Poetry As Usual

Poetiquette

On this episode of the Poetry As Usual podcast, we’re joined by members of the collective known as The Dope Poets: Imani Waweru, Storyteller Gordon, Brittany Barker, King Kamayera, and Jerome Heka. Together, they discuss the relationship between a poet’s character and their talent. They explore how a poet’s intentions shape how they show up in poetry spaces, and they examine etiquette within the community, particularly when it comes to features. For example, they address issues like poets arriving late, canceling at the last minute, or failing to review information provided in advance. The goal of this episode is to share perspectives on how poets can better share space within each other whether it be at an open mic, a showcase, a feature, a workshop, and merely just in fellowship. Tune in to the fifth episode of the Poetry As Usual podcast.

This Ink Ain't Free

On this episode of the Poetry As Usual podcast, we’re joined by members of the collective known as The Dope Poets: Imani Waweru, Storyteller Gordon, King Kamayera, Lady Kay, and King Quinc. Together, they discussed intellectual property as it relates to poets performing on platforms that record their work. In particular, they explored the tension between poets owning their poems and platforms owning the recorded videos. They also examined the concept of originality as it pertains to how poets and platforms sometimes arrive at similar ideas for poems and events. Lastly, they shared their perspectives on how the poetry community can navigate situations in which platforms have exploited, taken advantage of, or otherwise harmed poets.Tune into the third episode of the Poetry As Usual Podcast.

Poetic Justice

On this episode of the Poetry As Usual podcast, we’re joined by members of the collective known as The Dope Poets: Imani Waweru, Storyteller Gordon, Brittany Barker, Lady Kay, and Jerome Heka. Together, they discuss what it means to be a poet and the responsibilities associated with that label. They explore the history of slam poetry and the ongoing debate about whether poets should be judged by fellow poets rather than randomly selected audience members. They also share their perspectives as curators, discussing what they look for when selecting poets to feature on their platforms. Additionally, they brainstorm ways to navigate situations in which someone in the poetry community alleges harm by another member of the community. The episode also introduces a new segment, “Come Outside Poet,” where each of them shares the names of poets they would like to see reemerge into the poetry scene.Tune into the third episode of the Poetry As Usual Podcast.

Rhyme, Reason, and Rennaissance

On this episode of the Poetry As Usual Podcast, we’re joined by members of the collective known as The Dope Poets: Imani Waweru, Storyteller Gordon, Brittany Barker, Lady Kay, and King Kamayera. Together, they discuss the current state and culture of spoken word poetry. They share their thoughts on poetry workshops and offer perspectives on how poets can continue improving their craft. The conversation also explores some of the challenges involved in curating poetry spaces, whether open mics or showcases.Tune into the second episode of the Poetry As Usual Podcast.

Let's Talk About It

On this episode of the Poetry As Usual Podcast, we’re joined by members of the collective known as The Dope Poets: Imani Waweru, Storyteller Gordon, King Quinc, and Jerome Heka. They talk about why they created their platform and their goal of bringing the off-the-record, behind-the-scenes conversations that poets often have into the open. For many reasons, some poets don’t feel comfortable speaking on certain topics, and The Dope Poets want to create space for those voices to be heard. In this episode, they discuss the current state of poetry, what inspired them to become poets, the different types of poetry platforms, and more.Tune in to the first episode of the Poetry As Usual Podcast.