Those of us who know and love Eugene B. Redmond well are taking news of his “retirement” with a sly smile.
True, the hardest-working brother in po’ business is retiring from Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville after 40 years of teaching. And it also is true that many of the poet’s countless friends and colleagues will celebrate his retirement (and 70th birthday party) Wednesday, Nov. 28 at the Missouri History Museum.
But to think of Redmond as “retired” – as anything other than active on the scale of a cyclone – is unthinkable.
Redmond hails from East St. Louis and has served as that black city’s poet laureate since 1976. While always speaking up for East Boogie – and for its adopted matriarch, the late Katherine Dunham – Redmond also became a man and poet of the world.
He has taught all over the country (and the world), and he taught many of us the word “Diaspora” by restlessly befriending black artists all over the world. In recent years, Redmond’s (always breathless) accounts of his travels have been likely to feature an African nation or two. Under his editorial direction, Drumvoices Revue has been a publishing forum for the African Diaspora. He also tends to wear Africa on his sleeve (and his head), consistently sporting Afrocentric fashions.
Redmond has taught generations of local writers in the writer’s club that bears his name. It is very difficult to imagine him retiring from that vocation.
Above all, poetry is sure to keep him busily employed. The author of A Season of Rain and Desire, Songs from an Afrophone (my personal favorites) and many other volumes of verse and criticism is certain to keep both hands in the poetry game. If nothing else, a permanent break from the teaching biz will give Redmond more time to work on his “mem(wars),” as he calls his efforts in poetic autobiography.
At his celebration next Wednesday, Redmond will be honored onstage by some very fine poets, Quincy Troupe, Allison Funk, K. Curtis Lyle and Shirley LeFlore. An artist that often hears music mingled with poetry (and publicly presents it that way) will be honored by excellent area musicians, Sunshine & the East St. Louis Community Performance Ensemble, Reginald Thomas & the SIUE Jazz Combo and the Soular Systems Ensemble, a performance poetry group.
And don’t be surprised by a surprise guest or two to honor a brother who is on first-name basis with Maya (Angelou) and Toni (Morrison).
The incorrigible shutterbug will have on display a sampling of photos that document aspects of his life. Everybody who has been anybody in the multicultural arts scene in St. Louis is likely to find himself or herself in one of Redmond’s pictures. He saw it all – and snapped a shot of most of it.
I’d like to start the honorific speeches right here by saying that when I was a Washington University student with a great deal of curiosity but not much of a clue, Gene Redmond grabbed me by the scruff of the neck and said, “Let’s go.” He took me on a tour of East St. Louis one day. One highlight of that trip was munching on some chicken with Vernon Davis, Miles Davis’ brother (since deceased), at the old Davis family home.
That’s the deal. With Gene, you always seem one degree of separation from greatness – and he usually is ready to bridge that one degree of separation and put you in touch with greatness itself.
Actually, after watching his moves for 20 years, I’ll have to go a little further. With Eugene B. Redmond, you are in the presence of greatness.
The celebration of Redmond is 6-8 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 28 in the Lee Auditorium of Missouri History Museum. The event is free. Call 618-650-3991 for more information.