422: Tracie Morris

Listening to poetry like that of Tracie Morris, is so much better hearing, than reading. I've never been much for slam poetry. I can appreciate the art, but it's never really spoken to me. I've never really understood it, I suppose. Besides, when people make fun of poets, slam poetry is always the thing they satirize. My mind is tainted. However, I have a special place in my heart for sound poetry. I love closing my eyes and listening. Tracie Morris plays with sound in a way that seems to have infected and inspired our nation. She came to prominence when poets were finally being given a chance to speak in popular media. Her words and style spoke to that of a younger generation. Her range of artistry is massive.

When I watched the video with the two versions of the same piece, it struck me. When talking about writers, we often say their style was different when beginning, then they got interested in such-and-such style and then they wrote this book. See how these two books are different? It's rare you get to look at the same piece, morphed and re-written to fit these two different styles that the writer finds interesting. Not many writers have the time for that. Being able to hear, right next to each other, the same words only re worked and edited to fit the interests, gives a clear understanding of what and how exactly they are interested in the things they are interested in. Am I making any sense? I keep repeating the same words...which Tracie Morris does, as well, but her style is much more interesting. Me, I just need a thesaurus.