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The lights dim upon
a crowd patiently waiting to delve into the next poet’s
intricately devised world of words. The spotlight is switched
on, shining upon a single soul, a poet, prepared to share
his most personal possessions with an audience eager to
receive one man’s thoughts and feelings. The room
becomes immersed in silence, an eager silence that clears
a path for a unique train of thought spoken to build bridges
between minds,
Armed with a mic and maybe a notebook filled with the remnants
of “sessions of sweet silent thought,” the poet
embarks on his quest, a quest to fuse antonyms, break boundaries,
and to convey the most powerful force in the universe, thought.
The scene I have just described is a tiny glimpse into the
“spoken word” phenomena that has exploded onto
the scene in recent years. The growing popularity of performance
poetry is undoubtedly attributed to a need for self-expression
and understanding between human beings. Performance poetry
feeds into the revolution for social change that has been
carried out differently by every generation past. The 60’s
marked a rush of freedom from social constraints that characterized
the 50’s. Drugs, sex, “free love,” and
rock ‘n’ roll were ushered in as means of breaking
free from the shackles of societal conformity and expectations.
We have seen full-fledged rebellions carried out through
peaceful protest, boycotting, and literature throughout
the ages. This generation has rediscovered the power of
the word and is waging its battle through the medium.
Spoken Word has flourished
in bustling metropolises like New York City that have always
been havens for creativity. The Lower East Side’s
own Nuyorican Poetry Café is one of the most famous
venues for the art form.
In celebration of the
art form and the numerous benefits it has upon the community,
HarlemLIVE has scheduled its first poetry slam for March
21st, 2003.
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