends and the friends of WS who came to Poor David's for the reading. Especially to Jason who brought his Fabulous Camera and got shots of everyone reading, and then a neat group shot with Robert. Here's to J.'s good heart. And to Shin Yu, who ponied up to join the Board and will be, already is, contributing in lovely and smart ways to the future of WS. The reading itself was a good one. Martha read some lovely and hilarious poems, one of which focused on that List Making Even in Our Sleep that I think everyone in the US does now because there's just so damn much To Do. Much laughter of recognition going there. Bill read a touching short story about the abivalences of raising a son too adventerous for his own good. Not an easy thing to do. Ben read a story that played on puns and the always slightly "idolize the freak" nature of celebrity about two 11-fingered pianists in the 19th C salon society. Sexy, funny, brilliant bit of cultural criticism in that. David read a piece from his novel Water Telescope that was, in essence, a Wittgensteinian analysis of 50's era SF TV shows. Brilliant, nostalgic, and a funny to boot. Tim read poems that made us all wish love were easier and remember that because it's not that's where all the great lesson are. I read some old poems and new ones, and did that thing I do which bugs me which is to start off relating to the audience and then just sink down in the words in some wierd trance that is not the best delivery style. But, people liked the work, and so, ok. David said that I read with Lori Anderson's lilt minus the arrogance, and that was a nifty compliment. Esp. since I've never yet heard Lori Anderson read a poem. Robert, our founder and leader and adored friend, read some pieces from his latest work in progress, Glances. He's writing one peice a day, sort of like fragments, sort of like memoires, some are poems, some are flash fiction. All have that gorgeously unprentious way of his where the subject itself shines out of the total lack of stylistic clutter. It's probably his last work. May there be lots of pens and paper and adventure in the beyond for him. May he and I get to drink lots of tequila together when I catch up someday. In all, this was a gathering that we all needed. It was a like a seal on some upsoken pact we've all entered: to love, to write, to remember what's good, to cause a little trouble. Someday, I'll get Jason's photos up here to illustrate.