Poetry Live(s)

A short documentary featuring various performances of spoken word poetry, accompanied by thoughts from the poets themselves.

0:00Copy video clip URL Poetry Live(s) intro plays.

0:13Copy video clip URL Standing onstage at La Paloma Theatre, Michael Klam recites his humorous poem, Your Inner Flojo. The recitation is overlaid with shots of Klam at various locations on a children’s playground.

2:32Copy video clip URL Sitting in a grade school classroom, Klam explains the heart of Your Inner Flojo, stressing how it relates to the modern political climate as well as his personal life as a teacher.

3:43Copy video clip URL Ant Black performs his poem Alone. Clips of Black walking through urban spaces, including a railyard and out front of a church, intersperse the recitation.

6:21Copy video clip URL Black talks about the importance of spoken word poetry as an outlet in Black culture and his experiences living outside of an abortion clinic.

7:15Copy video clip URL Corey Taft performs Sex Don’t Mean Sex. Black-and-white vintage footage plays over the reading.

8:00Copy video clip URL Two patrons of the spoken-word poetry event briefly share their thoughts.

8:14Copy video clip URL Raye Rose recites her feminist poem Pretty as black-and-white clips of various people and still shots of Rose herself as she performs cross the screen.

10:25Copy video clip URL Another patron shares his thoughts.

10:34Copy video clip URL Shana Manion recites Domesticated Artist. During the recitation, Manion stands outside and black-and-white footage of a woman picking up a phone plays.

11:57Copy video clip URL Manion discusses the tediousness of work and her own opinion on “selling out.”

12:40Copy video clip URL Minerva explains the origins of the name “Minerva.”

13:10Copy video clip URL Onstage, accompanied by jazz, Minerva performs Untitled Pseudo Rap.

14:00Copy video clip URL Minerva and Trish Dugger talk about performing poetry.

14:25Copy video clip URL Dugger recites Hey Good Lookin’! Afterward, Dugger briefly speaks on the mixed nature of audience response.

15:45Copy video clip URL Manion delivers her poem Hollow Doll, centering her experience with abortion, overlaid with a shot of Manion lying on a bed and close-up shots of dolls.

17:48Copy video clip URL Manion talks about the experience and history of Hollow Doll‘s performance. Manion explains what it means to her to share personal pain with a public audience.

19:17Copy video clip URL Picking up the microphone to hold it barely an inch from his lips, Al Howard performs Prior to Addressing. Black-and-white footage of an anti-war poster and an oil rig fades in and out. The performance ends with a black-and-white shot of Howard performing.

20:41Copy video clip URL Manion, Dugger, Black, Minerva, and Klam give several final thoughts on performance poetry.

22:36Copy video clip URL Credits.