Project V.O.I.C.E.

This is an amazing organization that two beautiful people started to help show people of all ages how to show their voice. Below are some performances that they have done. Amazing. WATCH. <3

My other blog.

So I know this has given you a little taste of my works, but I thought I would share my personal blog. Where I have posted many works, and I am sure you will see passion in each and every word.

Another of my works. With passion. Power.

Open your eyes, my friend. Look at what you are missing. Look at the hearts you have hurt. Some that loved you most, now flinch in terror at your name. What happened? Don't tell me life. Tell me what really happened. 

Things have changed. Things will continue changing. It is apart of life right? Then why is it so damn hard? Why does it kill me to be in a room full of people who are so loving, so close, such a big part of my life but yet I have this feeling, this aching feeling of jealousy? Jealousy of their relationships. Jealousy of their memories. I cannot help but think... I used to have this, I used to be in a group this close. What happened? I know, I know... life happened, right?

How can a group that was once so close barely even talk any more? Aren't true friends supposed to stick by your side no matter what? Doesn't a relationship take both sides? 

I have tried. I have tried my hardest to keep relationships alive and strong but a heart can only take so much. Now I sit back, waiting for that phone call, for that email, text... whatever. Just some sort of a reach out... just some sort of a " I still care." But I keep sitting.

Alone.

But not alone.

I have these amazing people around me. But the relationships we share are still so new... so fresh. Still in the beginning... still figuring out what is right, what is to far. 

This heart of mine is a blessing, but at the same time such a burden. 

I cannot let go. I still think of relationships that ended years ago. It is not because I am afraid of change. I have found that I thrive on change. I need change...

It is because I value, I care, I love.

I love with all I have. It is who I am. Sometimes it is too strong. But get used to it. Feel it. Soak it up. It may be a love that only I can show. Even if we haven't talked in years. I am always here.

Always here. 

You can let me sit here. In my peace of love. You can let me sit here while my soul dances, but when you come crawling back, I will be here. My heart will never close. My soul will never stop dancing for you. My heart will never shut down. 

They act like they are too good for me, for many. All I can think is that, one day you will realize how fucked up your views are. One day you will realize what love you have been missing out on. It may not be my specific love that you come to realize you are missing, but you shut out so many that do not walk your walk. 

True, life gives us these pains. But there is more to the story than "life."

So tell your story.... what really happened. 

Saul Williams

Saul Williams is one of my absolute favorite performers and writers. He has passion. He has "umph." You know, that power behind the words that I kept mentioning. Yeah, he has that. Here is and interview, and below is one of my favorite works of his.....

Saul's "Ohm.....

Sponsors

That first video I posted? Yeah that is about my grandmother. Not my mother. Not a partner. My grandmother. And she is the reason I am able to write. 

“Sponsors, as I have come to think of them, are any agents, local or distant, concrete or abstract, who enable, support, teach, model, as well as recruit, regulate, suppress, or withhold literacy—and gain advantage by it in some way” Brandt (25). As Brandt describes in this chapter, we all have “sponsors” that encourage our literacies or our new discourses. This simple memory never had much meaning to me growing up. It wasn’t until very recently that I realized I was looking at it on the surface. Looking at it deeper, I realize that my grandmother was this sponsor that Brandt is speaking of. By seeing my grandmother writing every single day it gave me a curiosity for it. Also, by seeing her so happy and writing so often I saw a sense of peace that came with writing. 

Jennifer

On why she writes.....
I write because it helps me engage with my feelings instead of suppress or ignore them. I am able to delve into places of myself that are often ignored. Writing allows me to feel and express myself in ways that are hard to do only while speaking. From writing a get a sense of accomplishment and expression bigger than myself. I can look at what I wrote and I know that even if I am the only one that reads it, a part of me will be outside myself. Available for reflection and review.


On performances.....
I enjoy hearing or seeing a performance because they are able to express things in a way I might not think about by just reading it. Hearing things also allows me to feel the writer's expression and emotion.

Whisper

Another piece of my personal work. In a video. This is tough guys!

Why I write

Why I write.

Life has these moments, where all you can do is just sit down and think, did that really just happen? It’s like you were slapped in the face by the person you trust the most, and you have no idea why. Moments where, no matter how hard you try, you just cannot stop thinking about your first love and what would happen if things had been different. Times where all you can think about is the pain you are feeling from everything that has happened and is happening in your heart. Life loves to shove your face in every single mistake, every single time you messed up.

            Then there are the moments where all you can think about is the beauty that is surrounding you. All you can do is just stare at the water flowing by so peacefully, so gracefully. Moments when you hear that child’s laugh that fills your soul with warmth. When a best friend calls you in the middle of the night and helps you through all the tears that you are loosing, for reasons you will never understand. There are those seconds when you hear that some one has found so much love and happiness they are making it a permanent part of their life and announce their engagement. All you can do is sit down and think, is this really happening. Like you were just filled with all the love you have ever known and pain has never been apart of your soul. There are those moments when you stand up to anger, sadness, pain, and tell it to fuck off. You tell it that you are strong, you show the true you, and show how much love you have and will never forget about.

            These, all of these moments, are why I write. I write because there are no words I can verbally use to express myself in certain moments life throws at me. I write to let it out, to show my strength, because I am strong when I am writing. Nothing can hold me back, nothing can interrupt me. When I write, I am not only writing about moments I have experienced, I am writing about what my heart, my soul, every part of my is feeling. I don’t write to offend, I write to inform. I write about situations we all go through, we all feel. I write so that others can relate, so that you know that you are not alone in what you are feeling.

I write to leave an impact. 

Taylor Mali interview

An interview done with Taylor Mali. Especially at 1 minute mark. 

A bit o' history.

Spoken word poetry originated from the poetry of the Harlem Renaissance and blues music.

Modern day spoken word poetry became popular in the underground African-American community in the 1960s with the Last Poets. The Last Poets was a poetry and political music group that was born out of the African-American Civil Rights movement.

A Peaceful Place

This is my own writing and yes this is me performing it. As requested by many classmates. Enjoy. 

Viewing a performance rather than reading

Hello my beautiful readers. This is a simple interview from a viewer of Taylor Mali's video "What Teacher's Make" read it. Enjoy it. Believe it.

The impact on an audience

"Going from working in the industry and then teaching part time I felt like I really had an impact on people and people reaching their dreams or their potential but I didn’t know if I was fooling myself or if I was really making an impact. That video showed me that I was right. It confirmed what my inner voice was saying about the impact I had lives and the passion I felt. As I went from adjunct to full time facuty to director. I have used that video to help me confirm that I am still passionate." - Donette Parry

Taylor Mali

Taylor Mali, to this day, is still one of my favorite artists. And this specific video is hands down my all time favorite performance, yet.The power behind his voice, the way he presents this specific piece. I get chills every time I watch this, and I have watched this a lot. Trust me. Take a moment and just watch this. Watch his movements, his facial expressions. If you were to just read this in a book or online, it would not have the effect it has when you watch it. In a future post I will go into more detail of actually watching and being in the moment of a performance, rather than just simply reading a piece. So before I post that watch this a couple times over, take it all in, get pumped up. And simply enjoy. You will be seeing a few more of his performances, don't worry beautiful readers.

Okay, enough "poking around" the internet. Time to get this thing started. Get ready for videos, history lessons, and pretty pictures. Maybe even some of my own personal work will make it's way on here, even if that is what my other blog is for. I also am going to try and figure out more about the Spoken Word world here on WWU's campus so if any of you are from around here, it might be informational for you too. Enjoy the art you are about to be overwhelmed with. I know I will.

What is This?

With technology becoming the main way of communication, many classes now are requiring their students to create and submit projects through online resources. Well, that is exactly what this is. A final project for an English class. But this is so much more than just a simple project. This blog is about something the fascinates me, something that gives me passion, gives me a voice. Which is exactly what the purpose is. How spoken word creates voice. How it is influential. Throughout this blog you will see postings of videos, interviews, personal interviews, even some history. Because this is a project which I will be graded on, it is forcing me to dig deeper than I ever have. To understand more of the art of spoken word. But after this class is done and after this is submitted, I hope to continue doing me research and posting more and more that I find. 

So, my dear readers, whether you be students (past or present) of this class, instructors, spoken word artists, or just simply stumblers, enjoy the simplicity of this. But also, please, also enjoy the passion behind every word and every video you my come across on this site.