Read February 2002 Our Nuyorican Thing
Read March 2002 Our Nuyorican Thing
Read April 2002 Our Nuyorican Thing
Read May 2002 Our Nuyorican Thing
Read June 2002 Our Nuyorican Thing
Read July 2002 Our Nuyorican Thing
Read Sept 2002 Our Nuyorican Thing
Read Oct 2002 Our Nuyorican Thing
Read Nov 2002 Our Nuyorican Thing
And A Happy New Year!
Nuyorican New Years Resolution:
1. I resolve to not make any resolutions that I can not keep! (oops!)
So much for good intentions. A new year does not necessarily mean a fresh start or a clean slate. That’s a calendar thing. You still carry the leftovers from the day before and get to add some more. But the mark on the calendar is still appropriate as a gentle reminder of the past. I started writing these comments in the afterglow of holiday festivities, family gatherings and some very poetic events. I could not help but notice a sadness lingering at the edges of all that was going on. Family, friends, poets, no longer with us. The ones we would love to share with, those moments, when we celebrate the ties that bind us together. So a new year starts by looking back. And perhaps therein may lie, new things to come.
The last Slam of the Year was Felice Belle’s last Slam as our Slam Director.
(I will not touch the gender titles, sorry!). It was an evening of Poetry, at its best. For reviews and notices, check Poetry/Slam pages. And a new Slam Director, Karen Jaime, to continue the tradition of being Nuyorican. The Best of the Best payed poetic homage to Felice. The evening itself left many of us wondering why we don’t do this kind of event on a regular basis. Yes, I know the night was special and it was Felice, after all. But it still left us wanting more. And Felice goes on to new endeavors, but always a part of us.
The Nuyorican Slam has long been recognized as always being new. Every year new talent comes through the Cafe, many wind up representing the Cafe at the National Slams. And its always a new team. Then they go on. It is a long roster of the best that Slam or competitive performance poetry, has to offer. Win, lose or draw, Poetry wins. So I got to see a good representation of our slammers, on Broadway!!!
Yep, I did get to see Def Poetry Jam on Broadway. Who woulda thought. Ok, this is not a review, nor a critique, I’m sure you all have opinions on the matter, and I defer to the experts on these matters.
I am a poet, but as an entertainer (or performer), I would never make it. So I am usually impressed by just about any performance, I was in awe. And it hurts, cause I can’t do it.
And they were great. Since I know most of them, have seen them perform and know
about their work (individually), and having seen Def Jam Poetry on Cable TV I had some expectations of what I would be seeing. And the Show (yes, this is Broadway, and it is a show), was better than I expected by a long shot. Each and everyone of them.
But.
My personal preferences on poetry have always been, The Poem and the Poet. As our
Sage Seer from A Gathering of the Tribes, Steve Cannon, would say: The Poem, Read, The Poem!.
I wanted more poetry, more poems, more poets. But this is Broadway. It’s a show.
And therein lays a difficulty that is not encountered at poetry readings. There has to be a thread, a cohesiveness, a story. And how do you manage that? Taking the words of so many different voices, styles and individual perspectives and creating a show of words with a story. Mission Impossible?? If it is, then I have to admit that the show comes as close as it is possible. And you, Lovers of Poetry, should see it.
But.
And here, once again, I express my own personal preferences. I prefer the one on one, give and take, of a poet, reading or performing the poem.
I wanted to hear more Mayda Del Valle (so she’s one of my favorites, It’s a Nuyorican Thing!, OK?), More Suheir!, More Black Ice!, More, more, more. Each and everyone of you. Even the shared poems and poetic dialogues were great.
But
There is a thin line that separates Collective Poetry from Poetry by Committee. Aside from some brief points of clarity, the group poematics, could be more choreographed. Yes, I do understand, that the many voices of Poetry can be perceived as a cacophonous Babel of Poets speaking in Tongues. Yes I do understand, that this cacophony is real. And that in that sense, the show simply reflects reality. Yes, I do understand the difficulty encountered by the show’s producers in trying to keep it real and at the same time tell a story (a la Broadway).
And
From the bottom of my heart, and in the name of Poetry, I thank you for attempting the Impossible and for bringing the Word to thirsty ears. Poetry on Broadway! Who woulda thought!
Sam
In the Service of Poetry, Art and Community
Nuyorican New Years Resolution:
1. I resolve to not make any resolutions that I can not keep! (oops!)
So much for good intentions. A new year does not necessarily mean a fresh start or a clean slate. That’s a calendar thing. You still carry the leftovers from the day before and get to add some more. But the mark on the calendar is still appropriate as a gentle reminder of the past. I started writing these comments in the afterglow of holiday festivities, family gatherings and some very poetic events. I could not help but notice a sadness lingering at the edges of all that was going on. Family, friends, poets, no longer with us. The ones we would love to share with, those moments, when we celebrate the ties that bind us together. So a new year starts by looking back. And perhaps therein may lie, new things to come.
The last Slam of the Year was Felice Belle’s last Slam as our Slam Director.
(I will not touch the gender titles, sorry!). It was an evening of Poetry, at its best. For reviews and notices, check Poetry/Slam pages. And a new Slam Director, Karen Jaime, to continue the tradition of being Nuyorican. The Best of the Best payed poetic homage to Felice. The evening itself left many of us wondering why we don’t do this kind of event on a regular basis. Yes, I know the night was special and it was Felice, after all. But it still left us wanting more. And Felice goes on to new endeavors, but always a part of us.
The Nuyorican Slam has long been recognized as always being new. Every year new talent comes through the Cafe, many wind up representing the Cafe at the National Slams. And its always a new team. Then they go on. It is a long roster of the best that Slam or competitive performance poetry, has to offer. Win, lose or draw, Poetry wins. So I got to see a good representation of our slammers, on Broadway!!!
Yep, I did get to see Def Poetry Jam on Broadway. Who woulda thought. Ok, this is not a review, nor a critique, I’m sure you all have opinions on the matter, and I defer to the experts on these matters.
I am a poet, but as an entertainer (or performer), I would never make it. So I am usually impressed by just about any performance, I was in awe. And it hurts, cause I can’t do it.
And they were great. Since I know most of them, have seen them perform and know
about their work (individually), and having seen Def Jam Poetry on Cable TV I had some expectations of what I would be seeing. And the Show (yes, this is Broadway, and it is a show), was better than I expected by a long shot. Each and everyone of them.
But.
My personal preferences on poetry have always been, The Poem and the Poet. As our
Sage Seer from A Gathering of the Tribes, Steve Cannon, would say: The Poem, Read, The Poem!.
I wanted more poetry, more poems, more poets. But this is Broadway. It’s a show.
And therein lays a difficulty that is not encountered at poetry readings. There has to be a thread, a cohesiveness, a story. And how do you manage that? Taking the words of so many different voices, styles and individual perspectives and creating a show of words with a story. Mission Impossible?? If it is, then I have to admit that the show comes as close as it is possible. And you, Lovers of Poetry, should see it.
But.
And here, once again, I express my own personal preferences. I prefer the one on one, give and take, of a poet, reading or performing the poem.
I wanted to hear more Mayda Del Valle (so she’s one of my favorites, It’s a Nuyorican Thing!, OK?), More Suheir!, More Black Ice!, More, more, more. Each and everyone of you. Even the shared poems and poetic dialogues were great.
But
There is a thin line that separates Collective Poetry from Poetry by Committee. Aside from some brief points of clarity, the group poematics, could be more choreographed. Yes, I do understand, that the many voices of Poetry can be perceived as a cacophonous Babel of Poets speaking in Tongues. Yes I do understand, that this cacophony is real. And that in that sense, the show simply reflects reality. Yes, I do understand the difficulty encountered by the show’s producers in trying to keep it real and at the same time tell a story (a la Broadway).
And
From the bottom of my heart, and in the name of Poetry, I thank you for attempting the Impossible and for bringing the Word to thirsty ears. Poetry on Broadway! Who woulda thought!
Sam
In the Service of Poetry, Art and Community