Pagan Neil

 
Congratulate Pagan on his one-year anniversary with the Museum, which happens to be today! Ask Pagan for a poem anytime, on any subject – he would love to give you one.  Here is a poem he uses at the Museum:

All About Poetry

Roses are red,
Violets are blue,
Some poems rhyme,
Others don’t.

 In all my years working with children, I’ve never found a better definition of poetry.  It’s simple enough for a three-year-old, yet it has a certain underlying truth.  It’s something that you can teach kids, and they’ll remember it and recite it back, so it can be very empowering for them to perform it in front of a group.

I’ve been wanting to ask you this forever: where does your name come from?

•  I was in a Roman Catholic monastery for four years, during high school.  In a philosophy course, I had a long argument with the monk about the relationship of bliss and being, and finally the monk threw up his hands and said, “You’re just an incorrigible pagan!”  Within a week all of the other boys were calling me Pagan, and it became my nickname.  I decided it would be a great stage name, and when I was 21 I had it legally changed.  People ask if it was my given name, and in a sense, it was. 

What are your passions outside of work?

• Well, I have two MAs, one in Poetry and one in Poetics & Writing.  While I was a student, I became a stay-at-home dad and ran a day care out of my home, which sparked my interest in early childhood education.  Last year, I was nominated to become a Marin County Child Care Commissioner, so for the two years of my term I focus on the quality and quantity of child care in Marin County, which covers babysitters, after school care, day care and lots of other types of child care.  We’re also interested in the availability of child care for the working poor.  I perform with BeachHead, a violin and poetry ensemble since 1968.  Besides doing poetry slams several times a month, we volunteer with Bread & Roses to bring poetry to prisons, retirement homes, and hospitals.

Do you have a family?

•  I have a son named Jack who’s seven years old.  He comes with me every Sunday morning, and helps me open Lookout Cove.  He’s great in Discovery Hall, because after the first few weeks of an exhibition he knows everything about it and explains it to all the other kids.  He loves coming with me.

What are your inspirations?

• I have classical training, and I love the classics, but I grew up in the Beat Era, and my favorite poets are the Language Poets – the Surrealist, Postmodern, Second Wave, New York poets. 

What is your favorite thing about the Museum?

• The freshness.  The kids themselves are my favorite part of my job - their openness to new interpretations, and their willingness to learn.  I think education is having something done to you, but learning is something you do yourself.  That’s what we do here, we create the opportunity to learn, and in the process we learn so much ourselves.  I’m a learning facilitator.

What is your life dream?

• I try to write the tiny little poems, and make them mean something. 

What is your favorite music?

• I love Dylan for the lyrics.  The guitarist Django Reinhardt and Stefane Grappelli, who played the violin with him, are some favorites.  My son Jack and I both love the Rowan Brothers, a local folk group.

If you were an animal, which animal would you be?

• A coyote, because it’s my totem animal.  I’ve written plays channeling a coyote.

Is there something you look forward to learning?

• I’d like to go back to school and get my ECE credits, as well as getting certified for pediatric CPR.  The more I learn about early childhood education, the more I want to learn.

 Where would you like to travel?

• I’d like to bring my son Jack to Ireland, to visit his ancestors.

What are your hobbies or quirks?

• I translate poetry into Gaelic, Latin, French and Greek – and I can recite it for you!