Sevanthi, Jill, anyone else

here's the original message (from Chris Hayden)

Dave

The Daddy of the Black Arts Movement spanks his progeny: Baraka weighs in
on the Slam phenomenon.

Chris Hayden
>>---------------------------------------------
>>The problem is that too often the Slams (another word for jail) introduces
>>the most superficial aspects of poetry. It did not take slams to introduce
>>real language into poetry, as you know.
>>
>>what is the content of the poetry these kids are "in the midst of"? what
>>kind of political act is it "to give a kid a poem and tell them they have
>>poetry in their language"?
>> Listen to them, they already seem to know that! Cultural Revolution
>>seeks to
>>make that ;poetry Artistically Powerful, Poltiically Revolutionary!.
>>
>>The "competition" in grants, the arts, &c is essentially Class Struggle!
>>It is ideological, finally, and determined by the judges' political
>>ideological orientation.
>>
>>That's why "Homo Locus Subsidere" , &c can get a "Genius Award" and dont
>>even know enough not to be ugly . If its one thing I do know, after being
>>dissed over the years grant -wise, productin -wise, , is that all classes
>>put their politics lst. Look at who gets the huge grants, the big
>>publishing
>>contracts, the bouargeoisis's ink, &c and why!,
>>The "peoplemaking those decisions" as you say, have not "forgot" anything.
>>To
>>think that there is a wasting away of sensitivity or taste or information
>>or
>>intelligence by such agents is not to think it through. they are "those
>>people making decisions" because they represent the values of that class
>>which got the power, dough, &C
>> They are not empty headed enough to give resources to their
>>enemies!
>> Why do you think R Simmons wants a weekly Poetry Slam on tv. For
>>the
>>same reason that the big corpses took rap and turned it around from its
>>earlier mainly political orientation and sent it off to thug life. So it's
>>Will Smith, or Ice T not Africa Bambatta or Dead Prez or KRS1 who gets the
>>big whatnots. The "Benny Goodman of Rap" Vanila Ice" is already a movie
>>star.
>>For too long, poetry has tended to be an "outlaw" as far as the corpses
>>are
>>concerned, now they are going to rein it in, turn its focus around, like
>>rap
>>to hip hop.
>>For verse to worse.
>>Who and what judges the Slams? What are the standards, the dominant
>>trends?
>>Who will judge Def Poetry Jam? And what is the quality sought and
>>"rewarded"
>>The influence of Rap nee Hip Hop is full open on poetry. This is good to
>>the
>>extent it has given poetry a larger more visible mouth, but the danger is
>>its co-optation by imperialism. So Eureka we will get a host of Kenny G
>>poets.
>>We've had a bunch of older "HO" poets, who sold their A and B hinds for
>>"literary acclaim" Now the corpses want younger folks to turn tricks..
>>
>>Hey, Dont take no Wooden Negroes!
>>AmiriB
>>
>


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----- Original Message -----
From: "Jill Jones" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Sunday, July 29, 2001 12:58 PM
Subject: Re: Femininity in Poetry


> on 29/7/01 9:53 PM, sevanthi ragunathan at [log in to unmask] wrote:
>
> > Someone posted something about Amiri Baraka and slam poetry that I'm
dying
> > to read but only the response to the original post propagated to me.
Can
> > some kind soul send it my way. Thanks!
>
> Moi aussi. Something got lost in the mix.
>
> JJ
>
> _________________________________
> Jill Jones
> 50 Ruby Street
> Marrickville NSW 2204
> AUSTRALIA
>
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> http://homepages.ihug.com.au/~jpjones
>