Think of a poet who you also identify with their profession. I can recall three off the top of my head: William Carlos Williams/physician, Wallace Stevens/insurance executive, and Wendell Berry/Kentucky farmer. Now I can add to this list: Paul Hostovsky/sign language interpreter/Braille instructor. (His name is spelled in Braille under the audio file.)

Much of this interview with Paul Hostovsky covers his initial fascination with the system of Braille and his ongoing study of the code that blind readers (and Paul) read with the pads of their fingers. (In his Leaping Clear essay, “A Different Digital,” Paul reveals his secret delight in reading Braille in spite of his being sighted.) We also discuss Paul’s work as a sign language interpreter for the Massachusetts Commission for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing.

We learn that Paul’s interest in Braille and ASL moves well beyond mere appreciation for the technical aspects and the occupational benefits of these forms of communication. He admits to his genuine respect and appreciation and love for deaf and blind people he has met (and married) and with whom he has developed lasting friendships.

The rest of the interview (also a large chunk) explores Paul’s poetry and what informs his poems. He reads several of his poems for us – two that touch on the subject of meditation and the dharma. Paul also recites a passage from A Course in Miracles that has been a source of lasting inspiration for him.

We include links below to poems Paul read and other topics we discussed in the interview.

Before our interview, I found myself imagining what Paul would be like and how the interview would progress. I repeatedly leapt to the assumption, based on what I read of his work, that I would like Paul, that we would have a great time, and that the interview would be a success. I then immediately undid these fabrications and called upon the oft-cited teaching of Ajahn Chah that everything is uncertain.

I’m glad to say that it turned out as I’d expected – all of it. I learned so much about Paul and his passions, and we had a wonderful time. I also learned that he plays a wicked harmonica.