August 20th
came more quickly than I could ever have imagined, and whether I was ready or
not, the evening of my presentation at the Omega
Institute arrived. I billed it as a sort of lecture/reading, which perhaps
might have frightened people less. There is a built-in fear of poetry readings
that, having been to a few myself, I can totally sympathize with. Somehow the
word “lecture” doesn’t have the same effect, so I was able to sneak a few poems
into the presentation with the pressure of having the poems be the center of
attention. Except of course they were, to me at least.
The meeting
space upstairs at the Ram Dass
Library is simply elegant and round, and no mic was necessary. Luckily, because
all the mics were being used by Bobby
McFerrin for his “Circlesongs” workshop that week. My plans to play a CD of
Follies tunes while the crowds moseyed in was thwarted by technical
difficulties, as was the use of a remote slide changer. For this event, I put
together my very first PowerPoint
presentation, using photos of the “cast” to help listeners make the connection
between the poems and the people involved. I’ve since purchased my own
combination remote changer and laser pointer for future presentations for a
mere $20, so my Handler will get the
night off. For now, he did me the great good favor of looking for my cues, and
advancing the photos smoothly.
It is
sometimes difficult for me to explain what I know about the Follies without
skipping parts. I have to keep reminding myself about how little most people
remember about that time today, without being condescending or overly detailed.
I interspersed short biographies with photos and poems, and tried to create a
brief narrative that I hope hung together. I was spared the agony of being
corrected by anyone who was more knowledgeable about the Follies than I am,
because they’re out there. They just weren’t with me that night. I’m sure I
made some factual errors, and certainly perpetuated one or two long-standing
myths that I hope to put to rest in the future. I see where I need to fill in
gaps, and where the poems themselves could use some fine tuning.
There were
about a dozen people in attendance, and even a few that surprised me. Still
others were merely participants interested in my project. I was grateful for
all. It was very beneficial to hear the work out loud, and to see if it would
play in Peoria. I believe it will.
Now, back to the desk, the books, the research, to make this project the best
possible I can, one-hundred years after the fact.
