It was a great concept. The measured, yet musical poet Yusef Komunyakaa reading his poetry in correspondence to the photography/painting exhibit, Snapshots.

Except that it’s at the Phillips Collection. Which is in Dupont Circle. And it started at 6:30 pm.

Have you ever tried to get from anywhere outside the city into Dupont Circle before 7:30 pm on a weeknight?

Needless to say, I was late and missed at least one third of the reading.

Komunyakaa, fortunately, is a great reader. Relaxing, deeply felt.

He dresses like a jazz musician (the black cap, camel hair jacket) and his writing has a very melancholy quality. During the question and answer session, he described his style as based around observation, ‘but not clinical, detached,’ he said. But for me, it was the word ‘melancholy’ (which he didn’t use) that kept coming to mind.

Years ago, I’d bought a copy of his Talking Dirty to the Gods and I brought that for him to sign. He was personable and chatty, but not excessively so. If this event had taken place at the Folger Shakespeare Library, it would have been perfect.