When Bob Rosenthal and I approached Ed Friedman in his just-started Monday Night Performance Series to inquire about reading our play “The Cause of Gravity,” he replied, “How about in three weeks?” My how things change in 50 years! Since then I've published 20+ books/recordings/films, brought the Slam to the Nuyorican Poets Café, started Mouth Almighty/Mercury Records, created “The United States of Poetry” for PBS, co-founded the Endangered Language Alliance and created “Language Matters” for PBS, performed around the world including the Venice Biennale Teatro, founded the Bowery Poetry Club & live over the shop. 3 kids, 5 grandkids.