Poets slam existential hope in face
of soulless postmodern America
Local poets compete for a
chance to represent Eugene
in the National Poetry Slam
Joseph Bechard
Edge Culture Columnist
Lawrence Ferlinghetti said, I
am awaiting, perpetually and forev
er, a renaissance of wonder.”
Given the depressing suite of Amer
ican culture, it’s going to he a long
wait. But those of us riding with Fer
linghetti in that slow boat can’t afford
to lose faith. As maddened and con
fused as the world is today, a strain of
human being still exists that burdens
itself with such unwelcome themes as
the depth of human sentience, piety
and the “meaning of life.”
Competition began Saturday,
Sept. 28, at Foolscap Books at 780
Blair Blvd. for four seats representing
Eugene in the National Poetry Slam,
to be held in August 2003. Anyone
with a soul and #3 to #5 is encour
aged to attend the slams, scheduled
for the third Saturday of every
month. The ninth and final slam will
take place in May 2003.
Poet sign-in began at 7:30 p.m.,
and the list was full within several
minutes. At 8 p.m., all the kooks,
crazies and some who might be
bothered by such crass appellations
shepherded themselves into the
small, dimly-lit room.
The emcee selected volunteer
judges randomly from a hat, and of
course, the crowd received the judg
ing like it would a leper at an orgy.
Whether this is the best method of
judge selection is a moot issue. Some
times it’s best to just gouge the eyes of
hindsight and let things be things.
Competitive poetry makes about
as much sense as oarlocks on a bath
tub. Maybe it brought out the best in
the poets; maybe the real winner is
off crying in a whiskey-stained shirt
in some gutter — we’ll never know
for sure, but this impressed judge
tried desperately to catch the read
ers’ many nuggets of beauty.
Afterward, at a new watering hole
in square, modeme downtown, I sat
with a few participants. As I listened
behind a distant stare, someone
mentioned the presence of “hope” in
some of the poetry.
Hope. While the president dances in
front of cameras — chanting war cries
in a loincloth with a dagger between his
teeth, a meat hook in one hand and a
skull on a stick in the other; Eugene re
covers from a youthful waste of useful
energy in the form of a “riot” that
looked more like some mindless scene
on MTV; and the very terra crumbles
beneath our feet, it’s reassuring to
know that there are a few weirdos who
still hang on to hope.
Contact the Pulse columnist
atjosephbechard@dailyemerald.com.
His opinions do not necessarily
represent those of the Emerald.
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‘Dragon ’ serves entree
of delicious plot, acting
Movie review
Helen Schumacher
Pulse Reporter
The year is 1980, we’re in Balti
more and Hannibal the Cannibal has
just served the board of directors of
the local symphony a delectable
meal made from one of the missing
symphony musicians. The opening
credits haven’t even started yet.
So begins “Red Dragon,” the pre
quel to “The Silence of the Lambs.”
Anthony Hopkins is back as Dr. Han
nibal Lecter. He’s joined by Edward
Norton as Will Graham, the ex-FBI
agent who, after putting Lecter be
hind bars, needs his expertise to
stop a killer dubbed as the Tooth
Fairy — Ralph Fiennes.
Instead of Hannibal eating the
brains in this film, the gray matter
was saved for the plot. Graham, who
has retired to Florida with his family
after a near fatal run-in with Lecter,
is asked to help the FBI solve the rit
ualistic murders of two families by a
killer. The killer believes he is a rein
carnated version of William Blake’s
“Great Red Dragon” painting. The
cast is rounded out with Harvey Kei
tel as the FBI officer who recruits
Graham for the case, and Philip
Seymour Hoffman as the sleazy
tabloid journalist who penned the
name Tooth Fairy.
The psychological thriller’s best
moments are not when you’re at the
edge of your seat (which is often),
but during the tender exchange be
tween Francis Dolarhyde, aka the
Tooth Fairy, and blind photo lab
technician Reba McClane, played by
Emily Watson. It is in these softer
moments, where Dolarhyde battles
between his demons and his desire
for intimacy, that the audience is
drawn in.
Although Fiennes gives the best
performance, all the acting is phe
nomenal. But what else do you ex
pect from this group of Academy
Award nominees?
The score was also phenomenal.
Composed by Danny Elfman, known
for his work on the Tim Burton films
“The Nightmare Before Christmas,”
“Beetlejuice” and “Pee-Wee’s Big Ad
venture,” it shifts from heartfelt to
heart-pounding in minutes.
Thanks to stellar acting and a
great score, what could have been a
mediocre murder movie was made
into something more gourmet.
Contact the Pulse reporter at
helenr.chumacher@dailyemerald.com.
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