Attending live readings of books and/or poetry here on Cape Cod brings me back to the days when adults were able to sit still and listen for more than fifteen minutes. Last night when I went to a similar event in Brewster to deliver a reading, I re-discovered why that evening worked whereas other readings seldom do.
Delivery: any comedian will tell you the material has to be good, the timing better. Having coached students and business people on how to do presentations, I learned that preparation means not only practicing your copy in order to give oneself moments to make eye contact with the audience and to project the voice, but also how to perform. Whenever I've seen stories spoken by Native Americans in person or on the screen, I've been struck by the storyteller's cadence, mesmerized by their voice, their rhythm; their eyes.
The Greek poet, Homer, wrote his verse, The Iliad and The Odyssey, to be spoken, as were, centuries later, Shakespeare's plays. What did these performers have in common with past and present Native American storytellers? They expressed words as if they were using their voices to paint a canvas. They chose to be heard and seen.
In the setting of an intimate reading, however, some poets and writers don't feel obligated to "sing" their poetry or perform passages from books--a mistake.
Being a film fan, I've often been asked why more accomplished actors have come from England, and more recently Australia, than in the U.S. I respond the performers have been trained in the oral tradition, whether it be theatre, more often than not, or schools where the actors had to deliver speeches in class from a very early age or drama clubs. Even some of our country's acclaimed actors: Meryl Streep, Denzel Washington, Tom Hanks, Robin Williams, etc. started their careers in acting schools, theatre or improv. When I've heard these actors perform dialogue, I've never thought to myself: I wish he or she would speak more clearly. Or, they're saying the words but nothing comes out. My latter point being, speaking the written word cannot be equated with performing it.
On the Pulse of the Morning, at former President Bill Clinton's inaugural, she left her audience breathless. An actress, poet and writer, Angelou knew her audience. She showed when done with passion, reading a poem aloud will get listeners' attention.
Poets write for themselves; they share with the world their inner hearts and thoughts. Writers often also bare their souls as well as entertain. In a public forum, we mustn't forget an audience wants to listen, though only if we go beyond the paper and speak images. Animation or drama in the register of the voice or the expression of the eyes brings the audience into the picture.
