Yuppie poets read works
The Daily Pennsylvanian
March 31, 2000
Tom Yuill and Aviya Kushner hardly fit the mold of the stereotypical moody, world-weary, black clothes-wearing modern poet.
Indeed, when the two up-and-coming poets -- one dressed in a nice suit, the other garbed in a skirt, blouse and jacket -- stood up to read their works last night at the Kelly Writers House, an audience member even joked that they looked too nice to have had the extreme life experiences that some think are required of an accomplished poet.
Yuill, who teaches literature and writing at Boston University, joined Kushner -- the contributing poetry editor for BarnesandNoble.com -- to read some of their poems at the Writers House before 35 family members, friends and students.
Yuill's work has appeared in several publications, including Newsday. Kushner, meanwhile, is an independent writer who practices literary criticism and specializes in the visual arts, in addition to writing a monthly column on new poetry books for the Barnes and Noble World Wide Web site.
Last night's reading was co-sponsored by the Writers House, the Hillel Social Committee, the Jewish Studies Department and SPEC Connaissance. A celebratory dinner at Irv's Place, Penn's kosher dining hall, preceded the event.
The two poets' works covered topics ranging from nightmares to relationship situations.
The poems, which were far more experimental in form -- and content -- than they were traditional, also differed in their emotional substance. For instance, Kushner read several poignant poems about her late grandfather. Yuill, in his poem "Ode to the Moon," discussed doing sit-ups in front of a window and gazing out at the moon.
After they each shared a selection of poetry, they took time to answer some questions from the audience members.
Specifically, they addressed the stereotype of the "suffering" poet.
"You don't have to have any experiences of sadness," Yuill explained to the audience. "It isn't hardships that get someone to create art."
Kushner added, "Everyone has problems, but if you have a creative pursuit, you have a coping method."
Following the reading, Engineering sophomore Merav Kushner, Aviya's younger sister and an event organizer, said she thought the two poets' works provided a nice break from her regular studies.
"I'm an Engineering student," Merav Kushner said. "Poetry is not just for the poet, it is for everyone."
College freshman Sherry Orbach said she liked that the poems were accessible and allowed her to connect with the sentiments expressed.
"I found [the reading] very delightful to the spirit," she said. "[Aviya] said things we can all relate to. Poetry is like music. It surrounds you and brings out emotion."
Aviya Kushner stressed the fact that she writes poetry for the general public and not simply for her fellow poets.
"Poetry is a difficult form. It is hard to appreciate, but it is worth the effort," she said. "Some poets only write for the literary audience. I feel very strongly in appealing to the general audience."