The President and First Lady will host the first ever Poetry Jam at the White House this evening.
“Guests for the event include James Earl Jones, novelist Michael Chabon, jazz singer Esperanza Spalding, pianist Eric Lewis and Lin-Manuel Miranda, star of Broadway's "In The Heights." It will be streamed live beginning at 7:45 pm ET at http://www.whitehouse.gov/. "
In December, Mr. Obama said he and his wife planned to "open up the White House and remind people this is the people's house." He specifically said he would host performances of jazz and classical music as well as poetry readings.”
I was going to write about how even though I don’t get a lot of poetry, I like it but I don’t always get it, but that was before I started reading the comments left on this news story. The nicest one was “Who is paying for this?” I think the one that stood out for me the most however was “Is this president out of touch or what? Hosting a bunch of snooty artsy-fartsy liberals in the WH - yeah, many average Americans can relate to that.”
Artsy fartsy? Liberals?? I can only assume they are thinking about the 70’s stereotype of the poet in a beret smoking a long cigarette from a cigarette holder. All the more reason I think to have a poetry jam, if for no other reason than to teach folks what poetry is about. It ls another voice, it is a love song, and a painting, and martial arts and a blockbuster movie all put into words.
Ok well maybe I do know a little about poetry but I can always learn more and at 7:45 tonight so can the rest of America.
