March 26, 2010

My Mind Was Blown Again: noon panel with Frank X. Walker & Saul Williams

Saul Williams speaks in poetry. With his words, body, and voice. He’s mesmerising. He unconsciously lives his work. There were times when his answers left us all speechless…including Mr. Walker. I exerienced a rather powerful conversation today with two amazing voices in modern American poetry.

Here are some of the gems I thought were worth passing on:

When asked about how they add typographical elements to their written poetry that doesn’t always translate to spoken poetry or performance. “There should be a reward for anyone willing to give time to a book. There should be something there on the page to experience.” ~Frank X. Walker

“Not all performance poets are interested in offering a similar experience on the page. They just wanna see the words.”

They both are book lovers & enjoy the experience of reading & rereading literature. They want to bring the “presence” of performance to their readers.

When asked about something not really about truth at all, Saul took us to a new destination.

What is truth? it’s like the dao. The spoken dao is not the dao. We can’t speak the absolute truth but we can know it. We can talk around & around it in concentric circles getting closer & closer to the root of that truth. ~Saul Williams

When asked the difference between hip hop & poetry.

“Hip hop is CONFIDENCE. Going back in time to when & how it started, to a time when they weren’t even allowed to look people in the eyes—hip hop took on confidence as its mantle.”

The patriarchal bravado that developed as an inherent part of hip hop must ignore all signs of weakness, questioning, & uncertainty.
“The poet sees his vulnerability (uncertainty) as a strength, the rapper sees it as a weakness.”

Real power isn’t grasping onto what we think, or worse, hope, is right & never backing down. It isn’t standing on an air carrier in a jump suit & declaring truth is whatever you want it to be. [my elusive paraphrasing] It is admitting uncertainty & seeking a way through it TOGETHER.
“That bragidocia in hip hop forces them to misunderstand what power is.”

When asked about selling out, & Saul’s “list of demands” being used in a Nike commercial was mentioned. “Selling out only comes about if I do not authenticate an emotion. If I weren’t true to the process.”

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