16 Strokes Fast and Slow
A Reading in Transit
Roosevelt Island Tram, NY, NY
Canoe, Wesserunsett Lake, ME
Angel Island Ferry, San Francisco, CA

"16 strokes fast and slow" was performed, one on one, in 2010-2011, on the Roosevelt Island Tram, in a canoe on Wesserunsett Lake, Maine, and during several ferry rides in San Francisco's Harbor. It was written in Chicago, Illinois, Marfa, Texas and Brooklyn, New York over a period of two years (2006-2008).

There are other options besides the commonly held structure of the public reading (i.e. many folks stuck in a chair in front of a singular speaker for at least 45 minutes). In opposition, the length of this reading is determined by the time taken to traverse a waterway versus the ego of the author and the patience of the listener. Here, the listener is not fixed to the face of the orator but moves across the horizon, into the water, and maybe, finally, their gaze returns to the mouth. The work is not read in its entirety but in excerpts. The reading concludes and the listener receives the text (one of 25). The title is letter-pressed on the exterior envelope and within—the essay is printed on 20 some odd gold sheathes of paper. This builds return into the equation, to leave things a bit unfinished.

ROOSEVELT ISLAND TRAM On the passage between the island of Manhattan to Roosevelt Island (between 6:00am and 2:30am)
The reader (myself) and singular listener meet at Tram Plaza, located at 59th street and Second Ave in Manhattan, New York and board the tram.
For four minutes the tram glides at approximately 16 miles per hour and travels 3,100 feet.
At its peak it climbs to 250 feet above the East River.

I speak low into your ear. Not everyone is crossing the river to hear this. An audience of one is important if capitalism has not taught one otherwise.