Autumn Blaze coolly approaches the microphone. She gazes into the audience members’ eyes, ruffles her afro and tauntingly traces her fingers from the nape of her neck to the center of her chest. The Milwaukee spoken word artist, entangled in a love affair with a married man, bares all:
“Metaphoric phrases drizzled in excessive syllables being soaked in adjectives and being fondled in similes. Not me … Hell you can just give it to me quickly Daddy because the sex is so good when it’s spontaneous … And I feel so compromised because I know that second to God not even your mama could love you more than me. And the sad thing is: your wife? Well, she probably says the same thing.”
There is no applause. Only snaps.
Artists like Autumn Blaze commanded attention last Friday during a screening of “Mark My Words,” a feature-length documentary that follows eight local slam artists’ lives for 24 hours on stage, in their homes and with Milwaukee youth. The Milwaukee Art Museum showed the film in conjunction with the Milwaukee Artist Resource Network and the Milwaukee Chapter of the Black Public Relations Society.
“I wanted to take a slice of the poetry community and take a look at some of the artists, which, in my opinion, happen to be not only some of the most powerful artists in our city, but some of the most powerful artists I’ve ever heard,” said Brad Pruitt, writer, director and producer of “Mark My Words,” in a Radio Milwaukee interview.
Spoken word is just what it sounds like – the oral performance of written poetry. It can be a way to tell stories, express a feeling or communicate an idea. It is often intended for on-stage performance and can be as eccentric or subtle as the poet intends.
“Just like any form of artistic expression, it gives people an outlet,” said Justice Shorter, a senior in the College of Communication who also performs spoken word.
During the Q-and-A segment that followed the movie screening, some audience members expressed frustration at not being more informed of the spoken word scene in Milwaukee. One woman said she had never heard of any poetry slams or open-mic nights after 10 years of living in the city. The panel, composed of artists featured in the film, jokingly replied, “Do you leave your house? How ’bout a Google search?”
Every Tuesday night, Kwabena Nixon hosts “Poetry Unplugged” at Club Nostalgia, 7155 N. 43rd St. Poets who take the stage are accompanied by music by DJ Mr. Martin and local band Cigarette Break. Linneman’s, 1001 E. Locust St., devotes Monday evenings to open-mic readings.
“The poetry scene (in Milwaukee) is a mini society within itself in that it goes in cycles,” said Dan Vaughn, spoken word artist and poet. “I think our cycle is on a low right now, whereas five years ago, you probably had an open-mic every night of the week.”
According to freelance writer Kenya Evans, spoken word gained popularity in Milwaukee about 15 years ago, especially after the movie “Love Jones” came out in 1997. The revival of the black renaissance is a major theme in the film and is depicted through lovers who meet in a poetry café.
Nationally known poet and musician Gil Scott-Heron stirred up spoken word popularity, particularly in the 1970s and ’80s. After his death in 2011 at age 62, Radio Milwaukee ran a tribute segment featuring local artists who read poetry in homage of the “grandfather of rap.”
The lyricists featured in “Mark My Words,” including Dan Vaughn, Tina “Ms Jazzy” Nixon, Muhibb Dyer, Shelly Davis and Dasha Kelly, follow in Heron’s footsteps and rally emotional responses from listeners – especially among youth.
The artists visit local high schools to lead poetry workshops that will help kids through the process of finding their voice.
“Mark My Words” shows Nixon at one such workshop, prompting students to finish the line, “The truth is…” Nixon emphasizes the freedom of this exercise, telling students to neglect correct grammar, spelling and writing rules. One student started to cry while reading her poem, revealing feelings of hopelessness and the memory of being raped as a child.
Vaughn does a similar exercise called “I Am.” He approaches students as an outside voice – one different from their principal or teacher – to help them find the root of their anger.
“It’s therapeutic especially for young people. It’s a chaotic age and confusing time, and (spoken word) is a centralized way to let all of that out through the form,” Shorter said.
Vaughn has participated in and helped coach all 10 of Milwaukee’s poetry slam teams in the past 10 years. Due to lack of fan support and participants this year, however, there will not be an 11th.
“Milwaukee has some of the best poets in the country, and we’re just not getting the support that we need to really get out there,” Nixon said.