I got up at 5 a.m. yesterday and didn't return from Boston until after 1 a.m. Long day, but well worth it. The Lisa King memorial managed to be somber and lighthearted, gut-wrenching and cathartic. And for me, it provided a bit of closure. On the bus ride to Boston, I mentioned to Douglas, who was traveling with me, that I kept thinking we were going to visit Lisa, that she would actually be there when we arrived. In a sense she was there, in the many photo collages that decroated the walls, her leather jacket hanging in the background on the stage. The audio and video clips that were played all served as a reminder of the sheer power of spoken word when performed by someone with passion and charisma. Please listen to Lisa read Bring 'Em Back, which I didn't appreciate enough the many times I watched her perform it live, but I realize now is one of the best examples of the form.
Many of the presenters mentioned that they were in love with or had a crush on Lisa - it was hard not to - she just had it like that. In my piece, "Sex, Drugs and Spoken Word" I chose to celebrate her as a poet and as a stud. There was someone there videotaping the event, so I hope to see some of the footage soon.
There are pictures here (scroll down to the bottom) and more audio here.
Photo above: Lisa King and I at the launch of WV: The Writer's Voice Magazine (circa 1999).
Monday, May 29
wish you were here
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3 comments:
I'm still kind of wiped from the Memorial and all the planning (and butting of heads) that went into it, but I did want to thank you for coming. It was a pleasure to see you there and hear you perform and I'm glad you were able to stay almost the entire time. You and Douglas were, I believe, the only folks in the room who were part of Lisa's circle during her time in New York. We all enjoyed hearing your memories of her from then. And someone had to get onstage and remind the crowd that Lisa was a stud. Thanks for being that person.
it was great to have you there and to hear your piece. thanks for making the effort and for spreading the word here also. the event got more joyous and celebritory as the day went on. i was surprized there weren't more people toasting throughout, so i tried to make that happen.
we'll be working out something to do with the video in the time to come and i'll have my photos posted at www.truthserum.org/lisaking soon.
thanks again for being with us and part of this,
aliza
btw, http://www.baywindows.com has a nice recap of the memorial event.
aliza
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