Cleveland Arts Prize Emerging Artist 2010 award speech

The Cleveland Arts Prize ceremony runs a little like the Academy Awards: there's a witty emcee, video shorts and performances, short readings, award introducers, and acceptance speeches. The only thing missing was the outro music rising to quell podium hogs. Luckily, it's Cleveland, and no one behaves that way anyway. Thanks to the Cleveland Arts Prize, especially Marcie Bergman, the judges (especially George Bilgere), and Amy Breau (for taping this!) for a great evening and the support that comes with the recognition.

For those who can't hear:
William Carlos Williams once wrote: "It's difficult to get the news from poetry, yet men die miserably every day for lack of what is found there." Poetry for me has always been as delightfully necessary and sweet as eating. Poetry is soul food. I'd like to thank my parents, who loved us in ways that found us pursuing grand and crazy dreams, like peace in the Middle East and becoming a poet. Thanks also to my wife Amy Breau, Marcie Bergman and the Cleveland Arts Prize, George Bilgere and John Carroll University, and all of who, who complete the work we artists only begin. A Chinese proverb states: "The bird does not sing because it has an answer. It sings because it has a song." Here's a little one [of mine], called "Salaam Epigram":

You trail a comet's tail.
Everything you do quotes you.