Poetry Deep, Never Fail
A year after the historic election results were blasted through every form of communication imaginable, LetterToObama features the poetry of artist activist Zakia Henderson-Brown. It is accompanied by a Note(s) to the White House in the form of poetry from myself, M. Liz Andrews.
Take your time and, then, see you next 4th.
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CORNROW 2 and CORNROW 3
ZAKIA HENDERSON-BROWN
CORNROW 2
“the dividing line between pop culture and civic culture has been all but obliterated”[1]
november 4, 2008
it’s all had a rather curious feel:
this governance of real
breathing thinking people
turned to such heavy theatrics
set to catchy jingles made
by movie stars on break from world touring;
the glamorous headshots,
blown into bits of drama
on tee shirts and mugs,
sudden bait for consumers.
such interest in the costs
of wardrobe; a pregnancy scandal.
nevertheless, the results
burst onto barscreens
and rendered many
dumbstruck,
though merry.
a new year’s eve brand
of partying ensued.
jello shots for presidents!
joints for first ladies!
banging on pots and pans,
leaping in the air
through traffic
horns and weeping.
this, the grand finale of politics
and popularity, a seamless
web of mystic nature,
already with two million
views on youtube.
[1] “Campaigns in a Web 2.0 World”. The New York Times. 3 November 2008.
CORNROW 3
“his election produced a clamor for newspapers that publishers said they had never seen”[1]
november 5, 2008
change came
he said
sam cooke
couth.
i’m it.
the rhapsody
shook supreme
and hung
leftover in the air
as foreign
as brilliant
as star
paths, fallen.
watch for
the infections
of mouths
and hearts
spread rapid
fire through homes
and handshakes.
the asthma
of this sigh
of relief
might
reveal
all the ills
still undone,
a fresh coat
of paint over
molding walls
in tenements.
[1] “Newspapers a Hot Commodity After Obama’s Win”. The New York Times. 5 November 2008.
ARTIST. STATEMENT.
these poems aim to expose and interact with the most recent way pop culture has invaded politics, surrounding the 08′ presidential campaign. does this collision of worlds have the potential to make government more effective, or make constituents less astute? will the glamor of a newly created celebrity president override our need for accountability?
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POETRY SONG PRAYER: NOVEMBER 4, 2008
M. LIZ ANDREWS
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ARTIST. STATEMENT.
I sang this song in the months leading up to the election and shared it at the Bowery Poetry Club on election night. As I recorded it tonight, surrounded by another Harlem night, it feels different yet still relevant.
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ABOUT THE ARTISTS
born and raised in brooklyn, ZAKIA HENDERSON BROWN is a poet and community organizer who recently fell in love with bike riding. she is a fellow of the north country institute for writers of color and the recipient of the Archie D. and Bertha H. Walker full-tuition residency scholarship at the Fine Arts Work Center in Provincetown, MA. she hopes to inspire and enact transformation through her poems and social justice work.
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11/04/09: Poetry Deep, Never Fail by M. Liz Andrews, Zakia Henderson-Brown is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.
Based on a work at www.LetterToObama.com.
Permissions beyond the scope of this license may be available at www.LetterToObama.com
POETRY SONG PRAYER: NOVEMBER 4, 2008: Copyright, M. Andrews, 2009
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