“You Secure in Your Job?” by William Poundstone

These four short video poems use language attributed to four persons (or shall I say personalities?): George Kayatta, Ed Leedskalnin, Marie Bashkirtseff, and @georgelazenby. All four of these people were interested in personal media: journal writing, science, and artworks for public consumption: painting, sculpture, poetry, Tweets, etc. Two of them are of uncertain origin: George Kayatta is a self-described Renaissance Man, who attributes many feats and accomplishments to himself, including a translation of the Bible into English in rhyming couplets, and the coining the term “spime.” It is unclear whether the author of the Twitter identity @georgelazenby is George Lazenby, an actor famous for playing the role of James Bond only once in On Her Majesty’s Secret Service, whose career never quite reached its initial promise (see Lazenby Factor).

These poems were written from 2007-2011, during the worst economic downturn since the Great Depression. Keep this context in mind while reading words attributed to U.S. immigrants whose lives have been characterized by job insecurity, eccentricity, and the fickle nature of notoriety and anonymity. Consider also the impact of the visuals, sounds, and pacing of the language in what is being said.