Nepal Poet Yuyutsu Sharma
Dear Friends of the Pub Quiz,
I happen to be friends with one of Nepal’s foremost poets, Yuyutsu Sharma. He came to Davis about five years ago, and I got to co-host that event, and hear him read. At that reading in Voorhies Hall, and then again earlier this month in Sacramento, Yuyutsu regaled us with stories about his mountainous home, and with beautiful and heartfelt poems. Certain writers – one thinks of Seamus Heaney, Octavio Paz, and California’s own James Ragan – seem to be writing for all of humanity, rather than (or in addition to) representing their own perspectives that are limited by autobiography or geography. Yuyutsu is one such writer, revealing and exploring qualities of longing and discovery that we all share in common.
Because of the region about which he writes the most often, Yuyutsu also tells stories of peril: anecdotes that feature concerns about blizzards, the threat of landslides, and earthquakes. His poems represent the perspectives of villagers who live outside of (and above) many of the civil engineering feats that we take for granted. In one of his poems, a village elder speaks of the first time he had ever seen a car: it had been carried into the central square of his village on the shoulders of Sherpa guides.
We need a poet of Yuyutsu Sharma’s stateliness to represent the trauma that has befallen his home over the weekend. To quote a Thomas Fuller piece from the front page of today’s New York Times, “Residents of remote mountain villages say houses collapsed, food is running out and so far no one has arrived with aid. As rescue teams began to arrive in Nepal from around the world, much of the stricken area remained inaccessible.” As we prepare to play our game tonight, as we necessarily steep ourselves in frivolity and camaraderie, let’s remember those Nepalese families who are scared, hurting, and mourning.
Our local used bookstore Logos Books has been supporting relevant Nepal-related charities for years. As today’s Time magazine says, “Save the Children is an international charity that has been in Nepal since 1976 and is therefore in an exceptional position to help after years of operating within the country.” And in 2014 alone, Logos Books donated a total of $47,000 to Save the Children and another important charity at times like this, Doctors without Borders. As I have, I hope you will join Logos in supporting these important causes. Find the relevant Nepal Earthquake Relief donation page for Save the Children here.
Tonight’s Pub Quiz will feature questions on singers who are actors (and vice versa), concrete tests, circular logic, bodies of water, sailor syntax, final days, biopics, anthology favorites, that which cannot be outrun, names that century, the international meanings of April, birth cities, selfies, islands, too much salt to lick, the ACLU, unexpected and sudden endings, a Phoenician hangout, media sensations, bank holidays on the Emerald Isle, a favorite of Richard Nixon, number one albums from the past (when we used to buy albums), six-syllable words that start with the letter N, New York City, tinny chimaerae (anagram bait), first ladies, dynamite, HBO, space, regrettable neckware, pesticides, Smith and Hunt, the Streets of Davis, perfect for Mrs. Claus, available offices, Indonesian months, one-word titles, obesity myths, and Shakespeare.
You should know that some questions get multiple hints. I am thinking of starting a regular new question category: Something we learned from the newsletter. A good idea?
Thanks to everyone who participated in the KDVS Fundraiser. Because of a past Pub Quiz champion and guest-Quizmaster Rob Roy, and another donor who wanted to match Roy’s generosity, I surpassed my $1,000 for my fundraiser show by almost $100. Roy, also a popular musician and (almost popular enough) Davis City Council candidate, is teaching English and perhaps skullduggery in the United Arab Emirates.
I hope to see you this evening. The weather is beautiful, even warmer than yesterday, so I’m sure the outdoor seating will fill up fast.
Your Quizmaster
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Here are five questions from last week’s quiz:
- Internet Culture. In 1965, what young engineer penned a now legendary paper with the scholarly title, “Cramming More Components onto Integrated Circuits”?
- Newspaper Headlines. Who taught Malia Obama how to drive?
- The Clintons. In the middle of which decade did Bill and Hillary Clinton marry?
- Four for Four. Which of the following UC Davis alumni were born in California? Astronaut Stephen Robinson, US Congressional Representative Jackie Speier, Former UNICEF Director and Agriculture Secretary Ann Veneman, Chef Martin Yan.
- Pop Culture – Music. Singing with her backup band, what now 70 year old vocalist known as the Empress of Soul had more than 20 top-20 singles between 1961 and 1987 (but no #1 hits, so of course the answer is not Diana Ross or Aretha Franklin)?
P.S. Grant Faulkner is coming to Davis on May 7th at 8 PM at the Natsoulas Gallery. Mark your calendar!