“Orientation: Wittenberg University, 1983”
A mock class. My mother and I
are the only faces of color.
I’ve never studied with white people,
but I’ve had my experiences.
And sometimes having experience
is the only way to study people.
But is there really a color
for ignorance when it hurts self? I
can see that I’m not ready.
The class is titled The Fall
and After, which is a study
of what happens after waking up: loss.
At this point, I understand loss
more than what comes before. A study
lending itself more to the act of falling,
an art in itself. How to appear ready
to step into the next stanza of life,
while tumbling down a page.
But, for now, in this classroom, the discussion
of Gauguin, Blake, and the Bible
passes over our heads. Suddenly the Bible
is a foreign text, in the way they’re discussing
it. I look down at the page
and it looks as blank as the life
I must have lived up to this moment.
The new students and the parents
get into this lecture, talking
about the art of falling. No hard times
or unfaithful lovers come up; this time
the blues can’t frame the talk.
It’s clear that, for some, life is a parent’s
attempt to prepare a child for this moment:
when you walk into a room full of the educated
and you need to know what the hell
is going on. After class, my mother turns to me,
and says “You know, you don’t…” she pauses,
“You don’t have to do this,” which gives me pause,
she’s never said anything like this to me
before. I knew, even then, without skills any job is hell,
but then you prepare, you begin your education.
I decide what to do before she even gives me an out,
while we sit here, on the verge of knowing,
surrounded by people who sound like they know—
me with a Jheri curl, she in a wig – setting out
to make a mockery of class, my mother and I.
2.)Six poems entitled “Such Sweet Thunder,” “Que Sera Sera,” “Fourth Wall Arpeggio,” “Airlift,” “Fair,” and “The Flash Reverses Time” all found here —
https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poets/a-van-jordan#tab-poems
3.)”Afterward but not Afterword” —
https://poets.org/poem/afterward-not-afterword
4.)”From” (this is the poem to which Aaron Coleman referred in our class on Wednesday) —
https://poets.org/poem/from
5.)Author’s Webpage (knowing more about him may help you) —
https://www.avanjordan.com/home
6. Newest book (read the description) —
https://wwnorton.com/books/9781324050933/about-the-book/reviews
7. Article about Van Jordan’s work written by Leslie Wingard Cunningham (click below on the hyperlink to read it!!!)
3. What do you think of Glenn Ligon‘s artwork entitled RUNAWAYS? What part of it is of the most interest to you and why? Also, what did you think of the related INTERWOVEN exhibit in Brownsburg, VA? What part of it is of most interest to you and why? Be sure to be very specific!