Dennis Brutus 02-17-1994
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Issue Date
1994-02-17
Authors
Brutus, Dennis 19940217
Publisher
SUNY Brockport
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Abstract
Brutus reads "18" from "Letters to Martha and Other Poems from a South African Prison" (0:36)
Brutus reads "Still the Sirens" (38:44)
Brutus reads "Letter to Camden" (46:41)
Stan Sanville Rubin interviews Dennis Brutus. Denis Brutus was born in Zimbabwe and educated in South Africa and taught in high schools for 14 years. In 1963, Brutus was imprisoned for anti-apartheid activity, some of that time was on the notorious Robben Island with Nelson Mandela. His first book of poetry "Sirens Knuckles Boots" was published while he was in prison. He came out of prison in 1963 and was placed under house arrest until he was exiled in 1966. Since 1983 he has been living in political asylum in the United States and is a chairperson of the International Campaign Against Racism in Sports. He has led the successful fight to have all the white South African Team banned from the Olympics. His many books of poetry include "Sirens Knuckles Boots", "Letters to Martha and Other Poems From a South African Prison", "Poems from Algiers", "Thoughts Abroad", "Stubborn Hope", "Stains Airs and Tributes", and "Still the Sirens". Dennis Brutus had received the Langston Hughes Award, The Paul Robeson Award, and the Kenneth Kaunda Humanism Award from the government of India. At the time of filming, he was teaching at the University of Pittsburg, offering courses cross-listed between the English and Black Studies Departments. The conversation opens with the story of how "Letters to Martha and Other Poems from a South African Prison" came to be. Since Dennis was banned from writing poetry, he wrote these poems as letters to his sister-in-law as a way to tell her the reality of what it was like in the prison where her husband, Dennis's brother would eventually be sent. Dennis wrote these letters so Martha wouldn't be left to the darkness of her own imagination regarding what was happening to her family in the prison. Stan invites Dennis to talk about how his identity as a poet and his poetry changed as a result of his prison experience. Dennis generously describes his experience at Robben Island and mentions that much of his prison experience writing was done from recollection, not necessarily while he was imprisoned. Dennis talks about his earliest exposure to poetry; washing and drying dishes with his mother while she recited American poems and how he was also steeped in the African oratory traditions that surrounded him. Stan asks Dennis to speak about when he first became aware of Apartheid oppression in South Africa. Since Dennis lived in South Africa prior to the installment of the Apartheid regime he recounts a segregated existence to start with and how he didn't feel obligated to act until he had gone to college and learned that Black athletes couldn't be on the Olympic team because why were Black. He recounted the support from a couple of liberal white people to help him get his ideas out even though he was banned from writing. What surprised him at that time was the lack of support from the Black students, they told him he was crazy. Brutus mentions Auden's influence on his decision to return to writing poetry due to the realization that he could write both deeply personal statements and something political at the same time. He felt that if a poet is in the midst of a political crisis or oppression and has nothing to say about it, then why bother writing? Stan invites Dennis to outline how he comes across his poems and why he likes technology so much. He talks about how technology can be a weapon against modern oppression and that's why he really enjoys sending his poems via email for mass distribution. Dennis's advice to young poets is to read a lot of poetry they like, practice writing a lot, be open to making mistakes and writing badly, and consider their message.
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