More from Lu Olkowski
Just a Girl
(00:04:59)
From: Lu Olkowski
A documentary poem about an afternoon spent with Billie Jean Hill at the Flag Day parade in Troy, New York. Billie Jean is a 25-year-old woman with a young son, who recently ...
In the Office of Temporary Assistance
(00:04:00)
From: Lu Olkowski
A documentary poem about an afternoon that poet Susan B.A. Somers-Willett spent with Billie Jean Hill at the New York State Office of Temporary Assistance.
Choosers, Not Beggars
(00:29:05)
From: Lu Olkowski
Two men more or less allow themselves to become homeless in order to dedicate their time to writing poetry
Life In A Dream, Life On Film
(00:08:40)
From: Lu Olkowski
A profile of Jeremiah Zagar whose award winning documentary, "In a Dream" opens in theaters Spring 2009.
http://www.inadreammovie.com/
Grandpa
(00:08:46)
From: Lu Olkowski
A father and son have a contest to take the best pictures of their dying grandpa, the result is an up-close portrait of death.
Meet the Bees
(00:06:35)
From: Lu Olkowski
How I roped my parents into becoming characters on Creature Comforts, a claymation show on CBS. (Come on, listen to it... my parents are funny people.)
J Walter Hawkes
(00:05:12)
From: Lu Olkowski
Trombonist J. Walter Hawkes, who now plays with Norah Jones, almost quit music. He was going to pursue a more regular-guy path in computer programming. But then a horrible ...
Physics for Poets
(00:07:16)
From: Lu Olkowski
People often depict scientists as coldly rational. Physicist Michael Salamon takes issue with that. He explains how Walt Whitman misunderstood the beauty of the universe. ...
Cell Tower
(00:06:16)
From: Lu Olkowski
Don Ingber is a cell biologist from Harvard Medical School, Children's Hospital. One day he saw a piece of modern sculpture and was inspired to make a major breakthrough in ...
I'm Not a Doctor, but I Play One at the Holiday Inn
(00:16:27)
From: Lu Olkowski
A former heroin addict realizes that he wants to help other addicts kick their habits. The problem is, he wants to do this using a hallucinogenic drug - Ibogaine - that is ...
Related Pieces
Piece Description
This poem by Susan B.A. Somers-Willett is called “The Cutting Place.” It tells the story of DJ Guerin, who’s 32, with 7 kids. DJ was married and had her first kid at 15. She supports her family by working in a convenience store at a nearby gas station. She was recently evicted, the latest in a long line of evictions. Her kids are living with her mother, whom everyone calls Mama Vic, while DJ stays with friends. Heads up: there is some harsh language not appropriate for younger listeners. The poem begins with Mama Vic.
Broadcast History
Originally broadcast on Studio 360 with Kurt Andersen on November 6, 2009.
Transcript
HOST IN: I’m Kurt Andersen. This month, Studio 360 presents “In Verse” – a multimedia reporting project that combines poetry and interviews, and photography. This installment takes us to Troy in upstate New York. A century ago Troy was a seriously thriving manufacturing town. Today, it is very much not that. We’ll hear a poem called “The Cutting Place,” by Susan B.A. Somers-Willet. It tells the story of DJ Guerin, who’s 32, with 7 kids. DJ works in a convenience store and recently had to move in with her mother. Heads up: there is some harsh language that may not be appropriate for younger listeners. The poem begins with DJ’s mother, who everyone calls, Mama Vic.
MAMA VIC: She was a tomboy.
NARRATOR: She’s always been a tomboy, Mama Vic says,
MAMA VIC: Mouthy. Runnin’ the roads. Not comin’ home.
NARRATOR: and as she speaks DJ slicks back her yellow mane into a ponytail w...
Read the full transcript
Intro and Outro
INTRO:[insert station name] presents “In Verse” – a multimedia reporting project combining poetry, interviews, and photography. This installment takes us to Troy, New York, a once-prosperous city where roughly one-fifth of the population lives under the US poverty line. We’ll hear a poem called “The Cutting Place,” by Susan B.A. Sommers-Willet. It tells the story of DJ Guerin, who’s 32, with 7 kids. DJ works in a convenience store. Her kids recently had to move in with her mother, whom everyone calls Mama Vic. Heads up: there is some harsh language not appropriate for younger listeners. The poem begins with Mama Vic.
OUTRO:[PLEASE NOTE THIS OUTRO IS MANDATORY]
“In Verse” is a part of MQ2, an initiative of AIR, the Association of Independents in Radio, Inc. with support from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. The project was created in partnership with Virginia Quarterly Review and originally aired on Studio 360.
Musical Works
| Title | Artist | Album | Label | Year | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Born to Run | Bruce Springsteen | Born to Run. | Sony | 1975 | 01:50 |
Additional Credits
"In Verse" was created by Ted Genoways and Lu Olkowski
Poetry by Susan B.A. Somers-Willett
Photography by Brenda Ann Kenneally
Production by Lu Olkowski with help from Erin Davis
Edited by Emily Botein
Mix assistance by Pejk Malinovski
“In Verse” comes to you from Public Radio Makers Quest 2.0, an initiative of AIR, the Association of Independents in Radio, Incorporated. This project is made possible with funding from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. "In Verse" was created in partnership with Virginia Quarterly Review and originally aired on Studio 360.
Related Website
Of 5 purchasers of this piece...
- 5 also bought:
Dad and Sam (Locked in Brotherhood) (00:04:43) - 5 also bought:In the Office of Temporary Assistance (00:04:00)
- 5 also bought:Just a Girl (00:04:59)
- 3 also bought:
The Vietnam Tapes of Michael A. Baronowski (00:19:17) - 3 also bought:
Matching Outfits Not Included (00:10:24)
