Joshua Beckman

JOSHUA BECKMAN

This loverly Thursday afternoon, Joshua Beckman gave a hypnotic reading in the TCNJ Library Auditorium. He performed for us three poems from Your Time Has Come, which was over in a matter of moments as the pieces are so short. It was his reading from Shake that was particularly interesting. He read through the entire first section of Shake, without skipping a poem or a beat. His pace and speech made each of the poems hypnotically ryhthmic, rocking back and forth or side to side as he spoke. While he read, certain themes became obviously important: the repetition, the sound choices, hands, wanting.

His work makes the ordinary and unoticeable into something extraordinary and important. Then many of his poems simply mock this importance. His work mocks modesty in its own humility. His words are seemingly about learning. The constant need to keep learning and moving. Wanting.

After the reading, he answered the questions just as we all thought he would: like a Rock Star.

He claimed that he spends years making the decisions concerning his collections. Nothing is done spur of the moment, and most of his work truly ends up on the cutting room floor. And when asked if being an editor has helped his work he said, " Probably not. It may hurt it, though!"

He was a good man, Charlie Brown. He enjoyed a cookie or two and made sure to sign every book we through at him.

That'll do pig.