peterography

We’ve had our first class. Major Jackson runs a tight ship – an economic but effective few minutes of lecture and then a well-structured sequence of readings of each student’s work, followed by a carefully-timed period of discussion. He doesn’t like us to say anything about the poem before reading it so several discussions devolved into speculation about what the poet meant or intended, even as the poet sat there observing. This may seem odd but it’s useful to see all the different ways that certain words or lines can be interpreted by a reader, and I now think this is how all workshops should be run.

We’ve been given an assignment for the week, and since the class runs 9-noon, I went to Pepe’s on the waterfront for a veggie-burger lunch with bacon and onions, 2 Guinesses, and a bowl of clam chowder to fuel my writing. The assignment involves anaphora plus some other strictures and by applying them to a poem I’ve been struggling with for a year, I think I’ve not only finished the assignment but greatly improved the poem. We’ll see. (It’s funny how putting limits and rules on art and poetry can help make them better – as though telling someone who’s sautéing onions that he must do it while spinning plates in the air because this will improve his cooking.)

I love Provincetown, but let’s get the gay thing out of the way. Several of my friends at work couldn’t help but comment on it when I told them I was spending a week here.

I’ve seen P-Town described as a “gay Disneyland” and a “gay Mecca”. I can imagine a gay Disneyland, and frankly it would probably be an improvement. But what about Mecca? Let’s face it: Islam is a religion famous for separating men and women. In most Islamic societies they live in two different worlds, the women among the women and the men among the men. You can’t tell me that some of these men don’t occasionally cast knowing and longing glances at each other and I assume some of the women do likewise. Unfortunately the punishment in Saudi Arabia for this is death, although sometimes they show ‘mercy’ and merely whip the lovers in public.  Other Islamic nations follow suit -  Iran has executed 4000 gays and lesbians, according to Human Rights Watch and Pakistan is apt to stone them.

So there you have it: Provincetown and Mecca - They both have sand and sun, but Provincetown has great galleries, restaurants, sunsets, nightlife, street life, and human rights.  And it’s also more romantic for heterosexuals. – I’ve never been anyplace where I’ve seen so many straight couples holding hands in public!