[applause].

>> the person i am excited to meet her.

her book is called, my miserable, lonely lesbian pregnancy. please, partake our free pens. andrea. >> thank you for wearing my buttons. it comforts me to see sad faces. my miserable, lonly lesbian pregnancy. tonight i am going to read, to snip or not to snip. >> conception.

i drive to the california cryo bank. there's no waiting room. just a glass window. a woman changes me $350. a vile half the size of my pinkie encased. this way up. i head to the clinic. i carry the sperm box inside. it's unwieldy. this is my second attempt. so i know the routine. the first time, i brought my

friend. even some crouch shots. most people don't get good shots of conception. i feel confident this time, like i'm doing my part in the world. the war in iraq started. may be this kid will be a piece maker, a modern day jesus christ as this jew understands jesus. i don't know what does. week 21, everyone thinks i'm having a boy. by everyone, i mean the waiter and my grandmother and neighbor across the street. i was getting out of my car and

she yelled "your having a boy". week 22, my family is involved in an all out campaign on the names i'm considering. she mocks the mothers calling after their sons, sebastion. i didn't realize lisa is racist. makes me like the name more. i say good, because i'm hoping for a fag. week 25, it's 4:00 a.m. and i'm

give up for an hour. who do i do for circumcision. it's a covenant with god. it seems like they feel plenty of pleasure. may be we should reduce a man's pleasure. may be this was god's way of reducing a man's libido. may be my son is not going to study the torah. we need to identify proudly. but then, am i imposing my will

on my child? i can't have a child. week 30, i have an appointment at the hollywood birth center where i will have natural childbirth, which i don't recommend. alex is my primary caretaker today. i read your medical records, do you want to know if it's a boy or girl? yeah, but don't tell me. i ask if she had children. not yet i said. i said it sucks. then i try to be funny. do you think epidurals have contributed. she opens my chart.

is says you're having trouble holding urine. i pee every time i sneeze. may be i should wear depends. are you doing your cagels? let me teach you a way that will be fun. i think she's about to make a joke. as you squeeze, save, i love my body. four counts hold. notice your vaginal area tightening. i love my body. squeeze a little harder. i love my body. good. that does make it fun, i say.

alex presses on my belly and says seven pounds. how am i going to get it out? i am hoping for a super wide vagina. i will have one after the birth. i know this is not sexualy, ideal. i think lesbians like a super wide vagina on their partner. the more she can shove in, the more

sexual. you shouldn't sircumicize. do you have any articles about the benefits of circumcision marks a jewish boy. i know she's not a lesbian. then you don't understand. week 31, i'm not going to sircumicize. i heard on the radio that thomas jefferson owned slaves.

he bowed to cultural pressure. some things are just wrong. week 32, i make the mistake of telling my mom i'm struggling with circumcision. i don't think so. i think of the stuff that can get caught in the vagina. that's not nice. andrea. if this child is jewish. he needs to be sircumicized. you don't want your boy to feel

strange. that's true. i think my anxiety is fear of having a boy. i am terrified of boys. they are wild and smelly. i said, there is no way to know that. well i know for a fact you don't need it. like i wanted to talk to my dad about his penis. week 34, i don't have the double wide vagina i was hoping for. with just six weeks to go. instructions for peroneal

massage. lock hands. apply lubricant. extra virgin olive oil. hold the thumb in place for two minutes or until it becomes numb. slowly massage over the vagina. it's best done with a partner. instead, i take a back door approach and use my finger. i have a lot of stretching to do.

week 41, 3:45 p.m. it feels like i have to pee and poo. she says long contractions indicate early labor. she says call in a few hours. >> dana comes over. she feeds her tea while i'm having contractions. i am in active labor. i am surprised you're so calm. i say, i'm surprised you're so calm.

11:30 p.m. dana drives to the birth center. i tell her right now i am not sad to do this. this is a solo expedition. i dark brown blob of slim e falls out. the mucous plug has to fall out. it's the mucous plug. i am in awe of dana. 1:30 a.m. i am naked. i modified downward dog. i think of the view everyone is

getting. no one cares. 4:00 a.m., i am nine centimeters. i am pruned and exhausted. you are doing great dana says, i am not interested in being great. it's still nine centimeters. it's not time yet. she says me to blow out with my mouth. i say i might barf. 5:45 a.m. still nine, i hate dana. dana breaks my water. after 15 hours it's time to

push. when you are this desperate, it's almost over. push, your pushes are excellent. 7:17. i can feel the baby's hair. you see your baby's head. 7:40. i do what she says. we rehearse. dana is guiding my baby's head. this is called ring of fire. okay. push hard. i moan like a walrus. my vagina tears to my ass. but i don't care. dana puts the baby on my chest. the cord is still attached. i am still shaking.

the baby's eyes are wide open. i cry, the baby cries. i have a baby. it's a girl. [applause] that was wonderful. that was really great. don't you all want to be her best friend name. emanuel, queer spoken word poetry. pbs's in the life. an online journal.

he's the author of the year poetry. as well as his first spoken word. it's a recipient of the masha a gomez award. please welcome manual xavier. >> hello. okay. there we go. how are you doing? first of all, thank you so much. it's such a great pleasure to be back in san francisco. i love this city and it's always a pleasure to be here. i want to thank mishell t. one is new. it will give you a back story. a few years ago, i had been attacked on the streets of

brooklyn. i am deaf in my left ear. >> sitting on the l, i was made a wear, my voice of louder. he didn't know about the hearing loss in one here. i remained silent. i didn't turn around to expose the scar on the back of my head. so that i wouldn't have to explain the origination. instead of business cards, i should explain, it would read as follows. my name is emaniel.

i became a prostitute. i found my salvation? writing. i pushlished a book. i was recently attacked on the streets where i lived. >> the surgery left me deaf. i do not have aids. men are not allowed to be a soldier. i am not asking for your money. please get home safe and keep this pen to share your story too. may be some day, i will get to hear your voice. this next poem is from my first poetry. this is for latinos in the house. can i get a woo. >> i want to break tradition

about latino macheese mow. >> forget. i want to break tradition. because blood is supposed to be thicker. but you see, my friends and family, because they love and accept my and don't consider me, foreign language. they do not speak the language. everyone has green contacts.

adopting supremist beliefs. when was the last time you saw them playing the maid? i want to break tradition. smashing it against the ground. where our spanish eyes are not blinded. we do not understand hate. foreign language. never. this next poem is called "outside". it's from