At the beginning of “That Same Nowhere,” a panel featuring Norma Cole and Amber DiPietra, in the context of what was called “Poetics of Disablement” but then was changed to “Aesthetics As Somatic Practice,” Norma with Amber’s nodded agreement, indicated that the event would be about the literal and so it was. There was an atmosphere of support and interest and shared, if unstated, poetics. The questions were mostly personal and having to do with life. The answers were usually anecdotal. Sometimes the answers were demonstrations or tiny performances as when Norma graciously and repeatedly thanked the audience in relation to a discussion of how it is to depend on others. Words such as brain death, patient and patiency (the latter two posted by Amber as key words) became important . Actions such as getting out of bed or from one place to the other (again, Amber: “here-to-there”) were imagined. Focusing on aspects of life as opposed to an aspects of poetic practice made me long for a connection back to practice. This occasionally occurred, but it seemed to me from the discussion that physicality is both important and incidental. It doesn’t really characterize the writing of wither Amber or Norma. The connection between poetry and one’s situation or identity is not always direct, apparent or intentional. Neither Norma nor Amber have worked out a ‘poetics of disability’ and neither needs or seems inclined to do so.
