Student Renee Casey reacts to Bhanu Kapil’s BathHouse reading:
When first reading Kapil’s poetic document Humanimal, the reader is thrown into the historic events of Amala and Kamala, two feral children found in India, as well as Kapil’s search into the minds of the two girls and the affects of “humanizing” them. No doubt Kapil’s fragmental writing style captures the mind of the reader, but the haunting voices of Amala and Kamala leave the reader flowing in an odd state of consciousness.
At first, Kapil’s document allowed me a new way of looking at writing, at fragments and combining historical events with the aftermath of those events. Yet it was hearing her read that really touched me and got me thinking. Humanimal has a large focus on the body and after seeing Kapil read, the message was only amplified. Her small frame surrounded by the dimly lit stage and large blank screen and brick wall as back drop only encouraged the listener to be more presently aware of the body. Kapil’s voice while reading is breathtaking. She has a strong presence and hearing her read makes me think of the idea of voice and ownership. Immersed in the words that she wrote, it was as if watching the words capture her, owner returning to creation to form the work itself, transforming her. The woman I had listened to earlier in the day at the library had all but disappeared. The text became her and she became the text. Though, after thinking about it for a while, it is not surprising how familial she is with Humanimal. After all, it is she who encompasses the girls. It is she who writes, “I slip my arms into the sleeves of your shirt. I slip my arms into yours, to become four-limbed.” In the end, Kapil’s reading gave way for a powerful and captivating experience.