Poetry, Performance, and Art is the first transcribed and translated collection and study of the udje poetry of Nigeria's Urhobo people. Udje is an integrative performance of song and dance by specially costumed performers at annual festivals. Udje dance songs were used to establish and maintain social norms. In addition to being an important compilation and study of African indigenous poetry, this book profiles three of the greatest udje poets and performers. Ojaide also explores the history of udje, including its development and the modern factors threatening its survival. Poetry, Performance, and Art will be of great interest not only to students and scholars of African oral traditions, African literature, and African studies, but also to poets in general and scholars of comparative anthropology, cultural studies, folklore, literature, performance arts, and sociology. "His translations are among the best that have ever been attempted in African oral literature." -- Ode S. Ogede, Research in African Literature

Get on Stage and Perfect Your Performance Have you ever enjoyed a slam or two and thought, "I could do this," but felt apprehensive staring at that empty mic—or worse, you climbed up on stage and struggled? Let Marc Kelly Smith, the founder of Slam Poetry, teach you everything you need to be a confident performer, from writing a powerful poem, to stage techniques, to going on tour (if that's where your muse leads you). Take the Mic is filled with insider tips, backstage advice, and tons of examples of slam poems that wake up an audience. With this book, you'll also be able to link to the PoetrySpeaks.com community to listen to samples, meet poets, and unearth inspirations for your next performance. The Ultimate Guide to Writing and Performing with Power Take the Mic is an essential guide for lifting your poetry from the page to the stage. Marc Kelly Smith (So What!), grand founder of the Slam movement, serves as you personal coach, showing you how to craft stage-worthy verse and deliver a poetry performance that shakes the rafters and sparks thunderous applause. In Take the Mic, you discover how to... Pen poetry that's conducive to on-stage performance Overcome stage fright Practice powerful performance techniques Rehearse like a pro Shape a loose collection of poems into a killer set Connect with your audience — heart and soul Master the art of self-promotion Schedule your own slam poetry tour Transform your hobby into paying gigs Act professional to establish a solid reputation in the Slam community Take the Mic is packed with practical exercises you can do alone or in class to hone your skills and transform your body, mind, voice, verse, and spirit into an engaging stage presence. You'll also find a brief history of slam, the rules and regulations that govern official slam competitions, and a list of PSI (Poetry Slam, Inc.) Certified Slams, so no matter where you are, you always have a place to Take the Mic!

Poetry Slam: The Competitive Art of Performance Poetry documents the first ten years of this cultural phenomenon with details on slam history and rules, hosting your own slam, winning strategies, tips for memorization, crafting group pieces, and other informative essays, as well as 100 of the best slam-winning poems ever.

"The Art of Confession tells the history of this cultural shift and of the movement it created in American art: confessionalism. Like realism or romanticism, confessionalism began in one art form, but soon pervaded them all: poetry and comedy in the 1950s and '60s, performance art in the '70s, theater in the '80s, television in the '90s, and online video and social media in the 2000s. Everywhere confessionalism went, it stood against autobiography, the art of the closed book. Instead of just publishing, these artists performed--with, around, and against the text of their lives." --

A TIME Magazine Best Paperback of 2017 One of Oprah Magazine's "Ten Best Books of 2017" "This singular poetry collection is a dynamic meditation on the experience of, and societal narratives surrounding, contemporary black womanhood. . . . These exquisite poems defy categorization." —The New Yorker The only thing more beautiful than Beyoncé is God, and God is a black woman sipping rosé and drawing a lavender bath, texting her mom, belly-laughing in the therapist’s office, feeling unloved, being on display, daring to survive. Morgan Parker stands at the intersections of vulnerability and performance, of desire and disgust, of tragedy and excellence. Unrelentingly feminist, tender, ruthless, and sequined, these poems are an altar to the complexities of black American womanhood in an age of non-indictments and deja vu, and a time of wars over bodies and power. These poems celebrate and mourn. They are a chorus chanting: You’re gonna give us the love we need.

Helpful tools, tips, and techniques that can improve your spoken word poetry performance.The goal of this book is to provide a "How to" guide with principles that can be used to improve content and stage performance. This book doesn't come with the promise of making you a great spoken word artist or the experience of a world famous poet. Instead it provides tools, examples of techniques and it offers tips, which if practiced correctly, can improve your confidence, focus and execution. Every artist comes equipped with their own amount of creativity, imagination and inspiration. Storytelling is a big part of spoken word poetry as well, but if you are not able to tell that story or relay a message clearly to people then there might as well be no one listening. By utilizing examples from the P-Arts (Performing Arts) program and workshop courses that have been implemented in the San Fernando Valley, Los Angeles and San Diego area of Southern California through DM Ink Publishing. You will be able to apply the same techniques which have helped many spoken word artist and poets to develop and improve their skill. I've spent years performing, writing, reading, listening and publishing spoken word poetry. With three published spoken word poetry paper back and E-Books as well as two spoken word albums available internationally it has been a great learning experience. As a fan, an artist and facilitator of workshops I can relate to the frustration of having a good performance piece and not being able to get the message through to the audience. Or being nervous and not having any prior training or years of experience that would assist with speaking in a small or large venue. By incorporating a few tips used by spoken word poet professionals, readers will find this book will-Provide helpful tips of structuring the content to your piece so that it flows. -Go over various spoken word techniques.-Provide tools to improve your delivery. The areas of focus covered are just a few pieces to a larger puzzle in the areas of communication and writing that could benefit an aspiring spoken word artist. This book has been used in performing arts workshops and the tools have been successfully applied during performances and network writing sessions. Principles are universal and I'm not saying that every artist needs to adapt these tips in order to be considered great, because in the spoken word poetry market everyone is unique, or at least they should be. Each person has a story to tell and it can have a powerful effect depending on how the writer delivers it.

This book is a study of voice in poetry, beginning in the 1920s when modernism rose to the surface of poetry and other arts, and when radio expanded suddenly in the United States.