I was waiting to get the photos from the Estacion LIteraria - MMXIII - Esta Vida Boricua event to talk about how it went but Prensa RUM - the college news - published an article - photographs and interviews. The event went remarkably well - considering how many things went wrong. Thank God for René Miguel Rodríguez-Astacio and Yamil Sarraga.
Did I mention I had to borrow money some money from Rosa Roman to print the street signs and buy some minor supplies? which gave me an awful flashback of events past - but as it turned out it was only minimal and when I saw the photographs with the street signs in the background - the impact was totally worth it. What we ended up doing is improvising and in some ways it turned out better than planned.
Alejandra Rentas Mojica did an awesome job producing and MCing the multi-media segment (so proud of her) which included - the photography of Jose Irizarry , Alejandra Rentas - (showing of her first collection), films of Mathew Ariel and Alejandro D. Orengo Colon - which included an exclusive showing of his award winning film Alex Y Fabio - which is now is very successful on the film festival circuit lately.
Also a slide show of journal illustrator and painter - Zoraida Ortiz of one of her journals that reflected some very lovely - images of her favorite haunts in Puerto Rico as well as its natural world. And a slide show of portraitist - Eldalis Aguilar Vazquez. Also the music of Hector Mayoral - Secreto and Mancha de Platano - was used for two of the slide shows - very effectively. I have to thank Scott Strong who stepped in when we were having some troubles making the slide shows - he did an awesome job with Zoraida and Eldalis and he was way up in Newfoundland. It's good to have friends - is all I can say.
The second segment - included several pieces by well-published the Linda Maria Rodriguez Guglielmoni who dressed in cool 70s style. Eva Rodriguez breezed in looking gorgeous and kept the audience in stitches with her "cookbook" which is full of hilarious adages and anecdotes. Karen Joglar de Gracia sat down with me and Hector Pantoja just before she read and we worked out some nice background music with an acoustic guitar and harmonica for her poems. This apparently was Hector's first time performing some original work - it wasn't much space for him to showcase his musical talents as we didn't get a chance to rehearse in advance but - it was clear he is a very talented guy and can jump in and give you whatever you need on stage.
Then my new, handsome, guitar player breezed in and set up – we had to do a sound check in front of the audience which was a drag – but they found it entertaining – I’m telling you all that Jose is one down and dirty blues guitarist and I’m going to eat my own words when I said I could not in all my thirteen years in Puerto Rico – find anyone who could play real blues. He rocked the house and of course when you get that kind of fire on the stage… WHEW! I just would love to see what he could do with a band behind him- what we could do – but I’m only dreaming now.
Anyway - He put a fire under me in any case and I have to say that I think I performed my poem and harmonica exactly as I had imagined and rehearsed for. I felt incredibly satisfied – resolved – triumphant when I finally wrapped the poem up with a stanza I actually sang – in key!
The poem –Celluloid Memorias - was written during my rocky break-up and was about how hard it is to disengage from the past when the sensory images – smells – tastes – etc. trigger emotions. But I didn’t want it to be about the break-up because – well why give it that power ?– so with the help of a blues track I rewrote it – in a more general way – to the point that it began to be about a lot of things in my life – changes – losses – new beginnings –
So when I sing at the end – “You thought you could undo me – Break me down and rule me – You thought you could undo me – break me down and fool me – you thought you could undo me – break me down and rule me – but baby – who’s ruling you now?” It’s really about much more – my job – certain other people and circumstances in my life – my own inner struggles. So in the end it really was a blues song – and did what blues is supposed to do – transform the heart and send all that emotion out to share – call and response -
The last segment – Joel Rodriguez MCd which was a presentation of his indie magazine – Identidad and an Open Mike. As I watched him talk about his project – I felt this real glow in my heart – knowing that he truly and sincerely was carrying on the work of creating community through voice and storytelling. He is a guy who really has been through so many challenges in his life – that this is part of his soul. I predict he is going to be very successful. It was a very warm moment for me.
Then came the student performers and wow – I was blown away by their talent. I didn’t even know any of them except for Adam Alvarez – a current student. As I sat in the audience I finally felt like we were once again a real university – the students finally had their stage back – (it has been closed for almost 4 years)
Unfortunately – because some things fell through and we started so late – the stage crew did lights up after only 4 readers – even though there were a bunch of students waiting to read. They could have been a little more flexible – but that’s how it went. I just hope to God that they keep doing these events after I leave.
Later Joel read me a poem of sorts that Mathew wrote and it brought tears – I think I felt and saw for the first time the scope of how much I have been able to support and mentor and guide many people to their art and to sustain it. As I watched the slide shows and saw the work I had published in EVB become larger than life – and I saw how much it meant to each of the presenters and performers – I felt a job well-done for the first time since I began my life as a teacher. I hate to make a cliché – and it’s not the same as everybody says. To tell you the truth – I am never happy with what I do – it’s never enough – and as far as I am concerned - I have never gotten enough acknowledgment and validation –from neither my department nor the university (that’s 100% true)
But then again even in the past when students have said nice things - I have pooh-poohed them. It just was not enough. But at that moment –sitting in the audience – watching Zoraida’s, Alejandra’s, Eldalis’, Jose’s slide shows, listening to Eva, Joel, Hector - I swear to the gods – it was enough to see so many people bring their art to fruition and to know that I had been some part of their puzzle. And it was enough. I was actually completely filled up and satisfied. My work was done – and whatever crystals of hope, craft, encouragement, philosophy….would continue on in some beautiful way.
0 comentarios:
Publicar un comentario