There have been years when I flew an average of twice per week to
present poetry and, presumably, touched many souls. Further, between
North America and Europe, I have had the great fortune of selling
thousands of copies of my various books and spoken word CDs to
diverse patrons who appreciate my work. The stories contained in this
title make it a different type of vehicle than my previous ones, in
that the lessons here are more than a medium for energy exchange with
those who dig my vibe. These pages also serve as my own travelogue.
This is the book I wanted to read but never found.
These interviews
constitute the guide artists like myself have grown to desire; the
history we have longed to consume; what many grass roots lovers of
unadulterated art have sought but had yet to find. These stories and
lessons explain much of where spoken word, jazz, and other
inter-related art forms have journeyed from and, by extension, they
illuminate the many pathways for where these arts may traverse, where
we could take them. Vision beyond conceived measure becomes
accessible when we sit at the feet of the seven esteemed elders who
have herein granted Permission to Speak.
International spoken
word artist Taalam Acey contacted several of the learned elders of
his art form for permission to speak with them candidly about their
lives and lessons. He traveled to both U.S. coasts and to the South
and Midwest to talk with the poets from previous generations that
most inspired him. This was a pilgrimage of sorts that led to the
timeworn streets of the urban northeast, the sprawl of Los Angeles,
the precipitous mountain roads of the Humboldt Redwoods, the desolate
abandon of a midwest "ghost town," and the transcendent
vibration of New Orleans. The conversations delved into performance
and visual arts as well as love and life lessons. We say "When
an elder dies a library burns to the ground" due to the
magnitude of what our bona fide paragons may show us; the most
authentic are capable of midwifing our true essence. Here, we hear
from seven of those wise and active elders who are each thankfully
still manifesting their ability to unearth the precious gifts within
us.
