Hello again and welcome to senior perspectives
a production brought to you by the redwood Coast senior centers and
a magnificent crew of elders seven hundred combined years of experience right here
in the studio with me I have
a wonderful wonderful show tonight let me catch you up just on
a few things about the senior center and then I'll introduce you to my guest and
we'll get things rolling on Feb thirteenth the senior center is partnering with an
oil food force there the folks who start gardens all over town and run
a program up at Fort Bragg high school and sell their delicious organic produce at
the farmer's market we're partnering with them to produce for them their black tie
book. Valentine extravaganza dinner from five thirty to eight luscious
chicken cordon bleu and vegetarian lasagna all organic mostly local food. Rich and
Cooper will be playing in the jazz lounge across from the dining room from five
thirty to about eight or eight thirty there be an auction at eight thirty and then
at nine o'clock we roll the tables back and get down and we're going to have
a great D.J. Playing all kinds of music it's going to be
a wonderful night at the center senior center so please join us for the event two
other quick announcements at the circle of elders day program which provides
a secure and warm and loving environment for elders whose capacities are little
diminished either cognitively or emotionally or socially or who are having physical
difficulties and need help getting through their days can spend Monday through
Thursday in the middle of the day at the Senior Center we provide transportation
meals music. Art creative events and just
a wonderful social environment so if you are caretaker or family of somebody who
needs that kind of support give us a call we have
a great program growing and don't forget is that a senior boss a senior Paxi
a senior limo I don't know all I know is all you have to do is pick up the phone
call nine six four OH FOR FOUR THREE we answer the phone we send the bus out pick
you up take the packages whatever else you need to live or you where you need to go
come back and get you carry you home it's
a senior limo no doubt so do make yourself. Do avail yourself of that incredible
service now my guest for the evening Mrs so very very special Janice blue is
here with me in the studio I recently discovered her poetry when she came to the
senior center was introduced and said let's do
a poetry reading here at the senior center and we will do that I hope within
a month featuring her Toby Lurie and some other poets some folks have been on the
show with me tonight I want to read
a little bit from the back of her wonderful book. And it's called will have been by
Janice blue beautiful beautiful poetry and
a local dear old friend of mine Sharon Dubyago writes this about this book and
about Genesis poetry Kentucky is
a Cherokee word for Magic this hillbilly girl this cosmic comic trippy thirty
philosopher lovely Elizabeth and linguist so sweet ornery and sad conjures
pure magic she's so good you want to die behind her words and I agree
she is extraordinary she reaches
a depth that many poets just scamper along the top of and she's
a magician with language Janice thank you so much for being here and if I may I'm
going to start out like I did the very first conversation we have what's
a poet and how in the world did you become one of them. You know I was
always a poet even as
a child but I didn't know that that poet was something to be. And.
By the time I was nineteen I was already in
a world of artists bohemian artist of St Louis and San Francisco and New Orleans.
Musicians artist painters sculptors but poetry
was something I didn't wrote poems but so what many people write poems. But to call
yourself
a poet or to find out that you are the creature itself took an epiphany happened
when I was twenty seven one thousand nine hundred sixty nine and I.
Have worn blue all my life since I was
a little girl. I immediately gave up gave away everything that wasn't royal blue
not much and call myself Janice blue on the very next thing I wrote and been known
that way and seen that way ever since and. Whatever it means to you
is correct but I'm the only one knows all that remains because I'm it's creature on
my name is Janice blue I write poetry I have southern roots. Till I was
fourteen my people were subsistence farmers and the backwoods of Western Kentucky.
And I became. I became. A proper young lady and went to high school in St Louis
Missouri. When I was nineteen I heard about San Francisco. I was
a fan of urban folk music I had not a harp and
a guitar and I came to San Francisco and played in North Beach all over San
Francisco Bay area Santa Cruz and then I followed jazz people are married
to jazz musicians and. After that. And like I
say I was twenty seven it came to me what I was the what creature it what it is to
be
a poet to courage takes freedom it that's what you are yes because there is more at
risk than human life or death there seemed to be some kind of incredible risk with
admitting that you're
a poet saying that you are. But. So
. That's how what
a poet is and that's how it came to me once that what you asked me that is what I.
You know I always think. The woman who I talked with all my life who is an
exquisite poet she always used to say to me that. The dilemma for the poet is that
you have to live in the depths you have to live in truth you have to encounter it
as it is and somehow in your mixing with it and then speaking it back to everybody
else you inject a sacredness
a profane this. Or quality that takes what is and
exposes it in the same way that you expose yourself and she said I'm condemned to
be
a poet and I would choose nothing else and she reminds me of not so much well I just
assume I'm either
a poet or not I just so not in oh yeah but it doesn't matter what I want exactly
but I became
a crusader for open mike poetry. I proved that food and poetry could go together
and I served three. To three hundred bowls of Cajun food every Sunday to
people out to get them to listen to my poets and I made caravans out of my poets
who came up the how
a one to Point Arena and Mendocino in Fort Bragg in the seventy's. And I always
meant to come back here it just took me
a long long time I always thought in the back of my mind and finally when it
the you know so I'm here to for the duration I will not leave Fort Bragg me to my
poem today whenever we get to it is Fort Bragg sunset my tribute to our town how
about if we start right on to our town yeah I'm going to start right off with that
poem OK And then I want to talk to
a little bit about some people aside somebody. Recognized your awesome work and you
received quite an honor Recently I want to I want to hear
a little bit about that but how much starting us off with you want to put you want
to see the award for
a let's do that sure tell us about what happened here yes this book got nominated
but to pin O'LOGHLIN. Let's see if we so I have to
close up on this set is good oh perfect Josephine Myles Award for Excellence in
literature for will have been Pinocchio and. I know pandas national I suppose
pin Oakland is
a branch of pin national pin and Josephine miles will know is the great woman
of. Berkeley University California Berkeley who did
a lot for women writers so I'm very honored to get this no money but
a great honor. And this was specifically for for your lovely book will have been
will have been yes. So and you've got you have some you also paint right
or yes can we can we before the poet did we look at some maybe we can take
a look at that too so I am not trying to as
a painter but I paint. My idea of
a. Fictional history or. Mythological America sort
of vision
a pictorial picture pictograph of symbols and figures of alternative
early America I'm. But I don't know what do you call this sort of painting.
But this is. Shock Talk. OK Here we go right here and you get
a good shot of that and let's just scoot it right out he lives upside down and what
is it oh my gosh what's it is going to say wait
a minute you're all right you see how it's about see the end in here the
Chalk Talk. This is. Either minstrel figure
or are scare crow banjo and this is.
Perhaps in an alternative. Or parallel world early America there would have been
this happy. Combination of Indian and poor white and black.
Choctaw and I saw a beautiful. In New Mexico at
a beautiful art museum I saw they had
a whole collection of early American. Visionary painting and they were like
a painting in that in that there was energy present it wasn't just people in cinema
those alive energy flowing and it was going to see it this is my. Here we
go this is you know it's me generalship and I will. Go down it's right up here like
this can we get in and. Out maybe Here we go.
A little bit these are sky mules in vision point of vision of
two sky mules twin sky Milos and they are making
a. Sky meal a spit struck by
a lot and then wow hitting what I call is Earth drum surround or
Genesis. A Native American sort of you see the drum gathers
you know feathers Yes and the sort of nucleus in which there is nothing yes.
So this is when Sky MLI ules over Earth drum surround us and this is
the name of this outrageous. I love the metallics I love the energy
so mules. Sky mules are my totem or.
Spirit animal I. Don't know here's. The power holders and so.
Here's the mule and the girl trying to catch
a ride. Now here is her tattooed shadow. There Here is her
tattooed shadow caught it trying to break through world skin yes into her
cell trying to catch the mule stood right on the Sky mule into the parallel
universe of. Alternative America right I don't know's So that's
what I have called it seared you've seen it and then there's this little figure
floating in
a cloud watching it all. I did this is these paintings are not for sale.
I don't pay for say
a lot though I showed last not this December but last December in the three G.
Gallery and it was an honor first time I'd ever been exhibited but I
believe I'm an amateur painter. Never been trained to paint so you and you
paint in some ways I think like your poetry. The images
start of the world but they take us somewhere else immediately and they contain the
energy not just the event but the meaning and the actual invisible magical
stuff that everything's really made out of thanks to you who touch that you see
that don't you yes. I'm
a you know my people were. Daniel Boone type people you know who were
very literate you know they didn't fit the archetype. Of
a near backwoodsman they were quite literate backwoodsman and I thought
a lot of my work has to do with pointing that out and elevating that. Shining sort
of
a spotlight on what. It To redeem to redeem the settlers who
who we have
a tendency to just make history out of not live story and live people and live
passion and live life we reduce them to flat pages and events and maps but that's
of course not who they were and all. What.
What drives you as
a poet what what's what fuel this need to to be
creative in the middle of creation how does that work if you wake up in the middle
and I am going. This homecoming or do you work out of how how do you actually write
. Nobody knows that I have heard Miller many people say that they know but I don't
believe they know no I believe it's
a mysterious process is mysterious. You know we can't pander the
Muse you know yes. I. I
seem to have been
a spark since I got here but if anything hardship also
can. Can spur it it seems that you know there's no there's no.
There's no formula if there could be a formula there could be such
a thing is directed perfection and there is no such thing as directed perfection so
perfection has to emerge spontaneously it can't be planned ahead of time yet till
him learn Hitler that you know they wanted to direct perfection and embrace and
approach their idea of perfection in rates which is you know not art it's that's
order not art to think that that's OK to impose on the arts is just
ludicrous it's fascist We must be free when you.
Tell me about the whole Wonderful be Nick time in. School you know Toby were you
know I went down and performed at the beach museum
a bit here really you know yeah we didn't even and he read I course I played bad
idea musically which I hope I'm going to get the opportunity to do what you don't
know about we don't know if he reserves you. And there's the north coast poets
who meet Mendocino once
a month in the Rock and then expand and the boat sail and I'm usually there for
that. I need
a way to get around Fort Bragg and I'm trying to get this scooter young member the
elderly man who had that fabulous scooter Yeah yeah scooter Joe scooter Joe Yeah
yeah so I'm trying to get talking his relatives see if I can get this scooter this
is here is doing right now is to. Obtain that Scooter Palmer like the Cadillac of
scooter it's not like
a wheelchair or scooter at all it's no no it's all been out of
a completely. So then I would get around a lot better and be able to participate
a lot more in the senior citizens and whatever so. Does does
life here on the north coast in the intensity of the ocean and its drama and its
mystery is that finding its way into your poetry Oh yeah. Well maybe that's where
we want to go next then well all right then on the take OK. And I will.
Sunset Fort Bragg sense that wrote this soon after I obtained this wonderful.
Apartment in. One thousand nine hundred seven building across from the Eagles Hall
Oh my God used to be
a sanatorium they tell me and it's an antique has its twelve foot ceilings I I love
it very much and decorated all the time so when I got that and it shows
a few inches of of ocean Fort Bragg's sunset here we go Venus the
evening star is that you right above the telephone wire and the sickle moon to
upright no Miller's how to laugh girl yet I notice but the evening is still waiting
on Sunset and the sense that it is something else and these guys are supposed to be
visible before sunset. So this particular sunset is going to be something
else I'll bet or is it only seeing it and me think seeing it is
a very small thing then Me thinks the end it is
a very large thing especially when you see it disappear the sun ball beneath the
sea sky horizon and then magically
a trick granted us seemingly of seeing in sky though not always but whenever you
must have seen it over to see it spring back up yes both comical and
profound Lazarus and Charlie Chaplin sing it from here my little
stoop in the deserted auditoriums of perception it feels private though in skips
like
a stone over the skin of motions perpetual like the auditorium after gone echoey
even and so I say the innocent telephone Why are Kristen without
its tipsy hard girl swing in you yes you yet again or ever this little
back stoop across from the Eagles Hall that used to be
a sanatorium with its Motley. That's why I like it with this
gentrified neighborhoods I found myself no longer to wander and I consecrate
and will have my altar right here by this screen door all mine and dedicate it to
another perfect son downside of the century old building in Fort Bragg salute.
There is so much to this sunset and I don't want to close my blinds to the sunset
if one could only pain it to peachy in can destines and Safir on white out burn
blooms into peach chrome into old Rose chrome into flat moon mud
maul ruffles around its north corner but better off asking to get to the bottom of
life and death of sons the NASS King to know the life and death of
a human soul specially mine so I won't this sunset over the
headlands of Fort Bragg's houses clamped down facing the foaming bedspread foaming
bedspread and blue foaming beds spreading grey It's
a beautiful aspect but my soul is safe here in the script the big boy of the toy
town's only eight thousand they say and the one wrongfully named They say
along the coast I disagree but I was the southern child you can't trust
me it's neighborhoods in class the city and its fiery glory this late day
glory which literally means
a maine of light the far western light and in winter Oh if one could only pain it
take the pail it's jello perhaps Topaz and why did it down even more with sparkly
white. The pail is Topaz jewel and frosty
a smear of white blaze and blaze before me and extinguish just me with the
won't you some sundown right here in Fort Bragg Oh aspect of this place
him place this place or without place into Fort Bragg's facing the sun down
you might not agree to his lied about cause general Braxton The victors write the
history remember but he would have been proud of this little far western namesake
that fought the wave energy and took on the powers that be might not win the show
the world that
a brave show could be shown to federal power and me won't this sunset I have
described to blaze and blaze before me lost long ago southern chyle make me
understand the meaning of the name of my town or I have come to wind up laugh won't
your son down also extinguishers me please with the I will be honored to merge
into some sundown right here in Fort Bragg Oh aspect of this place won't you
him place this place or without place into Fort Bragg itself facing the sunset
facing the sun down and as he shall not we give it this brave show.
Yes thank you so much. You are
a magician and so so there are some themes in reading your book that just
welled up in me and if I can just I'm just going to ask you to sort of comment on
these things they're they're my response and they may or may not have anything to
do with with the actual writing and the poetry but nonetheless I was so moved by
every poem in the book. Theme woman is
extraordinary and special and unique and a force and a power. There's
a goddess presence there's there's something of the feminine that is is there and
present in your poetry and I love it oh yes. When I first.
Began to write I would not write anything feministic I would I was not
a poetess by God You know I was either
a poet or not I know and if not well then I would not bet
a not but then its time went on me after I had to realize I am
a woman I'm a woman poet but I'm
a woman so became I had began to write more feminist stuff is so I grew older
and I have got quite
a lot of them but I don't read them every time or are easily but I rewrote
the law lords prayer and. You know. I wrote our
mother who art in who art the earth how that would be thy name. For
a change. Yes
and I goes on to the rest of it but if that's blasphemy let me know maybe it
will I could go with that absolutely she always did and me yeah forever and ever
a fan got it so. I maybe when the when we
do our our reading coming up here as soon as we can get it scheduled with your
permission I would like to I would like to have the wonderful experience of reading
one of your poems that you feel expresses that that feminine most powerfully really
as
a man when the things I've discovered is to read read really good poems written from
that perspective this may be the closest I get to feeling
a little bit of what that other half of me that other expression that other way of
being a human is on the planet and that would be
a privilege and an honor to get to do that. I love to read other people's poetry
that I love so I hope I hope I get
a chance to do that when we read together. There's
magic. Everywhere it's it's luminous there's
meaningfulness behind everything your words. Carry my
sensibilities over the surfaces of things and then open up those surfaces into
their luminous centers your poetry to me is like.
It's like the capacity to not just see through the surface of
a kind of peel them back and let something come out that's creative and die. Amec
and wants to be in there it's magic it's it's the it's the reverse of the
charm I think there's the there's that that long tradition of of the
feminine magician who can charm make things appear however she wants them to appear
you on the other hand have whatever the Inside Out of charm is you take things and
make of their reality unfold in place of the surface that they present to
casually to us. Yes I agree there are many layers to
personas then even reality itself and. The Universe and but
I feel like that words don't lie. People lie but but words at their
roots do not lie right we can rely on them really they may seem tricky but it's not
the words that are tricky right it's got it got it.
Time marches in your poetry in an interesting way I think all poets in
a certain sense have
a perspective out of time and that allows them to feel and and work with time as
a texture in their poetry we're both at the at the back and yes of our time and
I think actually we're most out of time rather what are you going to. Stop this
conversation we should definitely go on for at least two more hours maybe you'll
come back and we can do this again I would like to thank you so much yourself you
are extraordinary because I've heard you read poetry and yet wonderful delivery and
I'm looking forward to reading some of yours good or hearing you read your own OK
we'll do it soon All right thank you and good night all and thank you for being
with us senior perspectives done again for yet another week thank you and good
night thank
you you thank
.