Tickets, mural outside the vintage Riverview Theater, Minneapolis, Minnesota, August 2007, all photos © 2007-2009 by QuoinMonkey. All rights reserved.
A few weeks ago, our monthly Poetry Group read the work of Elizabeth Alexander, the poet selected to read at the inauguration of Barack Obama. When we sat down to dinner the next day after work, Liz announced, “I took a half day off Tuesday. Want to go to the Riverview for the inauguration?” It took a few seconds to sink in. Then, with no hesitation, I said, “Yes, let’s do it. I’ll ask for time off, too.”
Elizabeth Alexander, a 46-year-old professor of African American Studies at Yale, and author of five books of poetry, will be only the 4th poet to read at a presidential inauguration. Robert Frost was the very first during President John F. Kennedy’s inauguration in 1961. When it came time to read, Frost, blinded by the sun, could not see his notes and quickly moved to Plan B. He recited from memory another poem from his prolific body of work.
Maya Angelou read for President Bill Clinton’s first Inauguration in 1993. And for President Clinton’s second, he chose Miller Williams in 1997. It’s been a long 12 years since a poet has had the honor of reading at an inauguration. It’s important to notice this detail; it’s a strong indicator that the Arts matter to the upcoming administration.
I was moved by the poetry of Elizabeth Alexander. She was only a one year old on August 28th, 1963 when her father, a civil rights advisor to President Johnson, and her mother, Adele, brought her to the Lincoln Memorial to hear Dr. Martin Luther King’s “I Have a Dream” speech. On January 20th, 2009, she will read at the swearing-in of the first African American U.S. president.
I am obviously profoundly honored and thrilled. Not only to have a chance to have some small part of this extraordinary moment in American history……This incoming president of ours has shown in every act that words matter, that words carry meaning, that words carry power, that words are the medium with which we communicate across difference and that words have tremendous possibilities, and those possibilities are not empty.
– Elizabeth Alexander from the Washington Post article, Selection Provides Civil Rights Symmetry
We’ll hope to have free tickets and front row seats to the Riverview Theater’s screening of the inauguration (you can also watch it free at the downtown Minneapolis Central Library). The Riverview doors open at 9:30am CST with the viewing lasting until around 1pm. And on the wide Riverview screen, behind the original late 1940’s vintage curtains:
11:30am EST — If you have tickets to the Inauguration ceremony, you must have passed through security by this time.
- Call to Order and Welcoming Remarks: Senator Dianne Feinstein
- Invocation: Dr. Rick Warren
- Aretha Franklin will sing
- Vice President-elect Joe Biden will be sworn into office
- Music composed by John Williams and performed by Itzhak Perlman, Yo-Yo Ma, Gabriela Montero, and Anthony McGill.
12:00 Noon EST — As specified by the U.S. Constitution (20th Amendment), presidential terms of office begin and end at 12:00 noon on January 20.
- Barack Obama will take the oath of office, which is this simple, 35-word, statement: I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will faithfully execute the office of President of the United States, and will to the best of my ability, preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States.
12:05pm EST (approx) — President Barack Obama will give his inaugural address, speaking to the nation and world, for the first time, as President of the United States, followed by:
- Poem: Elizabeth Alexander
- Benediction: The Reverend Dr. Joseph E. Lowery
- The National Anthem: The United States Navy Band “Sea Chanters”
It’s been almost two years since Barack Obama announced his candidacy for President of the United States in front of the Old State Capitol building in Springfield, Illinois. For those who supported and voted for him, it’s the end of a long journey through a couple of grueling years of Presidential politics. For those who did not, it is a time-honored moment in our country’s history, and on the 200th anniversary of Abraham Lincoln’s birth, one you will not want to pass up.
I can’t think of a better way to honor the memory and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. than to take time off of work on Tuesday to listen to Barack Hussein Obama II be sworn in as our 44th President. That we will be graced with a moment of poetry falling on the listening ears of millions of people across the world, offers the promise of poetic justice — another chance to keep the magic of poetry alive.
In that moment, really I am the vessel for the poem. It’s not about the poet at that moment, it’s about the poem.
— Elizabeth Alexander from the NPR interview, Poet Calls Writing Inaugural Poem A ‘Challenge’
EPILOGUE
Poems were meant to be read out loud. That’s part of the joy of hearing others read live in a poetry group. Mende Vocabulary is one of the poems beautifully read by one member at our last poetry group and can be found, along with The Last Quatrain, and other poems, in Elizabeth Alexander’s piece, The Negro Digs Up Her Past: ‘‘Amistad’.”
The essay explores historical poetry and fiction through such works as Robert Hayden’s Middle Passage (which he first published in 1943 and continued to publish in revision as late as 1962), Toni Morrison’s Beloved, and Arthur Schomburg’s 1925 essay The Negro Digs Up His Past.
Mende Vocabulary
by Elizabeth Alexander
they
my father
our father
your father
my mother
my book
his house
one ship
two men
all men
good man
bad man
white man
black man
I eat
he eats
we eat
they sleep
I see God
did I say it right?
we sleep
I make
he makes
they have eaten
this book is mine
that book is his
this book is ours
I am your friend
here
now
that
there
then
The Last Quatrain
by Elizabeth Alexander
and where now
and what now
the black white space
If we contemplate the Amistad as a ship without mothers, the utter absence of mothers in a violently formed society; if we wonder what people dreamed in their captivity, we might begin to understand what they lost, what it took to build themselves up again, and what it might take to move forward.
It is the unique potential of poetry to be able to locate and activate what is in the imagination. Art takes us to knowing that may have no other way of being found, and that is one of the very things we need in order to move more intelligently forward.
— Elizabeth Alexander
– poems and final quote from an essay by Elizabeth Alexander on historical poetry and fiction, The Negro Digs Up Her Past: ‘‘Amistad’’ from The South Atlantic Quarterly 104:3, Summer 2005. Copyright©2005 by Duke University Press.
RESOURCES & READINGS
To read more about Elizabeth Alexander, Amistad, poetry, and the upcoming inauguration schedule, below are links to the resources used in this essay:
________________________
Presidential Inauguration at the Riverview Theater – Riverview’s page on their screening of the inauguration, Tuesday (Jan 20th): 10:30AM CST
Inauguration Day 2009 Schedule of Activities and Events — details and times for 2009 Inaugural Events, along with an hours, minutes, seconds countdown
Words on the Inauguration at the Poet’s Website, Elizabeth Alexander – “Words matter. Language matters. We live in and express ourselves with language, and that is how we communicate and move through the world in community.”
________________________
Inaugural Poet Part Of History – Again – part of the Road To The Inauguration Series on the CBS Evening News with Katie Couric
The Inaugural Poet: Selection Provides Civil Rights Symmetry – article in the Washington Post by Michael E. Ruanein, Thursday, December 18, 2008
Poet Calls Writing Inaugural Poem A ‘Challenge’ — listen to the NPR interview with Elizabeth Alexander, December 18th, 2008
Weaving Words For The Inaugural Poem — listen to NPR Host Scott Simon ask Elizabeth Alexander for a sneak peek, January 17th, 2009
________________________
The Negro Digs Up Her Past: ‘‘Amistad’’ by Elizabeth Alexander – The South Atlantic Quarterly 104:3, Summer 2005. Copyright©2005 by Duke University Press. — document from the author’s website, an excellent essay on the significance of historical poetry and fiction
The Amistad Comes to Life! — lesson planning article at Education World on teaching the story of The Amistad across all grades, a curriculum to bring life to the story of the revolt on the Amistad in the early 1800’s. Great links, one to the historic sites on the Connecticut Freedom Trail.
The Mende Language – a few word translations from the Mende language at Education World, part of the curriculum for the complete story of the Amistad (link above) and the role Josiah Gibbs, a language professor at Yale University in New Haven, played in finding a translator for the Africans so their side of the story could be told.
Circles Within Circles, Casting Light 1950’s lamp at the Riverview Theater, Minneapolis, Minnesota, August 2007, all photos © 2007-2009 by QuoinMonkey. All rights reserved.
-posted on red Ravine, Martin Luther King Day, Monday, January 19th, 2009, day before the inauguration of President-elect Barack Obama
-with gratitude to Teri who took the leap and started our Poetry Group over a year ago, has provided strong leadership, and helps Keep Poetry Alive!
-related to posts: Out With The Old, In With The Old (Recycled Fashion Goes To Washington, DC), If You Can’t Say Something Nice…, Why It Won’t Matter To You That I’m Voting For Obama, The Politics Of Primary Season 2008 (A Presidential Primer)
Thank you, too, QM, for a fabulous post! It is so full of wonderful tidbits and profoundly moving words. The final quote from Elizabeth Alexander, about the men on Amistad without mothers, brought tears to my eyes.
I read aloud her poems, so sparse and powerful. Rhythmic.
Thank you, thank you, thank you. I’m so happy to hear, too, that you will be seeing the Inauguration at the Riverside. Your photos are wonderful. Isn’t it amazing how fast it all happens? And I guess that’s appropropriate, isn’t it? After all the years and months of getting here, and if you look at it in the historical context, the decades. Centuries, really.
I’ve decided I will come home for the Inauguration. And tomorrow night, a group of friends will celebrate this wonderful, wonderful event. At last. Change.
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I read this post and it makes me want to weep. Have we ever (in our lifetime) cared this much about an inauguration? These Capitol-step ceremonies have come and gone in the past, and I’m lucky if I’ve looked at the front page the next day.
I am deeply invested this time. I care what President Obama will say. I’m ready to step up to the plate in the call to service. The apathy and despair I have felt for years is lifting.
And Elizabeth? Our dear poet. I feel like one of my friends is reading a poem tomorrow.
One of my friends (through a series of serendipitous events) got a free plane ticket to D.C. and a seat near the front at the Inauguration. His flight went from Minneapolis to Atlanta, and then on to Washington. Any guesses who sat in first class with him? Are you thinking Jimmy Carter?
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By the way, I can’t wait to see the inauguration at the Riverview–the theater that attracts activists & socially-aware people of all stripes. It is only theaters I know of where the audience consistently claps at the end of movies. Can you imagine the outpouring of enthusiasm tomorrow? We may need earplugs.
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Wonderful post & photos, QM! I am so looking forward to tomorrow! I think I’ll have a box of tissues handy.
How cool that you’re going to the Riverview! Keep us posted! D
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ybonesy, I enjoyed doing this post. After our poetry group, I carried it around inside for a few weeks, then got a draft down over the weekend. I was a little under the weather today so it took me a bit to get it up, but finally! I’m excited to see the inauguration at the Riverview tomorrow. It’s one of my favorite theaters in the Twin Cities. Civic minded and community conscious. I like to support them.
I’m totally on board with this new administration. I’ve had a lot of good conversations with many different kinds of people because of it. And I feel hopeful that things will move in the right direction, albeit slowly. I don’t know if I’ve ever seen someone as even-keeled as Obama seems to be. I have enjoyed interviews with the new First Lady, too. There is something fresh and new about it all. And approval ratings are high with all parties. I am heartened by that.
I hope you enjoy the inauguration with your friends tomorrow night. Yes, it has taken centuries, tons of decades to get to this place. I have to say, I was crying my eyes out during that HBO event in front of the Lincoln Memorial yesterday. The significance of all of those different kinds of people coming together in one place, the history, the movement of the music. Liz and I were dancing around the kitchen one minute, and crying the next. Bono and U2, how he said that it’s more than America who is embracing the unified feeling. Many countries are in need of healing. I thought a lot of Martin Luther King, too, and Coretta and how they must be looking down with big smiles on their faces. A humbling moment.
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I have been considering the inaugural tomorrow. It is amazing that our country has enough people who consider the whole person, and are seeing beyond the color of skin. I wasn’t sure i would ever see this happen in my lifetime. And I am glad that i am. It is a testament to the ability of humanity to change, to put past wrongs behind them, and move forward.
I worry a bit about the “hope” that hangs upon Obama. I worry that the expectations to be all to everyone will be overwhelming. And some may be disappointed. Governing is about priorities, and one person, one administration, may not satisfy everyone.
I think both of these paragraphs are the ends of a continuum and that reality must find its way inbetween. The key to that inbetween lies in each of us.
Happy Inaugural, America!
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diddy, thanks! I may need those boxes of tissues. I’m not really sure if there will be crying or like Teri says, hooping, hollering and wild cheering.
We just may need earplugs, Teri! Is that a true story, your friend is going to be front and center and flew next to Jimmy Carter? Get out of here! That’s so exciting.
Honestly though, I was looking at those throngs of people yesterday and thought, no way in heck I want to be there surrounded by that many people. I’m just fine watching it with a smaller crowd like the Riverview. I’m not fond of huge crowds. But what a sight when the camera panned back and you could see people for miles. Think of how it’s going to be tomorrow!
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reccos62, I think of that often, too, about all that is being placed on Obama’s shoulders. It’s going to be interesting to see how it all plays out in say, 4 years from now. However things go, we will be living it all together, whether we like the decisions and choices or not. At least it feels like there is more consideration for what the rest of American thinks than there has been in quite a while from those at the top.
I wanted to mention in this thread, I saw a blurb yesterday on Pete Souza, the newly-announced official White House photographer, and his story of how he was chosen to be Obama’s photographer. What a humble man he was; I loved his energy. And some of the b&w photos he took of Obama with his family in the last few years — amazing.
They announced the Pete Souza choice January 14th. He took the new official portrait — digital (LINK). But you can tell he probably loves old school photography, too. I want to follow his work over time. How could he have known he would be chosen as the White House photographer!
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Oh, I wanted to add, I got interested in the role of the White House photographer when I did this piece last November about JFK’s photographer (SEE LINK). How could he ever have known either, the role he would play in history or what was in store for him. I don’t ever remember hearing about Bush’s photographer at all.
Another interesting blurb we heard yesterday was how George and Laura Bush were not interested in the social community around DC (lean years) and people are vying right now for the Obama’s attention. (One of the most important people next to them is the person who sets up their social calendar, at least in the eyes of the social community there.)
Anyway, these tidbits are so interesting. It’s amazing what people are talking about. Anything and everything. The Reagan’s BTW, very social. The Carters (the reporter said) transplanted people from Georgia. I’d probably fly my friends in, too. 8)
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QM, thank you so much for a wonderful post. I saw the interview of Pete Souza, too, and was quite impressed. He will probably take photos like those taken of the Kennedy family, which were so touching, as they often were candid shots including his beautiful family.
My very first thought, when it was announced that Obama was elected, was a prayer…”oh God, keep them (him and his family,) safe!” I will continue to pray that they be kept from harm. I’m happy that you and Liz will be watching it all on a big screen, with the shared excitement and joy of people all around. I would have been tempted to take tomorrow off, too, but have to attend the monthly noon meeting of the Historical Society. I take the meal reservations and hand out tickets and we’re having elections and I agreed to be Secretary, sooo, no chance to play hooky! : (
As I drove home from work, there was an interview on NPR with a bell ringer in one of the DC Churches. He and others are going to be ringing the bells for 3 & 1/2 hours tomorrow!! (making a joyful noise!) I feel a sense of hope and promise, for the first time in many years, penetrating the atmosphere of our whole nation.
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I concur with reccos62 about the pressure and expectations on President Obama. I heard yesterday that one of the points of his inaugural speech is going to be a call for all of us to rise up. I hope he says it over and over during the first year.
And oliverowl, I thought about praying for President Obama, too. I’ve never consistently prayed for a president; it never mattered to me. It does now. It does.
QuoinMonkey, the story about Jimmy Carter is true. When my friend got to Atlanta this morning for a layover, Jimmy boarded the plane to fly to D.C. Former presidents being in attendance is *such* a big deal, and I can’t believe Josh is witnessing it. He told our mutual friend that he went up and shook Jimmy’s hand!
See you at the Riverview tomorrow! Get ready to cry and shout! Let’s eat Twizzler’s, too!
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Definitely an occasion for Smarties and, because I’m in such a generous mood, Twizzlers on the house!!! 8)
Well, for me there is one thing for which I am already so grateful, no matter what happens and what Obama is able to accomplish in four years, and that is—the eight years are over. The future is a giant unknown, the economy will get worse before it gets better, there will be those who lose patience—but that is all alright with me. The eight years are done. Hallelujah!
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Gasp! ybonesy, I never thought I’d hear you endorse Twizzlers! You *are* in a generous mood. Hey, Steve Almond may even be so excited about tomorrow that he’d get on board with the candy he calls “plastic candy for plastic people.” Hmmmpff! He doesn’t know everything.
And, yes. The eight, long years are almost done. I’m counting the hours.
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You know, I think most Americans are quite aware that it will take a long time to recover from the last 8 years. I like the team that Obama has put together & really, for the first time in along time, I have faith in the government. Now, my biggest concerns are how will the Congress & Senate play out. I think Obama will address many issues at once & yes we will all have to make concessions, but really, how worse can it get? I also am concerned about his safety. I also pray that he will be safe. So many people can’t get over the color of his skin. Brant & I had a talk today & we discussed that skin color means nothing. We are all in this together, no matter what. He was actually very interested in our conversation.
QM, I would need the tissues, if for nothing else, the tears of joy & hope! D
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Earlier today there was a news story—it was on in the background as I was starting to cook dinner—about different inauguration addresses. This was about the fourth or fifth version of the same of type of story that I’d either heard on the radio, saw on TV, or read online.
I had this sudden thought about how hard it must be to say something, speaking now of Obama, that will actually move his listeners. I mean, speaking for myself, I’ve heard which past presidents had the best Inauguration speeches, which had the worst, who had to say what because of the Depression, wars, Civil Rights, recessions.
It’s like the whole thing almost gets picked to death, and even insofar as the media predicting what they think he’ll have to say.
Bless his heart. I hope he hasn’t been listening to it all. And bless the poet’s heart. That’s a lot of pressure!! So courageous of her to accept it.
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Oh gosh, I forgot to say what I meant to say earlier before I went off on who said what about whom. 8)
And that is, I wonder which presidents in history liked Twizzlers and which did not. Ha!
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George W. Bush and Richard Nixon did not like Twizzlers.
Jimmy Carter, Abraham Lincoln, and Barack Obama are/were crazy about them. Especially Cherry Pull-and-Peel.
Eleanor Roosevelt never went anywhere without a king-size bag.
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Oh, you ARE making that up. Stop it!!
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Still laughing…
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Teri, Oh, Eleanor, YES, never went anywhere without a king-size bag! I love Eleanor Roosevelt. I read your comment to Liz about Presidents and Twizzlers and she said, “Oh, I guess Teddy Roosevelt loved Cherry Pull-and-Peel. Walk softly and carry a big Twizzler.” 8)
oliverowl, thanks. Will be thinking of you today! 3 1/2 hours of church bell ringing, wow! We’ve got the TV on and some are heading into the church where Lincoln meditated when he needed time to himself. We’re getting ready to head out in about half an hour, then off to the Riverview!
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No one but a native North Dakotan would have a Teddy R. quote on the tip of her tongue, ready to pull out in a handy second. I’ve only been to Teddy Roosevelt National Park in Dakota once (loved it), but I’ll bet Liz knows every rock and tree.
I had very, very lightly considered going to the inauguration in D.C. if Obama won. I am so glad to not be out there–getting around in a crowd that large would be daunting.
I’m quite happy to drive a few miles to the Riverview and enjoy it on the big screen. See you soon! Elizabeth Alexander, we’re crazy for you!
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Thank you, thank you, thank you, QM, for this post. I was so curious about this poet and had not had time to do the research myself. I’ll be with you all in spirit, as will the nation … yes, yb, celebrating both an ending and a new beginning!
“Free at last, free at last! Thank God Almighty we’re free at last!”
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Well, as anyone who’s gnawed on Twizzlers knows, they can be more lethal than leather whips, so yes, I do believe Roosevelt did walk softly and carry a big Twizzler.
I am so weepy today from joy and pride in our country and all sorts of emotions. I was holding back tears just looking at the crowds on TV.
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hey ya’ll! we are in line @ the Riverview Theater, freezing our toes off! the line is blocks long; most likely all won’t get in but our driving & parking angels flew us in to be a part of the audience who gets to see it live & large! updates to follow…
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sad update…
about 20 people in front of us the doors were shut. grumbling, we are driving around trying to find another place to go. they let in school groups after they shut the public out… grrrr!
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the Riverview rejects, as we are affectionately known, are settled into the Sabathani Community Center in Minneapolis. more to come…
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Wooo Hooooo!
The celebration is wonderful, and I’m over-eager for the governance to begin.
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I hadn’t realized that there wasn’t a poet at Bush’s inauguration – I’m glad that Obama has chosen to have one (and that it is Alexander), the arts are very important to society – and it is nice to have a leader that recognizes that. I can’t wait to watch her recite what she was written – I’m sad I can’t actually be there.
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Good thing I stayed home for this—I wept through so many portions, just sobbed through various parts—-the crowd, the flags waving, Obama walking to the staging area, seeing people in Nashville Civil Rights Community Center crying during Reverend Lowery’s prayer. And then when it was over and Jim stood up and said, Congratulations. We hugged and I cried and cried. I’m still crying.
Elizabeth Alexander’s poem was so straight. Say it with simple words. Was that one of the lines. So inclusive, how she was able to in one sentence invoke the slaves picking cotton and the migrant works picking lettuce, and without mentioning either group. How she was able to talk about the people who cleaned the buildings, and the people who worked within them. Simple words, straights words. Not one more than needed. Praise. Words.
Thank you Elizabeth Alexander, thank you the musicians. Thank you Barack for your inclusiveness. And your values.
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Hey Riverview Rejects, sorry to hear they closed the doors 20 people ahead of you. It’s like when I went to see Obama speak at a small venue here in Albuquerque, if not for the fact that I ran into friends already in line and entered the line at that point, I probably would have had to go watch on the big screen in one of the overflow rooms.
Can’t wait to hear how it went in the Sabathani Community Center.
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YIPPEE!!
Let both the celebration and OUR work begin …
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we are @ the Chatterbox looking forward to lunch. thankfully we got booted from Riverview and found parking & seats @ Sabathani.
the atmosphere was unified diversity. people from all backgrounds & ages responding to the hope & love.
Amen
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What an amazing crowd! Overwhelming, it was like a sea of people! But, I am glad that I got to witness this unfold in the comfort of my own home, by the nice warm fire.
It was overwhelming for me. Every moment! I knew tissues would come in handy today!
So sorry to hear about the Riverview rejects, but it seems it all worked out after the rejection!
And now it is time to forge ahead & keep in mind that we are all in this together.
I am so grateful that I am alive to have witnessed this moment in history. A moment of pride in my teared up eyes. D
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What a timely post, QM. I heard Alexander read her poem today after the inaugural speech, and thought she did a very fine job. It’s hard to write a poem for a specific occasion, I think, but she did it. She read very well, considering she had to make her words clear and strong for thousands and thousands of people. And just think, she came right after the president, even before the benedicton. Yes, hooray for the arts!
Thanks for all these wonderful links and for all the research you put into this article. I’ll be referring to it in the days to come.
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haiku for Elizabeth & Joseph (Inauguration Day)
_______________________
the power of words
rising puffs of winter breath
hold warm space for all
read between the lines
red yellow black brown and white
cheer for peace and love
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I was part of the group sadly turned away at the Riverview Theater. We weren’t happy. We were panicked that there wouldn’t be another chance for us. There was. We ended up in a far superior venue–a community center in an African-American neighborhood. We had greats seats. We all got to sit together, even though we were racing against the clock.
Beyond the impromptu standing ovations and cheering, there was a subtle (but audible) murmuring that would move through the auditorium at the mention of cotton fields or Civil Rights or Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. There was a knowing and a strength and an endurance I don’t understand. I don’t know how it feels to be African-American today, but I wish I did. I can only say that I felt something coming from the elders in the auditorium, and I was very glad to bear witness.
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I’ve watched Elizabeth’s poem on YouTube. Wow. I got a lot out of it the first time, and the second was even better.
I wondered if she’s collapsing in exhaustion or flying high from the thrill of it all. Yeah for Elizabeth!
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I had never heard of Elizabeth Alexander before watching her on TV today 🙂 Her poetry was a terrific addition to the whole proceedings…it sure was spectacular.
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Thanks Grace, Christine, ben, HL, breathepeace, and all the rest whose comments I haven’t yet acknowledged. I’m so appreciative of these great comments on poet Elizabeth Alexander. I can’t wait to see her read it again. I want to make time to do that very soon.
Just getting home from what seems like the longest day ever! YES, the time at Sabathani was wonderful. I was actually happy that we ended up there after being turned away from the Riverview. I can’t think of a better place to have watched it. Very moving.
BTW, I’m watching the news and the Riverview had 700 people viewing the Inauguration INSIDE the theater. We were almost to the door when we got turned away and there was a whole long, long, line wrapped around the block behind us.
Teri, what would you say, another 600 they may have turned away? To the Riverview’s credit, they were VERY prepared. Once their theater was full, they walked down the line of people and handed out flyers of other places people could go to watch the Inauguration. That’s how we found out about Sabathani. So, way to go Riverview Theater. You still rock in my book!
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Yes, there were probably 600 more, plus all the people in the cars we saw driving toward the theater.
It reminded me of election day, and the long lines. And the thrill to see that people care deeply. To see how hopeful we are, how ready to turn the page, how collectively we have ached for something better.
And wasn’t it wonderful when CNN flashed to other cities like Memphis or New York, and to see we all stood together? It wasn’t just the auditorium we were in, but great masses everywhere.
Yes, the Riverview still rocks!
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Yes, I liked all those flashes to other cities and countries around the world. Wonderful. And humbling. All in this together! We are watching Stevie Wonder and Sting and the Obama’s saying how they have 9 more balls to go to! Lots going on tonight. Joe Biden was funny, too, when he said he couldn’t dance. 8)
I wanted to add one more comment to this post on Elizabeth Alexander. I feel remiss not mentioning this in the piece. But I was reminded tonight on the local news that Elizabeth Alexander’s work has been published on a local Minnesota press — Graywolf Press in St. Paul. Graywolf Press will release a commemorative chapbook edition of the inaugural poem on February 6, 2009. It can be purchased online at this link:
Elizabeth Alexander unveils “Praise Song for the Day” at President Obama’s inauguration at Graywolf Press (LINK)
We read from Graywolf Press books that night at our Poetry Group. And according to the news tonight, they have been working with Elizabeth Alexander for 7 or 8 years and have published 3 of her poetry books. Graywolf will release 100,000 copies of “Praise Song for the Day” to be in stores February 6th, 2009. Support small independent publishers!
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I wonder how Elizabeth & Graywolf hooked up 7 years ago. Was she sending her manuscripts everywhere, and they were the ones who saw the light?
I’m going to Birchbark Books (Louise Erdrch) tomorrow to buy another Graywolf title I have on hold there: If You Want To Write by Brenda Ueland. It’s an old book (1938), and continues to be Graywolf’s biggest selling title. Or, it was before Elizabeth became the Inaugural Poet, that is!
I’m going to check to see if Louise is going to carry the chapbook at Birchbark. My guess? Yes.
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OH, Teri, I’m so glad you’re going to check and see if Birchbark is going to carry the chapbook. I was thinking of buying it local, too, if we can find it around. Please let us know!
I remember the Brenda Ueland book, If You Want To Write. Very popular. I have it here somewhere on my shelf. I think I even remember the cover is blue and white. I should open it up again. There was a period where all I read were books that other writers wrote on writing. Was really enlightening, mostly from the standpoint on how every writer looks at the process of writing differently. Love to know what you think of that book when you finish it, too. Sounds fun to go to Birchbark Books tomorrow. I’m afraid I’ll be at a dentist appointment. 😦
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QM,
You crack me up. I can’t count how many times I’ve heard you say about a book or album, “Oh, yeah. I’ve got that book/album. Really good stuff. I should get it out and play it/read it again. It’s been a few years, really inspired work. Grounded me during my hippie phase. Yeah, yeah, I know it’s on a shelf somewhere. They used thin sheets for the paper, and sort of an old world typeset. They combined two shades of green to marble the end pages.”
You, my dear, are the prima donna of books and albums.
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8) 8) 8) I’ll take that title anyday. It’s true…I remember the strangest things. Visual. And I’ve got lots of books! Oh, and records!
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[…] Elizabeth Alexander shared her poem, Praise song for the day. Reverend Joseph Lowery offered his benediction. What words do you have for the 44th president of the United States? Share your poems, blessings, hopes, wishes, advice. […]
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QM, wanted to thank you again for this post. It really got me even more excited about the Inauguration than I already was. And I felt like I was sharing history with friends all over.
And to both you and Teri, the background on Elizabeth Alexander was perfect. Learning more about her and reading Mende Vocabulary beforehand opened me up to listening to and hearing Praise song for the day.
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Birchbark Books is going to carry Alexander’s chapbook; they’ve got it on order. It will be $8.00 at the store. I asked if Graywolf is going to put the poem on a bookmark. No.
I bought a few books, and was reminded how much I want to support independent bookstores. Susan, the store manager, knows me by name, knows about every book in the store (it seems!), and bends over backwards to help customers.
A friend from Milwaukee just got the sad news that her local independent can’t stay afloat and is closing. It’s oh-so-easy to order from Amazon. I’m guilty of it myself. I’ll do better in ’09.
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ybonesy, thank you. I’m happy about that. I was happy to be able to check in with you, too, by way of skyWire with her little Blackberry-like phone, her eyes and ears to the world. 8) We had a wonderful day with our friends and in community with others we did not know until yesterday. I felt connected to you in NM through this post. 8)
I also wanted to add to this post, Bo’s link to her post at Seeded Earth (LINK) where she provides links to the 4 different Inaugural poems. I thought people might want to be able to access it from both the Elizabeth Alexander post from Monday, and yb’s Barack Obama post from yesterday.
Teri, I’m very excited they are going to carry the Praise Song For The Day Chapbook at Birchbark Books. What better than to buy it there! Liz and I were talking about it today and thought we might take a ride over to Birchbark on Saturday. I also want to check out the book on haiku that breathepeace mentioned a few posts back.
Thank you for checking back in on Birchbark. Sad when an independent closes its doors as is happening in Milwaukee. It’s so easy to buy online these days and I’ve done it, too. However, I was happy to see that you could buy online at Graywolf Press. I hope more and more Independents can start to add an online ordering section. Then we’d all have no excuse not to buy from our Independent booksellers.
But, you know, part of the fun is actually going to the store and browsing through all the books. Now I’m wondering if Northern Lights on Canal Park in Duluth is still up and running. Do you know? It’s one of my faves and I haven’t been to Duluth in a while.
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Birchbark is about to launch a new website so people can buy online. Susan (Birchbark) told me most independents sell 30% of their books on the web. The store experience & browsing are the treats.
I was in Duluth last weekend, and am happy to report Northern Lights is open.
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Glad to hear about the new Birchbark website. Sounds like the ability to order online will increase the revenue stream for them. And so glad that Northern Lights is still open. It’s a small store in Duluth, but has such a great mix of books — a lot about the history of Lake Superior, books around all the cultures that have settled there and the ways they have traversed the Great Lake. And lots of books with graphics and great photographs and art.
I just like the feel of being in that area up on the North Shore. Having an Independent bookstore there adds even more to the experience. Thanks for the update.
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[…] and then wham, a hard freeze). It could be that gold-yellow dress the First Lady wore for the Presidential Inauguration. (Did you like it, by the way?) Maybe it’s the feeling of fresh […]
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I just picked up my chapbook of Elizabeth’s Inaugural poem at Birchbark books. It’s quite beautiful. Classy. Not like those chapbooks that look like they’ve been made on an old ditto-copy machine in the teacher’s lounge.
Now, all my book needs is Elizabeth’s signature. Surely she’ll strike while the iron is hot and tour the country. Come to the Twin Cities, Elizabeth!
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Teri, wonderful. Thanks for the update on Elizabeth’s chapbook. (And you supported an Independent bookstore and press in the process!)
You’ve also planted the seed…set your intention…I hope Elizabeth tours the country, too. I bet she wants to see ybonesy in New Mexico. And I’d love to see her at the Fitzgerald Theater with our favorite host with the most, Kerri Miller. 8)
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Birchbark has their new online site up and running. Another way to buy from and support a writer who gives back to the community!
birchbarkbooks.com
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Teri, I just looked at Birchbark’s online site and, YES, a totally different look and feel. It also has little sketches by Louise Erdrich on the different pages. Reminds me of the sketches in her book Books and Islands in Ojibwe Country, one of her memoirs. I like the new look of the Birchbark website! I added Birchbark Books to our sidebar under LYNX.
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Liz and I went to Birchbark Books (LINK) yesterday and they had at least 10-15 copies of Elizabeth Alexander’s chapbook Praise Song For The Day — A Poem For Barack Obama’s Presidential Inauguration January 20th, 2009. Of course, we bought a copy! You’re right, Teri, it’s well-designed, feels good in the hands. And it smells like a freshly printed book. (Part of why I like reading books is the way they smell and feel.)
The chapbook is put out by Minnesota’s Graywolf Press that I think I mentioned in a comment above and added the link. BTW, one of the front pages mentions how the project was partly made possible by a grant from The National Endowment for the Arts, which believes that a great nation deserves great art. (YES, the ARTS MATTER!). It was also funded by the Minnesota States Art Board (money of which comes from the MN State legislature), the Wells Fargo Foundation Minnesota, Bush Foundation, Target, McKnight Foundation, and other generous individual contributors. It’s important to thank those who continue to fund the Arts, even when times are lean. Thank you!
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[…] closely on Elizabeth Alexander’s reading at Obama’s Inauguration, another poet is being called upon to read her […]
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[…] It’s hard to believe it was over a year ago when we gathered to learn more about poet Elizabeth Alexander. We went around the circle and read her poems. Then, in gratitude, sent a card thanking her for her work. A few weeks later, she would be reading at the inauguration of Barack Obama. […]
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[…] ♦ In the sky, there is no distinction of east and west; people create distinctions out of their own minds and then believe them to be true. — Buddha♦ I believe that every person is born with talent. — Maya Angelou […]
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[…] Lincoln. Related to posts: Abraham Lincoln & Nikki Giovanni (On Poets & Presidents), Presidential Poetics — Elizabeth Alexander, President Barack Obama […]
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