What are you reading Stan
A book
I can see that
It is called
Jazz Poems
Did you pick it up whilst you were away
No it was a gift from my parents
How sweet
I agree
Do you write Jazz poems
No not really
Why is that
Because whilst I like jazz I do not really feel it
Do your parents read your poetry
Yes
And
Mum likes the war poems and she adores the more lyrical ones but I am not sure what she makes of my more edgy or oblique works
What does your dad think of your poems
He does not say much but I have the distinct feeling that he understands me as poet
In what way
I believe that he shares my vision and feels the pain
Have you ever asked him
No
Why
Because he would soon tell me if I was writing self indulgent shit
Are you
Yes most of the rime
Time
No Rime
Bitch
I think that he is quietly proud of me as he in his youth wrote poetry
Was it any good
I think so
Was he ever published
Yes in a couple of anthologies but if you think that I am a Salinger then Dad takes the biscuit
In what way
He always used his initials
Rather like HD
Yes
Does he still write poetry
I am not sure
Do you think that he would show me some of his poems
Possibly as he adores you
But if you look in the Kingston Magazine then there are a few of his poems printed
Kingston Magazine
I have some copies in my study
Look for the summer of 1977
Stan
Yes
I know that this is a stupid question
Your questions are never stupid
Fuck Off
But how did Jazz originate
To the best of my knowledge it was created by the descendants of the African slaves
But it has morphed and morphed a great deal since then
I have always thought that the blacks had a great sense of rhythm
I agree
But I am not so taken by the modern stuff which I think is aggressive and violent
There is Bad Rap and there is Good Rap
Although a lot of it does sadly live in the Bad Rap camp
Do you remember when we were in France and I took you to a H Magnum concert
Yes
Did you enjoy it
Very much
In my view that is where the British and French differ as the French Rap songs are more lyrical
Many of the songs over here work within very narrow parameters
Who was the first Jazz poet Stan
Although it is disputed I would imagine Langston Hughes as he was the first to write about Jazz
Possibly Carl Sandburg but Hughes was the first to embody a Jazz aesthetic and have it affect his poetic language
That is very profound
I am reading it from the book
Fraud
He wanted to create a Jazz experience
Is that yours
Yes
Have you ever been to a Jazz Club
Yes on many occasions
When
Before I got into your pants
On your own
Sometimes
But I often accompanied my parents
Dad as you know loves Jazz
Are there many Jazz Clubs in town
Yes
Will you take me to one
If baby says yes
Do you dress up
No
The Beatniks are long dead
Just rock up as you are
There are some that dress that way but it does for some reason look fake
Rather like those aged hippy’s that you meet at festivals
Grown men greying with pony tails
There is nothing wrong with that
I agree but they look faintly ridiculous
Wearing all the hippy gear
It seems to me that they are trying to recreate an era that they missed first time around
My rule is just be yourself and do not try to be something you are not whether you are five or eighty-five
Have you ever followed a trend Stan
I used to walk around barefoot
Why
Because I found it more comfortable
Why did you put your shoes back on
Because some lazy cunt left a broken bottle lying around and I ended up having some stitches
Did it scar
A bit
There is is just under my big toe
I thought that was a football injury
No it is my souvenir of Camden Town
Will you ever write a Jazz poem Stan
Yes and no I might never write a Jazz poem
Or I might write a hundred
Stan
Yes
Will you dedicate it to me
Of course
I might call it
Jane and Jazz and Jane