I recently started a project with The Progressive (the main publication for the late, great Howard Zinn) to highlight the role of spoken word artists in pushing political conversations. Each week, we are going to feature a different poem / Each week, we are going to feature a different video of a poem/performance/song that can help “broaden and rewrite the American narrative.” A piece that can push the boundaries, widen the conversation, move people to fucking DO something. Or at least think about something in a new way.
So……what are some of your favorite political poems? By “political” I mean the broadest sense of the word — about self, struggle, community, love and liberation. And by “favorites”…that can mean YOU. Send your own pieces too! No fake humility needed here.
There’s no cash compensation, just that your piece will be seen before hundreds or thousands of people across the world wide webs. If you want to reach a wide and politically-engaged audience, here you go.
We’re looking for videos of poems, songs, monologues, stand-up bits, etc. that are:
* Artistically on point –> Don’t bring the wackness.
* Politically provocative –> Something that that pushes towards change on a personal/community/global issue.
* High quality video –> it doesn’t have to be Def Poetry (although it can be), but something better than off a cell phone. Needs to have good audio and be available online: Youtube, Vimeo, etc.
Some of the videos we have already lined up are from: Andrea Gibson, Denizen Kane, Invincible, Sarah Jones, El Guante, Rebel Diaz, and Nate Marshall. Click here for the full call:
http://progressive.org/node/139205
So, if you’ve got a great video (or 2 or 3) of you and/or some folks you like, just send me the link and any other info (i.e., bio) to me here or at jghealey
And YES, If you have a piece about Sarah Palin as a polar-ice-cap-melting-pirate (like the recent Progressive cover above)…you win extra bonus points and my unending jealousy that you wrote it first.
In the meantime, here’s the piece we’re started the series off with, from the one and only Suheir Hammad.