Detail View: Deaf Studies, Culture, and History Archives: 1987 ASL Poetry Conference-Debbie Rennie

ds_0027_renniejazzberries_00001.mp4

ds_0027_renniejazzberries_00001.mp4

1987 ASL Poetry Conference-Debbie Rennie

Rennie, Debbie

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

1987

2019

moving image

MP4

VHS

American Sign Language

RITDSA.0027

Miriam and Kenneth Lerner ASL Poetry Collection

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

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.

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.