Charles Bukowski there’s a bluebird in my heart that wants to get out but I’m too tough for him, I say, stay in there, I’m not going to let anybody see you. there’s a bluebird in my heart that wants to get out but I pour whiskey on him and inhale cigarette smoke and the whores and the bartenders and the grocery clerks never know that he’s in there. there’s a bluebird in my heart that wants to get out but I’m too tough for him, I say, stay down, do you want to mess me up? you want to screw up the works? you want to blow my book sales in Europe? there’s a bluebird in my heart that wants to get out but I’m too clever, I only let him out at night sometimes when everybody’s asleep. I say, I know that you’re there, so don’t be sad. then I put him back, but he’s still singing a little in there, I haven’t quite let him die and we sleep together like that with our secret pact and it’s nice enough to make a man weep, but I don’t weep, do you? I love this animation.
(For Saturday @ Western Connecticut State University/ED822)
I. Exploring Transmediation through Art Converasations
What is transmediation? According to Semali, transmediation is:
The process of taking understandings from one sign system and moving them into another in order to make meaning or 'representing' meaning across sign systems. From Semali, L.M. (ed). 2002. Transmediation in the classroom: A semiotics-based media literacy framework. NY: Peter Lang.
Art Conversations (by M.A. Reilly, published in English Journal)
II. Engaging in Art Conversations
Engagement 1: You have been partnered and have been given a sheet of finger paint paper and paint. Track how meaning emerges and changes as you read/view/hear this Charles Bukowski poem, "Bluebird." Discuss the work, your feelings and thoughts with your partner using the finger paints. You are not allowed to actually talk, but instead need to converse using the paints.
I. ENTERING THE POEM
1. Listen to the poem.
from The Last Night of the Earth Poems
there’s a bluebird in my heart that
wants to get out
but I’m too tough for him,
I say, stay in there, I’m not going
to let anybody see
you.
there’s a bluebird in my heart that
wants to get out
but I pour whiskey on him and inhale
cigarette smoke
and the whores and the bartenders
and the grocery clerks
never know that
he’s
in there.
there’s a bluebird in my heart that
wants to get out
but I’m too tough for him,
I say,
stay down, do you want to mess
me up?
you want to screw up the
works?
you want to blow my book sales in
Europe?
there’s a bluebird in my heart that
wants to get out
but I’m too clever, I only let him out
at night sometimes
when everybody’s asleep.
I say, I know that you’re there,
so don’t be sad.
then I put him back,
but he’s still singing a little
in there, I haven’t quite let him
die
and we sleep together like
that
with our
secret pact
and it’s nice enough to
make a man
weep, but I don’t
weep, do
you?
II. DWELLING IN THE POEM
2. View Tomas Ralph's short animated film based on the poem
4. View this is an animation of "Bluebird" created by Monika Umba.
III. LEAVING THE POEM
5. Listen to this a musical Composition by Sympathy 7 based on the Bukowski poem.
In December 2010 a friend recommended a poem by Charles Bukowski called
Bluebird. During that time I was working on a musical piece but was
unsure of its purpose. Upon reading Bluebird i knew instantly what i
should do. I hope you enjoy listening to it as much as i enjoyed
composing it.
'Every experience is a moving force. Its value can be judged only on the
ground of what it moves toward and into' (John Dewey. 1938/1997. Experience and education,
p.38). Transmediation potentially helps to reveal the trajectory of an
experience through the presence of multiple symbolic (re)presentations"
(Reilly, 2010. "Opening possibilities through transmediation (p. 3).
Place your art conversation on the table alongside your peers.
As you view the art, consider what understandings you made of the poem, Bluebird. Did your understanding change as you engaged with the various artworks based on or influenced by the poem.
Did meaning emerge or change as you engaged in the art conversation?
Gallery Walk: NOw align your work with your peers and take a gallery walk. Are there any patterns across the artworks that you notice? Are there points of departure?
Think about these, make a few notes (chose whatever form you want) and let's talk about this in about 15 minutes.
