Eugene Lang College Grant Class Proposal: The Tradition of Orality in Poetry

David McNamara 646-528-3283 mcnamard@newschool.edu,davemikemac@gmail.com

Class Proposal Background

With the ever-increasing movement towards specialization in education - with students taught and

trained in disciplines isolated from others as way to prepare them for the “real world” of the job

market, the benefits of interdisciplinary education is scrutinized and has therefore suffered. This

manifests itself in schools at all levels, but perhaps most so on the collegiate level. The increase of

tuition and the decline of viable job opportunities have students questioning the value of education

more than ever. Consequently, a new culture of assessment and emphasis on job placement after

graduation has replaced older models of pedagogy, such as those in the Liberal Arts. A Liberal Arts

education traditionally emphasized well-roundedness, and, to appropriate a phrase from the

avant-garde arts, “learning for learning’s sake.” Though I believe this has inherent value, it no

longer is sufficient in today’s education to fall back on this as a satisfactory reason. This shift, in one

sense, is long-overdue. Students from Liberal Arts backgrounds face considerable debt from rising

tuitions coupled with a lacunae of viable employment options than those who specialize. The

movement towards assessment in student affairs is, I believe, a good thing. However, it affects all

liberal arts disciplines: in particular the Civic Arts and Humanities, which have come under

particular scrutiny. Given the current cultural push for more math and science majors, how does

one justify to students what they’re spending considerable amounts of money and effort on is

“worth” it? While I agree that assessment and job placement is necessary, I also believe this can be

done while continuing to cultivate the Liberal Arts. I’m applying to teach a course in the Civic Arts

and Humanites: Communities Partnership Program with this objective in mind.

Personal & Professional Qualifications

I personally have come from a liberal arts college, then received an MFA in Acting, and

consequently an MFA in Creative Writing, with an emphasis on Poetry. Given my background, I’d

like to propose a course entitled, “The Tradition of Orality in Poetry.” This would be a hybrid

course, innovative, interdisciplinary, while also providing possible connections for students with an

arts organization, or in other words, exposing them to creative professions that do occur in the “real

world.”

My proposal is based on my experience both as actor and writer, who has seen in specialization

(actor-training and writer-training), but also a sort of aesthetic seclusion many artists experience

from other artistic disciplines. This proposal arises out of the observation that specialization in the

arts hinders both awareness and merit of interdisciplinary artistic collaboration. Further, my

undergraduate liberal arts background provided less specialized foundation, which anchored me in

more theoretical engagement, which may be perceived as too “general,” not practical, and therefore

not useful. I disagree. In fact, it is my strong belief that behind any sort of pragmatic pedagogy lurks

a theory. Another way of stating this is that theory and practice to me have never been

dichotomous, but rather inextricable. The dichotomy in the minds of many are the result, I believe,

of an unawareness of one or the other.

Actors, by nature an “interpretive” artists, who interpret the words and direction of others in order

to create unique characters, are often secluded from other artistic disciplines. With poets, I’ve too

often experienced the author read his/her work which is orally interpreted poorly. Most have not

been trained in skills an actor has in the ability to interpret the words on the page into oral clarity.

Class Structure & Objective

The proposed class, will be half-seminar, half-workshop, combining theory and practice. We will

investigate the history & theory of the oral tradition of poetry and with the students workshopping

either existing or original poetry. It will be a class for both writers and actors interested in exploring

both the aesthetic and social dynamic of poetry. Ideally, half the class will be comprised of students

concentrating in acting, and the other half concentrating in writing. I wish to foster collaboration

between both concentrations: actors helping writers with oral skills, and writers helping actors with

writing skills.

The students will be assigned texts surrounding orality & poetry, as well as the workshop. Because

of this, I’d like the class to be a 4 credit class load with two classes per week, roughly two hours

given for each class (or the appropriate length for a 4 credit class at Lang). The readings will include

essays from Marjorie Perloff, Charles Bernstein, and Charles Olson, and other essays on poetry’s

Homeric history, its relation to linguistics and rhetoric, and the shift from an oral culture to a

written one. The second class of the week will be devoted to exploring both the vocal techniques

laid out by Kristen Linklater in her seminal text on vocal training, Freeing the Natural

Voice,with students getting up in front of the class and orally “interpreting” both their own work

and the work of others, as well as a writing workshop where students will bring in their own work.

We’ll do “close readings” of the work, offer critique, looking specifically at line break, enjambment,

the rhythm of text and how best to translate it orally. The class will require a particularly focused

student able to receive honest criticism and implement it, while being equally engaged with the

readings. We will also be listening and watching to what I think are excellent oral interpreters of

their writing, through repositories as Al Filreis’s and Charles Bernstein’s website PennSound,

Kenneth Goldsmith’s UbuWeb,and various videos of poetry in performance.

Role of Visiting Fellow

The role of the Visiting Fellow will be an important one. He or she will bring to the students

applicable criticism from a professional standpoint, nurture them, and provide insight into the

professional art world after graduating. Being connected with a theater, the Visiting Fellow will

help me arrange time off-campus on a “stage,” giving students the experience of transitioning from

a rehearsal space to a performance space. The final project will be a combination presentation on

stage, accompanied by a critical essay on this subject.

Roles of Student Fellows

The two student fellows will take on roles more than mere “administrative” ones. While they will

be helping me track grading, keeping attendance, and other administrative tasks, they will also serve

as peer coaches. One student fellow will be studying acting, and the other from a writing

background, both displaying a particular acuity and skill in their respective disciplines. The acting

fellow will eventually lead the class in vocal warm-ups, with the writing fellow leading the writing

workshops. I would also like each to be available for one-on-one meetings with the students, to

assess progress, do outside coaching, and address any issues or difficulties the students will be

having, in collaboration with myself. The fellows will gain in both leadership and responsibility,

which hopefully will enhance their own studies.

Grading & Outcomes

The class will culminate in an evening of oral poetry, to be taken place on the Visiting Fellow’s

stage. Along with this performance, the students will both hand in the poems they have composed

in class, along with the essay. Class participation will be heavily weighted in the grading. I will be

looking not necessarily for a polished, excellent product, but rather evaluate each students’ own

progression in their process. Students will still be evaluated in the development of their own

writing and vocal skills, however, as well as their reading comprehension and discussion in class.

My goal is ultimately provide a “safe” place in which the student can explore and learn, without the

pressure of competition. I seek to find an ensemble of students, working and learning together,

growing together, and nurturing each other. I hope to provide a good model for this way of

approaching a dynamic and exciting intersection of disciplines, and instill in the students that yes:

the making of art can indeed be both studied theoretically, and practiced in the “real world,” without

conflict.