James Cagney and Josiah Luis Alderete: February 6, 2020

James Cagney begins with a mention of Tongo Eisen-Martin, who challenged Cagney to write a poem with the line “will walk on a missile for food,” before reading the piece that was birthed from this assignment. While Cagney is reading this piece, Eisen-Martin arrives and joins the audience. Cagney reads “Eighty-eight Miles,” a poem written for the death of his biological mother, followed by “America, I am,” and “Between a rock and an immigrant,” a poem modeled after Allen Ginsberg’s poem "America." Cagney then reads “Identity to burn,” “Negro-Geist,” “Requiem,” and “Open letter to Henry” from his book Black Steel Magnolias In The Hour Of Chaos Theory. Cagney finishes with his poem “Shut up James.”

Josiah Luis Alderete performs his poems “Galería de la Raza Blues,” Pinche Piñata,” “Latinx Test Tube Babies,” “Claudia Tristan,” and “Symbol for My Culture,” interspersed with anecdotes about life in San Francisco’s Mission District and running a taco shop in Fairfax, in Marin County, CA.

After a question asking why they chose poetry, Cagney says he discovered poetry through community, while Josiah discusses how he found it within his culture. Alderete notes that poetry is a colonized space and there is a need to decolonize it. After being asked what poets inspire them, Cagney refers to Staceyann Chin as an inspiring force and Alderete acknowledges the story "Romero’s Shirt" by Dagoberto Gilb. An audience member asks if Cagney cooks and he responds by explaining how he often baked with his mother as a child. When asked about their delivery, Alderete says “It’s always verbal for me,” that he writes through verbalization. Cagney explains that he has to figure out how to say things out loud. He believes poetry is meant to be heard out loud rather than read. Cagney also notes that his delivery stems from soaking up the energy of his preacher grandfather when he listened to him speak as a kid. When asked about how family structures put them on their paths, Cagney explains how he was raised as an only child and how the late discovery of his adoption impacted him. Alderete talks about discovering himself through his family and the city he lived in. They briefly discuss other artists within their families. An audience member asks how they determine if a poem is done. Cagney says poetry just shows up and reveals itself to him, he doesn’t decide the start or end. Alderete says once he finds a subject, the work comes but he never considers it finished. When he reads his work, it is never the same; he is always adding to or changing it.