ARE YOU KIDDING ME WITH THIS? I raced home from judging one of the Poetry Out Loud school competitions (way out at Westlake High, which is about half an hour or so from downtown, but worth the drive because it was a great group of kids) just in time to watch the American Idol eliminations. Sundance and Antonella didn't get voted off? Were the voters watching the same shows? And then Gaycrest announced Sanjaya was in the top four boys?! WTF?! The problem with this season is that there are so many bad singers (mostly the boys) and so few good ones, that the real game is seeing how long the shitty people hang around. The two girls and two boys sent home tonight would have never made it to the top 12, but I'm still stunned that Skankonella and Sunburn get to stay another week.Amy Krebs - Her boring version of Bonnie Raitt's classic "I Can't Make You Love Me" sealed her fate.
Nicole Tranquilla - She destroyed Rufus and Chaka Kahn's "Stay," proving that some white girls should not attempt soul. After being voted off, Paula tearfully told her she was a fabulous singer and danced like a drunk chicken. Someone adjust her meds.
Rudy Cardenas - The "Free Ride" is over whitebread. Six Flags is probably hiring.
Paul Kim (pictured) - No shoes, no service. You can wash those lucky underwear now (ewww!) and get back to cleaning pools.
So...back to poetry for a moment. I also judged the Druid Hills competition this afternoon. It was a marathon with 20 kids performing, and most of them were very talented. However, I believe Dr. Angelou would have blown her brains out if she had to hear "Still I Rise" one more time. When I mentored at the schools earlier in the month, I told the kids to specifically avoid three poems -- "Still I Rise," "Harlem" by Langston Hughes and "The Road Not Taken" by Frost. These are done to death and won't fair well at the national competition in Washington. Still, it was a pleasure to meet and work with the schools -- Carver, Grady, Druid Hills and Westlake -- during this year's Poetry Out Loud.
I cannot believe AWP is next week. I'm spending this weekend hibernating before my busy season gets under way.
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