Wednesday, August 09, 2006

Joe Gould's Poem


Saw the movie "Joe Gould's Secret" last night (with Ian Holm as Joe), the homeless NY writer of "The Oral History of the World". There's a great scene in the movie where Joe and Joe Mitchell from the New Yorker magazine enter a Greenwhich Village poetry reading. When the proprietor sees Joe enter, he mutters in disgust something about Joe, "..only coming in for the food". A rather stodgy elderly woman is droning on with a reading as Joe is in the rear, back turned from the podium, scarfing up a storm at the snack table, mumbling disparaging remarks in between bites. Joe's running chatter grows more disruptive; pandemonium ensues as the proprietor and outraged patrons try to usher Joe out the door. Joe breaks free and runs to the front of the room. "I HAVE A POEM!" Things seem to quiet a bit, as people stare in disbelief....

In the winter
I'm a buddhist

In the summer
I'm a nudist!


(actual picture of Joe above)

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

In the autumn
I'm Steven

In the spring
I'm Stephanie

Anonymous said...

Stephanie - on behalf of the late great Arthur Lee, I dedicate "Stephanie Knows" to you...if Steve and Arthur don't mind
...hey where's that tie and the Edith Piaf book (she's swinging a warm-up bat in the on-deck blog batting circle)?
- your pal
Phineas Fogg

Anonymous said...

Edith Piaf(batting in the eighth spot)just got hit by a foul ball.Steevo's el Jeep-o got stucko on Sat. El tie-o was in el truck-o.Hauled in for clutch job.(Not me.The Jeep.) Looking for ze Piaf boook.Will have el tie-o on Zaturday,dig? OUCH!! Charlotte Rampling just took one in the kneecap!!

Anonymous said...

I'm sending in Simone Signoret as a pinch runner...the pitchers are always distracted when she's on base.
- Fernandel