Musing after reading Lyn Hejinian's "The Quest for Knowledge in the Western Poem," it occurred to me that our westward curiosities, seemingly mind-expanding (as in theoretical or philosophical), and at the same time physically culminating in the acquisition (in no fair means, of course) of a landmass that stretched from sea to sea, was also a site of enormous loss, that of indigenous peoples, those souls that had been here since the dawn of consciousness: their land, their homes, their language, their universe, gone in a matter of decades. And there’s that other scourge, American slavery, that went eastward and ripped millions from their homes, their only known universe, and took from them everything, their religion, their language, their families, even their souls. And I have this feeling that we're making the same blind plunge now eastward, in that zone of revolution and civil war called the Middle East, decrying, "Let the people choose for themselves!" but resonating suspiciously of, "as long as it's friendly toward the West." No matter how invested the West might be in the improvement of human rights, there's still a tinge of the (now) age-old "You're either with us or against us." All of this seems to suggest that autonomy is the last hope of any people, and autonomy means the preservation of all facets of life that is a culture. And it is a good thing that all cultures are, in relation, vastly different, but necessary, humanly necessary. But it is necessary for cultures to define themselves without any outside influence, however well-meaning it may seem, and no matter how outwardly contentious it may be to others. And it is with this in mind that I can solidly answer the question, “What is the purpose of change in your recordings project?” It is with the same vitality that Harry Matthews spent in his youth capturing the sound of America that I, without coercion or influence, ask America to speak from the heart, to define, in their words, not words imposed or constructed for the masses, what it means to be human in an inhuman time. And I think that the language of poetry is the language of honesty.
Here, below, is the voice of honesty. But first, check out our story in The Sun.
"Kids Saying 'Hello'"
A A Rupert
Adam Robinson
A Adar Ayira
Aileen Sabira
Amanda Youngbar
Anne Adele-White
Ashley Mears
Barbara Morrison
"Becky"
Blanche Cohen Sachs
Brenda Iijima
Carla Jean
Caryn Coyle
Chris Casamassima
Chris Mason
Chris Toll
Christina Luk
Christopher Rykel
Cindy Kelly and Jessica Morrison
Daniel Rowe
"Darcy"
Dave Cavalier and Joe Keys
Dave Eberhardt
Dave K
Dean Smith
Doug Mowbray
Emily Skillings
Eric Elliott
Evie Shockley
Fernando Quijano III
Francesca Capone and Cariah Lily Rosberg
Hanna Badalova
Heck
Helen Vitoria
Ilene Lebson
J Hope Stein
Jacob Appelberg
Jamie Gaughran-Perez
Jayne French
Jason Ezell
Jasmine Ward
Joe Elliott
Joe Hall
Joe Stewart
Jon Patton
Josef Kaplan
Joseph Robinson
Juliana Grace
Juliana Guevara
Julie Fisher
Justin Sirois
Karen Morrison
Khadija
Laksamee Putnam
Leigh Stein
Les Wade
Lily Herman
Lisa Woznicki
Lydia Cortes
Magus Magnus
Malcolm Favor
Mary Do
Mary Elizabeth Mays
Mary Olson
Matthew Falk
Melinda Bennington Abbott
Melissa Ravely
Michael Harris
Michael Frailey
Nadia Nasr
Nathan Dennies
Nayeli Garcia-Mowbray
Nora Sandler
Norman Hogeland
Pattie MacDonald
Paul Hendricks
Rachel Lyons
"Rashad"
Ronna Lebo
Rosalind Heid
Roseanne Ullrich
Rupert Wondolowski
Ryan Eckes and Dan Yorty
Ryan Kistner
S J Fernandi
Sandy Kelman
Sarah Dunn
Sarah Jane Miller
Shana Gass
Sid Gold
Sophie Fisher
Stephanie Barber
Stephanie Gray
Stephen Mantanle
Susan Mowbray
Sylvia Kodis
Tantra Zawadi
Timmy Reed
Tony Hayes
Zserilyn Finney
