Last night I had a fantastic time (that middle seat was mine) reading with John Hartness and Sam Morton as part of Carolina Writer’s Night which was held at Story Slam! Charlotte. This is a terrific venue where most events are a $10 cover charge but there are drinks for sale and a cozy atmosphere where you can support the arts. I think I am going to pitch a few events from there. Definitely check out their website if you are in the Charlotte area. They also rent artists space and you couldn’t get a better location in the midst of NoDa. A great bakery and used bookstore are way too close, I’d never get anything done!
The whole experience made we want to get involved again with performing. I think that is why I love to film events, to take pictures, to record the moments not just in words but in other mediums. I hope to find more ways to get involved as I am out promoting Paper House and out supporting the work of others.
Whether or not to “perform” your poetry is always an interesting debate. Feel free to continue that discussion here. My thought is that poetry came from an oral tradition and while I don’t feel the need to rhyme or write in metrics, I think you should consider the way your words will sound read as well as the way they look on paper. That being said, the “poet’s voice” drives me crazy. You know what I mean, I hope! That affected voice that raises up at the end of each line. Anyone got a vid example? Want to call anyone out? I know, I’m evil!
Of course spoken word and poetry slams are different from what I am addressing here. I rarely memorize my poems, preferring to have the chance to pull out whatever piece I want to instead of having a few available to me at an event but I still love listening to specifically performance poets. I argue, however, that even if you aren’t a spoken word artist or a slammer you can still perform your poem, you can still give it the energy that shows the emotion behind the poem. Give your audience something more than just a da dum da dum da dum and tell them a little bit about the poem or you.
These opinions, of course, are just mine. Let me now what you think about poetry as performance.
I have slam buddies who have been after me for years to read a few of my bad ones in public.
If you’re scared say you’re scared.
That be me.
I’m a shy guy, but not public shy. I’d talk politics, or sports to the world. But I can’t read or recite a poem in Chicago.
Strange.
Nice post.
Regards,
the first time you get up there it is daunting but after a few open mikes it is such a rush now that i have to do one at least a month and i’m a card carrying introvert!
something else that helps is to record yourself, audio or video, and that’ll help get you used to hearing yourself
I say DO IT!
I think there is a balancing act involved to use one’s voice and non-verbals to enhance the words without distracting from them. So for instance, the other night at Green Rice I was nervous and my mouth got dry, which distracted me from the flow of the second poem and I know I read parts of it too fast, without the inflection or eye contact I would normally try to inject. So the “delivery” matters and unfortunately I didn’t do myself or that particular poem any favors. On the other hand, I’ve observed readers where there was so much focus on “delivery,” so many inflections and gesticulations, that I could not focus on the words themselves. But that’s just me.
Lynn – I know what you mean about over performing. I have a big issue with being concerned about time. I prefer when I just know I can read one or two poems but when I have 10 minutes I get nervous and worried that I’m going to take up other people’s time!
So true, Jessie. Me too! And anything that takes me away from the moment, from the words themselves, negatively impacts my delivery or, if a listener, how I experience another poet’s delivery. I’ll also cop to being easily overstimulated by sound. So I know some of my struggle with this probably is a reflection of this (unfortunate) fact.
I love to read aloud–my own work and the work of others. For my writing group (we meet once a month) I devised an exercise. I will share it here.
Exercise #2 “Poetry Aloud”
Always bring along a pen and notebook and an anthology or collection of poetry, or a poetry chapbook with you on your daily outings. When you find yourself in a junkyard parking lot, a Wal-Mart parking lot, a church parking lot, or a mall parking lot etc. and while sitting at a STOP in your vehicle, read a few poems aloud to yourself. Listen to yourself pronounce each word; give your interpretation to the words through tone and inflection. Infuse the words with your voice’s power. Let the rhythms insinuate themselves into your heart and head. Then take out the notebook and FREE WRITE* for five minutes. Stop. Later, read the RAW WRITING and circle any words or phrases that you sense could become poetry or that have a resonance within them. If you need to repeat this exercise to produce more raw writing, do so.
See if you can build a poem from the whole experience.
that’s a really terrific exercise! i might have to borrow it sometime
Clare, this sounds like a great exercise! Thank you for sharing. I intend to try it.
me too Lynn! So glad you are joining us here for discussions
It came to me last week when I was sitting in a parked truck at a junkyard reading Plath’s Ariel. I wrote a poem about that experience which I am pleased with I must say. There was something about reading aloud in a closed vehicle with people walking around that made it feel daring…and my scenario (of being in a truck at a junkyard reading Ariel) was unique, amusing and inspiring to me.
i have recorded many a vlog from my car. pretty decent acoustics. perhaps i’ll do that this week..hmmm
Good to know you had such a fantastic time, Jessie
Thanks for sharing!
Sorry, I have not been around to visit much lately, been busy with painting and remodeling the kitchen.
Margie
no problem Margie! We will have to see some before and after pictures of the kitchen!
Clare and I have something in common- I do the same exercise! cool cool cool
Yes, I preach, well share that poetry came from theatrical readings, and only became book bound due to its popularity and noted authors often being deceased from that period which they were known (facts may or may not be totally accurate, do not shot the messenger), so it might be studied, or replicated in theatrical form…
Many times after people here me perform, they comment, “Oh I did not like poetry until I heard you read”…thus the reason I try and spread what you have mentioned in this post! Thanks once again JC, you are cool beans!
I always end my emails to my open mic members with…
Read, Write, Sing, Play, Act, and Perform! Peace
E Stelling
http://tmi-chef.blogspot.com/
Chef E – I think the oral quality of poetry can be very important. I try to remind myself when I’m feeling kind of bored with a book I might be reviewing or just reading to stop and read the poems out loud. In fact, I’d say we all should try, with the next book of poems we start reading, to read the first poem out loud to see what kind of rhythms we sense before we keep reading!
I practice my reading in my closed car, too! How funny! Somewhere there’s a parking lot full of poets talking to themselves!
As I said to E in a telephone conversation the other day, I don’t have any say in the matter as to how I read my poems. They are alive and COME alive through me when I read… so I don’t get much say in the delivery. Telling them to quite down, to slow down, or come out differently is like yelling at a rowdy teenager… it just doesn’t work.
When I read in New York, it felt like I was playing the part of my poem. Acting. Preaching. Allowing them to take possession.
I’m learning. Not perfect by any means. But definitely having fun.
And I can’t keep my hands still. I have to make motion with them. They come alive, too.
a Poet Parking Lot. Too good!
Your delivery is natural and I didn’t notice any untoward hand movements