Luv Doc Recommends: Austin International Poetry Festival Humor Showcase

Count on this: When the apocalypse finally does happen, it will be brought about by earnest, sincere, well-intentioned people. There’s nothing like a surplus of intellectual and moral certitude to get the ball rolling, so to speak. Sarcasm and ridicule never built a bridge, dug a tunnel, erected a skyscraper, or put men on the moon. No, the big advancements of humankind were prosecuted by true believers with furrowed brows. Sadly, the same can be said of all of all the monumental fuck-ups in history as well. People of bold, unswerving vision have given us the Spanish Inquisition, the Holocaust, and the Stalinist Purges, just to name a few. Is there a happy middle ground? Maybe not. Massive undertakings, regardless of how psychotically misguided, require large numbers of people of a like mind. History marches ruthlessly over the backs of the indecisive, the doubters, the equivocators. In short, people with contemplative dispositions, those sharp intellects with a keen appreciation for the absurdity, chaos, and comedy of life don’t get a lot done. They are, however, good critics, commentators, cocktail conversationalists, and most importantly, naysayers. Not nearly enough can be said about the positive effects of naysaying. Think of all the horrible ideas and undertakings squashed by pithy sarcasm, harsh wit, and ruthless ridicule. OK, you probably can’t list anything specifically, but only because most truly idiotic ideas are quietly strangled in committee. Most, not all. There is still plenty of good, thankless ridicule to be done. Maybe with a little more ridicule, the world would be a better, safer place. Maybe with a little more sarcasm and derision we could move closer to the truth. Or, perhaps we’re not really after the truth but something fuzzier and warmer. Regardless, if you’re into ridicule, nothing inspires ridicule like poetry, and this weekend Austin is plumb full of it as it hosts the 13th Annual Austin International Poetry Festival. That’s right, Thursday through Sunday several hundred very serious stand-ups from all over the world will be throwing down in the largest nonjuried poetry festival in the US. You can either interpret this as a blessing or a curse, but rest assured there will be plenty of ripe fodder for commentary. If you’re not a do-it-yourselfer, you can always check out Saturday night’s “humor”-themed showcase at Ruta Maya hosted by Vicki Goldsberry featuring a passel of poets including Nancy Fierstein, Peter Hunter, and Dr. Charles Stone among others. Hang around until 9:30 and you’ll get to see a spotlight showcase with Tony Hoagland and Naomi Shahib Nye, and if you have the grit to hang in ’til 10, you can attend the AIPF party. Ridicule all you want, but be forewarned: You might run into the next Bukowski.