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This project was made possible in part with support from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs, the Queens Council on the Arts, the AE Ventures Foundation, the Elias Foundation, and Purchase College, SUNY.
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Some of these poems have previously appeared in the following magazines and publications, to whose editors grateful acknowledgment is made: New York Quarterly, Red River Review, J Journal, The Progressive, Your Daily Poem (YDP), The Rag, The Harbinger, The Texas Observer, Shot Glass Journal, Goodman Project, Age of Jahiliyah, The Poetry Super Highway (PSH), Pemmican, Bat City Review, The Chimaera, Edison Literary Review, Annapurna Magazine, OEN: OpEdNews.com, Writing Raw, Dissident Voice, ZYZZYVA.
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Five Oceans in a Teaspoon, copyright © 2019. Poems by Dennis J Bernstein, Visualizations by Warren Lehrer. Structured by Lehrer. ISBN 978-0-9969506-3-3. Library of Congress Control Number: 2019933829. Published by Paper Crown Books, Guttenberg, New Jersey.
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s s s s s s ss s s s s s s s ss s s s s s s s s ss s sssss s s ss s s s s ss s sss s s ee ee e e e e ee e e e s s s s s s s s s s s e ee e e e s s s ee e e e e e e e e e e ee s s s s s s ss s s s s ss e ee e e e s s e e s s e s s s s ss s s s s s ss s e e e e e e e e e e e e e ee e ee e e e e e eee ee e e e s s s s s s s s ss s ss s s s s ss s s e e e e ee e ee e e e e e e e s s s s s s s ss e s e e e e ee ss s s s s s e e e e e ee s s s s s s s s e e e e ee e e s s ee ee e s s s e s s s s e ee e e e e s s e ee e e e e e
five oceans in a tea spoon
e e e e e e e e e e e e e
e
e e e e e e e e e e ee e e e e e e e e e e e e e e ee e e e e e e ) e e e e
∞ ∞ ∞∞ ∞ ∞ ∞ ∞∞ ∞ ∞∞ ∞ ∞
z e e ee e e z z z z z z z z z z e e e e e e e z z e z z z z e e e e e e e e z z z z z z z z z e e e z zz z z z z z z z z z z z z z z z z z zz z z z z zz z z z z z z z z z z z z zz z zz z z z z z zz z z z e z
g
g
g
g g
g
Contents
t h e
p o e m s
lake childhood
dyslexia 20 how i learned to draw 21 present and unaccounted for 22 very early bird 24 free ‘em all 25 a chip on his shoulder 26 the sheriff of motherhood 27 getting tough 28 pain relief 29 the rabbi’s daughter speaks out on christianity her song 31 tooth fairy 32 uncle manny 33 avowel 34 science (un)fair 35 micro-broadcaster 36 radio rescue, 1960 37 boxing lesson 1 38 boxing lesson 2 39 small-eyed witness 40 at ten, a wish for revenge jumping the count 42 dinner with cronkite 44 war at the five & dime 45 a new state of mind 46
41
first grade 48 early resistance 49 trumpet lessons 50 aces 51 the astronomy of linens 52 low-blow leuk 54 better than but 55 the algebra of poetry (in 14000 lines) germ warfare 57 bad math 58 30
56
bad math 2 59 aunt joanie on planetary rings and UFOs 60 viet nam in buffalo 62 caboose school 63 doing the numbers 64 something i could count on 65 outskating our shadows, levittown, 1965 66 dream invention for typewriter 68 how pierre the parrot became a jewish man 69 up in smoke 70 a love supreme 82 the boys from florida 84 here now, there then 85
tracings
disaster relief 88 poetry 89 marbles 90 the sensitive teacher 91 knitting club 92 tsunami 94 after katrina 95 live porno 96 a fisherman in pacifica 97 border to border 98 crossing that final river 100 integration 101 today 102 body language, paris 1975 104 off the coast of thomas 105 seeing song 106 partners on a solo 107 why mama sings 108 medical certainty 109 dead friends society 110 in between 111 random curtain calls 112 silent sea chants 113 service is my middle name 114 keys and drum keys 115
photosynthesis summer reading
116 118
subtractions & addictions
happy hour 122 three life sentences 123 the hunger 124 gin and tonic TKO 125 upside down and caked 126 morphine pill 127 a gentleman’s bet 128 aftermath 129 couples therapy 130 bad day 131 rage is an imperfect teacher at the circus 133 trafficking controller 134 loss 135
truce 144 medals 145 the spontaneous stoning death of a woman in afghanistan 146 underground astronomer 147 native doubts 148 peace (of paper) 149 drunk on the confederacy at gettysburg, 2015 150 fast-track citizenship famished
151
152
the war that never ended back then
153
154
seventy years ago in nagasaki 132
san salvator, 1986
156
the smell of victory football warriors exchange rate
158
159
160
american bombs for layla front lines
war correspondent 138 love letters from the war years social studies 140 PTSD 141 post-war treaty 142 in the defense of the homeland
a locksmith in nablas the deed 139
163
two places at once in gaza
165
stones
166
killing them twice 143
162
164
167
161
155
Contents
c o n t i n u e d
dream central
before coffee 170 senior editor 171 day-dreaming until the cows come home
172
dream park memory 173 her funny valentine 174 the big difference 175 night and day 176 clockless alarms 178 the dietbusters 179 bad dream bonus 180 dreaming, i see the rabbi praying
181
death row, sing-sing, 1953: dreaming of ethel and julius rosenberg
182
on the streets , under lock ’ n key
fear of sleep equal time
he & she
186 187
small screen visionaries
188
police brutality (on steroids) golden gate shuffle homeless
190
191
trickster’s traffic jam joe at frank’s pizza street speech
194
the granddaughter speaks 195 2nd avenue kosher 196 free rain 198 homeless wars 199 bridging the gap 200 truck-stop millie 202 on the uptown bus to the mission 203 bipolar for peace 204 song in a strait jacket 206 the mission 207 senator gets tough, says 208 police review 209 kneeling before prayer 210 killing a demon (what i told the social worker) everybody in prison is a prisoner 212 runway 213
192
193
189
ten smiles 216 shrinking planet 217 reflection 218 sharp shooter 219 his story is hers 220 self control 221 deep listening 222 the hula for lunch 223
211
multi-tasking 224 two hands shaking 225 the poet 226 severed lives 227 supremacy 228 mirage 229 curation 230 modern living, no. 9 231 conflicted 232 the painter 233 angry youth 234 national insecurity 235 anti-gravity activist 236 madam quarry 238 the biologist 239 river returns the sky
urgent care 242 chance meeting in the ICU 243 alone talking to robert 244 shadow boxing 245 the smaller picture 246 recovery room 247 living with alzheimer’s 248 alzheimer’s 27 249 strong shoulders 250
self-telling jokes 251 workplace hazards 252 the master plan 253 aging poet 254 what’s that stuck in my throat, doc? 255 no more strolls down memory lane 256 before shaving 257 benchmarks 258 temporarily terminal 259 habits 260 dead pan 261 shrinking possibilities 262 serendipity 263 riding with daddy on life support 264 old habits die hard 265 strong medicine 266 old magic 268 preventative medicine 269 historical revisionism 270 three out of four 271 the alzheimer’s mind 272 birthday cake 274 death of a family 275 the heart’s temple 276 road rage for mourners 277 singing (blind) in the rain 278
last load 280 methuselah 281 do not resuscitate 282 framed photograph 283 last hours 284 eight-legged architect 285 lullaby 286 mourning during a time of many wars a quiet death 289 shopping with my dead mother 290 dancing across the great river 292
288
lake childhood
wer
Dyslexia
bu t
e onf c oos e s m e . s
b t
i ans
a a e to m a ny n a m e s a a
th e a l f a
16
a bl e
a
e ee n d i’ve n e ver b e e n ee e
n
we e
a
in
26 s o r rr u nd s ev e r r y d y i d r ow n o o o o
to s t a y b e t
th e l i
ne
s.
How I Learned to Draw
they called me a retard
and threw me in with the “downs.” the dean said i’d stay with the idiots until i learned how to act like a sixth grader. i colored all that day as if my life depended on it. i laughed so hard with the big-headed boys i could barely catch my breath.
A Chip on his Shoulder
madboy makes faces at authority. he takes out cops and teachers
with a vast array of invisible weapons.
the chip on his shoulder
26
is bigger than he is.
The Sheriff of Motherhood
ng over who got m o r e, tw o b ro th e rs fi g h ti o u t o ls f t h e in v is ib le th e y y a n k p is to t h d r o p t o t h e ir knees, a n d o p e n fi re ; b o u o n w d y ed each othe h a v in g m o rt a ll r, r if f o r e f h s m e o th t g h erhood le a v in p t h e m e s s. to c le a n u
27
Micro-Broadcaster
daddy came back from south east asia with a nervous stutter and one removable leg.
erm
y
ap
an
en
tw
art
radio wav e
a one-wa
war turned him into
im
ea
nn
ou
nc
er:
to an
36
tun he
dg
ei
ar
lob
nt
no
al
oh
n-
los
im
sto
s,
at
pt
on
the
rag
ag
top
ed
ran
y,
ds
of
ca
an
le.
yh
ou
r,
i
d a d d y ’s f u s
e
Radio Rescue, 1960
it. l s
i’m locked down in the den,
mama’s hiding under the floorboards; s h e ’s g o t the w asher s to d pinning row full tilt n ou t th e ol dm a n’s grow ing list of
t hre
ats.
dancing to sweet-soul sisters on my two-transistor radio with the metal rabbit ears that stretch all the way to memphis.
The Astronomy of Linens
m
ay
s
-
hi
ds to a mi nia t
s
s
, n g i in
r the da k side o f t he
m oo n.
-
e
w se - - - - - - - - - -
-
-
ur
ky
t
c it
clou ng
- - - - - - - - - - ---
52
-
- - - - - - - - - - --
-
m
y
spent her sat ur her t d o
m
ked all of space
an
-
n
dbe
n
ca
rd
ig
sheets, and h an
ro
se
an -
se
d-
m
a
- - - - - - - - - - --
t
- - - - - - - - - - --house ra k c nch ra r t to ou th f o - - - - - - - - - --
o
en
e
he
r.
on
ot
- - - - - - - - - - ---
e
d
on
-
w
in
d
o
o tt
rts. her suns
and tablec lot ins a t hs r cu fr
- - - - - - - - - --
ow
m
ow
-d
d
fl
n an
shi el
ton
de
c
-
-
but
s,
- - - - - - - - - - ---
- - - - - - - - - - --
on
an
a
at
r eu
t as
n ro
wor e re h s e r, om
- - - - - - - - - - ---
53
Dream Invention for Typewriter and Bach
68
How Pierre the Parrot Became a Jewish Man (a fantasy with a few pertinent facts)
it was time for my bar
most of the english
mitzvah. my mother, the
language. in school i
daughter of a revered
read with the snails,
rabbi, was worried i
and failed every test
wouldn’t be able to
for reading and com-
grasp enough hebrew
prehension—dick and
t o b e c o m e a j ew i s h
jane had become my
man. she commissioned
sworn enemies by the
rabbinically supervised
s e c o n d g ra d e . s t i l l ,
recordings of my hebrew
mother kept playing
lessons, with instruc-
those recordings. she
tions on exactly how to
played them so often,
perform the sacred set
our parrot, pierre,
of prayers that open
memorized enough of
t h e d o o rs t o j ew i s h
my sacred lines to fill
manhood. but spoken
i n fo r m e a t my b a r
or written, hebrew was
mitzvah and become
greek to me, as was
a jewish man. 69
tracings
Disaster Relief
a
half-licked jumbo sucker laying
z
om o
sideways in the
a a a a a a
88
gutter
m yy g a rrm f n g a i myyy oo f aa n t rr i n r r a m o e g t h e r i inngg aaarmmy y o f ann ts s r n gg rrmmy oof a n t g aa tthheer i n a n s a yy at heeerr i nngg aarmmy y ooof f a n t ts s g a gg a t h r i g arr m y o f an t a t e n am y o s s gg g aa t heerinn g arrmyy oo f a nn t ss g g h r n g g a rm y o f a t s n s g a t ee i n m an ts s s g gaa t h ee r ri i ngng aarm y g t h ee r i g a a t s n t sss g aa t h e e r ri i ig s g gaa t hhhe e r ri gi g g i g t t he e r i i i i g g a a t h e ee rr i i g aaa a t h h e er rr r e g a a a ha hh h eh e e e ah h a i s a sse ssi n g th e sc e n e
a
o
e z o om oo
s
sa ga g g
o i s rn gn s a b h t o r j k e a i o r hsi t o r s a rre yy n g e u m a y d s h t o n a e nst g e rr i e h f n i s sq f a sz t a n ts ch e y e a s k n gt s t h r r t a g om m a t u a z of g gsa e e r r om g i o o u m r as ts m a b y a t o y e g g e u e gn s g a q a b c u s a y o m Poetry h o of g y o y e m a e r nf s r g z e b o rn i j m o a g u y i o hsat o r s r g i e r s m gk m g h t h n tg j n c o e v r e n t sg c e r i a m g i ra o s. g a n t i h e t s n i o r o h t only twenty six letters— tc y o i c o ns m g g ga a t e e r q s g o g p z e as ts i n r g o y o n i o i e o g r e g i e o g s c k g a we spend a lifetime o i con e e b e i g r o o g i q h m b s m o oa e r n rearranging d e x s f rc o n q e m s s hi or s k x o o g a v s. n g e at to dn o n i ts h ec n t e s j t h e m u o x a i s g i tw q ea as t p b o r m y b nn ob i m ix p e g q o o a h a e e q s. g t e r g i a t t o y o f a smx qmi buobg i b yo g a i g s a m d o b c o e qb g u u o e so a d i a n x g a z e x t p r go i r e x m u g e i g s o o i a c u m em om r ri f r i o y r o s g i e r g m y a mny a i oo ng y rn u g g r i r g f n k a x y n n a c o a r gm o r by n x r bq a n a oe nst sg c e r i r i o g s a t n g e a y h y o t a o u n t th e n t bu e r n i oa z o i o a b r yo t as a t h e r om f v n h m y o n r o t g r g s e r f i e a g b c i i ng s g p rrf y x g c at o r sn t o n a m l s c as k e r n sf g e a e n og z rr cmyrgg n a o g n y e n t b is g n m e o j s e g o a g s s ph i o rt s a a b hi o r s k e a y g g t e t o e a sa m p e h nat s d y s ts h n t a j u e a a a t a b g st h o f r n d j a s un sg g t o b of r a b c s g o a a s. s r nf t m e hi o r s k a at o s d y n tg j r a e t u y o a a s. a t e y t
a
sp
in
n
Knitting Club
circle o f
w
o
t
j
a
th
sp
m
e
n
g
in
ends n
fiv
n e cor
e
sp
in
e
ni
jo
t
th
e
fiv
e cor
n
circle
ng
yarns
jo
in
i
n
92
g
in
a
a
c e
rs
th
ng
i
—
fĂŠ
in t
jo
a
fiv
ni
i
n
e
g
ends
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—
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in
a
th
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c
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t
—
fé
th
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—
n
fiv
e
fiv
e cor
sp
ne
of
yarns
w
o
in
m
e
ni
ng
n
—
fé a of
g
yarns
g
ends
a
t
a —
t
th
th
—
ends
w
e
fiv
e cor
ne
e cor
ne
ne
rs
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fiv
e cor
in
o
m
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n
n
j
ng
t
c
fé
sp
ne
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circle
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a
c
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fiv
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w
yarns
a
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circle
n m
a
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ends
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yarns
jo th
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circle o f ng
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yarns
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—
in
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sp
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in
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fiv
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a of
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yarns
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circle o f
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ni
n n
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circle o f
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yarns
m
w
yarns
rs
g yarns
ng
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of
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ng
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circle o f
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fé
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jo
circle o f
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ne
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—
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—
e
c rs
sp
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th
fé
in
jo
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in t
e
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e cor
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t
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jo
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g
—
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fé
n
jo
a
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n
ends
th
a
e
n g
t
rs
n
a
c
m
rs
o
ends
g
i
w
yarns
n
in
ng
e
jo
ni
a
m
circle o f
ne
93
e
fiv
subtractions and addictions
so
a
th of
red, h at al
to t h e p oi
fp ns o erson
e boss. 122
glossy pho to
d in
and fired full force.
. rts
ps are d t-ti ip ar
pe
d
red
a ith
th
ar
ed a n d p l a y s te r d
o eb
pla
t fired, they e g ge ey h t t d is cove w
aft er
Happy Hour
Three Life Sentences
thirty year binge. sober for three days. drunk on sorrow.
123
Couples Therapy
ye a r s lost
each
130
finding
we took turns getting
&
other
for fifty
Bad Day
o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o yesterday in reno my poems lost our shirt. n o w a l l o f u s a r e b r o k e, a n d i ’ m u s i n g a wa s h e d o u t c l i c h é l i ke l o s i n g o u r s h i r t i n s t e a d o f s o m e s p a r k l i n g n e w i n ve n t i o n of a ph ra s e for l os i n g ou r s hi r t tha t c ou l d at least help us find a way of breaking even.
131
front lines
War Correspondent
w ho se
DE AT H whose
where do i
138
do i re p or t fi rs t?
ASHES
BURY
g e t top of the fol d?
on? Missing In Acti
the
Love Letters From the War Years
in an old trunk in the attic,
i uncover the roadmap
to
my
mother’s
lost
mind:
love letters from the war years,
from the man who broke his promise, when he came back from anzio beach in a box:
the last she heard of him,
was his mother sobbing on her knees,
in front of the two young marines,
who had knocked on the front door
to deliver the news. 139
Social Studies
warsstart start memory wars in in memory wars start in memory
thatstart startwars wars that that start wars that start wars
and leave memories and leavememories memories and leave
140
PTSD
homeless war hero— argues
with his missing limb— no one
else will listen.
141
Drunk on the Confederacy at Gettysburg, 2015
t
h
e
b
r
e
e
z
i s
150
e
o
s
v
t
e
r l l i
t
b h
l e e
e
b
d
a
i n
t
t
g
l e
f
i e
l d
Fast-Track Citizenship
g re e n - c a rd c o rps e in
marine-issue body bag—
p o i se d t o b e c o me
a n a m eric a n
151
dream central
:
*
,
;
r
,
day
;
d
re
/
er
;
’s he
w
ing m c o or g o
:
in
g
178
$
.
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+
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th
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run ep
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#
htmares
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ig n s hi
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Clockless Alarms ,
;
;
,
;
,
.
..
;
,
.
The Dietbusters the demons are digging in again
(
;
!
@
doing doughnuts by the dozens and dancing
;
all over
!
my will.
;
179
Bad Dream Bonus
(( i
we nt to
my
d e nt i st to
ge t
a
t o ot h
p ul l e d
an d he
th rew in a
fro ntal
l o b oto my
180
Dreaming, I See the Rabbi Praying this memory is of fractured light, a long low row of pious men davening; they are rocking close enough together that their unruly beards are barely touching. the man leading the prayer is my grandfather, the revered rabbi, who blessed matzah and wrote prayer, who always held the torah closer than he held his wife. 181
on the streets, under lockâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;n key
Fear of Sleep
the b ullet that pi erced his son â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s skull blows a hole throu gh his drea ams eve ery nig ght 186
Equal Time
{
we pray
w e
with the same hands
k i l l
w i t h
187
{
a homeless vet stumbles to his knees then falls flat.
rush hour hardly notices.
Small Screen Visionaries
a few dot.com-ers 188
fingering their phones
step over the body.
Police Brutality (On Steroids)
...
it to
ok a c
est
d o f c o p s
arr
sq u a
n en tire
car dia
und er
... .. .. ... .
189
t o p
ut h i m
Song in a Strait Jacket
pe dro
fect
was
pitch
per
born with
and a voice
that could stop
a war.
now heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s in a locked ward where they canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t tell the difference b e t w e e n a s o n g a n d a s c r e a m: every time he tries to sing, they shock his ass and gag his dream. 206
x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x
i teach poetry on the rock.
every monday wednesday and friday
The Mission
the guards search me for contraband. today a paper clip sets off the metal detector: my mind is a concealed weapon.
207
he and she
Ten Smiles
( ( (
( ( ( ( ( ((
O
the man with ten smiles is never happy 216
Shrinking Planet
217
The Poet
he lives by the word.
even in scrabble,
â&#x20AC;&#x201D; he never lays down
226
.
Severed Lives
she sleeps in a different bed
than her dreams
227
river returns the sky
our last time together, we shared rice cakes and nut- b u t t e r; hot s a ki s ent wa r m waves up the spine, and we bathed in the starlight, where the russian river returns the sky’s gifts to the sea. now what’s left of you, friend—thirty years of taped voices; as usual, you’re perfectly invisible: hard to believe that yesterday is really forever, that death owns tomorrow.
Alone Talking to Robert 244
Shadow Boxing
in spite of my sh rin k i n g b o d y,
The Smaller Picture
a ru nn er wh ois wa tc hi ng hi ss te ps do es nâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t see wh er ehe isg
246
oi ng
Recovery Room
the new
@3
two inch scar
@3 @3 @3
over my heart
@3 @3 @3
is down on its knees,
praying.
247
a
m y f th er ha s
a l z h eim er â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s .
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d e c k: m y f u l l h o u s e i s e m p t y. 275
Dennis J Bernstein lives in San Francisco. He is the award-winning
host/producer of Flashpoints, syndicated on public and community radio stations across the United States. Bernstein is the recipient of many awards for his work, including the 2015 Pillar Award in Broadcast Journalism. In 2009, Pulse Media named him one of the “20 Top Global Media Figures.” Bernstein’s articles and essays have appeared in numerous newspapers and magazines including The New York Times, Denver Post, Philadelphia Enquirer, Newsday, The Nation, Dallas Times Herald, San Francisco Chronicle, Boston Globe, Mother Jones, Village Voice, The Progressive, Vibe Magazine, Spin Magazine, Toronto Globe, Kyoto Journal, Der Spiegel, and many more. Bernstein is the author of Henry Hyde’s Moral Universe, and the co-author of two decks of political trading cards, Friendly Dictators and The S&L Scandal Trading Cards. He founded The Muriel Rukeyser Reading Series in Park Slope Brooklyn, and broadcast it over public and community radio in New York City; the series was named after his friend and mentor, the late poet and biographer, Muriel Rukeyser. Bernstein also produced the first complete live, 35 hour broadcast of James Joyce’s Ulysses in the U.S. at New York’s Bloomsday Bookstore. He is author of the poetry collection Special Ed: Voices from a Hidden Classroom, which won the 2012 Artists Embassy International Literary Cultural Award. His poetry has appeared in The New York Quarterly, The Chimaera, Bat City Review, The Progressive, Texas Observer, ZYZZYVA, Red River Review, and numerous other journals. Alice Walker, Pulitzer Prize winning author of The Color Purple, writes that Special Ed “is art turned to us through the eyes of love.” Carol Smaldino says in The Huffington Post that the poems remind us how “we are all connected to the sorrows as well as to the grandness of being human.” Bernstein’s earliest poems appeared as a chapbook, Particles of Light, with woodcuts by Stan Kaplan. His artists’ books/plays French Fries and GRRRHHHH: a study of social patterns, co-authored with Warren Lehrer, are considered seminal works in the genre, and are in the collections of the Museum of Modern Art, the Georges Pompidou Centre, and other museums around the world.
Warren Lehrer is a writer/designer known as a pioneer in the fields of visual
literature and design authorship. His books, acclaimed for capturing the shape of thought and reuniting the oral and pictorial traditions of storytelling with the printed page, include: A Life in Books: The Rise and Fall of Bleu Mobley; Crossing the BLVD: strangers, neighbors, aliens in a new America (with Judith Sloan); The Portrait Series (four-book suite); GRRRHHHH: a study of social patterns (with Dennis Bernstein and Sandra Brownlee); French Fries (with Bernstein); i mean you know; and versations. He has received many awards for his books and multimedia projects including: the Brendan Gill Prize, the Innovative Use of Archives Award, the IPPY Outstanding Book of the Year Award, the International Book Award for Best New Fiction, three AIGA Book Awards, two Type Directors Club Awards, a Media That Matters Award, a Prix Arts Electronica Award. He is a 2016 Center For Book Arts Honoree for his “innovative and pioneering achievements in the Art of the Book.” He has received fellowships and grants from the National Endowment for the Arts, New York State Council and New York State Foundation for the Arts, and the Rockefeller, Ford, Greenwall, and Furthermore Foundations. His work has been exhibited widely and is in many collections including MoMA, L.A. County Art Museum, The Getty Museum, The Walker Art Center, Georges Pompidou Centre, and Tate Gallery. Lehrer is also a performer, and has co-written four plays, one opera, co-composed two audio CDs, and he co-produces radio documentaries and audio works with his wife Judith Sloan. He is a frequent lecturer and presenter at universities, art and literary centers, and bookstores throughout the United States and internationally. Lehrer is a full professor at the School of Art+Design at Purchase College, SUNY, and a founding faculty member of the Designer As Author MFA program at the School of Visual Arts. With Sloan, Lehrer founded EarSay, a non-profit arts organization dedicated to uncovering and portraying the lives of the uncelebrated in print, on stage, on the radio, in exhibitions, concert halls, electronic media, and through educational programs in public schools, community centers, and prisons.