Detail View: Deaf Studies, Culture, and History Archives: Presentation

Filename: 
ds_0027_malzwab_cap_01.mp4
Identifier: 
ds_0027_malzwab_cap_01.mp4
Title: 
Presentation
Creator: 
Malzkuhn, Eric
Subject: 
American Sign Language literature
Subject: 
Deaf, Writings of the, American
Subject: 
American Sign Language
Subject: 
Deaf Poetry
Subject: 
American poetry 20th century
Subject: 
ASL poetry
Summary: 
Kenny Lerner and Peter Cook (Flying Words Project duo) wrote a NY Humanities grant for this Writers and Books event, inviting Eric Malzkuhn to present on sign poetry. Robert Panara introduced Malz and talked about his groundbreaking poem, Jabberwocky, famous for his creative use of sign language. Malz was also involved in a sign language performance of the Broadway play, Arsenic and Old Lace and in the National Theatre of the Deaf. Malz shares how he became deaf and attended Michigan School for the Deaf where he learned sign language. He describes performing Jabberwocky and getting involved with Arsenic and Old Lace. After sharing more stories, he plays a game with the audience encouraging creative self-expression. He signs a poem, "The Cat" in PSE, ASL, and the 'Malz' way. He then performs a San Francisco poem using fingerspelling to show the unique features of the city. Finally, he performs the poem, "If I were a King" in ASL and the 'Malz' way.
Publisher: 
Writers and Books
Digital Publisher: 
Rochester Institute of Technology - RIT Libraries - RIT Archive Collections
Contributor: 
Panara, Robert
Contributor: 
Writers & Books (Firm) institution
Date of Original: 
1989
Date of Digitization: 
2018
Broad Type: 
moving image
Digital File Format: 
mp4
Physical Format: 
VHS
Dimensions of Original: 
88 minutes
Language: 
American Sign Language
Language: 
English
Original Item Location: 
RITDSA.0027
Library Collection: 
Sculptures in the Air: An Accessible Online Video Repository of the American Sign Language (ASL) Poetry and Literature Collections
Library Collection: 
Miriam and Kenneth Lerner ASL Poetry Collection
Digital Project: 
2018-2019 CLIR Grant-ASL Poetry and Literature
Catalog Record: 
https://albert.rit.edu/record=b3954529
Catalog Record: 
https://archivesspace.rit.edu/repositories/2/resources/815
Place: 
New York - Rochester
Rights: 
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.
Rights: 
CC BY-NC-ND: Attribution NonCommercial NoDerivatives 4.0 International
Transcript: 
[INDISTINCT CHATTER] WOMAN: THAT'S WHAT I THOUGHT. MAN: OK. WOW. IT'S REALLY EXCITING NOW. ABOUT 4 YEARS AGO, THIS STARTED OFF AS BEING JUST THIS LITTLE NOTHING OF A THING. TWO YEARS LATER, IT STARTED GROWING AND GROWING AND GROWING AND GROWING. PEOPLE STARTED BECOMING MORE AWARE OF WHAT WAS GOING ON. THE THIRD YEAR, IT GOT BIGGER AND BIGGER, AND LAST YEAR, WE STARTED THINKING, "HOW CAN WE GET MORE PEOPLE TO COME HERE?" YOU KNOW, BECAUSE WE'VE ONLY HAD LOCAL POETS, AND WE WANTED TO SEE WHAT IT WOULD BE LIKE TO HAVE SOME PEOPLE COME OUT OF TOWN, SO WE WROTE A GRANT FROM THE NEW YORK STATE COUNCIL ON THE ARTS, AND THEY GAVE US SOME FUNDS, AND NOW WE'RE REALLY EXCITED BECAUSE ON THIS FOURTH YEAR WE'RE GONNA BE BRINGING PEOPLE IN FROM ALL OVER THE COUNTRY. AND THE FIRST ONE, I'M NOT GONNA EXPLAIN OR INTRODUCE. LERNER: HEH HEH. I DON'T KNOW. I DON'T HAVE A MIND RIGHT NOW. [LAUGHTER] FIRST OFF, WE'D LIKE TO THANK THE NEW YORK STATE COUNCIL ON THE ARTS FOR GIVING US THE FUNDS FOR OUR DEAF POETRY SERIES. IT'S A VERY VALUABLE CONTRIBUTION. WE'D LIKE TO THANK WRITERS & BOOKS FOR ALLOWING US TO USE THIS SPACE FOR THE LAST FEW YEARS. WE'D LIKE TO THANK JIM COHN, WHO'S A HEARING POET WHO SAW THE POSSIBILITIES OF DEAF POETRY IN ROCHESTER, AND HE KIND OF GAVE US THE KICK--GAVE US THE START, SO WE'D LIKE TO DEDICATE TONIGHT TO HIM. [APPLAUSE] STAND UP, JIM. [LAUGHTER] [APPLAUSE] AND MIRIAM NATHAN, WHO ISN'T HERE BECAUSE SHE TOOK OVER SOME INTERPRETING DUTIES FOR SUSAN QUINLAN SO THAT SUSAN COULD MEET WITH OUR POET THIS EVENING, AND SHE TOOK OVER SOME KIND OF AN ENGINEERING CLASS OR SOMETHING. [APPLAUSE] LERNER: SO WE SHOULD SHUT UP. ONE MORE. ONE MORE, AND I'LL SHUT UP. VOICING TONIGHT WILL BE SUSAN QUINLAN. WOMAN: YAY, SUSAN! MAN: DID I SPELL THAT RIGHT? AND FOR THE COLD SEAT WILL BE MARIE BERNARD. WOMAN: YAY, MARIE. MAN: AND NOW THE PERSON WHO WE'LL INTRODUCE WILL BE ROBERT PANARA. HE'S BEEN TEACHING AT NTID. HE WAS THE FIRST DEAF TEACHER IN THE AREA, TAUGHT ENGLISH AND DRAMA AND ALL KINDS OF THINGS. HE'S REALLY BEEN INTO IT FOR A LONG TIME, AND HE WAS A POET AT GALLAUDET. BEEN GOOD FRIENDS WITH MALZ FROM A LONG TIME, SO WE'D LIKE TO HAVE HIM INTRODUCED. [APPLAUSE] PANARA: THANK YOU, THANK YOU. PETER. [INDISTINCT] TONIGHT, WE'LL HAVE A VARIETY OF MEDIUM. MEDIUM. SOME PEOPLE ARE TALKING. TALKING FOR MYSELF. REMINDS ME OF THE CRYSTAL BALL GAZER A MAN... AND A YOUNG LADY... ASKS FOR HER FUTURE, HER FORTUNE. WELL, HE BEGAN TO LAUGH, LAUGH, LAUGH. HA! YOUNG LADY ASKS HIM, "WHAT ARE YOU LAUGHING ABOUT?" "I SEE SOMETHING VERY AMUSING. WHAT HAPPEN TO YOU IN THE FUTURE." YOUNG LADY... HIS FACE. [LAUGHTER] "UGH. WHAT'D YOU DO THAT FOR?" YOUNG LADY SAID, "MY MOTHER ALWAYS TOLD ME TO STRIKE A HAPPY MEDIUM." [LAUGHTER] TRY TO STRIKE A HAPPY MEDIUM, VERY COMFORTABLE. BY TALKING AND SIGNING AT THE SAME TIME, IT'S A SHORT CUT FOR ME. IT'S A GREAT PRIVILEGE FOR ME TO COME HERE. SEVERAL REASONS. I HAD HEARD ABOUT THIS PLACE WRITERS & BOOKS, READING ABOUT IT IN THE NEWSPAPERS OFTEN. TWICE, I WAS ASKED-- I WAS INVITED TO COME BUT COULDN'T MAKE IT, AND THAT WAS AFTER I HAD ALREADY EITHER WORKED WITH THE PERSON WHO WAS GOING TO SPEAK OR MADE AN INTRODUCTION. I FORGOT HOW MANY YEARS AGO, BUT FAMOUS POET ALLEN GINSBERG CAME TO RIT AND NTID, STAYED TWO DAYS. WE HAD A WONDERFUL WORKSHOP WITH HIM, AND THAT WAS MADE POSSIBLE MOSTLY THROUGH JIM COHN, WHO A WHILE AGO PETER INTRODUCED HIM TO YOU. JIM COHN WAS REALLY A FRIEND OF THAT FAMOUS POET ALLEN GINSBERG AND WAS A STUDENT, AND HE BROUGHT HIM TO ROCHESTER. HAD A WONDERFUL EXPERIENCE WITH HIM. PETER WAS IN THAT CLASS. VERY EXCITED, AND I THINK THE GERM, THE WORM OF THE IDEA IN HIS MIND BEGAN TO-- THE FUTURE OF DEAF POETS. HIM AND JIM TOGETHER. THEN ABOUT A MONTH AGO, A FAMOUS WRITER OLIVER SACKS SPOKE AT NTID AND HAD OPPORTUNITY TO INTRODUCE HIM, AND AGAIN, THE NEXT DAY, HE CAME HERE TO SPEAK. I COULDN'T MAKE IT. CONFLICT FROM BEFORE. I WAS ASKED TO DO THAT AT THE LAST MINUTE, BUT NOW I'M VERY HAPPY THAT I CAN MAKE IT HERE AND SEE THIS PLACE-- WHOO HOO! AND SEE WHY IT'S SO SUCCESSFUL. THE CAR PARK. HEH HEH. TOOK A LONG TIME TO PARK. [LAUGHTER] I'M REALLY PLEASED TONIGHT TO SPEAK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT OUR GUEST ERIC MALZKUHN, NOW FROM WASHINGTON, D.C., AND MSSD. BEGAN WAY BACK IN 1940, 1940. BEFORE MANY OF YOU WERE BORN, I WAS AT GALLAUDET COLLEGE-- UNIVERSITY. NEW STUDENT, AND MALZKUHN WAS TWO YEARS AHEAD OF ME. HE TEASED ME. OH, HO! [LAUGHTER] AFTER A WHILE, WE FOUND WE HAD A LOT OF THINGS IN COMMON. LOVED POETRY, LOVED DRAMA, LOVED--MMM--BASEBALL! HA! [LAUGHTER] AND MANY, MANY THINGS HAPPENED. I REMEMBER GALLAUDET HAD A LITERARY CLUB CALLED LS LITERARY SOCIETY. EVERY MONTH, DIFFERENT STUDENTS WOULD VOLUNTEER. PRACTICE MEMORIZING POETRY, SHORT STORIES, PART OF A PLAY. ON THE STAGE, WE HAD A CONTEST. ONE TIME, MALZKUHN CAME IN MY ROOM AT NIGHT. HE SAID, "BOB, I WANT TO SHOW YOU SOMETHING. I MEAN TO ACT THAT ON FRIDAY NIGHT FOR THE LS." I SAT ON THE BED IN MY ROOM, AND... "HMM. OOH! HA!" IT WAS A POEM, BUT NEVER SAW ANYBODY SIGN THAT. NEVER BELIEVED ANYBODY COULD SIGN THAT. "THE JABBERWOCKY" FROM "ALICE IN WONDERLAND." WOMAN: WOW. PANARA: I FELL OFF THE BED, LAUGHING. [LAUGHTER] "BOB, [INDISTINCT] THAT IN LS." AT THE TIME, LS, THE FACULTY WERE CHOSEN, AND WAY BACK IN 1945, THEY WERE VERY--MMM, MMM-- STRICT ABOUT SIGN LANGUAGE. MMM, MMM, MMM. EHH. AND THEN "OOH!" [LAUGHTER] "WHAT THE? WHAT THE?" "HE'LL NEVER WIN." BUT HE WON A YEAR LATER. ANYWAY, TWO YEARS LATER, HE WAS A SENIOR AND DRAMA CLUB--EH...PRESIDENT. HE WANTED TO--MMM-- HAVE A PLAY THAT AT THAT TIME, 1943, WAS GOING ON BROADWAY. FAMOUS PLAY-- "ARSENIC AND OLD LACE." HMM. NTID DID THAT 3 OR 4 YEARS AGO. REMEMBER? YOU WANT A PLAY ON BROADWAY? NO COLLEGE CAN GET THAT PLAY. YOU CAN'T GET PERMISSION UNTIL IT'S FINISHED, THE PLAY, 1 YEAR, 2, 3 YEARS. UH-UH. HMM. THE FACULTY ADVISER SAID, "YOU CAN'T DO THAT." HE, "HMM." MALZKUHN, UH, "TRY TO DO IT YOURSELF. HMM, HMM." SENT IT TO DRAMA PUBLISHING COMPANY. THEY SENT THE LETTER TO THE TWO MEN WHO WROTE THAT PLAY, LINDSAY AND CROUSE, IN NEW YORK CITY. ANSWER THEM, THE LETTER CAME. "HMM, HMM, HMM." BEFORE THE DRAMA CLUB AT GALLAUDET. AND THE FACULTY ALMOST FAINTED. [LAUGHTER] THE LETTER SAID WHAT? "WE'RE HAPPY TO LOAN YOU THE RIGHT TO GIVE THAT PLAY, "AND SECOND, WE THINK YOU'LL BRING MORE EXPERIENCE "TO OUR PLAY IN SIGN LANGUAGE, "AND WE WILL LOAN YOU THE SET FOR THE STAGE THAT WE USE FOR THE TRAVELING COMPANY." GALLAUDET, "MM-HMM." HAD THE LEADING ROLE OF JONATHAN BREWSTER, BROTHER WHO WAS SUSPECTED OF KILLING ALL THE PEOPLE. IT WAS A SUCCESSFUL PLAY IN GALLAUDET COLLEGE. THEN ANOTHER SURPRISE. TWO WRITERS, LINDSAY AND CROUSE, WROTE A LETTER. "WHY DON'T YOU COME TO NEW YORK FULTON THEATRE, "PRESENT THAT PLAY, "GALLAUDET COLLEGE GROUP? "WE WILL--MMM--THE COMPANY, AND YOU GIVE THE PLAY." AHH. THE GROUP REHEARSED, TO NEW YORK ON WEDNESDAY, 3 DAYS BEFORE SUNDAY. REHEARSED. THAT NIGHT, AT THE REHEARSAL, BORIS KARLOFF... "UGGHH!" [LAUGHTER] HAD THE LEADING ROLE IN THE PLAY. HE MADE HIM UP, AND HE SAID, "WHAT SIZE SHOES DO YOU WEAR?" HE SAID, "13." EHNN, EHNN, EHNN. EHNN, EHNN. HE WALKED IN KARLOFF'S SHOES THAT NIGHT... [LAUGHTER] AT THE FULTON THEATRE. VERY SUCCESSFUL. MADE A BIG HIT--BROADWAY 1943. NTD, NATIONAL THEATRE FOR THE DEAF, OFTEN BOASTS ABOUT ACTING ON BROADWAY. HIS GROUP, GALLAUDET COLLEGE ACTORS, WERE FIRST, MORE THAN 20 YEARS BEFORE NTD WAS FOUNDED. ANYWAY, MALZKUHN GRADUATED. HE TAUGHT IN MICHIGAN SCHOOL FOR THE DEAF. THAT'S WHERE HE MET HIS BEAUTIFUL WIFE-- WAS HIS STUDENT. HIS WIFE HAS A Ph.D. IN GOVERNMENT AND HAD A LOT TO DO WITH ENCOURAGING STUDENTS IN THE GALLAUDET PROTESTS. SHE TEACHES GOVERNMENT HISTORY. THEN AFTER MARRIAGE, HE WORKED WITH THE VR IN DETROIT, VOCATIONAL REHAB, THEN GOT A JOB TEACHING IN CALIFORNIA SCHOOL FOR THE DEAF IN BERKELEY. WHEN NTD WAS ESTABLISHED, HE AND I FINALLY GOT TOGETHER AGAIN. WE BECAME ROOMMATES. THAT SUMMER, 1967, WROTE AND TRANSLATED THE PLAYS THAT NTD BROUGHT ON TOUR. WE DID THAT FOR SEVERAL SUMMERS, MALZ TEACHING ME, TEACHING, ALSO. MALZKUHN CAME--WAS INVITED TO JOIN THE FACULTY OF MSSD IN 1973, NEW PROGRAM THERE ON THE CAMPUS WITH GALLAUDET UNIVERSITY. BECAME DIRECTOR OF THE THEATER, SIGN LANGUAGE COACH, AND TAUGHT ENGLISH-- MANY, MANY DIFFERENT THINGS. MMM. HE HAD DEVELOPED A REPUTATION FOR DOING EVERYTHING AND MORE CONNECTED WITH SIGN. YOU TALK ABOUT ASL. IT'S MORE THAN THAT. CALL IT S-I-G-N. BLLNNN! EVERYTHING. HE IS THE MASTER, THE M-A-E--MAESTRO. VERY HAPPY TO INTRODUCE ERIC MALZKUHN, BUT BEFORE THAT-- [LAUGHTER] [LAUGHTER] HE HAD BALTIMORE ORIOLES HAT THIS AFTERNOON WHEN WE MET. AHH. BALTIMORE! I HAD BALTIMORE'S FARM TEAM, ROCHESTER. [LAUGHTER] [APPLAUSE] THAT'S FOR MALZ. [APPLAUSE] WOMAN: IF I FALL DOWN, THEN, YOU KNOW, THAT HAPPENS SOMETIMES. IT'S THE SAME AS TOM HOLCOMBE. HE KNOWS. SOMETIMES, WHEN HE'S SIGNING AND GOING CRAZY, HE FALLS DOWN, TOO, BUT...BUT IT'S NOT AS EASY AS IT LOOKS. IF I FALL DOWN, PLEASE HAVE A PRETTY GIRL HELP ME GET UP. IS THAT CLEAR? [LAUGHTER] OK. SO NOW IF YOU NOTICE-- WHERE IS HE? THERE HE IS. BOB PANARA STOLE HALF OF MY SPEECH. [LAUGHTER] THAT'S ALL RIGHT. I'M GONNA CORRECT SOME OF THE THINGS HE SAID, THOUGH. I'M GONNA TELL YOU A STORY ABOUT BROADWAY. THAT'S ME. [LAUGHTER] I REALLY DON'T FEEL COMFORTABLE WITH THAT. [LAUGHTER] THAT'S BETTER. OK. IS EVERYBODY READY? WAIT A MINUTE. [LAUGHTER] [LAUGHTER] THAT'S IT. SO I'M MALZ. HOW DID I GET MY NAME? WELL, I'LL TELL YOU. IT WAS--LET'S SEE-- ABOUT 17 YEARS AGO. WELL, FIRST OF ALL, WHEN I WENT INTO COLLEGE-- WELL, LET ME SEE. I'LL TELL YOU. SO DO PEOPLE STILL USE YOUR FULL NAMES? DO YOU KNOW MY FULL-- I USED TO. I USED TO TELL PEOPLE MY FULL NAME. FREDERICK MALZKUHN. MR. ERIC FREDERICK-- "MR.?" PEOPLE WOULD SAY. "I HAVE TO CALL YOU THAT?" I'D SAY, "EH, YOU DON'T HAVE TO CALL ME MR." BUT THAT'S MY FULL NAME, SO I HAD TO SPELL OUT "I AM"... [LAUGHTER] "GODDAMN ERIC MALZKUHN FROM THE GODDAMN STATE OF CALIFORNIA," AND I FINGERSPELLED ALL OF IT. SO I WOULD DO THAT ALL THE TIME, AND THEN FINALLY, IT SEEMED THAT MALZ BECAME ENOUGH, SO I STOPPED, AND I LIKED IT. SO MALZ WAS ENOUGH. IT'S A LOT EASIER, AND THEN ABOUT 17 YEARS AGO, I WENT TO A MEETING FOR RID, AND I WAS TAKING CARE OF THE MONEY FOR WASHINGTON'S RID, AND A WOMAN-- A SINGLE WOMAN-- SHE WASN'T MARRIED YET, AND SHE HAD AN ADOPTED SON, A VERY NICE LITTLE BOY. HE WAS A BLACK BOY, AND HE WAS DEAF, AND THE WOMAN WAS WHITE. AND THE MOTHER INTRODUCED ME TO THE LITTLE BOY AND SAID, "THAT'S MR. MALZ," AND HE ONLY USED THE LETTER "M" AND MADE A "Z" WITH IT, SO MALZ HAS BEEN MY NAME SIGN, SO HELLO. I AM MALZ. I'M HAPPY TO BE HERE. I'M GONNA GO BACK IN TIME, BUT FIRST OF ALL, I WANT TO KNOW IF I'M DOING A GOOD JOB OR NOT OR IF THE INTERPRETER IS DOING A GOOD JOB OR NOT. HA HA! [LAUGHTER] SAW ALL 4 TONSILS, SO, OK. I FEEL BETTER NOW. IF I ONLY SAW 3, I MIGHT WORRY A LITTLE BIT, BUT I SAW 4, SO I GUESS IT'S OK. SO CAN YOU TURN UP YOUR VOLUME A LITTLE BIT? YOU CAN YOU SPEAK A LITTLE BIT LOUDER? OK. THAT'S BETTER. THAT'S JUST PERFECT. OK. [LAUGHTER] SO, NOW I WANT TO EXPLAIN A LITTLE BIT ABOUT ME. WHEN I WAS SMALL, I WAS HEARING. YOU KNOW, LIKE THIS, AND THEN WHEN I GOT A LITTLE BIT OLDER-- OH, I LIVED IN CALIFORNIA. IT WAS A SMALL TOWN, AND I WENT TO THE SAME DOCTOR WHILE I WAS GROWING UP, AND HE WAS ONLY ABOUT A BLOCK AWAY, SO I COULD WALK THERE TO SEE HIM, AND, YOU KNOW, HE'D GIVE ME THE COMPLETE PHYSICAL AND TEST EVERYTHING, AND IT WAS REALLY EASY FOR ME. SO EVERYTHING WAS FINE. I WAS HAPPY, AND I'D GO SEE HIM REGULARLY, AND... AND THEN SOMETHING WAS WRONG, AND SO HE DECIDED HE NEEDED TO BUY A BIGGER PRACTICE, AND IT MEANT MOVING FAR AWAY. SO I LOST HIM, AND SO I HAD TO FIND ANOTHER DOCTOR. WELL, NOW HANG ON TO THAT, OK? SO THEN ABOUT-- LET'S SEE-- 2, 3 MONTHS LATER, I BECAME DEAF. [LAUGHTER] MY EARS WERE TURNED OFF, AND IT HAPPENED DURING THE NIGHT. I GOT SICK. IT JUST HAPPENED. I WAS TAKEN TO THE HOSPITAL, AND THE WAY THAT THEY FOUND OUT IS BECAUSE MY FATHER ALWAYS READ THE NEWSPAPER TO ME, THE COMICS, AND MY MOTHER WOULD TELL ME "GO LET YOUR FATHER READ TO YOU." AND MY DAD TOLD ME "STOP WHISPERING"-- OR I TOLD MY FATHER "STOP WHISPERING," AND MY FATHER WAS SURPRISED. AND HE THOUGHT SOMETHING WAS WRONG, SO HE TOOK ME TO THE HOSPITAL BECAUSE HE WAS SPEAKING NORMALLY. IN THE MORNING, THE NURSE CAME IN, AND SHE LET THE BLINDS UP ON THE WINDOW, AND SHE SAID, "GOOD MORNING." ONLY, I HEARD NOTHING AND ONLY SAW HER LIP MOVEMENTS. IT FELT JUST LIKE A SILENT MOVIE. THERE WAS NO SOUND. I WAS DEVASTATED. IT HIT ME IMMEDIATELY THAT MY HEARING HAD LEFT ME. I COULD HEAR NOTHING. I DIDN'T HEAR WHEN THE BLINDS WENT UP ON THE WINDOW. SO, THAT'S IMPORTANT. REMEMBER THAT, TOO. SO, THEN FOR TWO YEARS, I READ EVERYTHING. MY FATHER DIDN'T WANT ME TO GO TO A SCHOOL FOR THE DEAF. HE DIDN'T KNOW WHERE TO SEND ME. AND WHEN HE DID FIND A SCHOOL FOR ME, I FELT LIKE I WAS PLOPPED INTO THIS NEW ENVIRONMENT. I WANTED PEOPLE TO HELP ME, BUT I DIDN'T KNOW ANY SIGN LANGUAGE. IT WAS REALLY AWFUL. I WAS BITTER AND FRUSTRATED, AND THEN ONE DAY, I CAUGHT MY FIRST SIGN. I LOVED IT. WHAT WAS-- SUPPOSE THERE WAS A BOY THERE. HE SIGNED WHAT TO ME? THAT. [LAUGHTER] WIGGLE OF HIS NOSE. AND I WAS CURIOUS TO KNOW, "WHAT DOES THAT MEAN WHEN YOU WIGGLE YOUR NOSE?" AND HE TOLD ME IT MEANT "YES." I WAS THRILLED! WOW! MY FIRST SIGN! SO I THOUGHT, "OK. SCHOOL'S NOT SO BAD." AND THE TEACHERS WOULD SAY, "ERIC, DID YOU DO YOUR HOMEWORK?" I USED THAT. AND THE TEACHERS DIDN'T KNOW WHAT IT MEANT. I WAS SURPRISED THAT THE TEACHER HAD ASKED ME WHAT TO SAY. I HAD JUST LEARNED SIGN. I'D BEEN HEARING MYSELF. BUT I REALIZED THAT IT WAS A DEAF SIGN, AND THAT'S WHY. ANYWAY, THE TEACHERS WHO WORKED THERE DIDN'T SIGN VERY FLUENTLY. THEY SIGNED, UH, ENOUGH TO GET BY. IT WAS AWFUL. IT WAS REALLY HORRIBLE. IT WAS A SLOW PROCESS FOR ME, AND IT SEEMED THAT THE OTHER STUDENTS WERE LEARNING REALLY QUICKLY, AND FOR ME, IT TOOK FOREVER, BUT I HUNG IN THERE UNTIL-- ALSO, I WAS VERY SHY AT THAT TIME. I WAS A SIMPLE PERSON, BUT THE ONLY THING THAT I REALLY LOVED WHEN I WAS YOUNG WAS PLAYING FOOTBALL, BUT I COULDN'T. I WAS TOO YOUNG. THE OTHER KIDS WOULD THINK I WAS REALLY SMART BECAUSE I COULD WRITE REALLY WELL, AND I THOUGHT, "THAT'S NO BIG DEAL," AND THEY TENDED TO AVOID ME. I WAS REALLY LONELY, BUT I KEPT ON READING AND WRITING AND SUFFERING AND HANGING IN THERE, AND THEN LATER, MY TEACHER SAID THAT NEXT MONTH THERE WAS GONNA BE A SENIOR PLAY. AND I THOUGHT, "WHAT DO YOU MEAN? WHY ARE YOU TELLING ME THERE'S GONNA BE A PLAY?" THE TEACHER SAID, "YOU KNOW, I WANT YOU TO ACT IN IT," AND I THOUGHT, "ME ON THE STAGE, "PEOPLE LOOKING AT ME? NO WAY." [LAUGHTER] "I CAN'T." I FELT THAT MAYBE I HAD A HEART ATTACK AND DIED. JUST THE THOUGHT OF IT-- "NO THANKS." AND THE TEACHER SMILED, AND SAID, "WELL, IF YOU WANT TO GRADUATE." THEN I SAID, "WAIT A MINUTE. "IF YOU'RE GONNA PUT IT THAT WAY, "THEN I GUESS I'LL HAVE TO CHANGE MY MIND. "I DO WANT TO GRADUATE, SO, OK. I'LL BE ON THE STAGE." BUT GUESS WHAT. WE HAD TO CREATE THE PLAY OURSELVES. SO I THOUGHT, "WOW. I HAVE TO MAKE UP MY OWN THING," SO--THIS WAS IN 1938, AND WHEN I WAS FINISHED PERFORMING, THE KIDS ALL CAME UP TO ME AND SAID, "WOW! THAT WAS GREAT. I LIKED THAT!" THAT WAS THE FIRST TIME THEY'D PAID ANY ATTENTION OR GAVE ME ANY KIND OF PRAISE. SO THAT CONTINUED WITH ME FROM 1938 TILL NOW. A LONG TIME. [APPLAUSE] SO I WENT INTO GALLAUDET, AND IN MY FRESHMAN YEAR-- BOB ALREADY TOLD YOU ABOUT "JABBERWOCKY," WHEN I MADE UP THAT POEM-- WHEN I TRANSLATED IT. SOME OF IT ARE SOME REAL SIGNS, AND THEY WERE GOOD SIGNS A LONG TIME AGO, BUT SOME OF IT WAS DIFFERENT. LIKE, THESE SORT OF HAND MOVEMENTS. MAYBE LIKE WATER, BUT I DID SOME OF MY OWN HAND MOVEMENTS, AND... [LAUGHTER] I REALLY HAD NO COORDINATION, SO... I KNEW THAT I NEEDED TO JUST GO AHEAD AND LET GO AND TRY IT. I WANTED TO BE INVOLVED IN THINGS THERE, AND I KNEW I DIDN'T REALLY HAVE THE SKILL, SO I SEARCHED INSIDE OF MYSELF FOR SOMETHING THAT I COULD PERFORM, AND I FOUND THE POEM, AND IT SEEMED-- WELL, IT WAS INTERESTING. IT WAS NOTHING I HAD EVER SEEN BEFORE, SO I SHOWED IT TO BOB AND SIGNED IT FOR HIM, AND HE WAS TOTALLY IN AWE OF ME. [LAUGHTER] THE OTHER PEOPLE ALSO WERE REALLY SHOCKED AND ASKED ME "WHAT ARE YOU DOING?" AND I'D SHOW THEM THE POEM, AND THEY'D SAY, "BUT IT DOESN'T MEAN ANYTHING!" AND I'D SAY, "I'M SIGNING EXACTLY NOTHING, AND THE POEM MEANS EXACTLY NOTHING." [LAUGHTER] PEOPLE AVOIDED ME. BUT I WAS VERY SUCCESSFUL WITH IT. ANOTHER BOY DID BEAT ME IN THE CONTEST THAT BOB WAS TALKING ABOUT. HIS POEM WAS ABOUT A BOAT GOING IN WATER AND BEING INSPIRED, BUT AFTER THAT, I WAS INVITED TO PERFORM AND TOUR, AND HE WASN'T, SO I GUESS WHO WAS SUCCESSFUL ANYWAY? I WAS IN A WAY. SO I TRAVELED AND PERFORMED AND DID "JABBERWOCKY." THEN LATER, DURING MY SOPHOMORE YEAR, I WAS IN "ARSENIC AND OLD LACE." SO, DO YOU WANT TO KNOW WHY I PICKED THAT PLAY? BECAUSE I WANTED SOMETHING NEW AT GALLAUDET. THEY ALWAYS TENDED TO DO THE SAME OLD KIND OF THING. YOU KNOW, LIKE, IF YOU GO DOWN TO THE DINER AND GET THE BLUE PLATE SPECIAL. HASH BROWNS WITH SOME KIND OF SAUCE ON TOP OF IT. I WANTED SOMETHING NEW, SOMETHING THRILLING. SO I HAD READ THAT PLAY DURING THE SUMMER, THE SUMMER BEFORE MY JUNIOR YEAR. NOT '43. '42, BOB, AND I READ IT RIGHT BEFORE MY JUNIOR YEAR, AND IT SEEMED TO FIT WITH WHAT I WAS LOOKING FOR. SO I SHOWED IT TO SOME PEOPLE AT GALLAUDET AND EXPLAINED MY IDEAS, AND EVERYBODY THOUGHT, "NOPE. YOU CAN'T DO IT." AND THERE WAS A VOTE. IT WAS 5-1. AND THE ONE PERSON DIDN'T COUNT, SO WE KICKED HIM OUT. SO I SENT A LETTER TO THE WRITERS AND SAID, "I'D LIKE TO USE THIS PLAY," AND THEY SENT IT BACK AND SAID, "SORRY, NO. "IT'S NOT AVAILABLE FOR ANY PRODUCTION OF ANY PLAY UNTIL IT HAD BEEN ON BROADWAY." I WAS FURIOUS! SO I TYPED A LETTER BACK, AND IT SEEMED THAT THERE WAS SMOKE COMING FROM THE TYPEWRITER. I MAILED THE LETTER BACK TO THEM AND SAID, "WELL, WHAT ABOUT ME? "I'M ONE OF THE BEST SIGN LANGUAGE ACTORS IN THE WORLD." AND IT SEEMED THAT THE LETTER WAS GIVEN TO SOMEBODY WHO WAS HIGHER UP ON THE TOTEM POLE, AND WE WERE ACCEPTED. IT WENT THROUGH TELEGRAPH SYSTEM-- POSTAL SYSTEM, NOT LIKE WHAT WE HAVE TODAY, BUT THEY SAID, "FINE. "WE'D LIKE FOR YOU TO DO IT, "AND WE'D LIKE FOR YOU TO USE OUR SET AND TO DO SO IN FEBRUARY." AND I WAS IN WASHINGTON, D.C., AT THE TIME, AND I THOUGHT, "WOW! AM I SUPPOSED TO TAKE CONTROL HERE "AND GET THINGS SET UP? "OH, MY GOD! I DIDN'T EXPECT THAT." I THOUGHT, "I HAVE TO ACT IN IT AND TAKE CHARGE OF IT? NO WAY." BUT I THOUGHT ABOUT IT, AND I MADE SOME OTHER PHONE CALLS, AND IT SEEMED LIKE THERE WAS ENOUGH TIME THAT IT WAS POSTPONED UNTIL JUNE, SO THERE WAS ENOUGH TIME. AND I TOLD THEM, "OH, I'M SORRY. "I MISUNDERSTAND YOU. FEBRUARY'S NOT ENOUGH TIME. WE NEED TO PRACTICE." SO THEY TOLD US TO GO AHEAD AND PRACTICE IT, AND WHEN WE WERE FINISHED, THEN WE COULD COME TO BROADWAY AND DO IT AT THE FULTON THEATRE. I THOUGHT, "BROADWAY?" BROADWAY." [LAUGHTER] ALL MY LIFE, I'VE ALWAYS THOUGHT THAT THE BEST THEATER IS ON BROADWAY WITH THE LIGHTS AROUND THE MARQUEE, AND I THOUGHT, "I CAN'T TAKE THIS. THIS IS SILLY." SO I PICKED SOMEONE WHO WOULD BE REALLY THE BEST DIRECTOR. DO YOU KNOW... HE'S A SMALL MAN. FRED. FREDERICK. HUGHES. FREDERICK HUGHES. THE GYM AT GALLAUDET IS NAMED AFTER HIM. HE WAS A CHAMPION IN FOOTBALL ABOUT 1920s, '30s. HE WAS THE COACH WHEN THE FOOTBALL TEAM WAS CHAMPIONS. SO, ANYWAY, I RAN AND KNOCKED ON HIS DOOR AND EXPLAINED THE SITUATION. AND I SAID, "LOOK AT ME. LOOK AT ME. I WANT TO EXPLAIN THIS." AND HE WAS SAYING, "WELL, UH, UM..." I ASKED HIM, "CAN YOU HELP ME?" BEFORE, HE HAD BEEN IN THE CLUB WITH US. HE HAD HELPED US SET IT. BOB WAS IN IT, TOO. REALLY, THERE WAS NO DRAMA MAJOR AT THAT TIME, SO IT WASN'T A CLASS. IT WAS A CLUB. SO I SAID, "WOULD YOU HELP US?" AND HE SAID, "WHAT?" AND I WAS SO NERVOUS, I COULD BARELY GET IT OUT. AND I SAID, "WELL, THE DRAMA CLUB "WANTS TO GIVE A PLAY, AND WE WERE WONDERING IF YOU COULD DIRECT IT." AND HE SAID, "NO. ME? "I TEACH ALL DAY. I'M SO BUSY. "I'M SORRY. "I'D LIKE TO. I APPRECIATE IT, BUT I CAN'T." AND I SAID, "WE'RE GOING TO BROADWAY." HIS HAIR STOOD UP. "BROADWAY?! OK. I'LL DO IT." SO I GUESS WE GOT HIM. THEN I MET THE PRESIDENT--HALL AND ASKED HIM FOR PERMISSION, AND I EXPLAINED THE SITUATION, AND HE SAID, "NO. SORRY. NO." AND I SAID, "WHY? "ARE YOU AFRAID THAT WE'RE GONNA GO TO NEW YORK "AND RUIN IT? BROADWAY IS PROFESSIONAL." AND HE SAID, "THEY'RE GONNA MAKE FUN OF YOU." I WAS BOILING INSIDE. THERE WAS SMOKE, I WAS SO UPSET. DO YOU KNOW JONATHAN HALL? HAVE YOU HEARD OF HIM BEFORE? DO YOU KNOW HIM? HE'S THE SON OF PRESIDENT HALL. SO I ASKED HIM TO ORGANIZE A MEETING OF THE FACULTY AND STAFF. SO THERE WAS A MEETING, AND THEY ALL VOTED "YES, WE'LL GO." SO AT FIRST, WE WENT TO NEW YORK JUST TO DISCUSS BUSINESS. THAT WAS WITH HOWARD LINDSAY AND RUSSEL CROUSE. SO WE JUST TALKED BUSINESS WITH THEM. WE WERE STAYING IN A HOTEL. IT WAS REALLY KIND OF NICE. IT WAS EXPENSIVE. AND WE WOULD GO TO THEIR OFFICE TO TALK BUSINESS. AND THEY SAID, "ARE YOU GONNA GO TO THE PLAY? "AND THEN WHEN YOU'RE FINISHED-- WHEN WE'RE DONE, "YOU CAN COME TO OUR DRESSING ROOM "AFTER THE PLAY TONIGHT, AND WE'LL TALK MORE. "AND WHEN YOU GO EAT IN THE HOTEL, "JUST SIGN OUR NAMES ON THE CREDIT. THAT'S ALL. JUST GO AHEAD." AND WE THOUGHT, "WOW!" SO WE WERE SO EXCITED THAT NIGHT, AND WE ORDERED EVERYTHING THAT WE COULD. IT WAS REALLY SOPHISTICATED, FANCY, AND THEN WHEN WE WERE FINISHED, THEY BROUGHT THE CHECK TO US, AND WE BROUGHT OUT OUR PEN AND VERY DEFINITELY SIGNED HIS NAME. THE WAITER LOOKED AT IT, LOOKED US UP AND DOWN, AND SAID, "I'VE NEVER SEEN YOU BEFORE." SO THE WAITER WENT AND CALLED AND FOUND OUT THAT WE REALLY WERE WITH THE WRITERS, AND THEN HE WAS VERY NICE TO US. AND THAT WAS THE FIRST TIME IN MY LIFE AND THE ONLY TIME IN MY LIFE THAT I FELT I WAS OF AN UPPER SOCIAL CLASS. SO WE WERE IN THE THIRD ROW CENTER AT THE PLAY THAT NIGHT. IT WAS REALLY THE BEST SEAT IN THE HOUSE. DURING THE FIRST ACT, RUSSEL CROUSE CAME DOWN THE AISLE, AND HE WAVED TO US. - "IS EVERYTHING ALL RIGHT?" - "IS EVERYTHING ALL RIGHT?" HE ASKED. SAID, "OH, JUST FINE." AND EVERYBODY LOOKED AT US AND THOUGHT, "WHO'S THAT? WOW. THEY MUST BE IMPORTANT." [LAUGHTER] MY LUNGS WERE BURSTING I FELT SO PROUD. THEN WHEN THE PLAY WAS DONE, WE WENT AND DISCUSSED BUSINESS SOME MORE, TALKED ABOUT WHAT TIME THINGS WOULD HAPPEN AND ALL OF THAT. AND THEN FREDERICK SAID, "DO YOU WANT A DRINK?" AND I SAID, "SURE. I'LL HAVE A WHISKEY SOUR," EVEN THOUGH I WAS ONLY 19, AND YOU KNOW THAT IT WAS FORBIDDEN THAT I WOULD DRINK AT GALLAUDET. SO, UM... [LAUGHTER] WHAT DID HE GIVE ME? MILK. AND HOWARD SAID, "OH, GO AHEAD. NOBODY WILL TELL." SO WE WENT AHEAD AND ORDERED BEER. ALL RIGHT. SO WE WENT AND REHEARSED, AND THEN WHEN IT WAS TIME TO PERFORM IN NEW YORK, WE CAME AND ACTED, AND--WHAT BOB SAID-- WAS SUCCESSFUL. I DID GET TO--I DID NOT BORROW BORIS KARLOFF'S SHOES. HE ASKED ME IF I WANTED TO USE HIS LUCKY SHOES, BUT THEY WERE A SIZE 13, AND I ONLY WEAR A SIZE 10. AND I SAID, "OH, FINE, FINE, SO HE GAVE THEM TO ME," BUT THEY WERE TOO BIG. MY TOES WEREN'T APPROACHING THE END OF THE SHOES, SO I PUT PAPER IN IT, STUFFED IT REALLY GOOD, SO THEN I FELT BETTER. THEY FIT, AND I COULD WALK IN THEM, AND HE ASKED ME, "DO THEY FIT?" AND I SAID, "I'M FINE." WHY WERE THEY LUCKY? BECAUSE HE USED THEM THE FIRST TIME HE HAD BECOME FAMOUS, SO EVER SINCE THEN, HE USED THEM. THEY HAD BEEN HIS LUCKY SHOES. HE SAID, "MALZ, TOMORROW, YOU CAN USE MY DRESSING ROOM. "USE MY SHOES. "YOU CAN USE MY COSTUME, AND I'LL MAKE YOU UP. AND MAYBE A VALIUM WOULD HELP YOU." [LAUGHTER] WOW! OR A VALET. IT WAS A LITTLE BIT SILLY THAT I COULDN'T DO IT MYSELF, BUT IT SEEMED TO BE THE POLITE THING TO DO. THANK YOU. THEN I WENT AHEAD AND ACT, AND IT WAS SUCCESSFUL. MY PICTURES WERE ALL OVER THE PLACE, ALL OVER IN THE U.S. MY HEAD WAS GETTING BIG, YOU KNOW? BUT WHAT DO YOU THINK HAPPENED? WHEN IT WAS OVER, I CAME BACK TO WASHINGTON, D.C., AND I GOT IN A FIGHT WITH MY GIRLFRIEND. BOY, DID MY HEAD SHRINK BACK TO ITS NORMAL SIZE. [LAUGHTER] SHE MADE ME FEEL SMALL AGAIN. YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN? SHE INSULTED ME. THEN MY HEAD WENT RIGHT BACK TO WHERE IT WAS BEFORE, BUT ANYWAY... IN MY SENIOR YEAR AT GALLAUDET-- REMEMBER I TOLD YOU ABOUT THE DOCTOR THAT I HAD VISITED REGULARLY WHEN I WAS A CHILD? OK. IT HAPPENED DURING THE SUMMERTIME, AND IT WAS THE SUMMER BEFORE MY SENIOR YEAR. I GOT A LETTER THAT SAID THAT I NEEDED TO GO TO-- I NEED TO REPORT FOR MY PHYSICAL FOR WORLD WAR II. I THOUGHT, "WELL, FINE. I'LL GO." SO I WENT, AND THE DOCTOR FOR MY PHYSICAL WAS THE SAME ONE THAT HAD BEEN MY DOCTOR WHEN I WAS A CHILD. I THOUGHT, "WOW! I'VE KNOWN HIM. THIS IS FINE." AND HE TALKED. I LIPREAD HIM. IT WAS EASY, AND MY VOICE WAS STILL NORMAL BECAUSE I HAD LOST MY HEARING WHEN I WAS 10, SO BY THE TIME I WAS 20, I STILL SPOKE THE SAME. HE ASKED ME HOW WAS COLLEGE. I SAID FINE. HE CHECKED ME OVER AND LET ME GO. AND AT THAT TIME, I WAS PRESIDENT OF THE STUDENT BODY. I WAS THE PRESIDENT FOR THE STUDENT BODY OF THE BOYS AT GALLAUDET, AND I GOT A LETTER THAT SAID, "PLEASE REPORT TO FORT"... BECAUSE THE PHYSICAL WAS A 1-A. I THOUGHT, "ME? 1-A?" I WAS SHOCKED, AND THEN THE DOCTOR, WHO HAD SIGNED IT, WAS THE ONE THAT I HAD KNOWN WHEN I WAS YOUNG, AND I THOUGHT, "OH, NO. SHOULD I TELL PEOPLE, "OR WHAT? "I MEAN, I CAN'T CHALLENGE THE U.S. ARMY, CAN I? "I MEAN, GO TO GERMANY? "MAYBE I'LL BECOME A GENERAL. WELL, OK. THEN A LIEUTENANT." SO I WENT, AND I THOUGHT, "MAYBE I'LL GO TO GERMANY AND TAKE OVER HITLER." [LAUGHTER] "SHAVE HIS MUSTACHE OFF." SO I DID GO, AND THE FIRST PLACE THAT I WENT TO, I WAS SITTING IN THE FIRST ROW. AND I SAW HIM SAY, "MALZKUHN." I RAISED MY HAND. I PASSED. [LAUGHTER] AND THE NEXT THING WAS THAT I HAD TO GO FORT MEADE. AND LINES WERE EXTREMELY LONG AND TURNING ALL AROUND THE CORNERS. IT WAS AWFUL. DO YOU THINK THAT THE ARMIES LET PEOPLE TAKE A BREAK? NEVER. THEY'RE ALWAYS WORKING. SO I STAYED IN LINES AND WAS PATIENT, AND THEY USED A STICK. GAVE ME A STICK WITH A NAIL IN IT TO PICK UP PAPERS AND TRASH. I DIDN'T MIND. I WALKED AROUND AND PICKED UP PAPERS, THREW THEM IN THE GARBAGE. AND SOME OF THE SOLDIERS WERE PLAYING FOOTBALL, AND I LOVED IT. SO I WATCHED FOR A WHILE, AND SOMEBODY CAME UP TO ME, SOMEONE WITH STRIPES ON HIS ARM, AND ASKED ME, "ARE YOU OFF?" AND I SAID, "NO," AND HE YELLED, EVEN THOUGH I WOULDN'T HEAR IT, I KNEW HE WAS YELLING AT ME. HE CAME CLOSER TO ME, YELLING AND YELLING, AND I HADN'T HEARD IT. I THOUGHT, "I FEEL A BREEZE NEAR MY EAR." AND HE STARTED TAPPING ME ON THE SHOULDER, AND I SAID, "SORRY." AND HE SAID, "ARE YOU DEAF OR SOMETHING?" [WOMAN LAUGHING] "WELL...YES." "WHAT?! "YOU GODDAMN LIAR! "YOU'VE GOT TO GET OUT OF THE ARMY! I'LL FIX YOU!" SO HE TOOK ME TO THE DOCTOR, AND I GOT TO CUT IN THE LINE, AND HE SAID SOMETHING TO THE DOCTOR, AND THE DOCTOR LOOKED ME UP AND DOWN AND SAID, "MM-HMM." I DON'T KNOW WHAT THEY WERE SAYING. SO THE DOCTOR CALLED ME OVER AND TOLD ME TO TAKE OFF MY CLOTHES. [LAUGHTER] SO I DID, AND I LEFT MY BRIEFS ON, AND HE TOLD ME "I SAID TAKE OFF ALL YOUR CLOTHES!" [LAUGHTER] NAKED. THE DOCTOR WALKED AROUND ME. AND EVERYBODY WAS LOOKING AT ME BECAUSE EVERYBODY WAS NUDE, HAVING THEIR PHYSICALS, TOO, AND THEY WERE ALL LAUGHING. DOCTOR WALKED AROUND ME AGAIN AND SAID, "YES, YOU'RE DEAF. PUT YOUR CLOTHES BACK ON. GO HOME." NOW HOW DID HE KNOW BY LOOKING AT ME NUDE THAT I WAS DEAF? WELL, ANYWAY, SO I PUT MY CLOTHES BACK ON. FIRST I TALKED WITH ONE OF THE SERGEANTS, AND HE TOLD ME I NEEDED TO GO SEE SOMEONE WITH TWO STRIPES, AND I WAS GOING UP AND UP THE LINE OF RANK OF ORDER, AND FINALLY I WAS TOLD I HAVE TO BE ABLE TO HEAR 20 FEET AWAY, AND I HAD NO RIGHT TO BE THERE. SO THEY TOLD ME I COULD GO TO WORK IN A WAR FACTORY, SO I WENT BACK TO GALLAUDET. [LAUGHTER] MY TAIL WAS BENEATH MY LEGS AS I WENT BACK TO GALLAUDET. AND I SAW ANOTHER MAN WHO HAD BEEN IN LINE WITH ME, AND HE HAD GOTTEN KICKED OUT, TOO. WHY? BECAUSE HE HAD FLAT FEET. SO I WROTE A NOTE TO HIM AND SAID... "WHY DID THE DOCTOR THROW ME OUT? HOW DID HE KNOW I WAS DEAF?" AND THE MAN SAID, "EASY. BECAUSE HE WALKED BEHIND YOU." AND HE SAID, "SORRY, BUDDY..." [LOUD LAUGHTER] "I HAVE TO STICK THIS LARGE NEEDLE UP YOUR FANNY." AND I DIDN'T SHOW ANY REACTION. OF COURSE IF I WAS HEARING, I WOULD HAVE HAD SOME SORT OF LOOK OF PAIN ON MY FACE. SO THAT'S HOW HE KNEW I WAS DEAF FOR SURE. AND SO THAT'S HOW THE DOCTOR HELPED ME SO THAT MY ARMY CAREER WAS ONLY ONE DAY. BUT BELIEVE ME, IT WAS ONE FULL DAY, FULL DAY, FROM MORNING TO NIGHT. OK. [APPLAUSE] NOW...I WANT TO SHOW YOU SOME OF MY POETRY, AND I'M GOING TO START WITH "JABBERWOCKY." DO YOU WANT TO SEE IT? - YEAH! - NOW, FIRST OF ALL, I'D LIKE TO EXPLAIN, THIS WON'T BE THE SAME... THIS WON'T BE THE SAME AS WHAT YOU SEE LOU FANT DO, BECAUSE WITH HIS BODY AND HIS FACE, IT JUST LOOKS REAL DIFFERENT, BUT FOR MYSELF, I DO IT A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENTLY EVERY TIME. AND SOMETIMES, I'M WONDERFUL. AND SOMETIMES I STINK, TO BE HONEST WITH YOU. BUT...REALLY, IT DEPENDS ON MY MOOD. SO, LIKE, WITH MY WIFE THIS MORNING, SHE WAS GIVING ME--WHEN SHE WAKES ME UP, SHE SAYS, "ERIC, YOUR COFFEE IS READY." AND SOMETIMES, I LOOK LIKE THIS WHEN I WAKE UP, SO THAT'S WHAT MY ANIMAL LOOKS LIKE. BUT THEN SOMETIMES SHE SAYS, "GET OUT OF BED, YOU BASTARD. YOU'RE LATE." AND THEN MY ANIMAL LOOKS LIKE THIS, AND I POUNCE OUT OF BED. SO, GEE, I WONDER WHAT MY MOOD IS TONIGHT. SO ARE YOU GUYS READY? 'TWAS BRILLIG, AND THE SLITHY TOVES DID GYRE AND GIMBLE IN THE WABE; ALL MIMSY WERE THE BOROGOVES, AND THE MOME RATHS OUTGRABE. [LAUGHTER] "BEWARE THE JABBERWOCK, MY SON, "HIS JAWS THAT BITE, HIS CLAWS THAT SCRATCH!" "BEWARE THE JUBJUB BIRD, AND SHUN THE FRUMIOUS BANDERSNATCH!" [LAUGHTER] HE TOOK HIS VORPAL SWORD IN HAND; LONG TIME THE MANXOME FOE HE SOUGHT-- AND SO HE STOOD UNDER THE TUMTUM TREE IN THOUGHT. WHILE IN UFFISH THOUGHT HE STOOD, THE JABBERWOCK, WITH EYES OF FLAME, CAME WHIFFLING THROUGH THE TULGEY WOOD... [CLANK] AND BURBLED AS IT CAME! [LOUD LAUGHTER] ONE AND TWO! THROUGH AND THROUGH, THE VORPAL BLADE WENT SNICKER-SNACK! HE TOOK ITS HEAD AND LEFT IT DEAD, AND WENT GALUMPHING BACK. "THOU HAST SLAIN THE JABBERWOCK? "O, COME TO MY ARMS, MY BEAMISH BOY! CALLOOH! CALLAY!" [LAUGHTER] HE CHORTLED IN HIS JOY. '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] YOU GUYS ARE ALL SPECIAL. SOMETIMES I CHANGE IT, YOU KNOW. FOR EXAMPLE, I WENT TO DETROIT. YOU ALL KNOW WHERE DETROIT IS. DETROIT, MICHIGAN. AND YOU KNOW WHAT THAT TOWN'S FAMOUS FOR? YEAH, OF COURSE. THEIR AUTOMOBILES. AND SO THIS IS WHAT MY HEAD WILL LOOK LIKE, WITH THE LIGHTS AND SMOKE BILLOWING OUT THE BACK. SO IT REALLY DEPENDS UPON WHERE I GO. SO NOW I'M GOING TO TAKE A BREAK, AND I'D LIKE TO PLAY A GAME WITH YOU. I KNOW YOU'LL APPRECIATE THIS GAME. AND DON'T SIT ON YOUR HANDS. I'M GONNA ASK YOU TO BE ATTENDING AND PARTICIPATING IN THIS GAME. ME. I KNOW YOU GUYS WILL ALL ENJOY THIS WHEN THE JOKE'S ON SOMEBODY ELSE, BUT WHEN I PICK ON YOU, PLEASE DON'T JUMP OUT. THIS IS A GAME I USE FOR TEACHING SIGN LANGUAGE AND DRAMA AND ENGLISH-- ALL THREE OF THESE. WILL YOU HELP ME OUT HERE? OK, COULD I HAVE YOUR ATTENTION BACK UP HERE? EYES DIRECTED UP TO THE FRONT. I WANT TO EXPLAIN HOW THIS GAME WORKS. USUALLY I USE THIS WITH A SMALL GROUP... ...OR 5 AND 5 OR 6 AND 6. AND THIS IS A GAME FOR ALL AGES. YOU'LL SEE HOW IT WORKS AS IT GOES ALONG. YOU'LL BE CHALLENGED. BUT YOU CAN'T SIGN AND YOU CAN'T SPEAK, OK? BUT I'LL SHOW YOU ALL HOW IT WORKS. SO YOU CAN SIGN ONE. YOU CAN DO WHATEVER. YOU KNOW, I'LL ASK YOU TO DO A FEW THINGS. AND LET'S GO. FIRST... FIRST, I'LL SHOW YOU ONE OF THESE. IF I SHOW YOU THIS--OH, AND THEN I'LL SHOW YOU THE VERB. AND THEN, OBVIOUSLY, ME. I'M POINTING TO ME. BUT I CAN'T SIGN "MINE." AND I CAN'T SIGN "MY..." WHATEVER. OK. NEVER MIND. LET'S GO. WELL, YOU HAVE TO STOP ME, IF YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND THIS. OK, FINE. JUST STOP ME. I'M UNFLAPPABLE. OK. - OK, YOU GUYS READY? ERIN? DON'T HIDE YOUR HANDS. WHO WANTS TO VOLUNTEER? YOU. OK. "THE." YOU GOT IT. "CAR." "NOT." PAST. SOMETHING IN THE PAST. BIGGER. BIGGER. YEAH? NO. NO, THAT'S NOT-- OK. IT SOUNDS LIKE... YES! "WOULD." "START." WHAT IS THIS? COME ON. YEAH? "IN." [LOUD LAUGHTER] LITTLER. "THE." YES. "RAIN." OK, YOU GUYS GOT THE IDEA NOW? OK. ALL RIGHT. I WANT PEOPLE VOLUNTEERING HERE. OK. A LITTLE WORD HERE. AN ARTICLE. "THE." BIGGER. - A WATCH. A WATCH. A WATCH. - [INDISTINCT]. - YOU GOT IT. - SECOND. - "SECOND." PERSON. NO, NO. HE WAS RIGHT. HE SAID, "BASE," BUT I JUST WANTED TO EXPAND THAT A LITTLE. "BASE" WHAT? A PERSON. - MAN. MAN. MAN. - YOU GOT IT. "BASEMAN." ARTICLE. UH, NO, VERB. LITTLE. "IS." OK. ANOTHER SMALL WORD. "A." - [INDISTINCT]. - PUT "GOOD" HERE. - FIELDER. FIELDER. - "FIELD"? EXPAND THAT. WE GOT EVERYTHING. OH, WE GOT "VERY." "FIELDER." OK. "FIELDER." - "FIELDER." I HOPE YOU GET THE IDEA OF WHAT I'M TRYING TO DO HERE. I'M TRYING TO GIVE YOU YOURSELVES THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE CREATIVE, BUT I DON'T WANT YOU TO SIT ON YOUR HANDS, OK? OK, THIS IS THE LAST ONE, AND IT'S A HARD ONE. OK. A PERSON. COME ON. COME ON. COME ON. CHANGE IT A LITTLE BIT. UH-HUH. YEAH. SPELL IT OUT. NAH. [LAUGHTER] YUP, THERE IT IS, BACK THERE. "MALZ." OK. COME ON. CAROLINE, YOU'RE ON THE RIGHT TRACK. "HAS." A LITTLE WORD HERE. "A." - "FACE." - THERE WE GO. "FACE." "LIKE." LITTLE OTHER WORD HERE. "A." [LAUGHTER] PULL IT OUT. YOU'RE ON THE RIGHT TRACK. STRETCH OUT THAT WORD. [MAN LAUGHING] YEAH, BUT THERE'S MORE TO IT THAN THAT. EXPAND IT. IT'S THE RIGHT WORD. JUST ADD TO THAT A LITTLE BIT. NO, NO, NO. COME ON. ANY OTHER IDEAS? YOU KNOW IN A NEWSPAPER... THEY TALK ABOUT "JOHN DOE." WHAT COMES AFTER "JOHN DOE"? [LAUGHTER] "DECEASED." - "SOCCER BALL"! [LAUGHTER] FOR YEARS AND YEARS, WHEN YOU ASK PEOPLE TO DESCRIBE MY FACE... YOU KNOW HOW, LIKE, A BALL GETS KIND OF DEFORMED AFTER BEING KICKED? THAT FITS ME TO A "T." NOBODY EVER LOOKED AT ME AND SAID, "THAT'S CLARK GABLE." NEVER! SO ANYWAY, THANK YOU FOR BEING PART OF MY GAME. [APPLAUSE] THEN KEEP ROLLING HERE? PANARA ALREADY TOOK UP 3 HOURS OF MY TIME. [LAUGHTER] SO CAN I GO ON? IS THAT ALL RIGHT WITH YOU? I PROMISE IF YOU'RE ALL SNOOZING... THEN I'LL BE QUITE NICELY IN BED. HOW MANY OF YOU HAVE GONE TO GALLAUDET BEFORE? DO YOU REMEMBER DR. FUSFELD? HE USED TO TEACH PSYCHOLOGY. DO YOU REMEMBER HIM? FUSFELD. ANYWAY, HE TAUGHT PSYCHOLOGY. AND THE SIGN FOR HYPNOTIC-- OH, HIS SIGNS WERE HYPNOTIC. STUDENTS GO TO SCHOOL TO LEARN PSYCHOLOGY. AND I HAD THIS CLASS AFTER LUNCH. IT WAS ALL OVER. EVERY DAY, I'D...GO IN THERE, AND I'D TRY TO ROCK MYSELF TO KEEP MYSELF AWAKE, BUT IT WAS NO GOOD. I'D GO OUT EVERY DAY. THEN ONE DAY, HE GOT EVEN WITH ME. I WENT OUT AS USUAL. AND I WOKE UP. HE WASN'T THERE. THERE WAS A STORY GOING ON UP FRONT, BUT IT WASN'T MY CLASS. [LAUGHTER] MY WHOLE CLASS HAD GOTTEN UP AND LEFT ME THERE. SO I WAS EXTREMELY EMBARRASSED... AND THE TEACHER CAME UP TO ME AND SAID, "MR. MALZ, MAY I SUGGEST... TOMORROW THAT YOU BRING A PILLOW?" [LAUGHTER] I COULD HAVE CRAWLED OUT OF THE ROOM. BUT ANYWAY... I WANT TO SHOW YOU HOW YOU CAN CHANGE A POEM. AND WE'RE GONNA DO ONE CALLED "THE CAT." FIRST I'LL SIGN IT IN PSE, BUT THEN I'LL SIGN IT IN ASL. AND THEN I'LL SIGN IT MY WAY, ALL 3 WAYS. OK, HERE WE GO. THE TROUBLE WITH... [AUDIENCE MEMBERS LAUGHING] KITTENS IS THAT EVENTUALLY... IT BECOMES A CAT. THE TROUBLE WITH A KITTEN IS THAT EVENTUALLY, IT BECOMES A CAT. I THINK THAT'S A LITTLE BIT BETTER. SO THE TROUBLE WITH KITTENS IS THAT EVENTUALLY, IT BECOMES A CAT! THREE DIFFERENT WAYS THERE. YOU HAVE TO CHANGE AND PLAY WITH THE LANGUAGE. NOW WE HAVE ANOTHER EXAMPLE CALLED "THE CENTIPEDE." THE SIGN THAT YOU USE FOR A CENTIPEDE? IT IS AROUND HERE. HUH. OK. THAT'S A GOOD ONE. I'LL SIGN THIS FOR "CENTIPEDE." OK? WE OBJURGATE THE CENTIPEDE, A BUG WE REALLY DO NOT NEED. AT SLEEPY-TIME HE BEATS A PATH STRAIGHT FROM THE BEDROOM TO THE BATH. AND IF WE STOP, THERE IT IS NOT. AND IF IT IS, IT MAKES A SPOT. [LAUGHTER] WE DON'T NEED THE CENTIPEDE. IT'S SLEEP TIME. IT BEATS A PATH INTO THE BATH. AND IF WE STOMP, THERE IT IS NOT. THERE IT IS! OH, GOOD. THERE IT IS NOT. [LOUD LAUGHTER] IT CAN BE A LITTLE DIFFERENT. NOW I WANT TO WORK ON A POEM THAT I MADE UP MYSELF. AND WE CALL THIS "SAN FRANCISCO." HAVE YOU EVER BEEN TO SAN FRANCISCO? 1, 2...A FEW OF YOU? OK. SO HERE I'M TRYING TO SHOW YOU HOW TO USE FINGERSPELLING, AND FINGERSPELLING CAN BE INCORPORATED INTO A POEM. WHAT DOES SAN FRANCISCO HAVE? THE BRIDGE, THE GOLDEN GATE BRIDGE. WHAT ELSE DOES IT HAVE? THE HILLY STREETS. RIGHT. THERE'S A BAY, THE SAN FRANCISCO BAY. HILLY STREETS...FOG. OK. AND CABLE CARS. OK. I FIRST WROTE THIS POEM IN 1966. IT WAS WHEN I WAS WORKING FOR A PLAY WITH NTD AND WE WERE IN SAN FRANCISCO. BOB SAW IT AT THAT TIME, BUT I CHANGED IT OVER THE YEARS. I THINK IT'S IMPROVED, TOO. SO HERE WE GO WITH FINGERSPELLING. SAN FRANCISCO, YOU ARE NOT A CITY. YOU ARE A DREAM. YOUR PEOPLE ARE NOT WHAT THEY SEEM. YOUR PEOPLE ARE PRINCES AND KINGS, COME FROM ALL OVER THE WORLD TO DO FABULOUS THINGS IN SAN FRANCISCO. YOUR VERY ELEGANCE, THE WAY YOUR PEOPLE DANCE... YOUR UP-AND-DOWN STREETS WITH THEIR MIXTURE OF CHINESE AND ITALIANS AND GREEKS... YOUR CRAZY CABLE CARS, YOUR RESTAURANTS GIVE A TOUCH OF ROMANCE TO YOU, SAN FRANCISCO. SAN FRANCISCO... YOU WILL NEVER GROW OLD. YOU ARE FROZEN IN TIME, A CITY ALONE, A SONNET OF SAND AND STONE, WITH A SEA-SPLASHED RHYME. SAN FRANCISCO... BELOVED DREAM OF MINE. [APPLAUSE] - BEAUTIFUL! OK, I'D LIKE TO SHARE A SECRET WITH YOU. I HAVE A HEALTH PROBLEM. I HAVE MALZHEIMER'S DISEASE. [LAUGHTER] HAVE YOU HEARD OF IT? MALZHEIMER'S DISEASE? IT MEANS THAT MY MIND IS... A LITTLE BIT SHOT. YOU SAW THAT WHEN I SHOWED YOU "JABBERWOCKY." YOU KNOW, THE FIRST TIME I SHOWED IT, 1/3 OF THE AUDIENCE THOUGHT I WAS GENIUS. THE OTHER 1/3 THOUGHT I WAS INSANE, AND THE LAST 1/3 COULDN'T REALLY DECIDE WHICH. [LAUGHTER] SO HANG IN THERE WITH ME. AND NOW I WANT TO HAVE A YOUNG LADY VOLUNTEER TO COME UP HERE. WHO WOULD DO THAT? COME ON. SOMEBODY VOLUNTEER? ANYBODY. YOU? OK. OK. NOW I WANT TO DO ANOTHER POEM CALLED "IF I WERE KING." FIRST OF ALL, IT'S A VERY OLD POEM. I FOUND THIS WHEN I WAS MUCH YOUNGER AND I HAD A FULL HEAD OF HAIR AND A MUCH SMALLER BELT. MANY YEARS AGO. AND IT'S A VERY ROMANTIC POEM. AND I HAVE TO ADMIT, I AM VERY ROMANTIC. I'VE NEVER CHANGED, AND I'M VERY OLD-FASHIONED. I DEVELOPED THIS POEM A LONG TIME AGO, AND THEN LATER... I TRANSLATED IT INTO ASL. AND I WANTED A GIRL TO VOLUNTEER FOR THE FIRST ONE, AND THEN I WANT ANOTHER GIRL TO VOLUNTEER FOR THE SECOND TIME I DO IT. OK. WELL, COULD I HAVE YOUR ATTENTION UP HERE? OK, WHEN I'M FINISHED WITH HER, WE'LL GO ON TO YOU, OK? [AUDIENCE MEMBER LAUGHS] OK. IF I COULD HAVE YOUR ATTENTION, PLEASE. I FLEW HERE A LONG WAY TO SEE YOU. "IF I WERE KING." AH, LOVE, IF I WERE KING! WHAT TRIBUTARY NATIONS WOULD I BRING TO KNEEL BEFORE YOUR SCEPTER AND SWEAR ALLEGIANCE TO YOUR EYES, YOUR LIPS AND HAIR. BENEATH YOUR FEET WHAT TREASURES WOULD I BRING: YOU WOULD HAVE THE SUN AND THE MOON TO WEAR, THE STAR AS YOUR NECKLACE ON A STRING, THE WORLD A RUBY FOR YOUR FINGER RING. [LAUGHTER] IF I WERE KING. LET THOSE WILD WORDS AND WILDER DREAMS TAKE WING, DEEP IN THE WOODS I HEAR A SHEPHERD SING A SIMPLE BALLAD FOR THE SYLVAN AIR, A LOVE THAT ALWAYS FINDS YOUR FACE MORE FAIR. I COULD NOT WISH FOR THEE ANY GODLIER THING IF I WERE KING. [APPLAUSE] THANK YOU. DON'T BE EMBARRASSED. I DON'T BITE AN APPRENTICE. OK. HERE WE GO AGAIN. NOW, THIS IS MINE. I'VE DONE THIS SEVERAL YEARS. IF I WERE KING--AH, LOVE, IF I WERE KING! WHAT TRIBUTARY NATIONS WOULD I BRING TO KNEEL BEFORE YOUR SCEPTER AND TO SWEAR ALLEGIANCE TO YOUR EYES, YOUR LIPS AND HAIR. BENEATH YOUR FEET WHAT TREASURES I WOULD BRING: YOU WOULD HAVE THE SUN AND THE MOON TO WEAR... [LAUGHTER] THE STAR AS YOUR NECKLACE ON A STRING... THE WORLD A RUBY FOR YOUR FINGER RING. [LAUGHTER] IF I WERE KING. LET THOSE WILD WORDS AND WILDER DREAMS TAKE WING, DEEP IN THE WOODS I SEE A SHEPHERD SING A SIMPLE BALLAD FOR THE SYLVAN AIR, OF LOVE THAT ALWAYS FINDS YOUR FACE MORE FAIR. [WOMAN LAUGHS] [AUDIENCE LAUGHING] I COULD NOT WISH FOR THEE ANY GODLIER THING IF I WERE KING. [LAUGHTER AND APPLAUSE] OK, THIS WILL BE THE LAST ONE. NOW, YEAH. BRING THIS RIGHT AROUND HERE. I AM KING HENRY VIII. HOW MANY WIVES DID I HAVE? 6. THEIR NAME IS LEGION. WHY? YEAH. BECAUSE I KILLED A FEW OF THEM. THAT'S RIGHT. AND THIS IS PART OF THE PLAY THAT I ACTED IN. AND THIS IS JUST BEFORE KING HENRY VIII PROCLAIMS HIS WILL TO HAVE ANNE BEHEADED. SO ARE YOU READY? SHALL I GO ON? OK. THIS IS SO HARD TO DO. WHEN YOU COME TO PUT PEN TO PAPER... ANNE MUST DIE. SHE MUST. IF THINGS ARE TO GO AS PLANNED, YES, IF THEY'RE TO GO AT ALL. IF I AM TO RULE... AND KEEP MY SANITY... AND HOLD MY ENGLAND OFF THE ROCKS. IT'S A LEE SHORE AND A LOW TIDE-- AND THE WINDS ARE STRONG. THE SPANISH ROCKS ARE BARE AND SHARP. AH, GO BACK TO IT, HENRY, GO BACK TO IT. KEEP YOUR MIND ON THIS PARCHMENT YOU MUST SIGN. YOU'VE CONDEMNED MEN, NOBLES AND PEASANTS. SHE'S STRUCK DOWN A FEW HERSELF-- OR DRIVEN YOU TO DO IT. IT'S ONLY THAT A WOMAN YOU'VE HELD IN YOUR ARMS AND LONGED FOR WHEN SHE WAS AWAY, AND SUFFERED WITH HER AND WAITED FOR THE OUTCOME OF HER CHILDBED-- NO, SHE PROMISED ME AN HEIR. WRITE IT DOWN. AND WHEN THE HEADSMAN WILL CRY OUT SUDDENLY, "LOOK, LOOK THERE!" AND POINT TO THE FIRST FLASH OF SUNRISE, AND SHE'LL LOOK, NOT KNOWING WHAT HE MEANS, AND HIS SWORD WILL FLASH IN THE FLICK OF THE SUN, THROUGH THE LITTLE BONES OF HER NECK AS SHE LOOKS AWAY, AND IT WILL BE DONE. WHAT WILL IT SEEM TO MEN I WAS LIKE WHEN I DID THIS? IT WILL BE WRITTEN AND STUDIED. THE HISTORY OF KINGS ARE NEVER SECURE. THE LETTERS THEY HAVE HIDDEN, SECRET CIPHERS ARE UNRAVELED AND CHUCKLED OVER. "HE LOVED HER AND HE HAD HER AND HE KILLED HER." THE LETTERS WILL BE PRINTED, BUT ONE OF THE STOLEN LOVE LETTERS WHERE I PLAY THE FOOL, AND THERE'S A HEART DRAWN AT THE BOTTOM OF ONE, AND IN THE HEART "A.B.," LABORIOUSLY PRINTED. "HENRY REX SEEKS A.B. AND NO OTHER." NO. SHE BETRAYED ME. SHE BETRAYED ME. NOW I SEEK HER DEATH. BUT I FELT LIKE WHEN I LOVED HER LESS AND LESS, SHE LOVED ME MORE. BUT SHE BETRAYED ME. EVEN IN MY ANGER, SHE BETRAYED ME. THANKS. [APPLAUSE] OK, ANY SPECIAL REQUESTS FOR ME? ANYTHING THAT I'VE FORGOTTEN? THEY WOULDN'T PERMIT ME TO DISROBE, WOULD THEY? - WE'D PERMIT THAT. - JUST A LITTLE. BUT NOT HERE. THIS IS NOT A PETER COOK UP HERE. [LAUGHTER] THIS IS NOT AN R-RATED FLICK. SO... I'M DEFINITELY PROUD OF MY JOB. THE FIRST MAN WHO DID THIS IS NOW WORKING FOR DISNEY, AND HE WORKED MANY, MANY YEARS, AND WAS VERY, VERY FRUSTRATED. AND HE'S BEEN DRAWING CARTOONS EVER SINCE. SO LET ME SHOW YOU THIS. [LAUGHTER AND APPLAUSE] THE REASON I SHOW YOU THIS IS BECAUSE... THIS ISN'T ONLY FOR E.T. IT'S FOR [INDISTINCT]. [APPLAUSE] [APPLAUSE] [APPLAUSE CONTINUES] I'M GETTING OFF. GIVE ME A BREAK. [LAUGHTER] I'M GETTING THERE. [LAUGHTER] OK. THANKS VERY MUCH FOR COMING TONIGHT. WE REALLY ENJOYED IT. AND THERE'S GONNA BE SOME MORE DEAF POETRY COMING UP SOON. SO WATCH FOR THE ADVERTISEMENTS. AND IF YOU WANT TO SIGN UP FOR OUR MAILING LIST... [LAUGHTER] STAY THERE. HA HA! PUT YOUR NAMES DOWN HERE, PLEASE, AND WE'LL SEND YOU NOTES WHEN WE'RE GONNA HAVE MORE DEAF POETRY. THERE'S ALL DIFFERENT KINDS OF PEOPLE COMING UP. THERE'S GONNA BE A COUPLE PEOPLE FROM MONTREAL--FROM CANADA. THEY'RE GONNA DO SOME FRENCH POETRY FOR US, SO WE'RE BRINGING THEM IN IN JANUARY, I THINK. AND SO PUT YOUR NAMES DOWN, WE'LL SEND YOU SOME POSTCARDS, AND YOU CAN COME SEE IT. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, EVERYONE. [APPLAUSE]
Notes: 
"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."
Notes: 
Title supplied by cataloger