ds_0167_lentzpoetrypalm_cap_01.mp4

ds_0167_lentzpoetrypalm_cap_01.mp4

Poetry in the palm of your hand

Lentz, Ella Mae

American Sign Language literature

Deaf Poetry

Deaf, Writings of the, American

American poetry 20th century

ASL poetry

A film produced by the Fort Wayne Public Library in 1979, in conjunction with Indiana University South Bend, to document part of the ASL poetry conference, Poetry in the Palm of Your Hand, which was held at IU South Bend in November 1978. In this film of two performances by Ella Mae Lentz, she performs twelve different pieces including translated poems from English to ASL as well as original poems created in ASL. Ella includes brief descriptions prior to each performance to guide viewers. She performs several poems translated from English to ASL: "Barter" by Sara Teasdale, "Stopping by the Woods on a Snowy Evening" by Robert Frost, "There Is No Frigate Like a Book" by Emily Dickinson, and "Jabberwocky" by Lewis Carroll. She then performs a blended ASL/English poem, "California Freeways" by Dorothy Miles, and two sign mimes out of Deaf community folkloric tradition, "The Horse Race" and "The Road Runner: The Chase." Finally she performs several of her own works, "Eye Music," which she created in English and translated to ASL, two blended ASL/English poems "The Glass Wall" and "The Dogs," and two ASL poems, "Silence, Oh Painful" and "Life and Death."

Fort Wayne Public Library

Rochester Institute of Technology - RIT Libraries - RIT Archive Collections

Indiana University at South Bend institution

Public Library of Fort Wayne and Allen County

Poetry in the Palm of Your Hand (1978 Indiana University at South Bend)

1979

2018

moving image

mp4

DV-CAM

45 minutes

American Sign Language

English

RITDSA.0167

Sculptures in the Air: An Accessible Online Video Repository of the American Sign Language (ASL) Poetry and Literature Collections

Ruth C. Hoffman Collection

2018-2019 CLIR Grant-ASL Poetry and Literature

https://albert.rit.…

https://archivesspa…

New York - Rochester

Henrietta Campus

RIT Libraries makes materials from its collections available for educational and research purposes pursuant to U.S. Copyright Law. You are free to use this Item in any way that is permitted by the copyright and related rights legislation that applies to your use. It is your responsibility to obtain permission from the copyright holder to publish or reproduce images in print or electronic form.

CC BY-NC-ND: Attribution NonCommercial NoDerivatives 4.0 International

I'D LIKE TO INTRODUCE YOU
TO THE PROJECT DIRECTOR

OF POETRY IN THE PALM
OF YOUR HAND--

RUTH CASSEL HOFFMAN.

DR. HOFFMAN HAS DEDICATED
HER LIFE AND HER HUSBAND'S

AND EVERYBODY ELSE AROUND HER

FOR THE LAST SEVERAL MONTHS,
IN FACT--

SOMETIMES, I THINK IT'S YEARS--

TO THIS PROJECT.

AND I THINK AFTER YOU MEET HER,

AFTER YOU ENCOUNTER HER,
YOU WILL FIND HER

AS LIVELY AND AS ENERGETIC
AND AS INSPIRING

AS WE ALL HAVE FOUND HER.

OTHERWISE, WE NEVER WOULD HAVE
DONE IT,

BECAUSE IT WAS REALLY
A LOT OF WORK.

BUT AS WE SAY
IN OUR CONFERENCE BROCHURE

THAT YOU'LL GET
TOMORROW MORNING,

IT WAS A LOT OF FUN, TOO.

DR. HOFFMAN.

[APPLAUSE]

THANK YOU.

I HOPE IT WAS ALL WORTH
ALL THAT.

[LAUGHS]

...YOURSELF.
SHE'S IGNORING ME.

I CAN'T SIGN WELL ENOUGH
TO SIGN FOR YOU,

BUT I REALLY WANT
TO WELCOME ALL OF YOU,

AND I'M AWFULLY GLAD
YOU'RE ALL HERE.

I'M AWFULLY SORRY
IT'S TAKEN SO LONG

TO GET STARTED, BUT
AS CHARLOTTE SAID,

THE WIND WAS NOT
WITH US TONIGHT.

ALL I WANT TO SAY TONIGHT

IS THAT THIS PROJECT
HAS TAKEN A LOT OF ENERGY

AND A LOT OF FUN,

AND ONE OF THE THINGS
THAT WE'RE HERE TO DO

IS TO EXPLORE.

TODAY, TONIGHT, RATHER,
AND TOMORROW,

WE'RE GOING TO BE EXPLORING

WHAT POETRY IS

AND WHAT SIGN LANGUAGE
CAN DO FOR POETRY,

AND WHAT IS POETRY
IN SIGN LANGUAGE.

AND THEY ALWAYS SAY THAT
LEARNING SHOULD BE FUN,

SO, THE MAIN THING THAT
I WANT TO SAY IS

LET THE FESTIVITIES BEGIN.

AND I WOULD LIKE
TO INTRODUCE NOW

ELLA MAE LENTZ, WHO IS
THE CALIFORNIA POET

WE'VE BEEN TELLING YOU ABOUT
FOR SOME TIME NOW.

SHE HAS WON SEVERAL AWARDS
FOR HER POETRY AND HER ACTING.

SHE'S A GRADUATE OF
GALLAUDET COLLEGE, RIGHT?

I DID GET THAT RIGHT.

SHE HAS--SHE HAS WORKED WITH

THE NATIONAL THEATER
OF THE DEAF

IN THE SUMMER
PROFESSIONAL WORKSHOP.

SHE'S DONE AN AWFUL LOT
OF THINGS,

AND SHE'S ABOUT HALF MY AGE.

I DON'T KNOW HOW
SHE'S DONE IT ALL.

BUT SHE'S REALLY
A TERRIFIC PERSON,

AND I THINK IT'S GONNA BE
A LOT OF FUN.

I HOPE YOU'LL JUST HAVE
A LOT OF FUN WITH HER

AND ENJOY HER POEMS,
AND WHEN SHE'S DONE,

MAYBE YOU'LL HAVE A LOT OF
QUESTIONS FOR ALL OF US.

OK? AS I SAID,
LET THE FESTIVITIES BEGIN.

ELLA.

[APPLAUSE]

[INDISTINCT]
THANK YOU.

FIRST OF ALL, I WANT
TO INTRODUCE MY INTERPRETER.

THIS IS BEVERLY CANNON, WHO CAME
FROM CALIFORNIA WITH ME.

[LAUGHS]
[APPLAUSE]

SHE'LL BE DOING
THE READING OF MY POEMS,

ADDING THE VOICE
TO MY SIGNS, OK?

TONIGHT, I HAVE
1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 PIECES

OF DIFFERENT THINGS THAT--

I'M GONNA EXPLAIN BRIEFLY
ABOUT EACH ONE

SO THAT YOU'LL KNOW
WHAT TO EXPECT

AND WHAT TO LOOK FOR.

I TRANSLATE SOME FAMOUS POEMS,
SOME OLD POEMS.

FROM ENGLISH, I TRANSLATE
TO SIGN LANGUAGE.

SOME I WROTE MYSELF,

AND SOME I WROTE
FOR SIGN LANGUAGE.

A FEW I WROTE FOR ENGLISH

AND TRANSLATED MYSELF.

AND THEN THERE'S
A SPECIAL PIECE AT THE END.

EXCUSE ME IF I FORGET
A LITTLE BIT,

BECAUSE IT REALLY WAS A LOT
FOR ME TO MEMORIZE.

SO, PLEASE FORGIVE ME IF I--

I'LL ASK THAT AHEAD OF TIME.

THE FIRST POEM
WILL BE "BARTER."

IT WAS WRITTEN BY SARA TEASLEY.
TEASDALE.

LIFE HAS LOVELINESS TO SELL.

ALL BEAUTIFUL
AND SPLENDID THINGS.

BLUE WAVES WHITENED ON A CLIFF.

SOARING FIRE
THAT SWAYS AND SINGS.

AND CHILDREN'S FACES LOOKING UP

HOLDING WONDER LIKE A CUP.

LIFE HAS LOVELINESS TO SELL.

MUSIC LIKE A CURVE OF GOLD.

SCENT OF PINE TREES
IN THE RAIN.

EYES THAT LOVE YOU,
ARMS THAT HOLD.

AND FOR YOUR SPIRIT'S
STILL DELIGHT,

HOLY THOUGHTS
THAT STAR THE NIGHT.

SPEND ALL YOU HAVE
FOR LOVELINESS.

BUY IT AND NEVER
COUNT THE COST.

FOR ONE WHITE SINGING
HOUR OF PEACE,

COUNT MANY A YEAR
OF STRIFE WELL LOST.

AND FOR A BREATH OF ECSTASY

GIVE ALL YOU HAVE BEEN,
OR COULD BE.

[APPLAUSE]

THANK YOU.

THE NEXT IS CALLED "EYE MUSIC."

I WROTE IT WHILE
I WAS ON A TRAIN.

I WAS LOOKING OUT AND I SAW
SOME TELEPHONE POLES WITH WIRES

GOING BY,

AND I IMAGINED THIS POEM.

EYE MUSIC OF
THE TELEPHONE WIRES.

WITH MUSIC SHEETS.

LINES THAT RISE AND QUIVER,

SWAY AND LOWER,

ALONG WITH THE PASSING
OF SPACE AND TIME.

NO EARS NEEDED TO HEAR,

NOR ANY INSTRUMENTS TO PLAY.

EYES ARE THE EARS,

AND THE PIANO AND THE FLUTE

ARE THE WIRES.

AN OCCASIONAL PULL IS A DRUM.

HERE IS ONE BOLD,
WANDERING WIRE.

AND NOW 5 DANCING,
HIGH AND LOW IN TURNS,

WITH THE RHYTHM OF THE POLES.

5 DISAPPEARING INTO ONE AGAIN,

AND THEN A CROWD, OVERLAPPING.

QUICKLY, THEN...SLOWLY.

SO BEAUTIFUL TO THE EYE
AND HEART.

ONE WONDERS,
WHAT HAPPENS INSIDE?

[APPLAUSE]

THE NEXT POEM, "THE DOGS."

I LIKE TO EXPLAIN A LITTLE BIT.

THIS POEM IS REALLY WRITTEN
WITH SIGNS IN MIND,

BUT ALSO, I WAS THINKING
ABOUT ENGLISH,

TRYING TO MESH
THE TWO TOGETHER.

AND THE POEM WAS WRITTEN
BY AN ANGRY PERSON

IMAGINING DEAF PEOPLE AS TWO--

THE DEAF COMMUNITY AS
TWO SEPARATE GROUPS--

THE HIGHER-EDUCATED,
SNOOTY DEAF PEOPLE

AND THE JUST NEVER HAVING
GONE TO COLLEGE DEAF PEOPLE,

AND THEY ARGUE AND THEY THINK
THE OTHER ONES ARE BIG-HEADED,

AND THEY LOOK DOWN
ON THE STUPID,

[LAUGHTER]

AND JUST--I REALLY
GET TIRED OF THAT.

SO, I WANT TO GIVE
THIS EXAMPLE.

I WANT--WHY DID I CHOOSE DOGS?

BECAUSE SOME PEOPLE, WHO DON'T
KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT THE DEAF,

SOMETIMES CALL US "DEAF MUTTS."

[LAUGHTER]

SO, THESE ARE DEAD DOGS.

SO, THAT TI--I HAD
THAT TITLE IN MIND.

AND PLEASE WATCH THE HANDSHAPE.

THIS HANDSHAPE...

CAN HAVE TWO
OPPOSITE MEANINGS--

"COOPERATE" IS A GOOD, POSITIVE
WORD--"COOPERATION"--

AND "CHAIN"--STUCK TOGETHER.

AND "FREEDOM."

OK.

THE DUST SETTLED DOWN.

TWO DOGS SIT,
FACING EACH OTHER.

ONE'S A DOBERMAN--SHARP-EARED,
SLEEK, BRILLIANT, SUCCESSFUL.

THE OTHER IS A MUTT--
SLOPPY, DIRTY,

ILLITERATE, FRUSTRATED.

BETWEEN THEM, A CHAIN.

AT BOTH ENDS, THEY HAVE
CHEWED DESPERATELY,

TUGGED AND TUGGED
WITH EACH OTHER,

CLASHED VIOLENTLY,
RUNNING AROUND AND AROUND.

STILL NOTHING.
STILL BOUND.

NOW THEY SIT
FACING EACH OTHER, GROWLING.

THE DOBERMAN SAYS,
"UNFORTUNATELY,

"WE ARE DOGS ALIKE,

"BUT WE DON'T ASSOCIATE.

I RESENT YOUR PRESENCE,
YOU LOWLY ANIMAL."

THE MUTT SAYS,
"YOU HIGH AND MIGHTY SNOB,

I HATE YOUR GUTS."

[LAUGHTER]

"I DON'T NEED YOU.
I WILL KILL YOU.

"BUT IF HE'S DEAD,
I'LL HAVE TO DRAG HIM.

NO! DAMN CHAIN.
DAMN CHAIN!"

BUT WHY HAVE THE CHAIN? YES.

WHAT DOES IT MEAN?

CHAINS. OH, COOPERATE.
RELATE.

THEN, FREEDOM.

[LAUGHTER AND APPLAUSE]

THE NEXT ONE IS ANOTHER POEM
THAT I WROTE MYSELF.

IT'S A SHORT POEM.

ONE OF THE FIRST SIGN LANGUAGE
POEMS I WROTE.

THE IDEA WAS WHY NOT WRITE

A LITTLE PARAGRAPH IN ONE PLACE

TO DESCRIBE A LITTLE SIGN PLACE
THAT I'LL SIGN,

AND THEN ANOTHER--SET UP
ANOTHER PLACE IN SPACE,

AND THEN A THIRD PLACE IN SPACE
TO DESCRIBE

AND THEN MESH THINGS
ALL TOGETHER.

SO, MAYBE YOU NOTICE
IN THE PAPER THAT'S WHAT I DID.

IN SIGN LANGUAGE,
YOU CAN MAKE USE OF THE SPACE.

ALL RIGHT.
LIFE AND DEATH.

OCEAN. HUGE, BLUE,

SPREADS OUT IN SPACE,

RIPPLES, BIGGER, BIGGER,

SPLASHES INTO HANDS
UPON AN OLD, HUGE ROCK

RISING UP AND UP.

ON TOP, A TREE,
OLD AND CROOKED,

WATCHES AND MUSES
UPON THE OCEAN.

CONFLICT, YET BLEND.

[APPLAUSE]

NEXT ONE IS CALLED
"CALIFORNIA FREEWAYS."

WE JUST CAME FROM CALIFORNIA,
SO, WE SHARE

A LITTLE BIT OF OUR EXPERIENCE
WITH YOU.

IT WAS WRITTEN BY A WOMAN NAMED
DOROTHY MILES, WHO IS DEAF,

AND SHE'S VERY INTERESTED IN
ENGLISH AND SIGN LANGUAGE POEMS.

SHE HAPPENS TO BE BRITISH.

I WISH SHE COULD
SHARE THIS WITH YOU.

THE POEM IS VERY SPECIAL,

BECAUSE SHE HAS
A CLASS OF SIGNS

AND THEN SHE DESCRIBES
WITH ENGLISH WORDS.

SHE WILL SPEAK THE ENGLISH WORDS
TO DESCRIBE THESE SIGNS.

IT HAS REGULAR SIGNS
AND ALSO CLASSIFIERS.

I HAVEN'T REALLY MEMORIZED IT
VERY WELL, BUT I'LL TRY MY BEST.

HERE IN MY LITTLE CAR,
I FOLLOW THE FREEWAYS.

WEST, EAST, NORTH, SOUTHWEST,

SHUTTLING HERE AND THERE.

ALL SORTS OF CARS AND DRIVERS

JOIN IN MY JOURNEY

ON THE 4-LANE, 6-LANE,

8-LANE, 10-LANE ROADS
TO ANYWHERE.

FAST, RACING CARS,

WITH A ZOOM BOOM-BOOM

AND A TRAIL OF DUST.

[LAUGHTER]

AGED, OLD RATTLETRAPS,

STRAGGLING AND STRUGGLING
TO GET THERE, OR BUST.

CARRYING WITH THEM
THUNDER AND WIND,

TRUCKS TALL AND TRUCULENT,

POUNDING THE PAVEMENT.

DRIVERS PERCHED HIGH ABOVE US,

BOUNCING AND WHEELING,
GEARS AND JAWS A-GRIND.

LONG, SLEEK, PLUSH LINCOLNS

ROLLING ON SILKEN SPRINGS

[LAUGHTER]

IN CIGAR-SCENTED EASE.

BOLD MOTORCYCLES,
DODGING AND WEAVING,

COCKILY TAKING THE LEAD.

AND SUDDEN APPEARING,
LIGHTS FLASHING,

SIRENS SCREAMING,
MOVE OVER, ROVER, COP.

LIKE AN ANGEL WARNING THE RACE
TO SLOW DOWN

AND BRINGING SOME SOUL
TO A STOP.

HERE IN MY LITTLE CAR,
I FOLLOW THE FREEWAYS.

WEST, EAST, NORTH, SOUTHWEST,

SHUTTLING HERE AND THERE.

FOR A WHILE, MY LIFE IS SHARED

WITH OTHER DRIVERS

ON THE 4-LANE, 6-LANE, 8-LANE,
10-LANE ROADS TO ANYWHERE.

[APPLAUSE]

[LAUGHS]

OK.

THIS ONE IS CALLED--

IT'S A SPECIAL WAY OF SIGNING.

IT'S A POETIC WAY OF SIGNING.

I THINK I WANT
TO SHARE IT WITH YOU,

BECAUSE I FEEL THAT
YOU SHOULD CONSIDER THAT

A PART OF SIGN LANGUAGE POETRY.

IT'S CALLED "SIGN MIME."

WHAT'S SIGN MIME?

IT INCLUDES WHAT
WE CALL CLASSIFIERS

AND SIZE AND SHAPE SPECIFIERS.

THAT'S LINGUISTS' WORDS FOR

A SPECIAL KIND OF SIGN

IN AMERICAN SIGN LANGUAGE.

THAT'S WHAT THE LINGUISTS USE,

BUT WE CAN THINK ABOUT,
FOR EXAMPLE, MOVIE.

SOMETIMES, WE WATCH A MOVIE,
IT'S A LONG WAYS AWAY,

AND YOU SEE THESE SMALL, LITTLE
PEOPLE WALKING AROUND.

CLOSE UP--HA!--OR FAST, SLOW,
SLOW MOTION.

SO, I'LL GIVE YOU
A FEW EXAMPLES

BEFORE I GO AHEAD
WITH THE PIECE.

IT'S CALLED "THE HORSE RACE."

OK. A CLOSE-UP.

TWO MEN HAVING AN ARGUMENT
OR A BET ON HORSES.

OK? THAT'S A CLOSE-UP.

NOW A LONG SHOT.
THAT'S A HORSE RUNNING.

AND IT'S VERY SMALL
FROM A DISTANCE,

WHERE ALL THE HORSES
RUNNING TOGETHER, COMPETING.

SLOW MOTION.
THAT'S FAST WHEN THE HORSES GO,

BUT IN SLOW MOTION,
YOU CAN SHOW THE WHOLE...THING.

[LAUGHTER]

OK?

BEV WILL NOT INTERPRET,

SO, YOU HAVE TO WATCH.

[LAUGHTER]

[LAUGHTER]

[LAUGHTER AND APPLAUSE]

TOMORROW NIGHT,
I HAVE SOME MORE,

SEVERAL MORE POEMS,
FOR TOMORROW NIGHT.

DOES ANYONE HAVE ANY QUESTIONS?
FEEL FREE TO ASK. OK?

[APPLAUSE]

A FORMAL INTRODUCTION
SEEMS ALMOST RIDICULOUS NOW,

SINCE WE'VE SPENT HOURS
WITH THE WOMAN

WHO'S GOING TO BE
IN FRONT OF US THIS EVENING.

WE KNOW HER ALREADY.
WE KNOW HER VERY WELL.

SO, THESE FACTS
ARE REALLY SECONDARY

TO HER BEING.

ELLA COMES TO US
FROM CALIFORNIA.

WE'RE VERY PRIVILEGED
TO HAVE HER HERE.

SHE HAS RECEIVED
MANY POETRY AWARDS,

AND I'M SURE YOU REALIZE WHY
BY NOW.

SHE HAS RECEIVED A BEST ACTRESS
AWARD AS WELL,

FROM THE SUMMER
PROFESSIONAL WORKSHOP

OF THE NATIONAL THEATER
OF THE DEAF.

SHE'S BEEN INVOLVED RECENTLY
IN A VIDEO PROJECT

BY A GROUP CALLED DEAF MEDIA.

THE DEAF STANDS FOR
"DEAF EDUCATIONAL

AND ARTISTIC FRONTIERS."

NOW, THIS IS A SHOW, WHICH,
WHEN IT IS COMPLETED,

WILL BE CALLED "RAINBOW'S END."

IT'S NOT YET AVAILABLE,

BUT IT'S GOING TO BE--

IT IS AVAILABLE?

>> LAST WEEK OF JANUARY
AND ALL OF FEBRUARY

ON TUESDAY AND THURSDAY
ON CHANNEL 2.

YEAH, IT'S NOT YET AVAILABLE
RIGHT NOW,

BUT IT HAS BEEN MADE
FOR PUBLIC TV.

>> EDUCATIONAL TV.

EDUCATIONAL TV.
RIGHT. THANK YOU.

AND IT'S GOING TO BE AVAILABLE
IN JANUARY.

SO, KEEP YOUR EYES OUT FOR IT.

IT'S CALLED "RAINBOW'S END."

ELLA TEACHES INTERPRETING,

AND SHE HAS TAUGHT POETRY
TO CHILDREN

IN EXPERIMENTAL WORKSHOPS.

BESIDES THAT, SHE HAS
5 TOES ON ONE FOOT

AND HER AFRO IS NATURAL.

[LAUGHTER]

WHICH MEANS SHE DOESN'T HAVE
THAT IN COMMON WITH RUTH.

BUT HER TALENT FOR POETRY
SHE DOES.

ELLA?

[APPLAUSE]

OK. I HAVE 6 PIECES
TO DO TONIGHT,

AND I HOPE THAT I WILL FINISH
IN 30 MINUTES.

OK, I'D LIKE TO OPEN WITH

A TRANSLATED POEM...

FROM EMILY DICKINSON.

"THERE IS NO FRIGATE
LIKE A BOOK."

THERE IS NO FRIGATE LIKE A BOOK

TO TAKE US LANDS AWAY,

NOR ANY COURSERS LIKE A PAGE

OF PRANCING POETRY.

THIS TRAVERSE
MAY THE POOREST TAKE

WITHOUT OPPRESS OF TOLL.

HOW FRUGAL IS THE CHARIOT
THAT BEARS THE HUMAN SOUL.

[APPLAUSE]

THIS NEXT POEM I WROTE MYSELF.

I HAD SIGNS IN MIND,

BUT I WROTE THE ENGLISH TO FIT.

THE POEM WAS WRITTEN
FOR A SPECIAL EVENT.

IN CALIFORNIA, ONE NIGHT,

THE DEAF COMMUNITY
HAD AN AWARDS DINNER

FOR TWO PEOPLE WHO HAD BEEN
INVOLVED WITH TV.

ONE WAS DEAF, A DEAF WOMAN,
WHO WAS A NEWSCASTER.

HER NAME IS JOYCE LYNCH.

SHE WORKS ON THE TV PROGRAM
"NEWSIGN FOUR."

IT WAS ESTABLISHED BY
A DEAF PERSON NAMED JANE WILK

AND PETER WECHSBERG.

IT'S ONE OF THE FEW
NEWS PROGRAMS

THAT HAS A DEAF PERSON
SIGNING THE NEWS.

THE OTHER WOMAN IS NAMED
VALERIE COLEMAN.

SHE'S A HEARING WOMAN
WHO WORKS ON CHANNEL 7.

SHE DOES THE 5 TO 6 NEWS
EVERY NIGHT.

SHE'S A IMPORTANT PERSON,

AND SHE'S VERY INTERESTED
IN THE DEAF.

BEFORE THAT DINNER,
SHE HAD PLANNED A PROGRAM,

15 MINUTES EVERY NIGHT
FOR A WEEK,

CALLED "THE GLASS WALL."

WHY DID SHE CALL IT
"THE GLASS WALL"?

BECAUSE THE DEAF CAN SEE
BUT THEY CAN'T HEAR.

THERE'S A GLASS WALL,
IT'S A BARRIER

BETWEEN US AND HEARING PEOPLE.

THE DEAF CAN SEE THROUGH IT

BUT CAN'T COMMUNICATE.

AND IN THIS POEM,
WHICH I DID AT THAT DINNER,

I USED THAT TITLE,
"THE GLASS WALL,"

AND IT REALLY HAS TWO MEANINGS
IN THE POEM.

THE GLASS WALL,
LIKE DEAF PEOPLE

AND THE HEARING PEOPLE,
THE BARRIER,

BUT ALSO THE GLASS WALL
OF THE TV.

THERE'S A GLASS WALL THERE.

OK?

I WROTE THE POEM TO THESE
TWO PEOPLE, THESE TWO WOMEN,

WHO HAVE BEEN INVOLVED
WITH THE MEDIA.

THANK YOU, THANK YOU.

THESE ARE GESTURES
FROM OUR HEARTS

POURING OUT
THROUGH THE GLASS WALL

BECAUSE YOU AND YOU,
BEYOND THE GLASS WALL,

WITH ITS FRAME AND EARS,

HAVE SHOWN US THAT THE WALL

WILL ALWAYS BE THERE,

BUT NOT NECESSARILY
SHADED, OVERLOOKED.

THAT WHAT WE THOUGHT BEFORE--

LIVE NEWS, CAPTIONED?
IMPOSSIBLE--IS POSSIBLE.

INTERPRETER, FULL SCREEN?
IMPOSSIBLE.

IS POSSIBLE.

OUR OWN DEAF NEWSCASTER?
IMPOSSIBLE.

IS POSSIBLE.

THAT WITH THAT GLASS WALL,

WITH ITS FRAME AND EARS,

WE CAN SHOW ALL
WHAT WE ARE REALLY LIKE

AND WHAT WE REALLY NEED,

AND NO MATTER THAT
THE WALL IS THERE.

PEOPLE BEYOND AND PEOPLE BEHIND

CAN REACH ACROSS TO EACH OTHER
OVER IT.

THANK YOU.

[APPLAUSE]

NEXT IS CALLED "STOPPING BY
THE WOODS ON A SNOWY EVENING"

BY ROBERT FROST.

PROBABLY MOST OF YOU
KNOW THAT POEM.

WHOSE WOODS THESE ARE
I THINK I KNOW.

HIS HOUSE IS IN
THE VILLAGE, THOUGH.

HE WILL NOT SEE ME
STOPPING HERE

TO WATCH HIS WOODS
FILL UP WITH SNOW.

MY LITTLE HORSE
MUST THINK IT QUEER

TO STOP WITHOUT
A FARMHOUSE NEAR

BETWEEN THE WOODS
AND FROZEN LAKE

THE DARKEST EVENING
OF THE YEAR.

HE GIVES HIS HARNESS BELLS
A SHAKE

TO ASK IF THERE
IS SOME MISTAKE.

THE ONLY OTHER SOUND'S
THE SWEEP

OF EASY WIND AND DOWNY FLAKE.

THE WOODS ARE LOVELY,
DARK AND BLUE,

BUT I HAVE PROMISES TO KEEP,

AND MILES TO GO
BEFORE I SLEEP...

AND MILES TO GO
BEFORE I SLEEP.

[APPLAUSE]

THIS NEXT ONE
IS ANOTHER FAMOUS POEM

CALLED "JABBERWOCKY."

[LAUGHTER]

IT WAS WRITTEN
BY LEWIS CARROLL.

MOST OF THE TRANSLATION
IS NOT MY OWN.

I BORROWED IT FROM
ANOTHER PERSON'S TRANSLATION.

BUT I WILL PERFORM IT. OK?

I DON'T KNOW IF
THIS IS ENOUGH ROOM.

HA HA! I'LL TRY.

I HOPE I DON'T FALL OFF.

[LAUGHTER]

REMEMBER, "JABBERWOCKY" HAS
NONSENSE WORDS, SO,

I'M INVENTING NONSENSE SIGNS
TO GO WITH IT.

AND SOME OF THE SIGNS
DON'T MEAN ANYTHING.

'TWAS BRILLIG,
AND THE SLITHY TOVES

DID GYRE AND GIMBLE
IN THE WABE:

ALL MIMSY WERE THE BOROGOVES,

AND THE MOME RATHS OUTGRABE.

"BEWARE THE JABBERWOCK, MY SON!

"THE JAWS THAT BITE,
THE CLAWS THAT CATCH!

"BEWARE THE JUBJUB BIRD,

AND SHUN
THE FRUMIOUS BANDERSNATCH!"

[LAUGHTER]

HE TOOK HIS VORPAL SWORD
IN HAND;

LONG TIME THE MANXOME FOE
HE SOUGHT.

SO RESTED HE BY A TUMTUM TREE
AND STOOD AWHILE IN THOUGHT.

AND WHILE IN UFFISH THOUGHT
HE STOOD,

THE JABBERWOCK,
WITH EYES OF FLAME,

CAME WHIFFLING THROUGH
THE TULGEY WOOD...

AND BURBLED AS IT CAME!

[LAUGHTER]

ONE, TWO!
ONE, TWO!

AND THROUGH AND THROUGH
THE VORPAL BLADE

WENT SNICKER-SNACK!

HE LEFT IT DEAD,
AND WITH ITS HEAD

HE WENT GALUMPHING BACK.

"AND HAST THOU SLAIN
THE JABBERWOCK?

"COME TO MY ARMS,
MY BEAMISH BOY!

O FRABJOUS DAY!
CALLOOH! CALLAY!"

HE CHORTLED IN HIS JOY.

[LAUGHTER]

'TWAS BRILLIG,
AND THE SLITHY TOVES

DID GYRE AND GIMBLE
IN THE WABE:

ALL MIMSY WERE THE BOROGOVES,

AND THE MOME RATHS OUTGRABE.

[LAUGHTER AND APPLAUSE]

[LAUGHTER]

I'M OUT OF SHAPE.

THIS LAST ONE IS A SAD POEM.

I WROTE IT WHEN I WAS--

IT'S VERY MELODRAMATIC,
BUT I WAS

PLAYING WITH SIGNS--HANDSHAPES.

I WROTE IT BECAUSE
AN OLD BOYFRIEND

WAS--AND I WERE NOT
ON SPEAKING TERMS. HA!

"SILENCE OH PAINFUL."

WE WERE IN THE SAME PLACE,
IN THE SAME HOUSE,

BUT WE WERE NOT SPEAKING
FOR SEVERAL DAYS.

I WAS REALLY UPSET,
SO, I WROTE THIS,

AND I DECIDED TO PLAY WITH
THE POEM WHILE I WAS DOING IT.

INCLUDE MY FEELINGS.

SILENCE OH PAINFUL.

1551.

OK.

SILENCE OH PAINFUL.

KNOWING HE HAS
SOMETHING TO SAY,

BUT DON'T KNOW WHAT,

AND KNOWING I HAVE SOMETHING
TO SAY BUT DON'T KNOW HOW.

LOOKING INTO HIS EYES,
A WALL FORMS BETWEEN US.

NO MORE QUIET HEART EXCHANGES.

NO MORE PASSING
INVISIBLE WORDS.

TOUCHING HIM,
GOOSEBUMPS UP MY ARMS.

NO MORE TIGHTENING OF HANDS.

NO MORE BONDAGES OF ARMS.

WHEN HE'S GONE, HE FADES.

NO MORE GETTING LETTERS
SIGNED, "LOVE."

NO MORE SAVING THINGS
FOR SHARING.

WHY? WHY?

SILENCE.

[APPLAUSE]

[LAUGHTER]

ONE MORE.

ONE MORE.
AFTER THAT, IF YOU WANT TO

DO ANY OF THE POEMS THAT
I DID YESTERDAY, ONE OR TWO,

I'D BE HAPPY TO TRY
AND DO THEM AGAIN.

OK, THE NEXT ONE
IS ANOTHER SIGN MIME.

LIKE YESTERDAY,
"THE HORSE RACE."

THIS ONE IS "THE ROAD RUNNER."

[LAUGHTER]

THE CHASE.

I'LL GIVE YOU A FEW EXAMPLES
OF SIGN MIME.

THOSE WHO WERE
NOT HERE YESTERDAY,

A LONG SHOT WOULD BE
LIKE THIS, MAYBE.

THE ROAD RUNNER HIMSELF.

THAT'S HIS HEAD AND HIS TAIL.

SLOW MOTION.

[LAUGHTER]

THE COYOTE.

OK, THAT'S ENOUGH.
NO VOICE.

MAYBE YOU CAN DO THE SPELLING.
WAIT A MINUTE.

NO. NO VOICE.

[LAUGHTER]

[LAUGHTER]

[LAUGHTER]

[LAUGHTER]

[LAUGHTER]

[LAUGHTER]

[APPLAUSE]

[LAUGHTER]

OK, THAT'S IT.

DO YOU WANT ANY REPEATS?

"CALIFORNIA FREEWAYS"?

OK. "CALIFORNIA FREEWAYS."

OK. I HAVE IT.

HERE IN MY LITTLE CAR,

I FOLLOW THE FREEWAYS.

WEST, EAST, NORTH, SOUTHWEST,

SHUTTLING HERE AND THERE,

AND ALL SORTS OF DIFFERENT
CARS AND DRIVERS

JOIN MY JOURNEY

ON THE 4-LANE, 6-LANE, 8-LANE,
10-LANE ROADS TO ANYWHERE.

FAST, RACING CARS,

WITH A ZOOM BOOM-BOOM

AND A TRAIL OF DUST.

[LAUGHTER]

AGED RATTLETRAPS

STRAGGLING AND STRUGGLING...

[LAUGHTER]

TO GET THERE, OR BUST.

[LAUGHTER]

CARRYING WITH THEM
THUNDER AND WIND,

TRUCKS TALL AND TRUCULENT,

POUNDING THE PAVEMENT,

DRIVERS PERCHED HIGH ABOVE US,

BOUNCING AND WHEELING,
GEARS AND JAWS A-GRIND.

[LAUGHTER]

LONG, SLEEK, PLUSH LINCOLNS

ROLLING ON SILKEN SPRINGS

IN CIGAR-SCENTED EASE.

[LAUGHTER]

BOLD MOTORCYCLES,
DODGING AND WEAVING,

COCKILY TAKING THE LEAD.

AND THE SUDDEN APPEARING,
LIGHTS FLASHING,

SIRENS SCREAMING,
MOVE OVER, ROVER, COP.

LIKE AN ANGEL WARNING THE RACE
TO SLOW DOWN

AND BRINGING SOME SOUL
TO A STOP.

HERE IN MY LITTLE CAR,
I FOLLOW THE FREEWAYS.

WEST, EAST, NORTH, SOUTHWEST,

SHUTTLING HERE AND THERE.

FOR A WHILE, MY LIFE IS SHARED

WITH OTHER DRIVERS

ON THE 4-LANE, 6-LANE, 8-LANE,
10-LANE ROADS TO ANYWHERE.

[APPLAUSE]

THIS POEM...IN THE WORKSHOP
THIS AFTERNOON

WHOSE NAME IS...

THIS POEM WAS WRITTEN
BY ONE OF THE WOMEN

THAT WAS IN THE WORKSHOP
THIS AFTERNOON.

HER NAME IS ELAINE CURTIS.

HER LAST NAME? [INDISTINCT]

- SHE GOT IT...
- OK. OK.

MY DAUGHTER, MY SON,

YOUR ANCESTORS
WERE GOAT HERDERS

WHO LOVED THE MOUNTAINS

AND TILLED THE LAND.

AND I SEE YOU
RUNNING INTO THE SUNRISE,

LOOKING FOR YOUR MOUNTAIN.

A WAY TO UNDERSTAND
AND TO CONVEY

YOUR LOFTY FEELINGS

IF ONENESS
WITH THE EARTH YOU LOVE.

CAN YOU REACH A PLATEAU
OF MODERATION?

ACCEPT THE MOUNTAIN HIGH
AS A SURGE OF EXULTATION,

WHICH, WHEN YOU BECOME AWARE

OF LIFE'S REALITY,

COULD PLUNGE YOU
INTO MOMENTS OF DESPAIR?

TOGETHER, A LAUGH AND A CRY

ARE PART OF OUR LIVES FOREVER.

[APPLAUSE]

"This project is supported by a Digitizing Hidden Collections grant from the Council on Library and Information Resources (CLIR). The grant program is made possible by funding from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation."