Friday Bloody Friday I'm In Love (draft 1)

Someone I know singing an Apartheid rhyme that white kids would use to make fun of him and other Chinese

Ray mentions that he is white on the World Poetry Café Radio Show (Vancouver Cooperative Radio, CFRO, 102.7FM), April 3, 2012

Ray is white (radio edit)

20 April 2012, Banff Centre: Ray performs a piece based on interviews with workers at the Banff Centre. Phoebe Tsang on violin.


Excerpts:


Are you an artist?

No.

---

Are you an artist?

Yes. How did you know?

---

Did I ask you whether you were an artist?

Yes, you asked me yesterday.

---

I hear wonderful things about the baked apples. Are those walnuts on top?

Toasted almonds. They take the apples out.

[at this point, another chef overheard and joined the conversation because he realized someone was noticing the artistry of the food]

---

Are you an artist?

No. I don't have a creative bone in my body.

Then what do you have in your body?

Sports bones.

---

Are you an artist?

Banff Centre speaking. How may I direct you?

---

Are you an artist?

No, no. I'm not part of the work study thing. I just moved to Banff and now I'm here.

---

Are you an artist?

No, I fix the elevator.

Where do you get your supplies?

I make the elevator parts I use. We have workshops where we make the parts out of wood and metal.

---

Are you an artist?

No, no. I think you asked me that yesterday. No, no, no. [laughs]

---

Are you an artist?

Yes, yes I am. I'm actually a graphic designer in Brisbane. I wanted to switch things up a bit. Maybe that's weird.

No, no. Not weird at all. Many of my friends are working as cleaners.

Yeah. I think they hire a lot of artists here as cleaners because they understand what it's like to be an artist.

I started a writing workshop here for staff.

Oh what is it that you do? Are you a writer?

Most people know me as a poet. But these days I do a bit of performance art, conceptual art. I'm doing a piece tonight based on my asking staff around here whether or not they're an artist.

That's cool. Anyway, I better hurry. I have to finish my turn over. I hope this helps with your piece tonight. I'm Jo.

The Way of Ray

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