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The Poetry Reading as Cultural Practice · Jun 14, 04:51 PM
I used to like reading from my work to an audience, but in recent years I have become a bit more reticent. The poetry reading as a cultural institution seems to have reached a zenith in the 70s & then declined, though the poetry slam phenom kicked in for a while in the early 90s. I hadn’t really been aware of the practice of actors reading poetry live (as opposed to on record), but perhaps this is more of a British innovation. I have a tape somewhere of Richard Burton reading John Donne’s poetry, which seems fine since Donne was no longer available to do the job himself. Besides, Donne & Burton are each interesting figures with something to contribute to the performance. But I also prize a tape of Eudora Welty reading—at breakneck speed—her story Why I Live at the PO, an American comic masterpiece. The reading is eccentric as all get out, but perfect for the story. I also like Raymond Carver reading his own stories.
When I was an undergraduate at the University of Washington, poetry readings were a big deal for us English majors. I remember sitting on the back steps of Parrington Hall with John Logan passing a pint of whiskey back & forth (mostly back). I remember sitting in a packed-tight audience in the ballroom of the student center for a John Berryman reading. David Wagoner, who would later be my teacher, introduced Berryman with the usual superlatives & when the famous drunk lurched to the podium his first words were, “I thank Professor Wagoner VERY MUCH. But I’ll have NONE of it.” He then gave a fascinating & scary hour-long reading from the Dream Songs that, while always on the edge of disaster, was utterly clear & coherent. Art triumphing for an hour over life.
We were also encouraged to read our work in public as students, jejune as it was. Nelson Bentley presided over a years-long series of undergrad readings at the UW & I wouldn’t be surprised if they were still going on. The experience was a mixed blessing: it gave us confidence in our work, but then it also gave us confidence in our work. The world is full of self-confident mediocrities. There are way too many poets out there who remind one of George W. Bush—All hat & no ranch, as I think Molly Ivans put the matter. Don’t get me wrong, I think young writers ought to be encouraged. They ought to be encouraged to love language more than they love themselves.
Lyric poetry (as opposed to dramatic modes) is probably best left to the direct communication (& collaboration) between writer & reader; actors are best left out of the equation in most cases. Dramatic poetry is of course a different matter—the poet has written with full knowledge that someone else must speak the lines. One of the most fascinating aspects of Shakespeare’s genius is his ability to create such an intensely personal point of view out of the “objective” language of dramatic poetry.
For a few years in the last decade I flogged my work across the country & got some pleasure & some money out of the process, but when my most recent book came out I somehow just didn’t have the heart to get on the phone & make all those arrangements & negotiate fees & accommodations & transportation. So my best book languishes & I feel guilty for not having done better by it. I also used to go to conferences, but have lately though better of the practice, which always left me feeling a little like a whore or a pimp I could never decide which. Probably a little of each.
I’ll probably give more readings before I resign myself to what ever posterity awaits me, but I will, in the event, try to keep a few basic rules in mind: 1) The poems are more interesting than the poet; 2) it is better to speak clearly than to mumble; 3) enthusiasm & regard for the audience can go a long way in putting the poetry across; 4) narcissism will be mercilessly mocked by members of the audience when they retire to the bar after the reading.
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I have always enjoyed poets reading their works and so have millions of art lovers, since the days long gone of salons.
— Kate S. 06/15/2004 08:19 AM #