Not the most original post title, but it's been a long day (still the 2nd though! for me at least) and I only just booted up my computer.
Since I love a good personal anecdote, this post will be a short-ish one. Tomorrow, I'll try to take some time, do some research and one of those thoughtful, well-informed posts I hear so much about.
BANNED BOOKS
My second semester at university, one of the first english classes I took was a fiction/poetry workshop, taught for half the semester (the poetry half) by a visiting professor, Professor Joy Harjo.
One class, we were talking about rhythm and beat when reading poetry aloud. She had a t-shirt with a list of that year's, or the previous year's, banned books. I don't remember what she origially proposed as the task to "win" it, but I'd been introduced to Slam Poetry that semester. I had interviewed some of the well-known names in Honolulu, been to a campus slam poetry event, and been given a cd with some performances of this local artists.
One poem in particular stuck with me--"Recess" by Steven Kealoha Wong, known solely as Kealoha to many. It was fast and smooth and paused in all the right places and made me think back to that joyful existence when one word meant the highlight of my day: recess.
With the discussion of rhythm, beats and pauses in poems, I brought the cd to class and played it for everyone. She gave me the t-shirt.
I'm not one much for t-shirts that promote specific stores, brands or causes, but I like this one. Because really, how could I dislike a shirt with book titles on it? :)
Stay tuned for Saturday's edition of the ever-thrilling "Banned Books Week,Post #2." I know. I have chills, too.
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