Spoken Word Saturdays: Yellow Rage

Yellow Rage performs "A Little Too Much" with intros from "Listen Asshole" and "I'm a Woman Not A Flava" at the Asian Arts Initiative Grand Opening Celebration.

They are SO. Fucking. AWESOME.

Spoken Word Saturdays: Suheir Hammad

I woke up with this poem in my head today, so here is Suheir Hammad performing "Not Your Exotic, Not Your Erotic" at the Def Poetry Jam.

Spoken Word Saturdays: Self Watering Containers!!!

I have been absent for an unforgivable length of time. BUT! I'm nicely settled in my new apartment with (almost) no unpacked boxes AND a baby tomato plant that is about to become the Happiest Tomato Ever. Why? Because it will get just the amount of water it wants, and I will only have to water it once a week. Thus is the magic of Self Watering Containers. And in honor of such, instead of our regular Spoken Word Saturdays (which I'm super late on anyway), here is a video of how to make your very own SWC.

Spoken Word Saturdays: Mayda Del Valle

Sorry I'm late this week. I'm in the midst of getting ready to move. Here's Mayda Del Valle performing "I'm Going Back" at the Def Poetry Jam

Spoken Word Saturdays: Yellow Rage

Oh no! I forgot yesterday! But here we are, a day late: Yellow Rage performs "Chinky Eyes."

Spoken Word Saturdays: Sunni Patterson

Another Sunni Patterson poem because she is SO FLIPPIN' AWESOME. Here she is performing "We Made It" at the Def Poetry Jam.

Spoken Word Saturdays: Otep

Otep Shamaya performs "Dedicated to My Enemy" at the Def Poetry Jam

Spoken Word Saturdays: Sunni Patterson

Sunni Patterson performs "We Know This Place" on Hip Hop Speaks

Spoken Word Saturdays: Suheir Hammad

Suheir Hammad performs "First Writing Since" and the Def Poetry Jam.

Spoken Word Saturdays: Gina Loring

Gina Loring performs "Somewhere There is a Poem" at the Def Poetry Jam

Spoken Word Saturdays: Sweet Honey In the Rock

Sweet Honey in the Rock performs "Peace." Check out their Live in Carnegie Hall album. It has a bunch of awesome pieces on it like "Letter to Dr. Martin Luther King," "Emergency" (about apartheid) "Ode to the International Debt," and "Are My Hands Clean" (corporate greed & sweatshops).

Spoken Word Saturdays: Damali Ayo

Damali Ayo panhandles for reparations. She collects money from white people and gives it to black people as a way to start conversations about race, privilege, and oppression. Since she first did this, people have been joining her nationally on October 10th of every year. You can read more about all her performances, read an interview with her about reparations, join the National Day of Panhandling for Reparations, and see pictures and stories from people who participated last year.

Spoken Word Saturdays: Sista Queen

Whoops, I'm a day late. But here's Sista Queen performing "Try Being A Lady" at the Def Poetry Jam.

Spoken Word Saturdays: Staceyann Chin

I've been resisting the urge to post this poem every week because I don't want to make Spoken Word Saturdays just a constant stream of Staceyann Chin. But I couldn't resist anymore. Plus I've been reading the Essential Dykes to Watch Out for and I was struck, throughout the entire 20 years of the strip, by the social commentary and the searing indictment of an increasingly corporate and conservative LGBTQ movement. I ranted about this to a reporter at Pride last summer but of course none of it was published.

So in honor of the nauseating slogans we have seen coming out of the mainstream LGBT movement, in honor of "Gay is the New Black," in honor of everyone pushing for marriage before basic human dignity, in honor of blaming people-of-color for Prop 8, in honor of McDonalds being present at Pride, in honor of LOGO and the L Word, in honor of the HRC and The Advocate, Staceyann Chin reads "Poem for the Gay Games."



However, I do have to say that I don't agree with everything she says. This poem constantly challenges me to think more deeply about where I stand politically in the Queer community. Because I think it's okay to say "I just date people." I don't buy into the idea that this constitutes "neoconservatism breeding among us." I think there definitely IS neoconservatism in the Queer community. I just don't think that saying you date people is an example of such. I think sexuality is much more complicated than identifying either as gay/lesbian or straight (or even bisexual). Because it all gets mixed up with how you identify, not just who you're attracted to. I identify most strongly as Queer because it is a politicized sexuality and it's also a pretty broad, encompassing term. I don't identify as lesbian even though I don't realistically see myself dating a guy anytime in the forseeable future. I don't want to imply that that couldn't change. Sexuality is fluid and, personally, I don't see the term "lesbian" as embracing fluidity. I don't think it makes me a neoconservative for not wanting to box myself into a certain term.

Spoken Word Saturdays: Zora Howard

Okay I found out that I CAN embed the video of Zora Howard performing "Bi-Racial Hair" at the 2006 Urban Word NYC Annual Teen Poetry Slam! I know I posted it before with a link, but it so awesome that I wanted to make sure everyone's seen it. So here it is, in all of its embedded glory:

Spoken Word Satrudays: Good Sista/Bad Sista

Turiya Autry and Walidah Imarisha of Good Sista/Bad Sista perform "Supa Soul Sistas" at the 2008 Wordstock Poetry Slam

Spoken Word Saturdays: Jay Smooth

Okay I know I've been way behind with the rest of the features and stuff I want to do with this blog, but you know, it's the holidays... I work in retail so this has been a really crazy fall. New Years Resolution: Stay On Top of Blog.

Anyway here's Jay Smooth of Ill Doctrine on "How to Tell People They Sound Racist."

Spoken Word Saturdays: Zora Howard & Kelly Tsai

Okay, I wanted to feature Zora Howard today performing her poem, "Biracial Hair" at the 2006 Urban Word NYC Annual Teen Poetry Slam. It's on You-Tube, but you can't embed it, so click here to see it. It's awesome. Check it out. In the meantime, here's Kelly Tsai performing "Mao" at the Def Poetry Jam:

Spoken Word Saturdays: Yellow Rage

Okay, I'm a bit late with this, but Yellow Rage will more than make up for the delay. I'm channeling their what-the-fuck-do-you-know-about-me-just-because-you-read-a-novel-about-my-identity today. Why is it always the responsibility of the oppressed to answer the nosy questions the privileged class? If you want to know so badly about my identity go to the library. And no, one book does not make you an expert. Instead of tokenizing me with your nosyass questions do some friggin research. THEN we'll talk.

Spoken Word Saturdays: Introduction & Staceyann Chin

Another regular feature I'd like to introduce is Spoken Word Saturdays which will (duh) provide you with a regular stream of awesome clips from spoken word artists, poets, activists, musicians, and speechifiers. Education and communication are one of the most important parts of activism, and spoken word allows artists and activists to communicate and educate in a more immediate, personal and creative way than more academic forms of expression.

Today's feature is one of my favorites ever: Staceyann Chin performs If Only Out of Vanity at the Def Poetry Jam.