Danielle Hickey | Photo editor
Freshman Josh Gordon reads his comic poetry at the Invention of Metaphor reading last Thursday.
A freshman seminar encourages students to create new
imagery in poetry and perform their works in public
BY RYAN NYBURG
PULSE EDITOR
The EMU's ground floor coffee
shop, the Buzz, is awash in red and
yellow light. Abstract art is scattered
overthe walls, mics are set up in a
spotlit area, and a crowd of black
clad freshmen wait with nervous an
ticipation. Rhythmic beats are pound
ed out on conga drums as an older
man takes the "stage," firing out a
stream of complex verbiage as he in
troduces himself. The man is
Dr. George Moore, the black-clad
freshmen are his students and the
event is the Invention of Metaphor
freshman seminar poetry reading.
In its second year of existence, In
vention of Metaphor is a class that,
according to Moore, is designed to
help students come up with new
forms of imagery in poetry. The fresh
men read a wide range of poets, write
and critique poetry and perform in
front of each other. The culmination of
the class, which took place March 3
this term, is a public performance the
students put together themselves,
creating their own advertising and
preparing their best work.
"In the class, students write a
great deal of poetry, which I severe
ly line edit so that only the most pow
erful images remain," Moore said.
"We also work on performance and
stage presence in preparation for
the public reading."
Moore has plenty of experience in
public performance, having been a
part of or visitor of poetry scenes all
overthe world, as well as performing
as a bass playerfor Allen Ginsberg.
According to his students, the
class has been a positive experience.
"I never wrote poetry before I took
this seminar," freshman history major
Caitlin Kilcourse said. "Now I've writ
ten poems five pages long. It has real
ly helped me learn to express myself
through images."
Forthe final public performance,
the 11 seminar members wore varia
tions on all-black dress. Congas and
audience participation that was
"short of tackling the reader" added
to the 1950s Beat poetry feel. Moore
introduced the poets by reading indi
vidual poems he wrote about them
and their work. Readings were ac
companied by random conga taps
and even finger-snapping in place of
applause. Some students said that,
despite the theatrics, the perform
ance still madethem nervous.
"I do classical singing, so I'm used
to performing," Kilcourse said before
the reading. "But I'm still a little nerv
ous about reading my own stuff."
Freshman Josh Gordon feels differ
ently about performing.
"I stopped caring, since we're all
comfortable with each other," he
said. "It helps that I write comically,
so I get to say 'boobies' a lot and
make people laugh."
ryannyburg@dailyemerald.com
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