Reading Local: Portland

Reading Local was lucky enough to sit down with the Modern American himself, Rodney Koeneke.  Rodney is a master with words, it comes through in his poems, and I believe it comes through in this video as well.  He invites you in with an eager magnetic energy, allowing you to feel as though you are part of the show right along with him.  Maybe a better way to describe it would be to ask you if you personally know of anyone, who when you’re around them makes you feel the need to put every node in your gray matter to work?  Rodney is an incredibly intelligent individual, and instantly makes you feel somehow smarter just for spending a few moments with him.  Not in a pretentious, esoteric, or aloof way.  But in a warm, ingratiating, and reciprocal way.

A brief note one the video, there is a part towards the end where a guy had to open up a loading dock door behind us and you see the camera dip.  I am not a fan of editing out things, as everything on that video is what actually happened.  Editing out things such as that, seems to remove some of the spontaneity and creativity of the moment.  I hope you gain as much in watching it, as I did in participating in it.

Author: Gabe Barber

Founder and publisher of Reading Local. I am an avid reader, primarily of non-fiction, and am ever curious to discover how local literature fits into the increasingly volatile literary landscape.

Gabe Barber has written 966 articles for us.