http://www.indy.com/posts/4786 en-us nSAYchable thats whats up.....i have gotten to a point where i am just comfortable doing me....whatever me is in that moment....whether its reading or using my memory.....but like allen....for me to memorize something takes a looong time......a lot of re-reading.....i could read a piece everyday for a week and still not have it memorized....i know this for a fact because i have tried it, with a really short piece i might add....its funny though, because i have memorized notes for class better than i memorize poetry, and whats even more ironic, is that i don't remember the stuff for class once the test is taken....i remember the poem for a long time..... i understand what everyone is saying in regards to this though.....i mean i'm not less of a poet when i read.....when i read, those are still my words, in my format, the way i saw them and i'm still sharing them....it might make me less of a "performer" though....and i think those are two different aspects.....i feel more connected to the audience when, like allen said, i can look at them and see what they are feeling in regards to what i am saying....and i've tried doing it while reading and i lose my spot every single time...!!!...i remember looking at Kevin (from write on the poetry spot, every friday @ 10) while i was doing brownstone in brooklyn and the look on his face was priceless....i would have missed that look if i was reading..... however....if you have a point, a message, and/or a purpose in a poem that you want to get out right now, i say, by all means, go for the gusto.....the proof is in the pudding and the only thing that makes you less of what you say you are, is your feelings about what you do....i may not be able to do and see everything i want to do and see when i'm reading, but i'm going to read it to you as if i'm the same poet who memorizes...and its still going to be the bomb cause i believe in what i'm doing..... Do your thang Rebelle.....you sound good reading or not.... Right on allen for ALL the shameless plugs....lol Fri, 15 Feb 2008 09:20:32 -0500 http://www.indy.com/posts/4786#comment_14326 http://www.indy.com/posts/4786#comment_14326 aLLENiMAGERY Thank you for the added pressure Rebelle. :) Here's where I chime in. Personally, for me it depends on the situation and the surroundings. When my book first came out, I read EVERYTHING (even the pieces that I knew), probably more for marketing than anything. Nothing says "buy my book" like the fact that I am holding it up in your face. :) That was 2004... As I have grown in the last 4 years, I tend to want to feel a connection with my audience. In any public speaking class, one of the first things that they will tell you is essential to keeping your audience involved is eye contact. Looking up from a page to do this is often difficult if you don't know what the next line is... I wanna know what makes them smile, I wanna see their eyes get wide when I say something that they disagree with, I wanna notice him put his arm around her when I say something about real love... all things I would miss if I am staring at my page. So I tend to memorize. The problem is that my memory isn't the greatest. To get my pieces memorized, I usually have to record them in the studio (PLUG: The Planetarium-Downtown Indianapolis... we have really good rates, and we can also do your production, photography and graphic design for your album work-ask about me:), and listen a million times to get it down. That being said, in the meantime, I believe that my audience suffers because they don't always get the new-new. Sometimes I can give them a sampler of what I can remember of a new piece, but I often wish I could pull out that book again. What happens though is people get so used to you PERFORMING that when you just feel like reading, they feel like you are short changing them... but at all costs you gotta do YOU. Like Rebelle, we have all compared ourselves to other artists... Is SIAM with book in hand (PLUG: Rain of Grace-New and Selected Poems available now online at Borders and Amazon.com) less powerful than Tasha Jones without? NO. And they are arguably two of the greatest poets that I have ever witnessed take a stage (don't tell Tasha I said that... Tasha you're reading this aren't you? DANG... :) What it comes down to is being COMFORTABLE. If you aren't, your audience will notice and lose interest. At that point, your words will get lost somewhere between the stage and their thoughts of what to put on the grocery list. At all costs you gotta do YOU. Fri, 15 Feb 2008 08:28:58 -0500 http://www.indy.com/posts/4786#comment_14318 http://www.indy.com/posts/4786#comment_14318 Rebelle This has been something that I have struggled with, especially being around amazing artist like yourself and Allen Imagery. I had actually came to a point where I was comparing myself because I have always read my stuff, as opposed to memorizing them. It wasn't until I spoke to SIAM about this very issue that I realized that it doesn't matter. I have always read mine out of nervousness and my desire to ensure that I get things out exactly as I wrote them. I think each piece and each peot has to look at what their desired effect is. As an artist I feel we should allow ourselves different ways and avenues to express ourselves. Thu, 14 Feb 2008 21:46:46 -0500 http://www.indy.com/posts/4786#comment_14299 http://www.indy.com/posts/4786#comment_14299 JL Kato You will find that a lot of poets who are affiliated with a university (of which Nikki Giovanni is one) will read. That includes Terrance Hayes, Yusef Komanyakaa and (when she was alive) Gwendolyn Brooks. I don't think you can call them lesser poets because they didn't memorize. Reciting from memory is just one way for a poet to stay focused. There are other ways to communicate! Listen. I'd rather hear someone read a well-written poem than perform a boring spoken-word piece. So if you feel the need to read, go for it. Tue, 12 Feb 2008 12:26:00 -0500 http://www.indy.com/posts/4786#comment_13862 http://www.indy.com/posts/4786#comment_13862 nSAYchable I understand exactly what you are saying....my reason for asking this is because i know that recently Nikki Giovanni was here speaking, who is a nationally recognized poet/writer/author, and i know she read when she was performing....i personally am focusing on using my memory more often than not, however, if i want to read, i will read....and i recently started feeling like, does it make me less of a poet or does it lessen my message if i read??? NO!....although i understand the purpose of memorizing your pieces, I myself have just never had a problem with reading.... besides....if Nikki Giovanni can do it and still be Nikki Giovanni, so can I.....just curious of other people's thoughts on that....it's actually a big debate... Tue, 12 Feb 2008 08:59:28 -0500 http://www.indy.com/posts/4786#comment_13816 http://www.indy.com/posts/4786#comment_13816 JL Kato I noticed that in spoken-word venues, there's a premium on memorized pieces. Some of that has to do with the legacy of Etheridge Knight, a nationally known poet who ran workshops in the city. If that's part of the aesthetic, then fine. I usually attend more literary readings (where participants actually read their poems). That doesn't necessarily mean it's better or boring. It just means that they're reading because: 1). They won't memorize, or they are unable to memorize. 2). They are reading a work in progress, and so have not memorized it. 3.) They feel more secure with the words in front of them. Myself, I read, because I know what happens when I can't see the words. I tend to improvise, which usually leads to trouble. I don't have any problems with anyone reading their poetry. To me, it's the language, not the gestures, that encompass poetry. (Not that there is anything wrong with body language!) Look at it this way. There are a lot of master musicians in symphonies around the world who read the music as they play. Does that make them any less of a musician? Mon, 11 Feb 2008 17:26:37 -0500 http://www.indy.com/posts/4786#comment_13781 http://www.indy.com/posts/4786#comment_13781