Reluctant, Not Reticent Poem by gershon hepner

He who reluctance jettisons
for the sake of reticence
will not find a friendly haven
with a British maestro maven.

Spare the grammar, foolish fellow,
when you’re beating for Otello,
or you may face an embargo,
desdemonad, disdained, Iago.

To how the language should be spoken,
without a single rule that’s broken
you have your work cut out, so listen,
or die with languagelove like Tristan.


Before a performance of Verdi’s Otello, with Ian Storey, Mark Delavan and Cristina Gallardo-Domas at the LA Opera, February 21,2008, James Conlon discussed the opera and tried to promote “The Dwarf” by Alexander Zemlinsky, which he is also conducting. Spoke to James Conlon and corrected his English. He gave a talk and 'The audience have never cheered as loudly as they did for the Zemlinsky, ' he told the audience, 'so please everybody come, and don't be reticent.' After the talk I rushed up to him and said: 'Mr. Conlon, it's reluctant, not reticent.' 'What do you mean? ' he asked. 'You said, 'don't be reticent' when you meant to say that people should not be reluctant to come to the Zemlinsky. You meant reluctant, not reticent.' 'Thank you, thank you, ' he said, and grabbed my hand. 'I am always happy to be corrected by a Brit. Have you read John Cleese's Letters from America? ' 'No, I said.' 'Well you must.' Only then did he let go of my hand, which he must have held for half a minute, as firmly as a baton.
Note that at the very moment that I wrote the word “maestro, ” Linda came back her seat, and trying to pass me, said, “Excuse me, maestro.”

2/21/08