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CLARK STREET BRIDGE EIGHT copyright FCB, 2015 (020115)

JARED: CUE CLARK STREET BRIDGE LOGO JARED: CUE WALK-IN MUSIC JEFF: CUE THE BAND & QUEENIE FOR AINT GONNA LET NOBODY TURN ME AROUND CHAPTER ONE JOHN: LANGUAGE IS SUCH A FUNDAMENTAL PART OF BEING HUMAN THAT ITS HARD TO TALK ABOUT HUMAN BEHAVIOR WITHOUT TALKING ABOUT LANGUAGE JEFF: CUE THE BAND FOR BLINDSIDED AS BACKGROUND JARED: CUE THE DANDELION-GONE-TO-SEED STILL (OR MOVING) IMAGE IF ITS EARLY ENOUGH IN THE SPRING IN BIRMINGHAM, ALABAMA A YOUNG MAN CAN WEAR A SPORT JACKET AND NOT STAND OUT IN A CROWD THAT WAS THE PLAN

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UNDER HIS SPORT JACKET WAS A NEATLY FOLDED COPY OF THE BIRMINGHAM DAILY NEWS ON THE OP-ED PAGE WAS A LETTER PENNED BY EIGHT WHITE MINISTERS IN THE BIRMINGHAM AREA CRITICAL OF THE BLACK MINISTER THE OUTSIDE AGITATOR AS THEY CALLED HIM THE MAN SITTING IN THE JAIL CELL ARRESTED FOR PARADING WITHOUT A PERMIT THE MAN WHO NOW OPENED THE SMUGGLED COPY OF THE BIRMINGHAM DAILY NEWS AND READ THE LETTER HE DIDNT WAIT FOR A PAD OF PAPER TO BEGIN HE WROTE HIS RESPONSE IN THE MARGINS OF THE NEWSPAPER RIGHT NEXT TO THE STORY OF A ROBBERY AT LOUS PUB & PACKAGE HE WROTE

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HANNAH: WE WILL HAVE TO REPENT IN THIS GENERATION NOT MERELY FOR THE HATEFUL WORDS AND ACTIONS OF THE BAD PEOPLE BUT FOR THE APPALLING SILENCE OF THE GOOD PEOPLE JOHN: AND THE IRONY OF HIS WORDS NEXT TO THE WORDS DESCRIBING THE QUALIFICATIONS REQUIRED FOR A GARAGE MECHANIC AT THE TEXACO FULL SERVICE DIDNT ESCAPE HIM IM SURE HANNAH: WE ARE CAUGHT IN AN INESCAPABLE NETWORK OF MUTUALITY TIED IN A SINGLE GARMENT OF DESTINY JOHN:

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YOU HAVE TO BELIEVE THAT HE SAW MORE THAN JUST IRONY YOU HAVE TO BELIEVE THAT HE SAW HIS WORDS DOING WHAT THE WRITTEN WORD HAS BEEN DOING FOR SIX THOUSAND YEARS OR SO NOT JUST CONNECTING WORDS WITH THINGS (THE ORDINARY THINGS THAT TOUCH OUR EVERYDAY LIVES) BUT BRINGING MEANING TO THEM YOU HAVE TO BELIEVE HANNAH: WHEN YOU SEE THE VAST MAJORITY OF YOUR TWENTY MILLION NEGRO BROTHERS SMOTHERING IN AN AIRTIGHT CAGE OF POVERTY IN THE MIDST OF AN AFFLUENT SOCIETY WHEN YOU SUDDENLY FIND YOUR TONGUE TWISTED AND YOUR SPEECH STAMMERING AS YOU SEEK TO EXPLAIN TO YOUR SIX YEAR OLD DAUGHTER WHY SHE CAN'T GO TO THE PUBLIC AMUSEMENT PARK

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THAT HAS JUST BEEN ADVERTISED ON TELEVISION AND SEE TEARS WELLING UP IN HER EYES WHEN SHE IS TOLD THAT FUNTOWN IS CLOSED TO COLORED CHILDREN AND SEE OMINOUS CLOUDS OF INFERIORITY BEGINNING TO FORM IN HER LITTLE MENTAL SKY AND SEE HER BEGINNING TO DISTORT HER PERSONALITY BY DEVELOPING AN UNCONSCIOUS BITTERNESS TOWARD WHITE PEOPLE WHEN YOU HAVE TO CONCOCT AN ANSWER FOR A FIVE YEAR OLD SON WHO IS ASKING "DADDY, WHY DO WHITE PEOPLE TREAT COLORED PEOPLE SO MEAN?" WHEN YOU TAKE A CROSS COUNTRY DRIVE AND FIND IT NECESSARY TO SLEEP NIGHT AFTER NIGHT IN THE UNCOMFORTABLE CORNERS OF YOUR AUTOMOBILE BECAUSE NO MOTEL WILL ACCEPT YOU

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WHEN YOU ARE HUMILIATED DAY IN AND DAY OUT BY NAGGING SIGNS READING "WHITE" AND "COLORED" WHEN YOUR FIRST NAME BECOMES "NIGGER," YOUR MIDDLE NAME BECOMES "BOY" (HOWEVER OLD YOU ARE) AND YOUR LAST NAME BECOMES "JOHN," AND YOUR WIFE AND MOTHER ARE NEVER GIVEN THE RESPECTED TITLE "MRS." WHEN YOU ARE HARRIED BY DAY AND HAUNTED BY NIGHT BY THE FACT THAT YOU ARE A NEGRO LIVING CONSTANTLY AT TIPTOE STANCE NEVER QUITE KNOWING WHAT TO EXPECT NEXT AND ARE PLAGUED WITH INNER FEARS AND OUTER RESENTMENTS WHEN YOU ARE FOREVER FIGHTING A DEGENERATING SENSE OF "NOBODINESS" THEN YOU WILL UNDERSTAND WHY WE FIND IT DIFFICULT TO WAIT THERE COMES A TIME WHEN THE CUP OF ENDURANCE

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RUNS OVER AND MEN ARE NO LONGER WILLING TO BE PLUNGED INTO THE ABYSS OF DESPAIR I HOPE, SIRS, YOU CAN UNDERSTAND OUR LEGITIMATE AND UNAVOIDABLE IMPATIENCE JEFF: CUE THE BANDSTOP POINT FOR BLINDSIDED JOHN: HE BROUGHT WORDS AND STORY TO THE IDEA OF EQUALITY AND SUDDENLY IT BECAME A MOVEMENT IN THE TRUE SENSE OF THE WORD IT MOVED PEOPLE TO CHANGE JUST ONE MAN ONE TIMES ANY NUMBER DOES NOT CHANGE ANYTHING (A LONG-STANDING MATHEMATICAL TRUTH) SOMETIMES

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THERE IS MORE TRUTH IN WORDS THAN IN NUMBERS JARED: CUE DISSOLVE TO BLACK SLIDE JEFF: CUE THE BAND FOR WHERE THE RIVER BENDS JARED: CUE THE TOM MACKEY MARTIN LUTHER KING FILM AS VISUAL SUPPORT FOR THE SONG WHERE THE RIVER BENDS ALLOW THE LAST IMAGETHE LONG DRIFT IN TO MARTIN LUTHER KINGS EYESTO HOLD FOR A BEAT AFTER MUSIC ENDS, THEN FADE TO BLACK SLIDE CHAPTER 2 JOHN: MATHEMATICS IS ITS OWN KIND OF POETRY THERE IS A RHYTHM A CADENCE RULES THAT NEED TO BE FOLLOWED ON MULTIPLYING FACTORS ORDER OF OPERATIONS CARRY THE ONE

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YOU MAY NOT BE FAMILIAR WITH WRITERS MATH WHERE NOTHING NECESSARILY ADDS UP BUT HERES AN EQUATION IN WRITERS MATH JARED: CUE SLIDE THAT IS A REPRESENTATION OF EQUATION THE RIGHT WORDS SPOKEN BY THE RIGHT PERSON OVER TIME CAN CHANGE THE WORLD LIKE MOST THINGS IN WRITERS MATH IT MAKES SENSE AS LONG AS YOU DONT HAVE TO PUT ANY NUMBERS IN THERE JARED: CUE PRE-RECORDED MUSIC ONLY THE WINDS JARED: CUE THE ROTATING MOON FILM THERE ARE 8.7 MILLION SPECIES ON THE PLANET BUT WERE IN CHARGE OF THE WORDS

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BLAME DARWIN OR A FEW MILLION YEARS OF EVOLUTION BUT THE WORDS ON THIS PLANET BELONG TO US AND A FEW HAVE ACCEPTED THIS RESPONSIBILITY WITH ELEGANCE GRACE AND LASTING BEAUTY GIVE HERMAN MELVILLE THREE WORDS AND HE COMES BACK A COUPLE OF YEARS LATER WITH CALL ME ISHMAEL AND CHANGES THE WAY PEOPLE SEE THE WORLD GIVE ABRAHAM LINCOLN TWO HUNDRED AND SEVENTY-TWO WORDS AND TELL HIM TO MEND A COUNTRY BLOODIED BY WAR AND HE COMES BACK WITH THE GETTYSBURG ADDRESS

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ASK GABRIEL GARCIA MARQUEZ TO EXPLAIN MEMORY IN ONE SENTENCE HE WAS STILL TOO YOUNG TO KNOW THAT THE HEART'S MEMORY ELIMINATES THE BAD AND MAGNIFIES THE GOOD AND THAT THANKS TO THIS ARTIFICE WE MANAGE TO ENDURE THE BURDEN OF THE PAST ASSIGN THE TOPIC OF RACE RELATIONS TO A POET YOU MAY NOT HAVE HEARD OF YET NATALIA IMMORDINO THE SHADE OF A PERSON IS JUST THE COVER TO THEIR STORY AND THERE IS NO REASON NOT TO OPEN THEIR BOOK NATALIA IMMORDINO LIVES IN LONDON SHE IS TEN YEARS OLD TELL NELSON MANDELA HE HAS ONLY WORDS TO FIGHT HUNDREDS OF YEARS OF SUBJUGATION AND HE COMES BACK WITH

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IT ALWAYS SEEMS IMPOSSIBLE UNTIL ITS DONE WE ARE THE KEEPERS OF THE WORDS AND THE POETRY OF THE SCIENCE OF IT GOES SOMETHING LIKE THIS THE INTERCONNECTED NEURONS IN YOUR BRAIN ARE LIKE THE STARS IN THE UNIVERSE EVERY THOUGHT EVERY SENSATION IS A PATTERN OF TINY ELECTRICAL IMPULSES THAT CONNECT THE STARS LIKE CONNECTING THE DOTS THINK OF THEM AS CONSTELLATIONS WITH EVERY NEW WORD A NEW CONSTELLATION OF CONNECTIONS TAKES SHAPE

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A NEW WORD A NEW CONSTELLATION WE ARE THE KEEPERS OF THE WORDS AT LEAST A QUARTER MILLION OF THEM IN ENGLISH ALONE OR MAYBE EVEN A MILLION DEPENDING ON HOW WORDS ARE USED TO DEFINE A WORD THEY COME INTO AND OUT OF OUR LIVES LIKE FRIENDS AND LOVERS AND JOBS EACH STAYING FOR A WHILE RENTING SPACE PAYING FOR IT WITH A LITTLE ADDED MEANING IN OUR LIVES AND THEN MOVING ON LEAVING BEHIND A BIT OF HISTORY LIKE FURNITURE THAT YOU ONCE LIKED WHEN YOU WERE SOMEONE ELSE

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UNWANTED NOW HAVING OUTLIVED ITS USEFULNESS JARED: CUE DISSOLVE TO BLACK SLIDE JARED: BEGIN SLOW FADE OF ONLY THE WINDS JARED: CUE THE OPENING BOOK ASSEMBLY FOR W. S. MERWIN HANNAH: ONE OLD MAN KEEPS HUMMING THE SAME FEW NOTES OF SOME SONG HE THOUGHT HE HAD FORGOTTEN BACK IN THE DAYS WHEN AS HE KNOWS THERE WAS NO WORD FOR LIFE IN THE LANGUAGE AND IF THEY WANTED TO SAY EYES OR HEART THEY WOULD HOLD UP A LEAF AND HE REMEMBERS THE BIG TREE WHERE IT ROSE FROM THE DRY GROUND AND THE WAY THE BIRDS CARRIED WATER IN THEIR VOICES THEY WERE ALL THE COLOR OF THEIR FEAR OF THE DARK AND AS HE SITS THERE HUMMING HE REMEMBERS SOME OF THE WORDS THEY COME BACK TO HIM NOW HE SMILES HEARING THEM COME AND GO

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JARED: CUE SLIDE WITH THIS COPY: WRITERS MATH, RULE NUMBER ONE: WORDS AS MUSIC CHANGE THE VALUE OF EVERYTHING JEFF: CUE THE BAND FOR GRAVITY JARED: CUE DISSOLVE TO BLACK SLIDE AS GRAVITY CONCLUDES CHAPTER THREE JOHN: THERE ARE FIFTY WORDS FOR SNOW IN THE LANGUAGE OF THE ESKIMOS (INUIT) IN SANSKRIT THERE ARE NINETY-SIX WORDS FOR LOVE BUT IN HINDI THERE IS NO WORD FOR GOOD-BYE IN THE VERY EARLIEST TIME THE ESKIMO LEGEND GOES JARED: SLOWLY FADE IN TOM MACKEYS STARS-TO-SNOW SPECIAL EFFECT FILM HANNAH:

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WHEN BOTH PEOPLE AND ANIMALS LIVED ON EARTH A PERSON COULD BECOME AN ANIMAL IF HE WANTED TO AND AN ANIMAL COULD BECOME A HUMAN BEING SOMETIMES THEY WERE PEOPLE AND SOMETIMES ANIMALS AND THERE WAS NO DIFFERENCE ALL SPOKE THE SAME LANGUAGE THAT WAS THE TIME WHEN WORDS WERE LIKE MAGIC THE HUMAN MIND HAD MYSTERIOUS POWERS A WORD SPOKEN BY CHANCE MIGHT HAVE STRANGE CONSEQUENCES IT WOULD SUDDENLY COME ALIVE AND WHAT PEOPLE WANTED TO HAPPEN COULD HAPPEN ALL YOU HAD TO DO WAS SAY IT NOBODY COULD EXPLAIN THIS THATS THE WAY IT WAS

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JOHN: IN CHINESE THERE ARE TWO CHARACTERS ONE IS THE SYMBOL FOR TEMPLE THE OTHER, THE SYMBOL FORWORDS WHEN USED TOGETHER THEY MEAN POETRY AND IN A BEAUTIFUL AND ENDANGERED LANGUAGE CALLED BORO THERE IS THE WORD ONSRA WHICH MEANS TO LOVE FOR THE LAST TIME SOME WORDS ARE SO BEAUTIFUL JUST STANDING ALONE BY THEMSELVES YOU ALMOST DONT WANT THEM TO HAVE TO WORK TO HAVE TO CARRY THE WEIGHT OF HAVING A MEANING THISTLEDOWN SOMETHING SHARP AND SOFT AT THE SAME TIME

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BENEVOLENT OF KINDNESS AND CHARITY TAPESTRY WHAT IS WOVEN TOGETHER THERE ARE WORDS THAT CARRY WITH THEM SUCH DEEP HISTORY AND POWERFUL EMOTION THAT THEY ARESOMETIMESDIFFICULT TO SAY LOVE LONGING LIE THE L WORDS AND IN ENGLISH THERE IS AN IDIOM THAT SPEAKS TO THE SIGNIFICANCE OF LANGUAGE ITSELF YOU HAVE MY WORD ON IT THERE ARE WORDS THAT CHANGE THEIR MEANING FROM ANCIENT TO MODERN FROM NOUN TO VERB

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SCROLL FROM STONE DOCUMENT TO DEVICE TABLET WORDS ARE LIKE THE FALLING FLAKES OF SNOW EACH ONE UNIQUE NO TWO FALLING ON OUR EARS IN QUITE THE SAME WAY THEY COVER THE GROUND EVENLY AND WITHOUT PREJUIDICE THE HILLS AND THE VALLEYS THEY FILL THE SPACES BETWEEN US BETWEEN THE RICH AND THE POOR THE OLD AND THE YOUNG THE NEEDFUL AND THE GIVING THERE ARE FIFTY WORDS FOR SNOW NINETY-SIX WORDS FOR LOVE BUT IN HINDI THERE IS NO WORD FOR GOOD-BYE

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AT AN EARLY AGE WE ARE PRESENTED THE WORDS THAT ARE IMPORTANT TO OUR CULTURE IN THE FORM OF SPELLING LISTS USUALLY TWENTY WORDS OR SO ONE LIST EACH WEEK TO BE MEMORIZED SPELLED CORRECTLY AND THEN EACH WORD USED IN A SENTENCE CONVINCE UNWISE SATISFY ITS A FORMAL INTRODUCTION TO THE LANGUAGE OF OUR CULTURE A WAY OF HELPING US UNDERSTAND WHATS IMPORTANT

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WHAT WE SHARE WHAT WE PASS ALONG EVEN EARLIER THAN THIS WHEN WERE JUST INFANTS WERE INTRODUCED TO THE SOUNDS OF OUR PLANET THERES A WORD FOR IT MOTHERESE OR, INFANT-DIRECTED SPEECH ITS CHARACTERIZED BY LOTS OF SWINGS BETWEEN HIGH AND LOW PITCHES SHORT STATEMENTS AND REPEATED VOWELS AND THE MOST REMARKABLE THING ABOUT MOTHERESE ITS UNIVERSAL ALL HUMANS DO IT THE SAME WAY NO MATTER WHAT LANGUAGE WE SPEAK THERE IS PROBABLY MORE POETRY IN THAT THOUGHT THAN SCIENCE BUT THATS WHAT MAKES IT

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SUCH A BEAUTIFUL THOUGHT WORDS ARE ONE OF THE WAYS WE ALL LEARN THAT WE ARE GOING TO DIE AND YET IRONICALLY WORDS (AND LANGUAGE AND LITERATURE) EXPAND OUR FINITE SPECK-IN THE-UNIVERSE LIVES INFINITELY IN EVERY DIRECTION TO INCLUDE THE PAST AND THE FUTURE THIS WORLD OR ANY WORLD WORDS CHANGE EVERYTHING WITH THIS KNOWLEDGE SUDDENLY THE WEEKLY LIST OF TWENTY SPELLING WORDS

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DOESNT SEEM SO TEDIOUS MIRACLE ENIGMATIC ILLUSORY WITH TWO LS WHATS THIS WEEKS LIST OF TWENTY WORDS MAKE YOUR OWN LIST RIGHT HERE IN YOUR HEAD START WITH A WORD YOU USE (OTHER THAN PLEASE) THAT ALWAYS GETS PEOPLE TO SAY YES A WORDOTHER THAN NOTHATS ALWAYS DIFFICULT FOR YOU TO SAY TO YOUR CHILDREN THE ONE WORD THAT WOULD HAVE KEPT SOMEONE IMPORTANT TO YOU

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FROM WALKING OUT OF YOUR LIFE THE ONE WORD YOU ALWAYS USE WHEN SOMEONE ASKS YOU THE QUESTION SO, TELL ME ABOUT YOURSELF THE ONE WORD YOU ALWAYS SAY TO YOURSELF WHEN YOU FAIL AT SOMETHING THE ONE WORD YOU ALWAYS SAY TO YOURSELF TO MAKE YOU TRY AGAIN THE ONE WORD YOU USE MOST OFTEN TO DESCRIBE THE WAY YOU LOOK THE ONE WORD THAT MOST OFTEN COMES TO MIND WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT CHANGE THE ONE WORD THAT YOUVE BEEN USING SINCE YOU WERE A KIDTHATS BEEN WITH YOU THE WHOLE WAY

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THE ONE WORD YOU WISH YOU COULD TAKE BACK THE WORD THAT KEEPS FOLLOWING YOU THROUGH LIFE FIRST IN YOUR TEACHER CONFERENCES THEN ON YOUR REPORT CARDS THEN IN YOUR EVALUATIONS AT WORK AND FINALLY AND IN ALL LIKELIHOOD IT WILL FIND ITS WAY INTO YOUR BEST FRIENDS EULOGY FOR YOU YOU KNOW THE WORD IM TALKING ABOUT THE WORD YOU TREAT DIFFERENTLY FROM ALL THE OTHERS AND KEEP HIDDEN IN A SPECIAL PLACE AWAY FROM THE HEAVY TRAFFIC AND GRAY PLAINNESS OF EVERYDAY A WORD YOU YOURSELF HAVE ONLY HEARD A FEW TIMES WHEN IT WAS MEANT FOR YOU

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MAYBE IT WAS THE TIME WHEN YOUR FATHER WHO WAS A MAN OF FEW WORDS CHOSEN CAREFULLY SPOKEN LIKE THEY WERE SMALL GIFTS GIVEN TO HIM BY SOMEONE HE LOVED LONG AGO MAYBE IT WAS THE TIME HE CALLED YOU SON MAYBE ITS THAT KIND OF WORD SPOKEN OUT LOUD TO YOU ONLY ONCE OR TWICE THAT YOU VALUE SO MUCH YOU KEEP IT CLOSE TO YOU NOW WHATS THAT WORD OR THE WORD YOU BORROW FROM SOMEONE ELSES LANGUAGE AND USE OFTEN JUST BECAUSE YOU LOVE THE SOUND OF IT THE ONE WORD YOU USE TO DESCRIBE YOUR VIEW OF THE WORLD

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THE ONE WORD (AND THIS IS THE ONE THAT WILL KEEP YOU UP TONIGHT) THE ONE WORD THAT UP TO THIS POINT BEST DESCRIBES YOUR LIFE THIS IS YOUR SPELLING LIST TWENTY WORDS FOR THE WEEK TWENTY WORDS FOR LIFE LEARN HOW TO SPELL THEM CORRECTLY AND USE EACH IN A SENTENCE THERE WILL BE A QUIZ A FEW YEARS FROM NOW WHEN YOU LEAST EXPECT IT WORDS FIND A WAY TO LEVERAGE OUR IMAGINATION AND MOVE US FROM HERE TO THERE FROM ONE TIME TO ANOTHER FROM ONE PLACE TO ANOTHER FROM ONE WAY OF THINKING TO ANOTHER

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WORDS CHANGE EVERYTHING JARED: FADE TO BLACK SLIDE OVER TIME THE RIGHT WORDS SPOKEN BY THE RIGHT PERSON OVER TIME WORDS CHANGE EVERYTHING JARED: CUE OPENING BOOK SLIDE FOR W. S. MERWIN HANNAH: THE LATE POEMS ARE THE ONES I TURN TO FIRST NOW FOLLOWING A HOPE THAT KEEPS BECKONING ME WAITING SOMEWHERE IN THE LINES ALMOST IN PLAIN SIGHT IT IS THE LATE POEMS THAT ARE MADE OF WORDS

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THAT HAVE COME THE WHOLE WAY THEY HAVE BEEN THERE JARED: CUE BLACK SLIDE JEFF: CUE THE BAND FOR I THINK ITS GONNA RAIN TODAY CHAPTER FOUR JARED: CUE SLIDE THAT SAYS: WRITERS MATH, RULE NUMBER TWO: TIME MULTIPLIES THE POWER OF WORDS JOHN: IF YOU HAVE THE TIME SAY ETERNITY JARED: CUE PRE-RECORDED TRACK ENTITLED LEAVES AND IF YOU HAVE THE PATIENCE SAY OF A SAINT YOU CAN WATCH THE SEVEN-MILLION-YEAR-EVOLUTION OF US JARED: CUE SLIDE OF SKELETON MAN ON SKELETON HORSE ITS QUITE A SHOW AND TAKES A WHILE

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AS WE SAID SO YOULL WANT TO FIND A COMFORTABLE SPOT TO SIT AND WATCH MAY WE SUGGEST SOMETHING WITH A VIEW MAYBE A LAKE MAYBE LAKE TURKANA, SPECIFICALLY IN NORTHERN KENYA WITH ITS FAR NORTHERN TIP JUST EDGING INTO ETHIOPIA WHILE YOU SIT AND WATCH MILENIUM AFTER MILENIUM LAKE TURKANA WILL IN TURN BE A BEAUTIFUL JADE-COLORED LAKE AND THEN A DRY DEPRESSION IN A RED CLAY DESERT AND AS IT CHANGES FROM LAKE TO DESERT DESERT TO LAKE CIVILIZATION

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OUR ANCESTORS IN FACT WILL COME AND GO LIKE CHARACTERS IN A PLAY APPEARING AND DISAPPEARING FROM ITS SHORES AMONG THEM THE ANCESTORS OF LUCY THE WORLDS MOST FAMOUS FOSSIL LUCYS ANCESTORS HAD LARGER BRAINS AND THE CLEVERNESS TO FASHION STONE TOOLS AND A FEW MILLION YEARS AFTER THAT DISTANT RELATIVES OF OURS WITH A SKELETON YOU WOULD RECOGNIZE AN EVEN BIGGER BRAIN AND SMARTER TOOLS WHO STOOD NEARLY ERECT CASTING A LONGER SHADOW ON THE SHORES OF LAKE TURKANA AND AS YOU SIT COMFORTABLY

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ON YOUR BLANKET EATING A CHICKEN SALAD SANDWICH WATCHING THIS MILLIONS-OF-YEARS-LONG SHOW LAKE TURKANA FILLING AND RECEDING OUR ANCESTORS EVOLVING LEARNING ADAPTING FLOURISHING AND THEN BECOMING EXTINCT YOU THINK YOU HAVE A MOMENT OF UNDERSTANDING OF ENLIGHTENMENT THIS YOU BELIEVE IS THE TRUE MEASURE OF TIME GRAND IN SCALE YOU SEE IT UNFOLD RIGHT BEFORE YOU AND BECAUSE YOU CAN SEE IT AND WITNESS THE EFFECT IT HAS ON THE FAMILIAR OBJECTS

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AROUND YOU THE JADE-COLORED LAKE THE RED CLAY DESERT YOU BELIEVE IT IS REAL THIS MUST BE WHAT TIME IS JARED: BEGIN TO FADE DOWN PRE-RECORDED TRACK LEAVES BUT THEN BECAUSE YOURE HUMAN YOURE DISTRACTED BY A FEELING SOMETHING YOU REMEMBER JARED: CUE PRE-RECORDED TRACK RED HORSE SCHAUMBURG, ILLINOIS A NURSING HOME THERE WHERE YOUR GRANDMOTHER WAS LIVING OUT THE REST OF HER LIFE STILL SHARP AS A TACK AS THE STAFF WAS FOND OF SAYING

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SHE RARELY LEFT HER WHEELCHAIR NOW AND WAS MOSTLY DEAF BUT SHE HAD TAKEN UP POKER (THE NIGHT NURSE HAD TAUGHT HER) AND SHE WAS QUITE GOOD AT IT IN PARTBECAUSE PEOPLE FEEL THE NEED TO BE KIND TO THE ELDERLY BUT MOSTLY (PAUSE) JARED: CUE ABRUPT STOP TO RED HORSE BECAUSE SHE CHEATED JARED: CUE RED HORSE AND SHE WASNT JUST GOOD AT CHEATING SHE WAS BRILLIANT AND PART OF THE GAME YOU PLAYED WITH HER WAS TRYING TO CATCH HER AT IT AND ONE DAY AFTER HAVING LOST YOUR CAB FARE TO HER

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SEVERAL TIMES OVER YOU JUST MANAGED TO CATCH IN THE FLUTTER OF AN EYELASH THE MOMENT WHEN SHE EVER SO NIMBLY SLID THE ACE OF CLUBS OFF THE BOTTOM OF THE DECK YOU PUT YOUR HAND ON HERS THE ACE OF CLUBS CAUGHT HALF WAY BETWEEN INNOCENCE AND GUILT BENEATH IT AND YOU KEPT YOUR HAND ON HERS AND WHAT YOU FELT IN HER HAND WAS A WHOLE DIFFERENT WAY TO THINK ABOUT TIME JARED: ABRUPT END TO PRE-RECORDED TRACK: RED HORSE IT WASNT SOMETHING THAT MOVED LIKE THE SUN ACROSS THE SKY IT WAS (FROM BEGINNING TO END) JUST A MOMENT

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AND EVERYTHING HAPPENED IN THAT MOMENT YOUTH AND BEAUTY INNOCENCE AND EXPERIENCE MEMORY AND DESIRE LOVE AND LOSS AND THEN JUST LIKE THAT IT WAS GONE AND YOU THINK MAYBE THIS IS WHAT TIME IS THE MOMENT AND ITS PASSING JEFF: CUE CHRISTIAN TO BEGIN PIANO PART OF THE ADAM AND CATHERINE TANGO YEARS LATER AND MILES FROM SCHAUMBURG NEAR THE BORDER BETWEEN ANGOLA AND NAMIBIA WHERE CIRCUMSTANCE

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FINDS YOU AT A PRESERVE A HAVEN FOR THE SPECIES ON OUR PLANET WHO HAVE RUN OUT OF ROOM AND YOU ARE CLOSE VERY CLOSE TO A VERY OLD ELEPHANT THE MATRIARCH OF THE HERD A FEW MORE STEPS AND YOU ARE CLOSE ENOUGH TO TOUCH HER YOU REACH OUT YOUR HAND LIKE YOU MIGHT WITH A DOG TO LET HER SMELL YOU SHE EXTENDS HER TRUNK AND YOU TOUCH IT GENTLY EXPLORING ASKING FOR PERMISSION AS A SERVANT MIGHT TOUCH HIS MASTER AND IN THE EYES OF THIS ELEPHANT YOU SEE SOMETHING FAMILIAR AS IF YOU HAD BEEN SOMEWHERE TOGETHER

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YOU SEE THE STORY OF OUR PLANET THE SOULFUL HISTORY OF ALL THAT HAS COME BEFORE OF A TIME WHEN THERE WERE MANY LARGE CREATURES LIKE HERSELF THAT ROAMED THE EARTH AND THE NIGHT SKY WAS FILLED WITH METEORS AND THE GREAT WATER WASHED OVER THE LAND AND RECEDED TIME AND AGAIN AND AS YOU TOUCH HER SKIN YOU ARE BACK IN THIS SINGULAR MOMENT YOU FEEL THE HEAT OF THE AFRICAN SUN AND THE DAMPNESS IN THE AIR AND YOU HEAR THE SOUND OF A DISTANT WATERFALL AND YOU FEEL MORE ALIVE JUST NOW AT THIS MOMENT THAN YOU HAVE EVER FELT BEFORE SO THEN YOU THINK TO YOURSELF THIS IS TIME

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IT IS THE TIP OF THE MOUNTAIN AND THE MOUNTAIN ITSELF SOMETHING YOU TOUCH AND SOMETHING YOU SEE AT THE SAME TIME IT IS WHAT YOU KNOW AND WHAT YOU FEEL AND YOU SEARCH FOR A WORD TO DESCRIBE HOW YOU FEEL AND YOU SUDDENLY REALIZE THAT SOMEWHERE BETWEEN ETHIOPIA ANGOLA AND SCHAUMBURG WORDS HAPPENED YOURE NOT SURE HOW NO ONE IS BUT YOU DO KNOW (YOU SENSE IT REALLY) THAT WORDS ARE WHAT MAKE THIS MOMENT OF UNDERSTANDING

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A MOMENT OF UNDERSTANDING THERE ARE CERTAINLY NOT FIFTY WORDS IN ENGLISH THAT DESCRIBE THIS FEELING MAYBE NOT EVEN ONE BUT IN THE ENDANGERED LANGUAGE CALLED BORO THERE IS THE WORD ONSRA HAVING FALLEN IN LOVE FOR THE LAST TIME THAT IS THE FEELING THAT IS THE FEELING PRECISELY JEFF: CUE THE BAND TO CONTINUE PLAYING TANGO FULL UP JARED: CUE THE TOM MACKEY CINEMA PARADISO FILM JEFF: CUE THE BAND FOR THE TRANSITION INTO BREATHE ME CHAPTER FIVE

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JOHN: HOW TO CHANGE THE WORLD FIRST BE HUMBLE ITS A VERY BIG WORLD NEXT FIND A SPOT WHERE YOU CAN GET SOME PERSPECTIVE SOME PLACE HIGH UP AND FAR AWAY A PLACE OF QUIET AMAZEMENT JARED: CUE FILM OF OBJECT MOVING THROUGH SPACE FROM ITS POV THERES A PLACE IVE HEARD OF ABOUT THREE THOUSAND MILES NORTH OF THE NORTH POLE OF NEPTUNE ITS A MAGICAL PLACE IM TOLD LIKE THE ESKIMO LEGEND SAYS

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ALL YOU HAVE TO DO THERE IS SAY THE WORDS AND THEY COME TRUE TONIGHT I WANT TO BE IN THE COMPANY OF OLD MEN GALILEO WALT WHITMAN CARL SAGAN AND FRANK SINATRA FRANK IS MAKING THE DRINKS HE STILL CALLS THEM HIGHBALLS WHICH MAKES GALILEO GIGGLE LIKE A SCHOOL GIRL FRANK GETS COMFORTABLE IN HIS FAVORITE CHAIR KICKS OFF HIS SLIPPERS AND TAKES IN THE VIEW OF THE UNIVERSE NEPTUNE NEARBY AND FAR OFF IN THE DISTANCE

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(JUST A BLUE DOT REALLY) IS EARTH FEELING A LITTLE NOSTALGIC FRANK STARTS TALKING ABOUT THE OLD DAYS AND THE OLD MUSIC AND NAT KING COLE AND HOW THE KING AS FRANK CALLS HIM WILL ALWAYS OWN THE WORD UNFORGETTABLE AND HOW IF YOU JUST SAY THE WORD NOW UNFORGETTABLE IT BRINGS WITH IT A RICH HISTORY AND IM NOT JUST TALKIN MUSIC FRANK SAYS BUT OF RACE AND COLOR AND A TIME OF ENLIGHTENMENT IN AMERICA THIS IS DEEP FOR FRANK BUT GALILEO AGREES AND AS FRANK POURS HIMSELF ANOTHER

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JACK DANIELS ENJOYING THE DANCE OF THE ICE AGAINST THE GLASS GALILEO SUGGESTS OTHER WORDS THAT MIGHT WORK IN THE SAME WAY FRESCO YOURE SHOWING YOUR AGE THERE, PAL FRANK SAYS HOW ABOUT ENCOMPASS OR NAMES LIKE GUTENBERG OR PLACES LIKE PARIS LANGUAGE BUILDS ON WHAT HAS COME BEFORE WHITMAN OFFERS YOU CAN TAKE ANY LINE FROM THE WORLD OF GREAT LITERATURE AND FIND IN IT NOT JUST A RECORD OF THE MOMENT BUT REFLECTION OF THE PAST AND SPECULATION ABOUT THE FUTURE

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GREAT WRITERS WRITE FOR ALL OF TIME FOR ALL OF MANKIND TO WHICH FRANK RESPONDS HAVE ANOTHER DRINK WALT NO, WHAT WALT SAYS IS TRUE ITS GALILEOS TURN MORE THAN ANYTHING ELSE LANGUAGE IS BASED ON A SHARED CULTURE A CULTURE THAT CONTINUES TO EVOLVE OVER TIME BUT LANGUAGE IS THE FOUNDATION AND THE FOUNDATION OF LANGUAGE IS TRUST WITHOUT TRUST THERE IS NOTHING YES, EXACTLY, WHITMAN AGREES WITHOUT TRUST YOU HAVE LORD OF THE FLIES FRANK SHOOTS HIM A LOOK

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A BOOKAFTER MY TIMEBUT A GOOD BOOK WHITMAN EXPLAINS WITHOUT TRUST THE WORDS ARE JUST NAMES FOR THINGS THERE IS NO MEANING IF YOU WANT TO CHANGE THE WORLD YOU HAVE TO START FROM A POSITION OF TRUST THIS IS SOMETHING THAT I KNOW ABOUT JEFF: CUE CHRISTIAN TO BEGIN BACKGROUND OF HAND COVERS BRUISE/LOS ANGELES GALILEO (AS HE OFTEN DOES) SILENCES THE ROOM FRANK RAISES HIS GLASS TO THE FATHER OF SCIENCE HERES TO YOU, POPS! NOW, TELL US A STORY CARL

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SOMETHING ABOUT THE STARS OKAY, FRANK HERES ONE OF MY FAVORITES A STORY ABOUT A JOURNEY OF 2.7 BILLION MILES TO DEFINE ONE WORD IT WAS IN 1989 NEAR THE COMPLETION OF WHAT WE NOW KNOW WAS JUST THE FIRST PHASE OF THE VOYAGER TWO MISSION VOYAGER TWO THE INCREDIBLY PERSISTENT AND PRECISE SPACECRAFT WHOSE (THEN) TWELVE-YEAR MISSION WOULD TAKE IT PAST JUPITER IN 1979 AND SATURN IN 1981 AND FINALLY ON TO NEPTUNE IN 1989 WHERE, TRAVELLING AT 10 KILOMETERS PER SECOND IT WOULD PASS WITHIN 3,000 MILES OF THE NORTH POLE OF NEPTUNE

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AND JUST BEFORE IT WAS MEANT TO LEAVE OUR SOLAR SYSTEM JUST BEFORE IT WAS MEANT TO RETIRE TO A PLEASANT LIFE IN THE COSMOS STUDYING ULTRAVIOLET SOURCES AMONG THE STARS JUST AS IT WAS ABOUT TO DO THAT THE PEOPLE OF NASA COULDNT RESIST THEY SENT A SIGNAL TO VOYAGER TWO AND THEY TURNED THE CAMERA COMPLETELY AROUND SO THAT VOYAGER 2 WAS TRAVELING FORWARDS LOOKING BACKWARDS OVER ITS SHOULDER AND LOOKING BACK THEY TOOK A PICTURE OF EARTH A SMALL BLUE DOT IN A SINGLE BEAM OF SUNLIGHT AND THAT, SHOULD ANYONE EVER ASK YOU, IS THE DEFINITION OF ART AND AT THE TIME NOBODY ASKED WHY THEY TURNED THE CAMERA AROUND BUT, SHOULD ANYONE EVER ASK you

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THEY TURNED THE CAMERA AROUND NOT FOR SCIENCE, BUT FOR THE SAME REASON WHEN YOUR PARENTS DROPPED YOU OFF ON YOUR FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL YOU WANTED TO BE BRAVE AND START OFF ON A NEW ADVENTURE BUT YOU COULDNT RESIST YOU LOOKED BACK OVER YOUR SHOULDER AND YOU TOOK A PICTURE OF THAT MOMENT THATS WHY THE PEOPLE OF NASA TURNED THE CAMERA AROUND THEY COULDNT RESIST THEY HAD TO SEE WHAT HOME LOOKED LIKE SO FAR AWAY FROM HOME JEFF: CUE CHRISTIAN TO BEGIN SINGLE PIANO NOTES OF GOODBYE YELLOW BRICK ROAD AND THAT SHOULD ANYONE EVER ASK IS WHAT DEFINES US

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JEFF: CUE SARA AND THE BAND FOR GOOD-BYE YELLOW BRICK ROAD JARED: CUE THE PORTRAITS & QUOTES SLIDESTHE GALLERY OF HUMANITY JARED: CUE THE CLARK STREET BRIDGE LOGO SLIDE