Sparrow, Poetry Workshop/Performance

 

"Listening to Poetry, Speaking to the Gods"

 

This workshop combines listening to and reading great poetry -- by Longfellow, Shelley, Milton, Langston Hughes, and others -- with honest talking. Participants may speak to the group about their political struggles, their spiritual life, their personal difficulties. It will be a "conversation" between ordinary people and great poets. Simultaneously, we will take notes, and make drawings, and by the end will have an art show, which we will tape to the wall.

 

"The Politics of Silence"

 

In this lecture/demonstration, I explore John Cage's essential musical composition, 4' 33", which consists entirely of silence. In particular, I will discuss silence as a political act.

 

 

 

Sparrow lives with his wife in a doublewide trailer in Phoenicia, New York. One of his "jobs" is writing bumper stickers. Probably Sparrow's greatest achievement in life was creating the slogan I'M ALREADY AGAINST THE NEXT WAR. Soft Skull Press has published three of his books, including America: A Prophecy -- The Sparrow Reader. TheNew York Times ran three of his op-ed pieces. Sparrow plays ocarina in the post-Buddhist pop band Foamola.