Outside & subterranean poetry (66): Gilbert Eastman, from 'Epic: Gallaudet Protest' (in American Sign Language)

[As publication draws nigh, the following will be my final excerpt from the forthcoming Barbaric Vast & Wild: A Gathering of Outside & Subterranean Poetry from Origins to Present, edited with commentaries by myself & John Bloomberg-Rissman and published by Black Widow Press as the fifth volume of Poems for the Millennium.  Earlier excerpts have been posted on Poems and Poetics over the last several years, referring to the work as “a mini-anthology in progress,” but the completed work will now appear as a 450 page assemblage to join the other volumes in the Poems for the Millennium series. (J.R.)]

 

Gilbert Eastman (American Sign Language, 1934-2006)
From EPIC: GALLUADET PROTEST

 

UNIVERSE EARTH U.S.A. WASHINGTON, D.C.

LINCOLN MEMORIAL STATUE HANDS: A & L

LOOKED BACK 124 YEARS AGO

CHARTER SIGNED ANNOUNCING

COLLEGE FOR THE DEAF

FACE-PROFILE COLUMNS LOOKED AT REFLECTION POOL

WASHINGTON MONUMENT STREETS CARS

CAPITOL DOME U.S. FLAG

TURNED STREETS TREES BUILDINGS

STOP. FENCE GATE: “GALLAUDET UNIVERSITY”

ENTERED ROAD-CURVE

CHAPEL HALL TOWER CLOCK

ARCHES TERRACE STEPS STREETS

STATUE BASE GALLAUDET AND ALICE

ONE STUDENT CAME STUDENTS ONE BY ONE CAME

LOOKED AT STATUE WALKED JOINED MORE PEOPLE

LONG LINE OF PEOPLE FOOTBALL FIELD BLEACHERS

GOT BUTTON FADE-OUT “DEAF PRESIDENT NOW”

FADE-IN LOOKED AT CROWD PICKETS

SPEAKER WITH BEARD CAME SPOKE CLAPPED

ANOTHER SPEAKER SPOKE SCREAMED

ANOTHER SPEAKER SPOKE WAVING-HANDS

DEAF DEAF DEAF “D” UNITY ALL-OVER

STOOD WALKED AROUND CAMPUS

DARK INTO NIGHT

**************************************************************

WEEK-LATER SUNDAY MARCH 6 TIME 7:00 P.M.

ONE BY ONE CAME CROWD WAITED AND WAITED BECAME NERVOUS

LOOKED AT COP WALKING TOWARD CROWD

PAPERS STACKED PASSED OUT

PAPER ANNOUNCING NEW PRESIDENT:

ZINSER WOMAN HEARING HAIR-CURL, SCARF

PAPER CRUSHED, SET AFIRE

BURN Z ANGER

“GO!” CROWD RAN STOPPED HOTEL

DOORMAN STOPPED COPS STOOD IN ROW

STUDENTS STOOD IN ROWS AND ROWS

LEADER CALLED SPILMAN

HAIR-UP, RUFFLES, CAME-DOWN STOPPED

FACED STUDENTS WITH INTERPRETER SPOKE

“DEAF PEOPLE ARE NOT READY TO FUNCTION IN A HEARING WORLD.”

ROW-STUDENTS SHOCKED FISTS-UP SCREAMED

CRIES UP IN SKY UP IN DARKNESS

SCREAMS DISAPPEARED INTO NIGHT SILENCE

**************************************************************

SUNRISE MONDAY

GROUP POINTED AT GATE CHAIN LOCK

POINT GATE CHAIN LOCK POINT GATE CHAIN LOCK

RAN TO MAIN ENTRANCE STOOD ONE BY ONE

ROWS AND ROWS CLOSED GATE

CARS TRIED ENTERING COULDN’T LEFT

ROWS GUARD

GROUP DISCUSSED CALLED STUDENTS FLOCKED

LEADER MAN BLOND, CREW-CUT CAME WITH RED BAND STOOD

FOLLOWED THREE PERSONS, BLUE BANDS

ONE TALL, THIN, GLASSES, JACKET, BUTTONS

ONE MEDIUM, THIN FACE, SMOKING

ONE WOMAN, SMALL, STRONG, HAIR SHORT, GLASSES

THREE JOINED LEADER, FOUR FACED

FIRST ROWS YELLOW BANDS

MORE ROWS MORE ROWS LOOKED AT LEADER

EXPLAINED “NO VIOLENCE!”

“UNDERSTAND!” “GIVE UP NO”

ROWS HANDS-RISING, WAVING. STOPPED

4 DEMANDS: 1) DEAF PRESIDENT

2) SPILMAN (HAIR-UP, RUFFLES) OUT

3) BOARD 51% DEAF

4) NO REPRISAL

ROWS CLAPPED RETURNED TO GATE, GUARDED

SPILMAN ARRIVED WITH GROUP, MEETING DOORS CLOSED

CALLED STUDENTS FLOCKED TO BUILDING GYM

LARGE ROOM SAT HANDS-WAVING

VIPS ENTERED STOOD-IN-LINE SAT

SPILMAN ENTERED WITH INTERPRETER

SPILMAN SPOKE, INTERPRETER SIGNED

SUDDENLY DEAF PROFESSOR INTERRUPTED SIGNED “PLEASE LEAVE.”

SPILMAN TRIED TO STOP THEM BUT COULDN’T

STUDENTS GOT-UP LEFT GYM STOOD OUTSIDE

ANGER CONFUSED LOOKED FOR HELP

WALKED TO CAPITOL RAN-UP STEPS DOORS CLOSED

CHAOS LOOKED-UP IN SKY DARKNESS

STARS FALLING DOWN DISAPPEARING INTO DARKNESS

**************************************************************

SUNRISE TUESDAY

GUARDS LET SOME PEOPLE COMING IN

FACULTY STAFF STUDENTS SUPPORTERS

UPPERS (ADMINISTRATIVES) OUT

PROFESSORS ASKED WHAT? STUDENTS ASKED HELP US! FOUR

DEMANDS!

PEOPLE FLOCKED, SAT ROWS. EACH EXPRESSED PROBLEMS

THEY LISTENED FORMED COMMITTEES MEETINGS

FUND-RAISING HOW? THERMOMETER WITH ROUND-LINE RED

MONEY-GIVING RED-RISING

PRESS CONFERENCE NEWSPAPER REPORTERS PLUS

TV REPORTERS CAME ASKED QUESTIONS

DEAF FELT HELPLESS LOOKED AT GROUP COMING

“INTERPRETERS!” THEY HELPED US!

DEAF SIGNED, INTERPRETERS SPOKE TO REPORTERS

LOOKED AT FIVE DEAF LEADERS COMING

NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS DIFFERENT

LEADER BY LEADER SPOKE CLAPPED WAVED HANDS

REPORTERS WROTE DOWN RAN TO CARS DROVE AWAY

STOPPED AT NEWSPAPER BUILDING ENTERED RAN INTO OFFICE

TYPED COMPUTER LINE BY LINE

PUSHED KEY CAME-OUT PAPER TOOK IT AND RAN

TO HUGE ROOM PUT ON MACHINE TURNED ON

ROLLED PRESSED FOLDED STACKED

PUT-IN TRUCKS DOORS OPENED TRUCKS HURRIED OUT

SAME TIME PRESSED WIRED ALL-OVER USA

CONTINUED THROUGH THE NIGHT STARS FAINTLY TWINKLED

**************************************************************

SUNRISE WEDNESDAY

GUARDS ROWS ROWS TIRED

BLOCKADE LOOKED AT TRUCK LET IT IN

OPENED DOORS PACKS OF NEWSPAPERS CAME OUT

HEADLINE: “GALLAUDET PROTEST”

HURRAH RETURNED TO GATE, GUARDED

PROFESSORS WORKERS MET TOGETHER

DISCUSSED VOTED. APPROVED FOUR DEMANDS

HELPED STUDENTS HURRAH BUT

ONE RAN IN, STOOD, BREATHED, ANNOUNCED

Z HAIR-CURLED, SCARF FAVORABLE

LOOKED UP, DISAPPOINTED HEART BROKEN

ONE BY ONE GRAB FLAG ROSE HIGH

INSPIRING HANDS WAVING

OVER THERE BUILDING ROOM TV CAMERA LENS

TED KOPPEL HAIR, APART, SAT, TABLE CURVE

POINT BLOND CREW-CUT, POINT Z HAIR-CURLED, SCARF

POINT CALIFORNIA, MM HAIR-LONG-CURL, GLASSES

TED LOOKED AT WATCH LENS TO CAMERA

FRAME, DOWN WIRE TO NEXT ROOM

MAN EARPHONES, MICROPHONE, TV SETS

1) FIX TIE 2) FIX SCARF 3) FIX HAIR

COUNT 5 4 3 2 1 0 PUSH BUTTON

LINE RAN DOWN WENT THROUGH TO DISK

THEN, SHOT UP INTO SPACE REACHING SATELLITE

SATELLITE MOVED SHOT DOWN

CHINA FRAME BURN Z

INDIA FRAME GATE

AFRICA FRAME PICKETS

ITALY FRAME 4 4 4

FRANCE FRAME SPILMAN OUT

SWEDEN FRAME DEAF UNITY

ENGLAND FRAME DEAF PRESIDENT NOW

AMERICA FRAME BLOND HAIR CREW-CUT SIGNED

ZINSER SPOKE, CAPTIONED

MM EMOTED

TED KOPPEL LOOKED AT CLOCK 5 4 3 2 1

CUT BLACKOUT

**************************************************************

SUNRISE THURSDAY

GATE GUARDED TENTS SLEPT

WOKE UP CLOTHES DIRTY HUNGRY

GOT UP JOINED GROUP

ANOTHER TRUCK CAME IN LET IT IN

OPENED DOORS BOXES BOXES OUT OF TRUCK

LOOKED AT BOXES PUZZLED OPENED

FOOD! FOOD! FOOD! GRABBED GAVE OUT SHARED

TRUCK LEFT GUARDED ALL DAY

MAIL TRUCKS ENTERED DOORS OPENED BAGS

LETTERS PILE

BUILDING (OLE GYM) RAILS DOORS OPENED

PEOPLE STOOD BUSY RUNNING AROUND

ROOM TABLE ROUND TELEPHONES

INTERPRETERS HEARING VOLUNTEERS

SAT AROUND TABLE. RINGS RINGS

ANSWERED HUNG UP ANSWERED

DEAF PRESIDENT THUMB-UP MARK THUMB-UP MARK

DEAF PRESIDENT THUMB-DOWN MARK THUMB-DOWN MARK

THERMOMETER RED-LINE UP UP

BOX COINS BILLS CHECKS UP UP

TAP SHOULDER, LOOKED AROUND PUZZLED NOTICED

GIRL LITTLE HOLDING DIME PUT IT IN BOX

INSPIRED TEARS IN EYES

GATE GUARDED TV TRUCKS ANTENNAS

TV REPORTERS NEWSPAPERS REPORTERS

MICROPHONE MOVED, DEAF SIGNED, INTERPERETERS SPOKE

ALL DAY INTO NIGHT

CLOUDS CREPT INTO DARKNESS

**************************************************************

 

Translation from ASL by Gilbert C. Eastman

COMMENTARY

SOURCE: H-Dirksen L. Bauman, Jennifer L. Nelson, & Heidi M. Rose, editors, Signing the Body Poetic: Essays on American Sign Language Literature, University of California Press, 2006.

 

(1) POETRY WITHOUT SOUND.   Even in its early, tentative stages, the signing poetry emerging as an aspect of the "culture of the deaf" challenges some of our cherished preconceptions about poetry and its relation to human speech.  Ameslan (American Sign Language) represents, literally, a poetry without sound and, for its practitioners, a poetry without access to that experience of sound as voice that we've so often taken as the bedrock of all poetics and all language.  In the real world of the deaf, then, language exists as a kind of writing in space and as a primary form of communication without reference to any more primary form of language for its validation.  It is in this sense a realization of the ideogrammatic vision of a Fenollosa – "a splendid flash of concrete poetry" – but an ideogrammatic language truly in motion and, like oral poetry, truly inseparable from its realization in performance.  (Ethnopoetic analogues – for those who would care to check them out – include Hindu and Tantric mudras, Plains Indian and Australian Aborigine sign languages, and Ejagham [southeastern Nigerian] "action writing": a history of human gesture languages that would enrich our sense of poetry and language, should we set our minds to it.)  The reader may also want to relate this piece to more recent discourse about "written-oral dichotomies, etc., but the revelation of Ameslan, in that sense, isn't a denial of the powers of oral poetry but the creation of its possible and equally impermanent companion in performance. Since the poetry presented here had never existed before as poetry it is also inherently experimental. (J.R., from Symposium of the Whole, 1983)

 

(2)  The “epic” goes back to March 1988 and a massive student strike at Gallaudet University, a federally chartered school for the education of the deaf and hard of hearing located in Washington, D.C., over the failure to appoint a non-hearing university president.  Writes Kristen C. Harmon, in introducing the epic & Gilbert Eastman’s part in it as “creator and omniscient narrator”: “Eastman is not conversing in everyday ASL.  In English, this introduction translates as ‘Within the blackness of space a single planet comes into focus – the earth, in its orbit, rotating on its axis.  The face of the earth comes into view – the United States’; even in translation, this kind of language clearly represents a departure from the conventions of conversational or informal written English.”  The resultant performance work, then, is in a tightly condensed language of its own & at a true remove from what it might have been as spoken.

 

(3) Quoting W.J.T. Mitchell (“Preface: Utopian Gestures”, in Signing the Body Poetic): “In the world of the Deaf, I am a disabled person, incapable of hearing or seeing or reading or listening to what is being said by the people around me.” Exactly who is the outsider here?