Saul Williams Reading

I probably won't be able to see poet Saul Williams reading at the Barnes & Noble Main Store (5th Avenue at 18th Street) at 6:30pm for , said the shotgun to the head, his latest collection of poetry. Reminds me that I still haven't watched Slam, nor read his previous works such as She and The Seventh Octave.

Which also reminds me that I've never read The Alphabet Verses: The Ghetto, Jessica Care Moore's followup to The Words Don't Fit in My Mouth which has a fantastic cover that alludes to probably her best known poem, "Black Statue of Liberty"

I stand still above an island, fist straight in the air
Scar on my face, thick braids in my hair
Battle boots tied, red blood in the tears I've cried.
Tourists fly from all over just to swim near my tide
Or climb up my long flight of stairs.
But they trip on their shoe string lies.
Piece by piece they shipped my body to this country
Now that I'm here, your people don't want me.
I'm a symbol of freedom, but I'm still not free
I suffer from class, race and gender inequality. (excerpt)

And since I mentioned book covers, Tracie Morris also has a great one for her book of poems, Intermission.

Stay tuned Friday for a special announcement in commemoration of National Poetry Month. (Y'all did notice my attention to/mention of poets this month, right?!)

Posted by ronn at April 20, 2004 10:37 PM