Lillian Scalzo Memoir - University of Illinois Springfield

Lillian Scalzo 18
Q: This was one time that this happened or did it happen . . .
A: Yes. No, it just happened that once.
Q: Was this fairly well-attended?
A: It was very, very well-attended. People were sitting on the steps
and outside. It was beautifully attended.
Q: That's great. I had heard that he was not too popular here in town,
or at least people thought he was nuts or whatever.
A: Well, most people felt that he was odd. (laughter) And different.
Q: I suppose he probably was.
A: Naturally, but he had a great many friends and there were quite a few
of us that appreciated it. So naturally they all appeared and they were
delighted. But I remember when I was at school at the Ursuline Academy,
he came out many times to recite his poems for the school.
Q: Oh really?
A: Yes. And you know, he has many poem like the Potato Dance and those
things that you join in and the students would all join in. They just
loved to have him.
Q: Yes, I didn't realize that he went to--did he go to public schools,
too?
A: Yes, he'd go wherever he was invited, He was a very social person
and loved to have people recite with him. Vachel had the idea that
poetry was not to be read--which it isn't--it's supposed to be read abud
or recited aloud so that many people can enjoy it.
Q: In other words, it wasn't to be read silently, right?
A: No. It's like a song or something that you can even dance to. You
know, many of his poems you can dance to.
Q: Yes, I know about the drums, the beating of the drums. Did you know
about his private life? His relationship to his wife? Now, he did not
have an actual occupation at this time, right? This was his life.
A: Yes, he was just here. He didn't have any occupation at that time.
He wasn't teaching or lecturing. He was just writing the whole time he
was here.
Q: And his wife did not work outside of the home either?
A: No. She was writing, though, also.
Q: Oh, I see.