Jabberwocky rocks the house
On the way back from the play, our daughter Leah pointed out that an accurate description of Camp Jabberwocky — something like “It’s a summer camp where counselors come and care for severely disabled folks” — doesn’t convey any idea what it’s like. First, the disabilities range from people with full cognitive powers but bodies twisted like rubber bands to those with upright bodies but narrowed bands of thought. Second, the counselors, all unpaid, don’t “care” for the campers. They are friends who delight in them. And as for the story of the camp itself, for fifty years it’s run on ridiculous hopes and reliable miracles. Its story is beyond belief. Couldn’t happen.
This year’s play was F00tl00se. (I’m misspelling it because I don’t know if they paid for the rights, although the version was loose enough that I’m not sure it would count even as a derivative work. For example, I’m pretty sure that there were no penguins in the original.) I could be accurate about the show, but that wouldn’t tell you the truth. Jabberwocky gets your good intentions out of the way so you can see, and seeing means being overwhelmed, so here’s just one moment, when a man with cerebral palsey held the stage:
Two counselors lift Larry,
his body like a burnt matchstick,
out of his wheel chair
and lay him on the stage
so he can spin himself
horizontal to gravity.Who knew he was such a show-off?
The girls discuss the hot new boy
After the play, the actors are feeling pretty good
(Here are some photos of the Camp’s float in the Fourth of July parade.)
Every time I write about Jabberwocky, I hear from people who want to get their children in. I’m sorry I can’t help you because there’s only room for 35 campers per month and the list of people trying to get in is much much longer than that. There isn’t even a known admissions process. There’s a working phone number during the summer, but I don’t know what good it will do you to call it. There’s no web site. There’s no email. This place just doesn’t operate by normal rules. I’m truly sorry I can’t help you. [Technorati tags: CampeJabberwocky Jabberwocky] poetry]
