ds_0027_renniejazzberries_cap_01.mp4

ds_0027_renniejazzberries_cap_01.mp4

Performance and presentation

Rennie, Debbie

American Sign Language literature

Deaf Poetry

American poetry 20th century

Deaf, Writings of the, American

ASL poetry

This video consists of two parts, a performance given on September 24, 1987 at Jazzberries and a presentation titled "Poetry and the Community," given at the National Deaf Poetry Conference on September 25, 1987. The evening performance consists of the following poems: Black Hole: Colors ASL, Nature Metaphor, MIND POP-UP THAT (or So That's What That Was All About), The Void, I Raped Chocolate Last Night, LIFE FAST (or The Fast Pace of Life), Sunrise, Frog, Alien, Veal Boycott/Boycott Veal, Peace, and Willie. In this presentation, Debbie Rennie traces how she became a poet including her experiences in theatre. She explains a number of techniques she uses in poetry such as: descriptive and outline use of fingerspelling, playing with limited handshapes, rhythm, frozen images, transformations, choreography, speed, facial expression as well as other elements. In addition, she describes important aspects of storytelling which she identifies as character development, story line, building of expectation, and audience involvement. During this presentation, she performs Swan, Missing Children, a number of Haiku, a story about her roommate, and an excerpt from Kipling's Just So Stories. She ends her presentation talking about the dangers of labeling and judging the works of others as well as the importance of community support.

National Technical Institute for the Deaf

Rochester Institute of Technology - RIT Libraries - RIT Archive Collections

National Deaf Poetry Conference, (1987 National Technical Institute for the Deaf)

1987

2018

moving image

mp4

VHS

95 minutes

American Sign Language

English

RITDSA.0027

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

Miriam and Kenneth Lerner ASL Poetry 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

THIS PLACE WANTS TO THANK YOU
FOR YOUR SUPPORT.

SHE JUST COLLECTED $220,
SO THANK YOU.

VERY PLEASED TO INTRODUCE
ONE OF THE FEW FRIENDS OF MINE--

SHE'S A DEAF WOMAN
WHO HAS INCREDIBLE ENERGY.

SHE JUST BLOWS ME
OUT OF THE WATER.

SO I'M GONNA LET HER SHOW THIS
FOR HERSELF.

I'M NOT GONNA EXPLAIN IT BECAUSE
I JUST CAN'T DO IT JUSTICE, OK?

NOW, HELP ME WELCOME DEBBIE
RENNIE! DEBBIE! ALL RIGHT!

[CHEERING AND APPLAUSE]

- THANK YOU. THANK YOU.

FUNNY. I JUST FINISHED GOING
TO THE BATHROOM,

AND NOW I HAVE TO GO AGAIN.
AAH. WHY IS THAT HAPPENING?

WHAT'S GOING ON INSIDE MY BODY?

OH, WELL.

[LAUGHTER]

I WANTED TO SHOW AS MANY POEMS
AS POSSIBLE,

BUT I HAD TO--GUESS--SO, WHAT
I'LL HAVE TO DO IS JUST SHUT UP

AND START SHOWING YOU THEM.

AND THIS IS CALLED
"BLACK HOLE: THE COLORS OF ASL."

A LADDER...

REACHING TO THE SKY.

AT THE TOP, PAINT CANS--

RED, YELLOW, BLUE, GREEN,
BLACK.

BRILLIANT BLUE SKY CANVAS.

RED.

YELLOW.

BLUE.

GREEN.

BLACK. HANDS ARE THE BRUSHES
FOR THE COLORS OF ASL.

THE LADDER IS SHAKING.

DOWN BELOW
IT'S A LANGUAGE TYRANT.

"GET DOWN. GET DOWN FROM THERE
OR I'LL FORCE YOU DOWN."

"NO, NO. STOP IT. STOP IT."

THE RED IS THE FIRST TO GO DOWN.

YELLOW, GREEN, BLUE...

TUMBLING, TUMBLING.

BLACK, BLACK, BLACK SPLASH.

THE BLACK HOLE. LANGUAGE TYRANT
DISAPPEARS INTO THE BLACK HOLE.

THE LADDER IS CONSUMED
RUNG BY RUNG.

"NO. NO.
I WON'T BE SUCKED DOWN.

"I WON'T. I WON'T BE SUCKED
DOWN. I WON'T.

"I WILL FLY BACK UP. UP. UP.

"I WILL FLY BACK UP, UP,

"BACK TO THE COLORS,
TO THE COLORS,

"TO THE COLORS,

"BACK TO THE COLORS. AHH.

THE COLORS OF ASL."

[CHEERING AND APPLAUSE]

THANK YOU.

[LAUGHTER]

WOW! GOD. I FEEL LIKE I WAS
FLYING.

GOT OFF THE GROUND
OR SOMETHING HERE.

I TRAVEL A LOT,

AND I'VE SEEN SOME REALLY
FINE THINGS.

THIS IS CALLED
"NATURE'S METAPHORS."

THE MOUNTAINSIDE TAKES THE FORM

OF A RENOIR WOMAN

IN A PETTICOAT.

FIRE LINE BETWEEN THE PINES

LOOKS LIKE THE PART

IN A YOUNG BOY'S CREW CUT.

TREES FLOW
INTO YELLOW CORNFIELDS.

THE WIND PLAYING WITH THE TOPS
OF CORNSTALKS

IS LIKE THE HAND MUSSING
A CHILD'S HEAD.

LEAVES FLUTTER ABOUT ON BIRCHES

LIKE A YOUNG GIRL'S TRESSES

ABOUT HER FACE IN THE WIND...

THE WIND, WHICH BLOWS PUFFY
WHITE FACES ACROSS THE SKY.

[LAUGHTER]

SUNSET...

IS LIKE THE SLEEPY INVITATION
OF A WOMAN'S EYES.

[CHEERING AND APPLAUSE]

OK. SOMETIMES, YOU KNOW,
I'LL SEE SOMETHING HAPPENING.

I WON'T UNDERSTAND IT.
I GET FRUSTRATED WITH IT.

AND THEN A WHILE
ON DOWN THE ROAD, MANY YEARS,

I REALIZE, "OH, THAT'S WHAT WAS
GOING ON THAT TIME, YOU KNOW?"

I'M SURE YOU'VE ALL EXPERIENCED
THAT SORT OF THING.

"SO THAT'S WHAT THAT WAS
ALL ABOUT."

[LAUGHTER]

ONE NIGHT, I WAS READING,

AND I REMEMBERED A DAY
WHEN I WAS A YOUNG GIRL.

LITTLE DEBBIE--HEADPHONES ON--

WIRED INTO JARRING, MECHANICAL,
GARBLED DECIBELS.

I LOOKED TO MY TEACHER
STANDING BESIDE ME.

SUDDENLY, SHE GRABBED
THE HEADPHONES FROM ME.

THE HEADPHONES, THE HEADPHONES,
THE HEADPHONES.

SHE GRABBED THEM.

"WHA--WHAT IS IT," I SAID.
"WHAT? WHAT?"

A TEAR SLID DOWN HER FACE.

- [MUFFLED SPEECH]
PRESIDENT'S DEAD.

- [MUFFLED SPEECH]
THE PRESIDENT'S DEAD.

THE PRESIDENT'S DEAD.
THE PRESIDENT'S DEAD.

I COULDN'T UNDERSTAND
HER WORDS.

THE LINE I WAS READING
IN THE BOOK SAID,

"ON NOVEMBER 23, 1963,
IT'S POSSIBLE THAT THE CIA

ASSASSINATED JOHN F. KENNEDY,
SHOT."

[CHEERING AND APPLAUSE]

THIS IS CALLED "THE VOID."

DO YOU KNOW WHAT THE VOID MEANS?

IT'S LIKE TOTAL SPACE,

AS FAR, AS FAR AS YOU
CAN POSSIBLY IMAGINE,

ALL THE WAY FAR OUT INTO
THE UNIVERSE,

LIKE, YOU HAVE YOUR EYES CLOSED,
AND THERE'S NO WALL,

AND IT'S JUST BLACKNESS.

THAT SCARES ME SO.

"THE VOID."

CAMPFIRE DIES DOWN.

I KICK THE LAST OF
THE GLOWING EMBERS TO ASHES,

AND THE DARKNESS ENCLOSES
LIKE A SHROUD.

I MAKE MY WAY BLINDLY...

I AM AT THE MERCY OF THIS
BLACKNESS.

LOSING THE PATH,

I FIND MYSELF PREY TO THE
NAMELESS TALONS OF THE NIGHT.

THEY CLAW AND CLUTCH AT MY HAIR.

I PUSH ON.

THE PATH...

I SENSE A CLEARING.

AND TO THE LEFT OF ME,
THE FOREST CONTINUES ON--OFF

UNTIL IT FADES IN THE DISTANCE,

A SILHOUETTE.

AND IN FRONT OF ME, THE SMOOTH,
STAR-STUDDED SURFACE,

A REFLECTION.

LOOKING UP,
I SEE A UNIVERSE OF LIGHT.

AND I AM RELEASED.

[CHEERING AND APPLAUSE]

OK.

SOME OF YOU MAY HAVE ALREADY
SEEN THIS POEM. IT'S AN OLD ONE.

IT'S HARD TO FIND
A REPLACEMENT FOR IT,

BUT I THINK YOU'LL
LOVE TO SEE IT AGAIN.

AT LEAST I HOPE SO.

I'M SURE YOU'VE ALL
HAD SOMETHING YOU CAN'T RESIST.

[CHEERING AND APPLAUSE]

THIS IS CALLED
"I RAPED CHOCOLATE LAST NIGHT."

WALKING THROUGH THE STREETS
OF THE CITY,

JOSTLED BY A BUSINESSMAN,
AN OLD WOMAN.

BUILDINGS UP TO THE SKY.

CAR FUMES CHOKE ME.

INTO THE SUBWAY.

AND OVER BY THE NEWSSTAND,

THERE IT WAS, CHOCOLATE.

[LAUGHTER]

SWISS CHOCOLATE
WITH HAZELNUT CREAM FILLING.

ONLY 39 CENTS.

NO, I MUSTN'T.

OK, I WENT OVER TO
THE MAGAZINE RACK.

"PLAYGIRL," "PLAYBOY." AHH.

"PLAYCHOC."

[LAUGHTER]

A HERSHEY'S BAR
WITH THE FOIL UNDONE.

[LAUGHTER]

NESTLE'S CRUNCH BAR.

[LOUDER LAUGHTER]

AND THEN SPECIAL DARK CHOCOLATE,
COMPLETELY NAKED.

[LAUGHTER]

I PUT THE MAGAZINE ASIDE.
NO, NO, NO, NO.

GET MY NEWSPAPER
AND GET IN LINE.

CHOCOLATE.

CHOCOLATE. CHOCOLATE.

CHOCOLATE. CHOCOLATE.
CHOCOLATE. CHOCOLATE.

I COULDN'T RESIST ANYMORE.

I GRABBED A PIECE,
SET IT ON THE COUNTER.

"NO BAG. THANKS."

GRABBED MY THINGS.

THE TRAIN PULLS UP.
I GET IN.

THE DOORS SLIDE SHUT,
AND WE'RE OFF.

CHOCOLATE.

CHOCOLATE.

[LAUGHTER]

I COULDN'T TAKE IT ANYMORE.
I DEVOURED IT.

[BREATHING HEAVILY]

[CHUCKLES SHEEPISHLY]

YES, THAT'S WHAT I DID.

[APPLAUSE]

I WENT TO THE LIBRARY.
I WAS DOING SOME RESEARCH.

I WAS LOOKING UP
"CONSUMER REPORTS"...

CHECKING OUT VIDEO CAMERAS.

WELL, LET ME TELL YOU, IT WAS
A COMPLETELY WORTHLESS VENTURE,

BECAUSE THE MAGAZINE
WAS FROM 1985,

AND NOW THE TECHNOLOGY FOR
CAMERAS IS

WAY PAST WHAT IT WAS THEN.

MAN, LIFE REALLY GOES BY FAST.

THE CULTURES CHANGE,
FASHION CHANGES.

EVERYTHING CHANGES SO QUICK
THESE DAYS.

SO I'LL PRESENT THIS POEM
CALLED "THE FAST PACE OF LIFE."

[PERSON CLAPPING]

[LAUGHTER AND APPLAUSE]

HOW MANY OF YOU GET UP TO SEE
THE SUNRISE IN THE MORNING?

I KNOW. ROCHESTER--
IT NEVER RISES.

IT RAINS CONTINUOUSLY,

BUT ANY OF YOU GET UP
TO SEE THE SUNRISE?

CALIFORNIA, RIGHT?
YOU MUST BE FROM THERE.

AH, YOU'RE FROM CALIFORNIA.
I GUESS THAT'S THE PROBLEM.

YEAH.

[LAUGHTER]

NOT MANY OF YOU, IT SEEMS LIKE.
A FEW. OK.

[INDISTINCT]

THIS IS CALLED "SUNRISE."

LATE EVENING.

SUNSET.

RED, YELLOW, BLUE, PINK.

ANOTHER DAY. THE SUN SETS.

COLORS--ORANGE, PINK, GOLD.

YET ANOTHER SETTING SUN.

PINK, ORANGE.

AHH. SWEET SLEEP.

EARLY MORNING LIGHT.

GOLDEN, BRILLIANT, MAGICAL
COLORS OF THE SUN.

PURE INSPIRATION.

I TELL YOU, I DON'T CATCH
MANY OF THESE.

[APPLAUSE]

I LOVE TO PLAY WITH HANDSHAPES.

YOU KNOW, I HAVE TO HAVE
A HANDSHAPE POEM IN HERE.

AND, YOU KNOW, I TRY TO FIND
A CHALLENGE FOR MYSELF,

AND SO I USED A 3 HANDSHAPE.

THIS IS CALLED "FROG."

BY THE SIDE OF A POND, A FROG

CATCHES SIGHT OF A MOTH.

[LAUGHTER]

THE FROG AND HIS REFLECTION,
SPLASH!

[APPLAUSE]

OK. THE NEXT POEM IS IN HONOR
OF SUSAN CHAPEL.

[AUDIENCE MEMBER WHISTLES]

YOU KNOW, TO GET A GREEN CARD
MEANS THAT YOU HAVE PERMISSION

TO LIVE IN THE UNITED STATES.

IT'S FOR, YOU KNOW,
ILLEGAL ALIENS.

THEY NEED TO GET PERMISSION
TO BE ABLE TO LIVE AND WORK

IN AMERICA.

YOU KNOW, THEY CAN BECOME
A U.S. CITIZEN.

IN ORDER TO DO THAT,
YOU MUST GET A GREEN CARD FIRST,

AND THE PROCESS GOES ON
FROM THERE.

THIS IS CALLED "ALIEN."

THE PROJECTOR STARTS.

AND ON THE SCREEN...

"A-L-I-E-N."

"ALIEN."

THROUGH STAR-SPANGLED SPACE,
AN EGG, GREEN AND THROBBING.

THROBBING AND GREEN.

A BEING APPROACHES THE EGG.

"ARGH. WHERE'S YOUR GREEN CARD?"

A PEASANT SCRAMBLES FOR SAFETY
IN HER WAR-TORN LAND.

SHE MAKES HER WAY TO A TRAIN--

A TRAIN HEADING NORTH,
HEADING NORTH, HEADING NORTH,

A TRAIN LEAVING
HER TERROR-STRICKEN LAND.

SHE ALIGHTS
IN A NORTHERN COUNTRY.

AMERICA.

FREEDOM AND THE STAR...

[NO AUDIO]

BA-BA-PUM, BA-BA-PUM.

"ARGH. WHERE'S YOUR GREEN CARD?"

[APPLAUSE]

OK. NOW WE'RE GONNA CHANGE
SYSTEMS--SOUND SYSTEMS.

AND THE REASON FOR THAT IS,

I DON'T WANT YOU ALL TO BE SUING
ME WHEN THESE LOUD VOICES

COME THROUGH THE HEADPHONES.

YOU NEED TO TAKE THEM OFF.
AND I WANT YOU TO BECOME DEAF.

KENNY LERNER'S GONNA JOIN IN
WITH THE VOICING FROM NOW ON

WITH DONNA KACHITES.

I MUST THANK DONNA
FOR TRANSLATING ALL MY WORK.

[CHEERING AND APPLAUSE]

CAN EVERYONE HEAR?

EXCEPT FOR THE DEAF PEOPLE.

'CAUSE I ALREADY KNOW YOU
CAN'T HEAR,

AND I'M SORRY ABOUT THAT.

CAN THE HEARING PEOPLE HEAR?

[LAUGHTER]

YES? OK.

THIS IS A FINGERSPELLED POEM,
AND IT'S THE WORD "CALF."

IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT FOR ME
TO SHARE THIS WITH YOU

BECAUSE I'VE BEEN PRETTY
INVOLVED WITH ANIMAL RIGHTS.

NOT REAL ACTIVE, BUT I'VE DONE
A LOT OF READING OF BOOKS

AND THE "VEGETARIAN TIMES,"
AND VARIOUS SORTS OF THINGS.

AND I'M A MEMBER OF PETA--

PEOPLE FOR THE ETHICAL
TREATMENT OF ANIMALS.

SO I READ THIS ONE THING THAT
REALLY TOUCHED ME,

AND I THOUGHT I WOULD
SHARE THIS WITH YOU.

IT'S THE LETTERS "C-A-L-F."

IT'S CALLED "BOYCOTT VEAL."

- C...
- A NEWBORN CALF.

- A-L-F...

- TAKEN FROM ITS MOTHER
AND CHAINED...

- [STRAINED VOICE]
C-A-L-F.

- INSIDE A TINY WOODEN CRATE.

- C-A-L--

- FORCE-FED WITH
DRUG-FED LIQUID FEED.

SHOT UP WITH CHLORAMFENICOL.
- F.

- ALL OF THIS LEADS...
- C-A-

TO PREMIUM MILK-FED VEAL...
- L-

- FOR YOUR GOURMET...

DINING PLEASURE.
- F.

[CHEERING AND APPLAUSE]

- OK, THIS IS ANOTHER HANDSHAPE
POEM,

A 5 HANDSHAPE.

AND IT'S 4+5=9.
THE TITLE IS "PEACE."

RUSSIANS COME ON 4 BY 4.

AMERICANS SAY THAT THEY'VE
GOT MORE.

WE'VE GOT TO KEEP AN EVEN SCORE,

BOTH SIDES AIMED
AND READY FOR WAR.

BUT WHAT IF WE ALL MEDITATED
ON WORLD HARMONY...

AND PEACE WAS KNOWN IN
THE SPIRITS OF ALL?

THE SOULS OF ALL
COULD BE ENTWINED,

UNWINDING SILVER CORDS TO RISE
ABOVE BODIES AND MIND.

[APPLAUSE]

- OK, THIS NEXT POEM,
AND MY LAST ONE,

IS CALLED "WILLY."

IT'S A MAN WHO WAS A PATIENT
IN A PSYCHIATRIC HOSPITAL,

WHERE KENNY LERNER WORKED.

AND WE DEVELOPED THIS POEM
TOGETHER.

IT'S DEDICATED TO MY LANDLORD,
WHO, UNFORTUNATELY,

EXPERIENCED THIS.

AND, WELL, UNFORTUNATELY,
IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE EXPRESS

THIS TO PEOPLE
OVER AND OVER AGAIN.

"WILLY."

THE DOORS SWING OPEN,
AND THERE HE IS.

6'8", 275 POUNDS,
SUSPENDERS AND JEANS.

UNSHAVEN AND UNKEMPT.

"THE WORLD...THE WORLD IS
IN A BOX,

"BUT THE TRAINS
AND ALL THOSE PEOPLE

"AND--AND--AND THE PICTURE
LEFT THERE, AND THE SAW-SAW--

"AND THE EARTH IS IN A BOX.

"AND I DON'T UNDERSTAND HOW
THE EARTH AND--YEAH, YEAH,

I UNDERSTAND--EARTH IS
IN A BOX. YEAH. EARTH."

"ROTATING ON ITS AXIS,

THE EARTH AND THE BOX
REVOLVING AROUND THE SUN."

"AND ON THE WALLS OF THE BOX..."

"ARE 400-FOOT-WIDE
SHOWER NOZZLES

"AND A HUGE PIPE THAT LEADS
TO A PLANE.

"THE PILOT TAKES HIS PLANE
OFF, UP,

"INTO THE PIPE,

"HEADING UP

TOWARDS THE SHOWER NOZZLE."

[IMITATING JET NOISE]

"THE PLANE SPRAYS OUT
INTO THE BOX OVER THE EARTH."

"AND THE TRAIN..."

"CROWDED WITH PEOPLE,
A WOMAN HOLDING ONTO HER SON."

"AS THE TRAIN STOPS,
CATTLE DOORS OPEN,

"AND THE PEOPLE SCRAMBLE OUT.

"SHE STRUGGLES TO GET
TO HER FATHER,

WHO COLLAPSES ON THE OTHER SIDE
OF THE TRAIN CAR..."

"DEAD."

[IMITATING GASPING]

"STEPPING OUT OF THE TRAIN
AND INTO THE LINE,

HER SON IS TAKEN AWAY!"

[IMITATES GASPING]

"CLOTHES STRIPPED OFF, NAKED."

"HEAD SHAVED BALD."

"AND THE LINE..."

"NEARS THE DOOR,
WHICH CRACKS OPEN,

AND MIST COMES OUT."

"SHE ENTERS A BOX-LIKE ROOM
WITH SHOWER NOZZLES ALL AROUND."

"AND ON THE WALL ARE
1, 2, 3, 4, 5 LINES

THAT YOU COULD ALMOST PUT
YOUR FINGER--"

[IMITATES GASPING]

"AND THE SHOWERS SPRAY ON,
AND MIST FILLS THE ROOM."

"AND THE PLANES FLY INTO
THE BOX, DROPPING MUSHROOM BOMBS

ON THE EARTH."

"A WOMAN WALKS DOWN..."

[IMITATES GASPING]

"DOWN THE STREET..."

[IMITATES GASPING]

"LEAVING ONLY HER PICTURE
IN THE SIDEWALK.

"A MAN RUNS SCREAMING,
SKIN PEELING.

"AND THE MIST IN THE BOX,
AS THE WOMAN SCREAMS AND TEARS

"HER FINGERS AT THE CEMENT,

"AND THE DOOR
TO THE CHAMBER CRACKS OPEN,

AND MIST COMES OUT."

"AND THE EARTH IN ITS BOX,
THE LID CRACKS OPEN,

AND MIST COMES OUT."

[IMITATES GASPING]

"IT'S SERIOUS. AND THE BOMBS--
BOMBS--BOMBS.

"TRAIN'S CROWDED
WITH P--PICTURE LEFT--

[IMITATES GASPING]

"EARTH IS IN THE BOMBS--
BOMBS--THAT'S EARTH HERE.

THAT MEANS--THAT MEANS
I'M STUCK HERE. I'M STUCK."

[IMITATES GASPING]
"CHAIR!"

[SCREAMING]

[APPLAUSE]

- THANK YOU ALL FOR COMING.

I REALLY APPRECIATE
YOU BEING HERE.

AND I'D LIKE TO THANK
KENNY LERNER AND DONNA

FOR VOICING SO THAT YOU CAN
UNDERSTAND THE POEMS AND THINGS.

[APPLAUSE]

- REALLY, THIS SHAKING OF
THE HANDS IN THE AIR,

AND I'M DOING IT, TOO, IS
BECAUSE I WANT TO THANK YOU.

SO WE GO BACK AND FORTH
THANKING EACH OTHER.

WE'LL DO THAT FOREVER AND EVER,
INFINITY, LIKE MIRRORS.

I WENT TO THE LIBRARY.

I WAS LOOKING THROUGH
THE BOOK STACKS.

PRETTY DUSTY. COBWEBS.

OH. A TOTALLY VACANT SPOT.

I SAW THIS BOOK WRITTEN BY
A HEARING PERSON.

SOMETHING WAS MISSING,

SO I DECIDED I WOULD
MAKE A BOOK...

A BOOK FOR YOU ALL TODAY.

HERE IS THE FIRST PAGE.

OK. FIRST OF ALL,
I HAVE TO THANK EVERYONE.

I WOULD LIKE TO GIVE
MANY THANKS TO JIM COHN,

WHO HAS MADE THIS CONFERENCE
POSSIBLE...

AND THANK THE LIBERAL ARTS
DEPARTMENT

FOR FUNDING THE PROJECT.

AND THANK YOU TO ALL
OF YOU WHO HAVE COME HERE

TO THE CONFERENCE
AND MADE THIS A HISTORIC EVENT.

WITHOUT YOU,
IT COULDN'T HAPPEN.

SO THANK YOU ALL FOR COMING.

AND I'D LIKE TO SAY THANK YOU
TO MY GOOD FRIEND,

DONNA KACHITES, WHO HAS
BEEN TRANSLATING MY WORK FOR ME

FOR A LONG TIME.

YEAH, I'M PRETTY LAZY ABOUT
DOING THAT MYSELF, SO...

AND I'D LIKE TO SAY THANK YOU
TO MY LOVE KENNY LERNER

FOR HIS CONTINUAL SUPPORT
OF MY WORK AND MY ART.

KEEPS ME GOING
AND KEEPS ME DOING NEW THINGS.

IF NOT FOR HIM, I MIGHT
SIT HOME AND BE BORED

AND HAVE COBWEBS GROWING
OFF MY HEAD AND NECK.

HA HA!

OK.

THE PREFACE.

"HOW I BECAME A POET." OK.

FIRST, LET ME EXPLAIN SOMETHING
TO ALL OF YOU.

YOU KNOW, LONG TIME BACK,
I WAS A YOUNG,

INNOCENT GIRL, AND I FELL
MADLY IN LOVE WITH A MAN.

I WAS SO CRAZY ABOUT HIM...

AND HE JUST SHUNNED ME AWAY,

AND THE REASON HE DID THAT
WAS BECAUSE I WAS DEAF.

I WAS DEVASTATED.

I GOT REALLY BITTER
AND ANGRY

AND BITTER ABOUT MY DEAFNESS,

AND I DIDN'T WANT
TO TAKE IT OUT ON HIM.

HE WAS A FRIEND, AND I WANTED
TO KEEP THAT FRIENDSHIP.

I CHERISHED IT,
AND SO INSTEAD,

I WROTE POEMS TO EXPRESS
MY FEELINGS ABOUT THAT

AND KEPT THEM IN PRIVATE,
NEVER SHOWED ANYONE.

AND LATER ON IN LIFE,
I MET ANOTHER MAN,

AND WE HAD A GOOD RELATIONSHIP,
BUT HE SAID TO ME,

"YOU'LL NEVER BE ABLE
TO UNDERSTAND MUSIC,"

AND I SAID,
"YES. YES. I CAN.

"I CAN UNDERSTAND MUSIC,
YOU KNOW?

I CAN RELATE IT TO THE COLORS
THAT I HAVE IN MY ARTWORK."

HE SAID, "NO, NO."

WE HAD TOTAL COMMUNICATION
BREAKDOWN.

I WAS REALLY FRUSTRATED
AND AGAIN REALLY TORN APART,

AND SO I WROTE ABOUT THAT,

AND AGAIN I KEPT IT
TO MYSELF.

IT WAS PERSONAL WRITING,

AND I COULDN'T SHOW IT
TO ANYONE ELSE.

THEN LATER ON, I BECAME INVOLVED
WITH SUNSHINE TOO!,

AND I FOUND A POEM WRITTEN
BY A DEAF WOMAN--

DOROTHY MILES,

AND I LOVED IT,
AND I TRANSLATED THE POEM.

AND IT'S CALLED "SKUNK."

I CAN'T REMEMBER
THE TRANSLATION NOW,

AND I DON'T HAVE
THAT POEM WITH ME.

GUESS I'M NOT ORGANIZED.
YOU SEE?

I TOLD YOU.
I FORGET THINGS.

ANYWAY, I ENJOYED
THE WORK SO MUCH.

AS TIME WENT ON,
I GOT INVOLVED WITH FTD,

THE FAIRMOUNT THEATRE
OF THE DEAF.

I WORKED WITH THEM
FOR TWO YEARS,

AND THEY GAVE ME DIFFERENT POEMS
TO TRANSLATE.

OH, YOU MIGHT BE WONDERING
WHY I'M SIGNING "POETRY"

THE WAY I AM.

FIRST, LET ME
EXPLAIN IT TO YOU.

I WENT TO DAA,
THE DEAF ARTISTS OF AMERICA.

THEY HAD A CONFERENCE,
AND WE WERE SITTING AROUND

HAVING DISCUSSION
ABOUT DEAF ART.

THERE WERE ALL KINDS OF OPINIONS
BEING THROWN IN.

PEOPLE ARE SAYING,
"WHAT IS DEAF ART?

WHAT DOES DEAF ART MEAN?"

"IS DEAF ART A GENRE,
A STYLE, A MOVEMENT?

WHAT IS IT?"

PEOPLE SAY, "OH, MAYBE WE SHOULD
SIGN "DEAF ART" LIKE THIS."

WELL, SOMEONE CAME UP
ONTO THE STAGE AND SAID,

"TODAY DEAF PEOPLE
ARE SIGNING ASL.

"IT'S REALLY
A BEAUTIFUL LANGUAGE,

"AND IT'S GROWING SO MUCH.

"IN THE PAST, WE HAD TO WRITE
AND USE THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE,

"BUT NOW WE'RE FREE,
AND WE'RE SPIRITUALLY

MORE FREE BECAUSE OF THAT,"
AND SO I'M SIGNING "POETRY"

LIKE THE SAME SIGN FOR "SPIRIT"
EXCEPT WITH A "P"

BECAUSE OF THAT.

SO ANYWAY,
BACK TO MY ORIGINAL THOUGHT.

I'VE BEEN SIGNING,
TRANSLATING POEMS A LOT,

AND I REALLY ENJOYED THAT.

AND I CAME TO RIT
TO STUDY GRAPHIC DESIGN.

I WAS STUDYING
BECAUSE I DECIDED

THAT THE THEATER MARKET
WASN'T VERY GOOD

AND I MIGHT NOT HAVE A JOB,
AND I WANTED TO HAVE SOMETHING

I COULD DEPEND ON, YOU KNOW?

I NEEDED SOMETHING
TO MAKE A LIVING BY,

GET SOME FOOD WITH.

SO I CAME HERE TO STUDY,
AND WHILE I WAS STUDYING,

WHO ELSE BUT JIM COHN
CAME UP TO ME AND SAID,

"WOULD YOU LIKE TO PERFORM
IN THE BIRD'S BRAIN SOCIETY?"

HEH. WELL, TELL ME--

LET ME TELL YOU,
MY KNEES WERE SHAKING,

AND I SAID,
"WELL, I GUESS I'LL TRY

AND PRESENT MY POETRY
TO PEOPLE,"

AND DURING THAT TIME,
I GOT SO MUCH FEEDBACK.

THERE WAS SO MUCH INTERACTION
WITH OTHER PEOPLE.

HOWIE SEAGO CAME UP TO ME,

AND HE EXPLAINED TO ME
ABOUT ELLA'S WORK,

TALKED ABOUT TIMING AND RHYTHM
AND HANDSHAPES

BEING THE FOCUS OF HER WORK.

I THOUGHT ABOUT THAT,
AND I REALIZED,

"OH, TRANSLATION ISN'T
WHAT I NEED TO BE DOING.

I CAN FOCUS ON ASL
AS THE SOURCE."

AND SO WHEN I GRADUATED
FROM RIT,

I REALLY WANTED TO WORK
WITH PATRICK GRAYBILL.

SO I GOT A THEATER INTERNSHIP
HERE AT NTID,

AND I LEARNED
FROM THE DIFFERENT TEACHERS

IN THE DEPARTMENT.

I LEARNED ABOUT ACTING.

I LEARNED THE PRINCIPLES
OF ACTING, AND I WAS REALLY--

I LEARNED SO MUCH,

AND I SAW SO MANY PEOPLE'S
DIFFERENT STYLES...

AND ALSO, I WAS TAKING--
I WAS INVOLVED

WITH PATRICK GRAYBILL'S
TRANSLATION INTO SIGN,

AND THAT'S THE TIME WHEN
I LEARNED ABOUT ASL GRAMMAR,

THAT ASL HAD A STRUCTURE
OF ITS OWN,

AND I WAS SO THRILLED,

AND IT WAS SUCH AN EXCITING
PROCESS WORKING WITH HIM.

THAT WAS A REAL INSPIRATION,

AND I WAS ALSO INVOLVED
WITH HOWIE SEAGO'S

SIGN MIME CLASS,

AND HE TALKED
ABOUT HANDSHAPES,

AND I THOUGHT,
"WOW. WHAT A CHALLENGE."

I WAS FINDING ALL THESE
NEW TOOLS TO WORK WITH.

OK, SO THEN I ALSO LEARNED
ABOUT FINGERSPELLING POEMS.

HANDSHAPE AND FINGERSPELLING
ARE TWO DIFFERENT ENTITIES,

AND I'D LIKE TO TALK
ABOUT THEM EACH.

FINGERSPELLING--THERE'S
TWO METHODS THAT YOU CAN USE.

ONE IS BE DESCRIPTIVE,

AND THE OTHER
IS TO USE OUTLINE.

FOR EXAMPLE,
THIS IS "CALF"--

"C"...

"C"...

"A"...

"L"...

"F."

OK.

THAT'S A FINGERSPELLED POEM.

THE OTHER THING YOU CAN DO
IS OUTLINE.

MOUNTAIN.

THAT'S OUTLINING.

YOU SPELL THE WORD IN THE SHAPE
OF THE THING THAT IT IS...

AND FOR PEOPLE HERE WHO DON'T
KNOW WHAT HANDSHAPES ARE,

I'D LIKE TO SHOW THEM TO YOU.

THIS IS ONE HANDSHAPE--
A 5 HANDSHAPE.

THIS IS AN "S," A "D."

I WOULD LIKE TO SHOW YOU
A HANDSHAPE POEM,

AND IT'S CALLED "SWAN."

A SOLITARY TREE
WHISPERS ITS REFLECTION

IN THE CALMLY RIPPLING POND.

A MAJESTIC SWAN
FLIES THROUGH THE AIR,

SWOOPS DOWN,
SKIMS THE SURFACE,

SPLASHES, THEN SETTLES HERSELF.

IN HER COMFORTING WATER NEST,
SHE REGALLY GLIDES.

[APPLAUSE]

THANK YOU.

ALSO, ANOTHER CHALLENGE FOR ME
IS TO TAKE HANDSHAPES

AND FINGERSPELLING POEMS

AND HAVE THEM NOT BE
THE EMPHASIS.

I DON'T WANT THAT
TO STAND OUT.

I WANT IT TO FLOW.

IT'S SOMETHING I LIKE
TO CHALLENGE MYSELF WITH.

IT'S IMPORTANT
IN MY POETRY TO DO THAT.

FOR EXAMPLE,

THAT SIGNING "CREATE"
WITH A "W" WOULD NEVER WORK

BECAUSE THE HANDSHAPE
ISN'T CORRECT.

THEY HAVE TO MAKE SENSE.

EVERYTHING HAS TO FLOW TOGETHER.
IT'S VERY IMPORTANT.

THAT'S AN IMPORTANT ASPECT
OF MY POETRY.

SO, I DO GET A LOT
FROM DOING HANDSHAPE POEMS.

I LIKE TO DO THEM.

I ALWAYS INCLUDE THEM
IN MY POETRY SETS.

NOW I'M MORE AND MORE
INVOLVED WITH POETRY.

IT SEEMS LIKE IT'S MY LIFE
RIGHT NOW.

MY TOTAL FOCUS IS ON POETRY.

I'M LUCKY, BUT I'M POOR,
POOR BUT LUCKY.

IT'S DEFINITELY A PRIORITY
OF MINE, POETRY.

OH, I LOVE IT SO MUCH,
COMING UP WITH IDEAS,

TRAVELING,
GETTING NEW EXPERIENCES.

IT'S ALL AN INSPIRATION
FOR ME TO CREATE.

I FEEL LIKE I'VE GROWN
SO MUCH IN MY LIFETIME,

AND THERE HAVE BEEN
SO MANY CHANGES

AND SO MANY
DIFFERENT EXPERIENCES,

THINGS THAT I'VE SEEN,

AND MY POETRY SEEMS TO BE
GROWING PARALLEL WITH MY LIFE.

IT'S REALLY AMAZING.

MY POETRY HAS
DEFINITELY CHANGED.

WHEN I LOOK BACK,
I HAVE TO LAUGH AT MYSELF.

I SEE VIDEOS
OF MY FIRST POETRY...

"I THINK I FELL IN LOVE--"

AND I'M REALLY AWKWARD
WITH WHAT I'M DOING.

IT'S NOT SMOOTH,
SO IT'S INTERESTING TO SEE...

WITH HINDSIGHT NOW.

I ALSO PERFORM STORIES,
AND I'M A CLOWN.

I CLOWNED BEFORE.

I WAS SO SUCCESSFUL WITH THAT,

BUT NOW IT SEEMS TO BE FROZEN
IN A STATIC POSITION.

I CAN JUST LOOK AT IT AND SAY,
"OH, THAT'S MY CLOWNING,"

BUT I DON'T REALLY DO IT.

STORYTELLING I DO DO STILL
FROM TIME TO TIME,

AND IT'S IMPORTANT BECAUSE
IT'S HOW I EARN MY LIVING.

I FREELANCE FOR YOUNG AUDIENCES.

THEY BOOK ME ALL AROUND
THE AREA SCHOOLS IN ROCHESTER.

OH, THAT'S MY SOURCE OF INCOME.

NOW, HOW DO I DECIDE
WHAT THE DIFFERENCE IS

BETWEEN MY POETRY
AND MY STORIES?

CHAPTER ONE.

I DON'T WANT YOU
TO HAVE TO LOOK AT THAT,

AND THAT LIGHT
IS BOTHERING ME, TOO.

FIRST OF ALL,
I'D LIKE TO SHOW YOU...

I'D LIKE TO SHOW YOU A POEM,

AND I'D LIKE TO SHARE
THE TECHNICAL WORDS

THAT I USE WITH POETRY.

THIS IS CALLED
"MISSING CHILDREN."

YOU KNOW THOSE WHITE CARDS
YOU GET SOMETIMES IN THE MAIL,

PICTURES ON THEM
OF LITTLE CHILDREN

AND THEY SAY,
"HAVE YOU SEEN ME?"

WITH A NUMBER UNDERNEATH THEM,
YOU KNOW,

ON THE REVERSE SIDE,
THERE'S AN ADVERTISEMENT?

OH, I HATE TO GET THEM.

IT JUST TEARS ME APART. YOU
KNOW, I'LL GO THROUGH MY MAIL

AND THE BILLS, BILLS,
MORE BILLS.

AH! AND THEN I'LL SEE
ONE OF THESE CARDS,

AND IT JUST KILLS ME.

I CAN IMAGINE A WOMAN,
A MOTHER AND FATHER,

BROTHERS AND SISTERS
SITTING AROUND FEELING LOST

WITHOUT THEIR DEAR ONE,
THEIR DEAR ONE GONE,

AND IT GOES ON
FOR YEARS AND YEARS.

I CAN'T REALLY IMAGINE IT.

I CAN'T IMAGINE A CHILD OF MINE
THAT HAPPENING.

AND ALL OVER THE WORLD,
THERE'S SO MANY PEOPLE MISSING,

SO MANY CHILDREN MISSING,
IN WARS,

CHILDREN OF ALL AGES,
YOUNG TO ADULTS.

IT'S REALLY TOUCHING.

SO THIS POEM,
"MISSING CHILDREN,"

WAS WRITTEN BY ME.

WELL, "WRITTEN" ISN'T
REALLY THE RIGHT WORD.

CREATED BY.

HEH. I DON'T HAVE
THE PRINTED VERSION OF IT,

BUT IT WAS CREATED
BY ME AND KENNY LERNER.

WE WORKED TOGETHER ON THAT.

I WORK WITH KENNY BECAUSE HE
KNOWS SO MUCH ABOUT POLITICS

AND I KNOW A LOT ABOUT CHILDREN,
SO PUTTING THE TWO TOGETHER,

WE CAME UP WITH THIS.

A PASSERBY TAKES THE CARD

AND ON IT, A PICTURE.

UNDER IT, IT SAYS,
"HAVE YOU SEEN ME?"

A CUTE, LITTLE GIRL.

NO. I HAVEN'T.

PAPER FLIES THROUGH THE AIR

AND LANDS ON THE GROUND
FACE DOWN.

NICARAGUA.

CUTE, LITTLE BOY,
DARK-BROWN HAIR,

DARK-BROWN EYES,
DARK-BROWN COMPLEXION

WORKING IN THE COFFEE FIELDS
ALONGSIDE HIS FATHER...

THE FATHER

AND HIS SON...

AND THROUGHOUT THE LAND,
A SIMILAR SCENE...

THE FATHER AND HIS SON.

AND THROUGH THE THICK,
HOT JUNGLES,

TENS UPON 20
OF FREEDOM FIGHTERS,

AMMO BELTS.

PA-PA-PA-PA-PUM!

PA-PA-PA-PA-PUM!

PEOPLE FALL DOWN
TO THE GROUND DEAD,

AND THE BOY SEES HIS FATHER
SHOT AND KILLED.

FREEDOM FIGHTER GRABS HIM,
THROWS ON HELMET,

AND THE BOY CONTINUES
PLANTING SEEDS

INTO THE BARREL OF THE GUN.

[EXPLOSION]

A FUNERAL MARCH
IN SOUTH AFRICA.

A FATHER AND,
IN THE CASKET, HIS SON.

THE FATHER.

THE MOURNERS PROCEED.

THE FATHER AND,
IN THE CASKET, HIS SON.

THE MOURNERS RECOIL
FROM THE APPROACHING DANGER.

[POLICE SIREN]

HA HA HA! IT'S BOTHA'S BOYS.

PA-PA-PA-PA-PA-PA!
PA-PA-PA-PA!

THE FATHER...

AND IN THE CASKET, HIS SON.

IRELAND.

CUTE, LITTLE BOY--
RED HAIR, FRECKLED FACE,

BLUE EYES--
LOOKS TO HIS FATHER,

THE FATHER AND HIS SON.

FATHER DOWNS BOTTLE.

GASOLINE...

CLOTH...

LIGHTS IT.

[EXPLOSION AND WHISTLING]

ACROSS THE WAY, CUTE LITTLE
GIRL WITH BOWTIES IN HER HAIR...

LOOKS TO HER FATHER
AND HIS GUN.

[WHISTLING]

[EXPLOSION]

PAPERS FLUTTER TO THE GROUND.

PASSERBY COLLECTS THEM.

A PICTURE

OF A CUTE, LITTLE GIRL.

"HAVE YOU SEEN ME?"

[APPLAUSE]

SO I'D LIKE TO APPLY THAT

TO THE TECHNICAL ASPECTS
OF MY POETRY.

OK. READY?

FIRST OF ALL,
I HAVE TO TELL YOU,

THESE ARE MY PERSONAL RULES.

THEY'RE NOT YET LAW. NOPE.
NO LAWS HAVE BEEN MADE.

THEY'RE MY PERSONAL RULES,

WHAT I FEEL FROM THE INSIDE

AND WHAT I FIGURED OUT
ABOUT MYSELF.

I'M NOT A LINGUIST.
I'LL TELL YOU THAT. OK.

I'M REALLY FAMOUS
FOR REPETITION,

AND I USUALLY REPEAT 3 TIMES.

THAT'S MY TENDENCY.

EVERY POEM OF MINE
TENDS TO HAVE THAT.

FOR EXAMPLE,
THE BOY PLANTING SEEDS.

YOU REMEMBER THAT?

IN THE COFFEE FIELDS,
THERE WAS A SMALL BOY

PLANTING SEEDS, 3 TIMES.

THEN HE'S PUTTING THE SEEDS
INTO THE BARREL OF THE GUN,

AND THE FREEDOM FIGHTER
SHOOTS 3 TIMES.

IN SOUTH AFRICA
AND THE FUNERAL MARCH,

THE MOURNERS...

OK.

HE NOTICED THAT MY WORK
TEND TO HAVE THAT REPETITION,

BUT IF IT'S FAST, CAN I HAVE
A REPETITION OF TWOs,

AND I SAID, "YES.
THAT IS VERY MUCH TRUE."

SOMETIMES THE TRANSITION
HAPPENS,

AND IT GOES INSTEAD OF 3s
TO 2s.

I MIGHT COUNT SOMETHING,
A CERTAIN MOVEMENT,

AS ONE OF THE TWO TI--
OF ONE OF THE TIMES,

AND IT LOOKS LIKE 2,
BUT IT'S 3.

IT DEPENDS ON WHAT
FEELS RIGHT FOR ME.

IF I FEEL LIKE
IT'S TOO OVERDONE,

IT'S TAKING UP TOO MUCH TIME...

I THINK, "OH, 3 TIMES, PEOPLE
WILL BE REALLY BORED WITH THAT,

SO I'LL JUST DO IT ONCE."

I HAVE TO FEEL WHAT'S RIGHT
AND WHAT FITS

THE ENERGY AND THE EMOTION
OF THE POEM.

OK.

OK. FROZEN IMAGES.
OH, I LOVE TO WORK WITH THEM.

I THINK THEY'RE
THE MOST POWERFUL FOR ME,

AND I THINK THAT'S BECAUSE
I LOVE PHOTOGRAPHY.

IT'S SO MOVING TO ME.
IT'S SO POWERFUL.

YOU SEE, I JUST SAW
A PICTURE OF MYSELF

IN THE NEWSPAPER LIKE THAT.

I THOUGHT, "WOW!"
LOVED IT.

I LOVE THE IDEA
OF A FROZEN IMAGE,

AND SO I LIKE TO HAVE THAT
IN MY POEMS.

A LOT OF MY POEMS
HAVE FROZEN IMAGES,

FOR EXAMPLE, THE PICTURES
OF MISSING CHILDREN.

FOR ME, IT JUST SENDS CHILLS
UP MY SPINE.

I LIKE TO END
WITH FROZEN IMAGES--

I ALWAYS TEND TO DO THAT--

LIKE THE PAPERS FALLING
ON THE GROUND, STIFF.

OK.

OK. HANDSHAPES.

I ALWAYS LIKE TO PLAY
WITH HANDSHAPES

AND HAVE THEM ALTERNATE
WITH EACH OTHER.

MOST OF THE TIME--

SOMETIMES I FOCUS ON THAT,
SOMETIMES I DON'T.

EVEN IF I DON'T FOCUS
ON HANDSHAPES,

SOMEHOW THEY TEND
TO COME UP IN MY POEMS.

IT'S JUST INSIDE ME.

I'VE BEEN WORKING ON THAT
FOR 3 YEARS, YOU KNOW.

I'M JUST NEW AT THIS,
LITTLE, 3-YEAR-OLD POET.

BUT...IN SOUTH AFRICA,

YOU SEE THE 5 HANDSHAPES
HOLDING THE COFFIN

AND THE MOURNERS, AND THEY PLAY
OFF EACH OTHER BACK AND FORTH.

HANDSHAPES ARE
SUCH AMAZING THINGS TO ME.

TRANSFORMATION OF SIGNS,

LIKE THE PAPER FLIES
THROUGH THE AIR,

AND THEN WHEN IT TURNS OVER,
IT'S THE SAME

AS THE SIGN FOR "DEAD."

THE PAPER BECOMES DEATH.

I HAVE ANOTHER POEM

WHERE I'M THINKING
ABOUT MY COMPLAINTS, AND I SAY,

"MY COMPLAINTS, MY COMPLAINTS,

I'M THROUGH WITH THEM."

IT'S LIKE THE COMPLAINTS ARE
WRITTEN DOWN ON A PIECE OF PAPER

AND I CAN JUST CRUMBLE THEM UP
AND THROW THEM AWAY,

THAT KIND OF IDEA.

I TEND TO PLAY WITH
ABSTRACT IDEAS IN THAT MANNER.

FOR EXAMPLE, THAT
WHEN THE BOMB GOES OFF

AND I COVER MY EARS,
MY EARS ARE COVERED

WITH THE 5 HANDSHAPES,
AND THEN I COME UP,

AND I'M HOLDING THE COFFIN,

BUT I'VE CHANGED
FROM ONE PLACE TO ANOTHER,

AND THAT TRANSFORMATION
HAPPENS SMOOTHLY.

[MAN SPEAKING INDISTINCTLY]

HE ASKED ABOUT TRANSFORMING
IMAGES TO IMAGE--

FROM IMAGE TO IMAGE,

CONCEPT TO CONCEPT
OR SIGN TO SIGN.

WELL, THE PAPER
IS AN EXAMPLE OF THAT,

FLIES THROUGH THE AIR,
THEN IT BECOMES DEATH.

IT HAS TWO MEANINGS IN ONE,

AND THE SIGN TRAVELS.

IT FLOWS.

VALLI IS A GOOD EXAMPLE OF THAT.

HE HAS REALLY BEAUTIFUL
CHOREOGRAPHY IN HIS LANGUAGE.

HE TRAVELED FROM PLACE TO PLACE

UNTIL HE WOULD ARRIVE
AT ANOTHER PLACE.

OK.

CHOREOGRAPHY OF LANGUAGE.

I'VE BEEN INVOLVED
WITH TAKING DANCE CLASSES,

AND SO I KNOW A LITTLE BIT
ABOUT CHOREOGRAPHY,

AND I'LL USE THINGS,
MY BODY MOVEMENT,

AND PLAY WITH THE TREES,
THESE SIGNS FOR TREES,

IN THE JUNGLE.

I FEEL LIKE I'M CHOREOGRAPHING
THE LANGUAGE

BECAUSE THIS IS THE SIGN
FOR "TREE"...

BUT FOR ME,
I CHOREOGRAPH IT

AND EMPHASIZE THE DANCE OF IT

AND EMPHASIZE THAT IT'S A JUNGLE
TO SHOW THAT...

SO CHOREOGRAPHY
IS A PART OF MY WORK.

OK. SPEED.

I LIKE TO CHANGE SPEEDS.

AND WHY I MAKE THINGS SLOW
AT ONE TIME

AND FAST IN ANOTHER IS--

OH, SAY, FOR EXAMPLE...

THE CAR PULLS UP.

I WANT THAT TO BE
SMOOTH AND FAST,

SO I DO IT FAST,

BUT IT GOES FAST, BUT I WANT
THE FEELING OF SMOOTHNESS.

THEN THE SIRENS
ARE A REAL INTERRUPTION,

AND SO I SIGN THEM REALLY FAST.

THE CAR COMES UP RATHER SLOW.

IT'S IMPORTANT
TO EMPHASIZE THAT.

I WANT TO EMPHASIZE THE MOMENT
WHEN BOTHA'S BOYS COME OUT,

AND SO I DO IT REALLY SLOWLY
AND GRAB THE GUN REALLY SLOWLY

SO THAT I'M BUILDING UP
THE AUDIENCE'S EXPECTATIONS

AND THEIR FEARS.

WHAT THE SIGN IS
ISN'T THAT IMPORTANT,

BUT THE SPEED OF IT IS.

I WANT THE CONTRAST
BETWEEN THE FAST AND THE SLOW,

AND I WANT PEOPLE TO SEE
THE EMOTION

AND THE EXPRESSION ON MY FACE
WHEN I AM ONE OF BOTHA'S BOYS.

MOST OF MY POETRY
STAYS IN ONE PLACE.

NOW, I DON'T MEAN I NAIL
MY FEET TO THE GROUND.

I DO MOVE AROUND A BIT,

AND I MOVE MY BODY A LOT,

BUT I TRY TO STAY
IN THE SAME PLACE

TO KEEP THE SAME PLACEMENT.

I CHALLENGE MYSELF WITH THAT.

MOST OF IT IS IN ONE SPACE.

THERE'S A FEW POEMS
WHERE I MOVE AROUND A LOT.

MAYBE I'M EXPERIMENTING,
SEEING HOW THEY WORK,

IF IT'LL WORK OR IF IT WON'T.

I MISSED FACIAL EXPRESSION.

THAT'S TRUE. I DID.
THE ANSWER'S YES.

I DID MISS FACIAL EXPRESSION.

OK. FACIAL EXPRESSION,
IT'S VERY IMPORTANT,

NUMBER ONE...

NUMBER ONE IN SIGN LANGUAGE.

IF I SIGN WITH A BLANK FACE,
THE MEANING WON'T GET ACROSS.

THE MOVEMENT IS NOT HALF
AS IMPORTANT

AS THE FACIAL EXPRESSION
IN CONVEYING MEANING.

FOR EXAMPLE, I HAVE
ONE SHORT HAIKU I'LL DO FOR YOU.

BUDDING FROM THE EARTH...

A ROSE

BLOSSOMS.

A BUTTERFLY.

AHH.

[APPLAUSE]

IT'S ONE FLOWING MOVEMENT,
BUT THE EXPRESSION

GIVES MOST OF THE MEANING,
EXPRESSION ON MY FACE.

HA HA HA!

CAN--

CAN I JUMP ON?
CAN I GO ON NOW?

OK. OTHER CONCERNS
OR CONSIDERATIONS.

EMOTIONS.

I'M A VERY EMOTIONAL PERSON.

MAYBE THAT'S WHY I DO REALLY
BELONG IN THE THEATER WORLD.

YOU KNOW, REALITY
IS REALLY IMPORTANT,

AND FOR ME,
I HAVE TO REALLY FEEL IT.

I HAVE TO FEEL THE EMOTION
THAT I'M TRYING TO CONVEY...

SO WHEN I'M HOLDING UP
THE CASKET IN SOUTH AFRICA,

I THINK OF THAT CHILD
AND THAT HE'S GONE.

FEELINGS ARE SO IMPORTANT TO ME,

VERY, VERY IMPORTANT.

THE NEXT THING IS PUNS.

I'M FAMOUS FOR USING PUNS. YES.

I GUESS IT'S STRANGE.

I DON'T EVEN THINK OF ENGLISH
IN MY MIND.

I'M NOT THINKING THAT,

BUT I ALWAYS TEND
TO PLAY WITH PUNS.

I LOVE IDIOMS,
I GOT TO TELL YOU,

LIKE THE IDIOM "HOT SHIT"
IN ENGLISH.

OH, I LOVE IT.
I LOVE IT, YOU KNOW?

FIRST, I'LL SAY,
"HEY, HEY, WHAT DOES THAT MEAN?

WHAT DOES IT MEAN,
"HOT SHIT"?"

AND TRY TO FIGURE IT OUT.

THEN PEOPLE SIGN TO ME.

THEY SHOW ME THE MEANING
IN SIGN LANGUAGE.

YOU KNOW, THEY'LL SAY
WHAT DEAF PEOPLE TEND TO SIGN

FOR "HOT SHIT," YOU KNOW?

SO I LEARNED THAT.

A FEW DAYS AGO,
I WAS TEASING MY ROOMMATE.

SO I WAS TEASING MY ROOMMATE
ABOUT "HOT SHIT," AND I SAID,

"YOU KNOW, THE TOILET IS BOILING
WITH YOUR SHIT IN IT."

THOSE KINDS OF PUNS
I TEND TO MAKE.

OK. I'D LIKE TO APPLY TO ONE
OF MY POEMS FROM LAST NIGHT--

"ALIEN."

I DID HAVE A PUN IN THAT.

I DON'T KNOW HOW MANY OF YOU
HAVE SEEN IT,

BUT WHEN I READ THE NEWSPAPER

ABOUT ILLEGAL ALIENS,
PEOPLE FROM EL SALVADOR

WHO ARE REFUGEES,
HAVE LEFT FROM THERE,

AND I SAW THIS ONE ARTICLE
WITH A PICTURE OF A WOMAN

HOLDING HER LITTLE BOY--

- OUT!

- AND THEY HAD TO GET OUT,

HAD TO GET OUT OF AMERICA.

THEY LIVE IN BUFFALO.

THEY'D BEEN THERE FOR 5 YEARS.

THE WOMAN HAD BEEN WORKING,
GOING ALONG FINE

TILL THE BOSS CAME UP TO HER
AND SAID,

"WHERE'S YOUR GREEN CARD?"

AND A GREEN CARD PERMITS ALIENS
TO LIVE IN THIS COUNTRY.

SO "ALIEN" IS A STRANGE WORD,
AND IT MEANS

THAT YOU'RE STRANGE
TO THIS COUNTRY,

AND I THOUGHT
OF THE MOVIE "ALIEN."

IT WAS FIRST IN 1978,
I THINK, I SAW IT,

THE FIRST VERSION OF IT
WITH THAT EXPLOSIVE EGG.

OH...

[LAUGHTER]

I HATED THE MOVIE SO MUCH.

I REALLY, REALLY HATED IT.

IT WAS SO BLOODY,
IT WAS AWFUL.

SO I TOOK THE CONCEPT OF ALIEN
FROM THE MOVIE

AND MY DISGUST AT THE SITUATION
OF ALIENS IN THIS COUNTRY.

I FEEL LIKE WE SHOULD
BE HELPING,

AND INSTEAD,
WE'RE THROWING THEM OUT.

PARENTS AND THEIR CHILDREN
HAVE TO BE KICKED OUT...

OR THE FAMILY, IF THEY WENT BACK
TO WHERE THEY LIVED ORIGINALLY,

THEY WOULD DIE.

WHAT'S THAT ALL ABOUT, YOU KNOW?

IT'S TOO MUCH,
AND SO I APPLIED THAT

AND CAME UP WITH
MY INTERPRETATION OF IT,

COMBINING THE TWO.

THAT WAS INSIDE OF ME,
AND I DIDN'T REALIZE IT.

I DIDN'T EVEN REALIZE
IT WAS A PUN

UNTIL I STARTED
PLAYING WITH IT...

SO I PUT THE TWO CULTURES
TOGETHER,

AND ONCE I FOUND THAT
IN THE NEWSPAPER,

I DECIDED TO CREATE THIS POEM.

OK. NOW, THE NEXT AREA IS HAIKU.

I THINK HAIKUS ARE THE MOST
BEAUTIFUL POEMS.

THEY'RE IMAGES.

I JUST LOVE THEM.

I'VE BEEN INFLUENCED BY
A FEW FOR SURE.

PETER COOK WAS REALLY INFLUENCED
BY THE BEATS,

BUT I'VE BEEN INFLUENCED
BY HAIKU A LOT,

AND A LITTLE BIT FROM PETER.

YOU KNOW, HE'S MY ROOMMATE.

OF COURSE HE'S GONNA INFLUENCE
ME A BIT.

YOU KNOW, I HAVE TO PUT UP
WITH THAT,

BUT GOT TO SHARE THINGS, TOO,
I GUESS.

SO I'D LIKE TO SHOW YOU
A HAIKU.

FIRST A JAPANESE ONE.

I CAN SEE DONNA'S REACTION.

I DIDN'T TELL HER I WAS GONNA
DO THIS.

FUNNY, CUTE,
SITTING THERE,

BUT I TRUST HER,
NO PROBLEM.

THIS IS THE SIGN FOR JAPAN.

THAT'S HOW THEY SIGN IT
OVER THERE, JAPAN.

IS THAT RIGHT, PATRICK?

IS THAT THE RIGHT SIGN FOR
JAPAN, THE OUTLINE OF IT?

THE OUTLINE OF THE ISLAND?

OK, JAPAN.

'CAUSE IT'S AN ISLAND.

THIS IS A HAIKU.

MY HUT BURNED AND WITHERED
TO ASHES,

BUT FLOWERS BLOSSOM
ON THE HILL.

OK, WELL, I TRY TO THINK

HOW I COULD CREATE A HAIKU.

I JUST THOUGHT I'D PICK
TWO NATURAL IMAGES.

DANDELION GONE TO SEED.

[BLOWS]

AHH.

1,000 WHITE ANGELS.

[APPLAUSE]

SO I TEND TO COLLECT
HAIKUS IN MY POETRY.

OK, IT'S AN INTERESTING THING.

WHAT DOES POETRY MEAN?

WELL, I LOOKED IT UP
IN THE DICTIONARY,

AND I TELL YOU,
I WAS BLOWN AWAY.

WOW, THAT REALLY STRUCK ME.

I KISSED THE DICTIONARY
AFTER I READ IT.

IT'S SO BEAUTIFUL
AND SO SIMPLE.

OK, NOW...

NOW I'D LIKE TO SHOW YOU
A STORY,

SHOW YOU THE DIFFERENCES.

MOST OF MY STORIES, I DON'T
REALLY FOCUS ON

THE TERMINOLOGY THAT I TALKED
TO YOU ABOUT EARLIER

FROM MY POETRY

OR THE TECHNIQUES OF THAT.

SEEMS LIKE YOU NEED
TO GO.

YOU SHOULD GO AHEAD AND GO
IF YOU NEED TO.

FEEL FREE TO LEAVE.

I SEE YOU HESITATING.
I HAVE CLASS.

YOU SEEM REALLY TORN,
SPLIT IN THE MIDDLE.

SORRY. FEEL SORRY FOR YOU.

OH, REALLY? REALLY?

THAT'S INTERESTING.

IT SEEMS LIKE IN DEAF CULTURE,

YOU GOT TO TELL
THE PERFORMER FIRST,

"OH, I'M GOING TO THE BATHROOM
FIRST."

OR NOT THE PERFORMER.
SORRY, I MEAN THE TEACHER.

OR, YOU KNOW, IF YOU'RE
HAVING CLASS DISCUSSION,

YOU HAVE TO SAY, "I'M GONNA RUN
AND GO TO THE BATHROOM."

OH, WOW.

OK, THAT'S NICE.
I LIKE THAT.

LESS PARANOIA ON MY PART.

OK.

LET ME SHOW YOU A STORY NOW,

SOMETHING THAT REALLY HAPPENED
IN MY OWN LIFE.

MY ROOMMATE'S NAME
IS DEBBIE, ALSO.

SHE AND I WERE SITTING
DOWN TO DINNER.

WE TALKED AND ATE
TILL WE HAD OUR FILL,

AND THEN DEBBIE HAD TO GO OUT
AND DO SOMETHING.

SO SHE LEFT AND I CLEANED UP
THE KITCHEN,

PUTTING AWAY THE DISHES
AND STRAIGHTENING UP.

I THOUGHT I WOULD READ A BOOK.

AND SO I OPENED IT UP,
STARTED READING.

YOU KNOW, IT WAS A STORY
ABOUT A WITCH.

BLACK, POINTED HAT,
FRIZZY BROWN HAIR,

GREEN FACE AND A GREEN,
LONG NOSE

WITH A WART ON IT

AND FINGERNAILS LIKE CLAWS.

OH, BUT DON'T GET ME WRONG,
I WASN'T AFRAID.

AFTER A WHILE, I GOT TIRED
AND I SET THE BOOK DOWN.

YOU KNOW, I'M DEAF,

SO I DIDN'T KNOW IF MY ROOMMATE
HAD COME IN OR NOT,

SO I HAD TO CHECK.

I WENT OVER TO HER BEDROOM,

CRACKED THE DOOR OPEN,

AND I COULD SEE HER BED WAS
PRETTY LUMPY UNDER THE COVERS.

OH, YEAH, SHE'S IN.

SHE'S OBVIOUSLY ASLEEP.

AND SO I WENT TO THE DOOR
AND I LOCKED IT BOLT BY BOLT.

I LIVED IN CLEVELAND
AT THE TIME. I WAS AFRAID.

BUT, OH, NO, NO, I MEAN,
I WASN'T AFRAID.

DON'T GET ME WRONG.

[LAUGHTER]

NO, NO, I WASN'T SCARED.

IT'S NOTHING TO BE AFRAID OF.

AND IT'S TIME FOR BED,

AND SO I WENT INTO MY BEDROOM,
PULLED DOWN THE COVERS.

5, OF COURSE.

WAS THAT 5?
YEAH, YEAH, OK.

5.

OH, SO COZY AND TOASTY WARM.

I FELL ASLEEP AND IMMEDIATELY
BEGAN TO DREAM.

IT WAS THE WITCH WITH
HER POINTED CAP

AND FRIZZY HAIR, GREEN FACE
AND WARTED NOSE

AND HER CLAWS,

AND SHE WAS AFTER ME.

AND I WOKE UP.

OH! OH! OK.

IT WAS JUST A DREAM. OK.

AND I WENT BACK TO SLEEP.

AND AGAIN,

I DREAMED OF A THUNDER
AND LIGHTNING STORM.

BOOM-BOOM BOOM-BOOM
BOOM-BOOM BOOM BOOM.

[PANTING]

I WOKE UP SO FRIGHTENED.

[PANTING]

AND I COULD SEE
OUT THE WINDOW.

IT WAS A FULL MOON,
CLEAR NIGHT.

HMM.

ALL RIGHT.

WENT BACK TO SLEEP AGAIN.

AND THE NEXT THING I KNEW,
THE WHOLE HOUSE WAS SHAKING

FROM SIDE TO SIDE,
THE WALLS.

AND I LOOKED OUT THE WINDOW
AND THERE WAS THE LIGHT

GOING ROUND AND ROUND
AND ROUND

AND THE WITCH'S BROOM BANGING
ON THE WINDOW.

SHE WANTED ME.
SHE WAS THERE. SHE WANTED ME.

I PULLED BACK MY COVERS
AS QUICK AS I COULD.

[PANTING] 1, 2, 3, 4, 5.

AND I RAN, RAN TO THE WINDOW,

AND THERE SHE WAS,
THE WALLS SHAKING,

HER LIGHT GOING ROUND AND ROUND
AND ROUND AND ROUND

AND HER BROOM BANGING
ON THE WINDOW.

I GOT CLOSER.
MY HEART WAS POUNDING.

CLOSER AND CLOSER AND CLOSER.

AND THERE SHE WAS,
HER LIGHT BANGING.

"WHY DID YOU LOCK ME OUT,
LITTLE ONE?"

WITH HER FRIZZY HAIR, LONG.

AND THE BROOM.

"WHAT'S WRONG?
WHAT'S WRONG WITH YOU?

"WHAT'S WRONG?
YOU LOCKED ME OUT.

I'M YOUR ROOMMATE."

OH, IT WAS DEBBIE
WITH HER LONG HAIR.

I RAN TO THE DOOR,

UNBOLTED IT.

"I'M SO SORRY. I THOUGHT
YOU WERE IN BED.

"I HAD NO IDEA.
I'M SO SORRY.

"OH, YOUR HAIR, AND I THOUGHT
YOU WERE--NO.

"OH, I'M SORRY.

I SHOULD HAVE BOUGHT THAT
FLASHING LIGHT FOR THE DOOR."

[APPLAUSE]

- THERE WAS SOMETHING ABOUT
DEAFNESS,

BECAUSE A LOT OF KIDS
JUST DON'T KNOW.

YOU KNOW, THEY HAVE NO IDEA
WHAT DEAF CULTURE IS ALL ABOUT.

SO I WANTED TO FIND A DEAF STORY

THAT HEARING CULTURE, HEARING
CHILDREN, COULD RELATE TO,

AND I DEVELOPED THAT ONE.

OK.

OK, FIRST OF ALL,

I'D LIKE TO TALK ABOUT
THE STORYLINE.

I WAS PRACTICING MY LECTURE
WITH DONNA, SIGNING TO HER,

AND SHE PUT DOWN SOME COMMENTS,

AND ONE THING SHE PUT DOWN
WAS STORYLINE.

THE NEXT DAY I WAS GOING
TO PRACTICE

AND I SIGNED "STORYLINE."

AND DONNA SAID TO ME, "WELL,
WHAT WERE YOU SIGNING BEFORE?

"YOU WEREN'T SIGNING STORYLINE.

YOU SIGNED IT IN ASL
A LOT MORE CLEARLY."

AND SO I SAID, "I LOOKED
AT THE ENGLISH

"AND IT AFFECTED ME.

I WAS SIGNING ENGLISH."

SO I TRY TO KEEP AWAY
FROM THE STUFF.

BUT ANYWAY,

THE STORY I JUST SHOWED YOU,

YOU COULD FEEL THE EVENTS
BUILDING UPON ONE ANOTHER.

ONE THING LED INTO THE NEXT.

BUT IN POETRY, I DON'T FOCUS
ON THAT SO MUCH.

I MIGHT TAKE SHORT IMAGES,
CONCISE IMAGES,

AND PUT THEM OUT.

YOU KNOW, MIGHT TAKE THE WITCH
AND EXAGGERATE HER

AND SHOW HER NOSE
WITH A WART ON IT

AND HAVE THAT BE
A FROZEN IMAGE.

I DON'T KNOW, I HAVEN'T
DEVELOPED A POEM ABOUT THAT YET.

IT'S POSSIBLE.

BUILDING UP THE EXPECTATIONS
OF THE AUDIENCE

SO THEY CAN GET A SENSE
OF FEELING,

"WHAT'S GONNA BE NEXT?
WHAT'S GONNA HAPPEN NEXT?"

OK.

CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT.

I DIDN'T SHOW THAT TOO MUCH
IN THE STORY I JUST DID FOR YOU,

YOU KNOW, BECAUSE I WAS
BEING MYSELF.

I WAS BEING DEBBIE,
NOT ANOTHER CHARACTER.

I HAVE A REALLY LONG STORY
THAT I DO

THAT I TOOK A SEGMENT FROM

THAT I'D LIKE TO SHOW YOU
ABOUT CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT,

AND IT'S CALLED
"THE ELEPHANT'S CHILD."

YOU MIGHT KNOW THAT.
IT'S WRITTEN BY KIPLING.

I FORGET HOW YOU SPELL IT.

- "JUST SO STORIES."

- OH, HE'S FAMOUS FOR HIS
"JUST SO STORIES."

HE HAS A LOT OF DIFFERENT ONES,

LIKE THIS...

BABY ELEPHANT KERPLUNKED ALONG.

AND HE WENT UP TO HIS
UNCLE THE GIRAFFE,

AND HE SAID TO ME, "EXCUSE ME,

BUT WOULD YOU MIND TELLING ME
WHAT DO CROCODILES EAT?"

AND WITH THAT, HIS UNCLE,
THE GIRAFFE,

KICKED HIM WITH HIS HIND LEG,

AND HE WENT FLYING
THROUGH THE AIR

AND LANDED ON THE GROUND
ON HIS BUNS,

AND IT HURT.

AND THEN HE RAN INTO HIS UNCLE,
THE MONKEY.

[LAUGHTER]

AND THE BABY ELEPHANT
SAID, "EXCUSE ME,

BUT WOULD YOU TELL ME,
WHAT DO CROCODILES EAT?"

AND WITH THAT,
THE MONKEY TOOK HIM

AND THREW HIM, AND HE WENT
FLYING THROUGH THE AIR

AND LANDED ON THE GROUND
ON HIS BUNS,

AND IT HURT.

BUT NEVERTHELESS, HE HAD
AN INSATIABLE CURIOSITY.

HE WENT UP TO HIS AUNT,
THE HIPPOPOTAMUS.

AND SAID, "EXCUSE ME,

BUT COULD YOU TELL ME,
WHAT DO CROCODILES EAT?"

AND WITH THAT, THE HIPPO
KICKED HIM,

AND HE WENT FLYING THROUGH THE
AIR AND LANDED ON THE GROUND.

BUT STILL HE WAS CURIOUS.

SORRY, I CAN'T TELL YOU
THE WHOLE STORY.

IT'S ABOUT 15 MINUTES LONG.

BUT COME WATCH ME PERFORM
A STORY SOMETIME.

YOU'RE MORE THAN WELCOME.

I ALWAYS LIKE TO HAVE
THE AUDIENCE INVOLVED

WHEN I TELL STORIES.

I LIKE THEM TO GET INVOLVED.

SO IN THAT STORY, FOR EXAMPLE,
I HAVE THEM SIGN WITH ME,

"WHAT DO CROCODILES EAT?"

I TEACH ALL THE KIDS THAT.
"WHAT DO CROCODILES EAT?"

WHAT?

I TEACH THEM THAT,

AND THEN EVERY TIME IT COMES UP
IN THE STORY,

"EXCUSE ME, WOULD YOU MIND
TELLING ME,

WHAT DO CROCODILES EAT?"

AND I GET THEM
TO SIGN WITH ME.

AND THERE ARE THE KIDS SIGNING.

I REALLY ENJOY THAT ASPECT
OF IT.

OK.

SO, WHAT DOES A STORY MEAN,

A DEFINITION OF A STORY?

THIS IS A TEST.

[LAUGHTER]

IS THAT RIGHT?

IS THAT RIGHT?

THAT'S A GOOD DEFINITION
FOR STORIES?

ALL THE ROOMS ON THE SAME LEVEL
OF A BUILDING.

10 STORIES.

HA HA HA HA!

THAT'S THE PUN FOR YOU.

THAT'S ME WITH THE PUNS.

THIS IS WRONG.

DEFINITELY WRONG.

HA. FOUND IT.

THIS IS THE DICTIONARY
DEFINITION.

I LOVE THIS DEFINITION--

A SERIES OF RELATED EVENTS
OR HAPPENINGS.

COULD BE TRUE OR NOT TRUE.

I LIKE THAT.
I HAVE STORIES MYSELF

THAT I TELL ARE TRUE
AND ONES THAT ARE FICTITIOUS.

AND SOMETIMES I PUT THEM
TOGETHER.

OK, SO I JUST LABELED
MY POEMS FOR YOU

AND MY STORYTELLING FOR YOU,

SHOWED YOU HOW I LABEL.

CHAPTER TWO.

TWO.

I ASK YOU,

DO WE HAVE THE WRITE TO LABEL
OTHERS' WORKS?

I THINK I HAVE THE RIGHT
TO LABEL MY OWN WORK.

I CAN SAY THIS IS ASL POETRY.

AND IF YOU DISAGREE WITH ME

AND YOU SAY, "NO, THAT'S NOT
ASL POETRY,"

ALL RIGHT, YOU HAVE THE RIGHT
TO DO THAT

BECAUSE THERE ARE SO MANY
DIFFERENT IDEAS,

SO MANY DIFFERENT LIFE
EXPERIENCES

AND PERCEPTIONS
AND PERSPECTIVES.

OK, LET ME EXPLAIN
SOMETHING ABOUT ART.

OK, ONE TIME I MAIL-ORDERED
SOMETHING, A SKIRT.

AND IT SAID THAT
IT WOULD BE AQUA.

I WAS THRILLED.

I HAD THIS PICTURE IN MY HEAD
OF WHAT THAT AQUA SKIRT

WAS GOING TO BE LIKE,
LIKE THE OCEAN,

GREEN AND BLUE.

OH, I COULDN'T WAIT TO GET IT.

I WAS SO DISGUSTED WHEN
I FOUND IT.

THIS IS IT.

IS THAT RIGHT?
IS THAT AQUA?

AQUA?

NOT TO ME.

MAYBE TO SOME OF YOU.

MAYBE YOU THINK IT'S AQUA.

IT DOESN'T LOOK LIKE IT TO ME.
IT LOOKS LIKE LIGHT BLUE.

IT'S PRETTY ANYWAY,
SO I KEPT IT.

I DIDN'T WANT TO SEND IT
BACK, YOU KNOW.

THOUGHT THEY'D SEND ME BACK
THE WRONG COLOR AGAIN.

I DIDN'T WANT TO DEAL
WITH THAT.

SO I'D LIKE TO ASK YOU,
WHAT COLOR ARE MY TIGHTS?

[LAUGHTER]

ARE THEY AQUA?

ARE THEY AQUA?

WHAT COLOR DO YOU THINK?

TURQUOISE?

THE TIGHTS ARE TURQUOISE?

TEAL. TEAL. TEAL.

GREEN.

RED.

[LAUGHTER]

MARINE GREEN.

GREEN, BLUE.

GREEN, RED.

GREEN. SEE?

EVERYONE HAS DIFFERENT
PERSPECTIVES

ON THE SAME COLOR.

INTERESTING.

WE CAN TAKE THAT AND RELATE IT
TO ART, ALSO.

THERE HAVE BEEN SO MANY
ARGUMENTS

ABOUT WHAT IS ART.

I'D LIKE TO SHOW YOU
SOME SLIDES.

LIGHTS DOWN, PLEASE.
HOUSE LIGHTS DOWN.

CAN YOU PUT DOWN
THE HOUSE LIGHTS?

OK.

I'D LIKE TO ASK YOU,
DO YOU THINK

THAT THESE TWO WORKS
ARE THE SAME STYLE

OR THE SAME--
CAN YOU SEE ME?

I WANT YOU TO BE ABLE
TO SEE ME.

OK, GOOD.

YOU SEE THESE WORKS.

THEY CLEARLY LOOK THE SAME.

DO YOU THINK THEY'RE
THE SAME GENRE,

WHICH MEANS THE SAME STYLE

OR PART OF THE SAME MOVEMENT?

I SEE PEOPLE SAYING NO.

AND THEN THERE'S PEOPLE SAYING
YES, TOO,

THAT THEY'RE THE SAME.

NOs AND YESes ALL
THROUGH THE HOUSE.

OK.

OK, THEY'RE CONSIDERED
COMPLETELY DIFFERENT FORMS.

TO THE RIGHT IS CUBISM.

TO THE LEFT IS ORPHISM.

CUBISM FOCUSES ON ONE OBJECT,

TAKES ALL THE PERSPECTIVES
OF IT,

AND FLATTENS IT OUT.

ORPHISM, ON THE OTHER HAND,

FOCUSES PURELY ON CIRCLES...

WHILE CUBISM, AGAIN, FOCUSES
ON THE DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVES

OF ONE 3-DIMENSIONAL OBJECT.

THIS IS DELANEY'S WORK
AND PICASSO'S WORK.

OK.

NEXT CLASS NOW.

OH, OK.

ARE THESE THE SAME?

YES? A LOT OF PEOPLE
SAYING YES.

YES. ONE NO.

YES, YES, YES.

WELL...

MOST OF THE PEOPLE ARE
SAYING YES.

COMPLETELY DIFFERENT AGAIN.

WHY?

THIS IS CALLED SYNCHRONOMY,

AND IT WORKS WITH THE BLENDING
AND BLEEDING OVER OF COLORS.

IT'S VERY MUSICAL.

IT'S LIKE AN INTERPRETATION
OF MUSIC INTO COLOR.

AGAIN, THIS IS ORPHISM,

FOCUSING ON THE CIRCLES.

ARE THEY THE SAME?

WHAT DO YOU THINK?

A LOT OF PEOPLE SAY NO.

OH, THERE'S SOME YESes.

YES, YES, YES, NO, NO, NO,
YES.

THEY'RE COMPLETELY DIFFERENT.

[LAUGHTER]

THIS IS CUBISM, A PICASSO,

AND ORPHISM.

AGAIN, THE CIRCULAR EMPHASIS.

PICASSO, THE DIFFERENT
PERSPECTIVES.

ARE THESE THE SAME GENRE?

EVERYONE'S BEEN SAYING
NO, NO, NO.

YOU THINK NO AGAIN?

AGAIN, THEY'RE COMPLETELY
THE SAME.

COMPLETELY THE SAME.

IT'S IMPRESSIONISM.

THIS IS THE WORK OF VAN GOGH,

AND THIS IS THE WORK OF MONET.

I HAVE A STORY TO TELL,

SOMETHING THAT HAPPENED.

IT'S A SAD STORY.

VAN GOGH, WHICH WE SIGN WITH
A "V" BY THE EAR

'CAUSE HE CUT OFF HIS EAR,
YOU KNOW,

TO GIVE TO A PROSTITUTE,
BELIEVE IT OR NOT.

DURING THAT TIME IN LIFE,
HE SAW MONET'S STYLE

AND HE SHOWED HIM HIS WORK
AND HE SAID,

"SEE, I DO IMPRESSIONISM, TOO."

MONET SAID, "NO, NO, NO.
NO, NO.

"THAT'S NOT--VAN GOGH'S WORK
IS NOT IMPRESSIONISM.

NO, IT'S NOT. IT'S NOT."

SO ALL THROUGH HIS LIFE,
HE WAS SO FRUSTRATED BY THIS.

HE DID ALL HIS WORK,
SHOWED HIS PAINTINGS

ONE AFTER ANOTHER TO VARIOUS
IMPRESSIONISTS,

AND THEN HE DIED,
NO RECOGNITION FOR HIS WORK.

AFTER HE DIED,

PEOPLE SAID, "OH, YEAH, HIS
WORK'S IMPRESSIONISM."

SO...

OK, HOUSE LIGHTS, PLEASE.

SO MY POINT IS WHAT,

ABOUT LABELING?

YOU SEE VAN GOGH'S SITUATION.

HE'S PUT INTO THE CATEGORY
HE WANTED TO BE IN

AFTER HE WAS DEAD.

THE POINT IS NOT WHAT YOU
LABEL SOMETHING,

BUT THAT IT IS ART AND THAT
IT'S EXPRESSION.

AND ARTISTS HAVE THE RIGHT TO
LABEL THEIR OWN WORK,

BUT NOT THE RIGHT TO LABEL
OTHER PEOPLE'S WORK.

THAT'S A PERSONAL DECISION
TO BE MADE.

[WOMAN WHISPERING INDISTINCTLY]

OK, AND SO THE EPILOGUE.

BUT IT'S VERY IMPORTANT
TO SUPPORT YOUR COMMUNITY

AND ALL THE DIFFERENT
PERSPECTIVES

AND ALL THE DIFFERENT
ART FORMS

WITHIN YOUR COMMUNITY.

THAT SUPPORT WILL HELP
THE GROWTH

AND HELP ALL OF US GROW
TOGETHER

INSTEAD OF BITTER DISCUSSIONS
AND ARGUMENTS

ABOUT WHO'S DOING WHAT
AND WHY THEY'RE DOING IT.

OK, FOR EXAMPLE, YOU THINK
MEN IN BALLET ARE GAY,

PROFESSIONAL BALLET ARTISTS.

I SAY TO YOU, "HEY, YOU HAVEN'T
SEEN THEIR SEXUAL ACTIVITY."

SO THE IMPORTANT THING IS,
IF A PERSON SAYS, "I'M GAY,"

PROCLAIMS HIMSELF GAY,
THAT'S FINE.

YOU CAN SUPPORT THAT.

AND PEOPLE IN THE COMMUNITY,
WHETHER THEY'RE HEARING OR DEAF,

NEED TO SUPPORT EACH OTHER.

WE WILL LEARN FROM THAT PERSON.

WHEN YOU SEE LECTURES
ABOUT POETRY

AND ALL THE VARIOUS STYLES,

YOU GET IDEAS FROM
THOSE THINGS.

IT'S VERY IMPORTANT TO SUPPORT
POETRY IN THE COMMUNITY,

ESPECIALLY INTERPRETIVE POETRY.

IT'S REALLY BLOSSOMING,

AND IT'S REALLY A BRIDGE
BETWEEN TWO CULTURES.

OF COURSE, DEAF CULTURE
IS VERY PRECIOUS

AND NEEDS TO CONTINUE.

IT'S LIKE A DIAMOND.

YOU DON'T WANT TO
BREAK IT APART.

YOU NEED TO PRESERVE IT.

THANK YOU.

[APPLAUSE]

OK, WE HAVE SOME QUESTIONS.

CAN YOU REPEAT YOUR QUESTION,
PLEASE?

- CAN YOU EXPLAIN MORE ABOUT
LABELING

RELATING TO POETRY ITSELF

IN THE WORLD OF POETRY?

- OK.

HE ASKED, COULD YOU EXPLAIN
MORE ABOUT POETRY

AND LABELING IN THE WORLD
OF POETRY?

OK, WHAT I'M SAYING IS THAT

IF A PERSON LABELS THEMSELVES
AS A PERSON

PLAYING WITH LANGUAGE,
A POET, THEN THEY ARE.

I MIGHT LOOK AT SOMEONE
AND SAY, "OH, THAT'S POETRY."

AND SAY TO THEM--
GO UP TO THEM AND SAY,

"YOU KNOW, I THINK WHAT
YOU'RE DOING IS POETRY"

AND NOT LABEL IT MYSELF
AND SAY, "THAT'S POETRY"

AND WALK AWAY.

IT'S IMPORTANT TO HAVE
INTERACTION WITH EACH OTHER.

YOU KNOW, SOME PEOPLE IN
THE DEAF COMMUNITY

MIGHT PREFER SEEING STORIES
RATHER THAN POETRY.

THAT'S FINE.
IT'S UP TO THEM.

BUT IT'S GOOD TO COMMUNICATE
WITH PEOPLE

AND FIND OUT WHAT THEY
CALL THEMSELVES,

WHAT THEY THINK THEIR
ART FORM IS,

WHETHER IT'S POETRY OR NOT.

ANY OTHER QUESTIONS?

- HOW DO YOU LABEL YOURSELF?

- HE ASKED HOW I LABEL MY WORK,
IS IT ASL POETRY

OR DEAF POETRY, AND I SAY
THAT IT'S ASL POETRY

'CAUSE I FOCUS ON PLAYING
WITH THE LANGUAGE.

THAT'S MY OWN INTERPRETATION
OF WHAT POETRY IS--

PLAYING WITH LANGUAGE,
CHOREOGRAPHING IT.

PEOPLE HAVE A RIGHT TO DISAGREE
WITH THAT IF THEY LIKE,

BUT I LIKE TO THINK THAT MY WORK
IS ASL POETRY,

'CAUSE I'M NOT TALKING
ABOUT DEAFNESS

IN MY POEMS, PARTICULARLY.

DEAFNESS ISN'T A MAJOR THEME.

WHAT'S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN--

OK, LET ME SIGN IT AGAIN.

WHAT'S THE DIFFERENCE
BETWEEN DEAF POETRY

AND ASL POETRY?

WHAT'S THE DIFFERENCE?

OK, NOW I'M TELLING YOU,
THIS IS DEBBIE'S INTERPRETATION.

ASL POETRY FOCUSES ON ASL
AS THE MEDIUM.

DEAF POETRY FOCUSES ON--

IT COULD BE ANY DEAF PERSON
WRITING ENGLISH,

ANY DEAF PERSON

CREATING POETRY

AND POSSIBLY TALKING ABOUT
DEAF THEMES OR ISSUES.

I HAVE ONE POEM RELATED
TO DEAFNESS.

I GUESS I WOULD CALL THAT
DEAF POETRY.

MY POEM "JFK."

OH, I REMEMBER WHAT THAT
WAS ALL ABOUT NOW.

JUST THAT ONE, I DID IT
LAST NIGHT.

IT WAS--DEALT WITH
A DEAF ISSUE.

JUST ONE IN MY WHOLE SET.

OH, ALSO "THE COLORS OF ASL,"

BUT THAT'S ALSO ASL POETRY.

I HAVE ONE POEM THAT TALKS
ABOUT ASL,

BUT IT'S ALSO ASL POETRY

'CAUSE IT'S PLAYING WITH
LANGUAGE.

IF YOU WRITE AND EXPRESS
POEMS

AND YOU CALL YOURSELF A POET,
YOU THINK YOU'RE A POET,

THEN YOU ARE A POET.

YOU HAVE TO BELIEVE STRONGLY
AND SAY, "I AM A POET,"

AND THEN YOU ARE A POET.

IF YOU EXPRESS YOUR FEELINGS
THAT WAY

AND THAT'S YOUR INTERPRETATION
AND THAT'S YOUR ART,

YOU HAVE A RIGHT TO LABEL
YOURSELF THAT WAY.

WHATEVER YOU DECIDE TO LABEL
YOUR ART, THAT'S WHAT IT IS.

OK, THAT'S A GOOD QUESTION.

SHE'S TRYING TO CHALLENGE ME,

THROW ME OFF MY FEET HERE.

"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."

Title supplied by cataloger

Poetry and the community