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Aloud: Voices from the Nuyorican Poets Cafe
Compiled by poets who have been at the center of the Nuyorican Poets Cafe in New York City, Aloud! showcases the work of the most innovative and accomplished word artists from around America.
514 pages, Paperback
First published May 1, 1994
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December 5, 2022“He had found a way to move from dance to poetry successfully. “
“The question of women and men and their relationships as a semiserious comic release”
“I love the quality of spoken thought”
“The tongue itself carries the mind”
“We judge ourselves all wrong”
“She cannot be bought”
“There is no stopping of desire’s dreams”
“The question of women and men and their relationships as a semiserious comic release”
“I love the quality of spoken thought”
“The tongue itself carries the mind”
“We judge ourselves all wrong”
“She cannot be bought”
“There is no stopping of desire’s dreams”
October 30, 2007
I Now Understand that I Must Never Attend a Poetry Slam, by Jeff.
An elusive medium for the competent,
in this I am not democratic.
Hush.
An elusive medium for the competent,
in this I am not democratic.
Hush.
May 21, 2023
lo mejor
September 4, 2010
I'm currently reading some of the authors in the "Founding Poems" section of this book, for the Poets of Color class I'm teaching. As well, I've just recently read and will reread Miguel Algarín's introduction. I'm so interested especially in the section of this intro re: the Open Room, and the open mic. Having never attended a poetry slam, and having limited the amount of time I've spent at open mics, I was both amused by his description of it and at the same time I admit it was a bit icky. I get that one event/live moment can make or break a poet's "career," i.e. whether s/he will continue to pursue the mic and performance.
I see how immediate positive feedback can encourage a poet to try again, perhaps even think about bringing the new shit. I see, however, how a poet can become over-reliant upon his/her poems that are "hits," that get the audience every time, such that the audience anticipates/expects the hits. How does this kind of environment discourage the poet from pursuing new work, trying out different poetic devices, voices, aesthetics, et al. My question here is about the possibility of arrested development.
What I appreciate about Algarín's description of the poetry slam is the emphasis on farce. I get this; how poetry is received and its value assessed, whether it is deemed effective or ineffective depends upon many factors - the performer's skill and experience both in performance and in writing, the audience's aesthetic preferences, political leanings, whether they are easily charmed by charismatic poets on the mic, etc. So given that there are many various ways of assessing a poem's and poet's effectiveness, given the imperative to decenter a singular academic standard of reading and criticizing poetry, indeed, I get farce. What I don't get, and this is beyond the scope of Algarín's intro, is how seriously slammers appear to take slam, if the purpose of slam is to engage in farcical contest.
So that's a few things I am thinking about while reading. Another is this: as I am reading through the founding poems, it dawns on me that some of the poetry is kind of not awesome, is perhaps kind of awkward on the page, as is the case with Sandra Maria Estevez's poems. I may get shit for saying that, so again let me reemphasize that each audience member, and in the case of book, each reader has many different criteria for reading poetry. Given that (for the most part) the poems here are important social commentary, what I look for is poetry that pops, read aloud and on the page, such as the poems by Lois Griffith, who I've never heard of before. Her work reminds me of early Jessica Hagedorn - funky, sassy, serrated; I think of these two poets as drawing from the same well. I read Pedro Pietri's poems, particularly the Road Runner poem, the Telephone Booth poems, and "Uptown Train," and it feels like this is a totally different person than the one who wrote "Puerto Rican Obituary," (not included in this anthology) unless what I think of as a playful absurdism im the previous anthologized poems is something that came later, after the purge of the obituary (in which the "RISE TABLE RISE TABLE" is also a little playful/absurd).
Just some disorganized thoughts here. Maybe more to come.
I see how immediate positive feedback can encourage a poet to try again, perhaps even think about bringing the new shit. I see, however, how a poet can become over-reliant upon his/her poems that are "hits," that get the audience every time, such that the audience anticipates/expects the hits. How does this kind of environment discourage the poet from pursuing new work, trying out different poetic devices, voices, aesthetics, et al. My question here is about the possibility of arrested development.
What I appreciate about Algarín's description of the poetry slam is the emphasis on farce. I get this; how poetry is received and its value assessed, whether it is deemed effective or ineffective depends upon many factors - the performer's skill and experience both in performance and in writing, the audience's aesthetic preferences, political leanings, whether they are easily charmed by charismatic poets on the mic, etc. So given that there are many various ways of assessing a poem's and poet's effectiveness, given the imperative to decenter a singular academic standard of reading and criticizing poetry, indeed, I get farce. What I don't get, and this is beyond the scope of Algarín's intro, is how seriously slammers appear to take slam, if the purpose of slam is to engage in farcical contest.
So that's a few things I am thinking about while reading. Another is this: as I am reading through the founding poems, it dawns on me that some of the poetry is kind of not awesome, is perhaps kind of awkward on the page, as is the case with Sandra Maria Estevez's poems. I may get shit for saying that, so again let me reemphasize that each audience member, and in the case of book, each reader has many different criteria for reading poetry. Given that (for the most part) the poems here are important social commentary, what I look for is poetry that pops, read aloud and on the page, such as the poems by Lois Griffith, who I've never heard of before. Her work reminds me of early Jessica Hagedorn - funky, sassy, serrated; I think of these two poets as drawing from the same well. I read Pedro Pietri's poems, particularly the Road Runner poem, the Telephone Booth poems, and "Uptown Train," and it feels like this is a totally different person than the one who wrote "Puerto Rican Obituary," (not included in this anthology) unless what I think of as a playful absurdism im the previous anthologized poems is something that came later, after the purge of the obituary (in which the "RISE TABLE RISE TABLE" is also a little playful/absurd).
Just some disorganized thoughts here. Maybe more to come.
April 22, 2018
Wow! This book was published some time ago but I picked it up only recently. It's a gem in my poetry collection!
I knew from the introduction that this would be an amazing book. Miguel Algarin describes the atmosphere of the Nuyorican Poets Cafe so vividly that it was like I were there. This book features the works of so many poets that it's hard to give an accurate summary of the book. Many of the poets discuss issues surrounding racial, socioeconomic, and gender disparities...yet there's an undercurrent of triumph.
There were a few things that I dislike about the book (although it's still definitely worthy of a 5-star rating). I feel like some of the poems didn't translate well into the written word; they were obviously meant to be spoken and performed rather than read on a page. There's also quite a bit of Spanish—not that I fault any of the poets for writing it—however if, like me, you don't understand the language at all, you'll be skimming over sections of poems and feeling lost.
I knew from the introduction that this would be an amazing book. Miguel Algarin describes the atmosphere of the Nuyorican Poets Cafe so vividly that it was like I were there. This book features the works of so many poets that it's hard to give an accurate summary of the book. Many of the poets discuss issues surrounding racial, socioeconomic, and gender disparities...yet there's an undercurrent of triumph.
There were a few things that I dislike about the book (although it's still definitely worthy of a 5-star rating). I feel like some of the poems didn't translate well into the written word; they were obviously meant to be spoken and performed rather than read on a page. There's also quite a bit of Spanish—not that I fault any of the poets for writing it—however if, like me, you don't understand the language at all, you'll be skimming over sections of poems and feeling lost.
February 5, 2021
Beautiful, cultured, and never limited. These voices from every gender, background, and sexuality are powerful. I didn't know this book was from 94 when I bought it but even then you wouldn't really be able to tell much of a difference. These are warrior voices. Advocates and allies and they don't hide it.
Also RIP to Miguel Algarin, one of the fohnders of the Nuyorican Cafe. He passed away in November 2020, the year I wanted to visit the Cafe before all hell broke loose
Also RIP to Miguel Algarin, one of the fohnders of the Nuyorican Cafe. He passed away in November 2020, the year I wanted to visit the Cafe before all hell broke loose
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November 16, 2008Included is a poem of mine from 1993 when I was still a member of the - god help us - Pussy Poets, called "The Days of Pot and Ice Cream." I'm also on the cover.
July 9, 2008
A good "gateway drug" for those getting into poetry.
And perfect for those who love slam.
Most times I wanted more from the poems, though.
And perfect for those who love slam.
Most times I wanted more from the poems, though.
April 9, 2017
Found this in an old storage room and was inspired to teach slam poetry to my kids; they loved it. They could relate to so many of the poems and it opened up great dialogue.
August 8, 2007
I make no claims as to whether this book is good or bad. As I am not a big fan of poetry slams, I figure that my opinion doesn't hold that much weight.
However, I remember seeing this book in a B&N somewhere in an OC California mall. I opened to a page of a poem that ended
"a tree grows in brooklyn
a tree grows in brooklyn
a tree grows in brooklyn.
F**K that S**t,
There's a multicultural garden
growing all over the world.
and we gotta save it
peace."
This isn't a strait quote and I hope I'm not butchering it. When I first read those lines at age 16, I was blown away. i repeated the lines over and over again all throughout highschool. Now here i am.
livin' in brooklyn.
go figure.
However, I remember seeing this book in a B&N somewhere in an OC California mall. I opened to a page of a poem that ended
"a tree grows in brooklyn
a tree grows in brooklyn
a tree grows in brooklyn.
F**K that S**t,
There's a multicultural garden
growing all over the world.
and we gotta save it
peace."
This isn't a strait quote and I hope I'm not butchering it. When I first read those lines at age 16, I was blown away. i repeated the lines over and over again all throughout highschool. Now here i am.
livin' in brooklyn.
go figure.
May 22, 2012
A great introductory book for anyone wanting to learn more about slam poetry, Aloud! is a book that will make you laugh, wince, and cry. The poems within cover a wide range of topics, and it has become a bible for finding poems to perform aloud. Some of the poems are mystifying when seen presented on the page, but if you're trying to "understand" every poem in this book, you are going about it wrong. You won't love every poem, but everyone who reads this book will love a different poem.
July 28, 2017
A spoken word Bible. Socially and racially conscious mostly unrhymed poetry written mostly in free verse but there are also a few prose monologues. The poems are often several pages long but there are also a few short ones. The anthology is bilingual with many poems written completely in Spanish which makes it good extracurricular material concerning my Spanish studies. Includes poetry by spoken word legends such as Bob Holman himself and Sapphire and Ntozake Shange as the most famous Nuyorican poets. Truly worth its award despite the foul language in many poems. Inspiring.
July 18, 2007
This was a gift from my first girlfriend - she got me an autographed copy. While some love obviously fades, I will always love this book for the following poems:
The Emperor's Second Wife, by Adrienne Su
No, F*** ME, by Eliza Gallagher
Trickster Rabbit, by Roland Legiardi-Laura
Skinhead, by Patricia Smith
Sex Goddess of the Western Hemisphere, by Maggie Estep
OK. It all seems kind of dated and silly now. But then again, so does that guy in the mirror . . .
The Emperor's Second Wife, by Adrienne Su
No, F*** ME, by Eliza Gallagher
Trickster Rabbit, by Roland Legiardi-Laura
Skinhead, by Patricia Smith
Sex Goddess of the Western Hemisphere, by Maggie Estep
OK. It all seems kind of dated and silly now. But then again, so does that guy in the mirror . . .
January 28, 2008
Michele sent this book to me for christmas one year. I remember I called in sick to work the next day, just so I could caress the pages a little longer. As a sometime poet, I have to say this book is essential. It cures that often tricky case of writers block with work from people you identify more with than you thought possible. Get yourself a copy today!
January 20, 2008
like most anthologies, especially those with many dozens of contributors, this has some strong work, as well as some lesser work. this great collection spans nearly twenty years of poets.
"i dreamt i was this poeta
words glitterin brite & bold
strikin' a new rush for gold
in las bodegas..."
~miguel pinero
"i dreamt i was this poeta
words glitterin brite & bold
strikin' a new rush for gold
in las bodegas..."
~miguel pinero
September 15, 2009
I liked this book because the poetry it contains is best read aloud, and the writing begs you not to just read it, but experience it by reading it out loud.
It's a great book to browse through and pick something to read; There are a myriad of authors and their diverse backgrounds make wonderful poetic expressions, emotions and ideas to ponder.
It's a great book to browse through and pick something to read; There are a myriad of authors and their diverse backgrounds make wonderful poetic expressions, emotions and ideas to ponder.
June 15, 2012
Ok, this is not explicitly a book of women's, or political poetry, but there's lots of both. One of my favorite poems in there from back in the day is "I am the Sex Goddes of the Western Hemisphere." This reflects my taste from 15 years ago more than today, but whatever. :) I love this book so much that when I moved here I had to buy a copy because I'd left mine in Massachusetts.
September 28, 2012
There was a lot of interesting stuff in the introduction, but I could not connect to enough of the poetry to want to finish the book. I found myself sort of trudging through it, which while it may have led me to another poem or two that "clicked," isn't the way in which I want to feel while reading poetry.
May 23, 2018
I loved this collection. It reminded me of college and the vibrant coffeehouse poetry scene that is now sadly gone. There's a lot of darkness in some of these pieces, there's also humor, innovation, and a feminist voice that I think really began to take shape during this time. An excellent collection with some great pieces I'll return to read again.
August 1, 2007
Before anybody had a solid answer regarding the merits of performance poetry this book was already switching up the questions. Equal parts award winning authors, street prophets and sonic poem tellers, this book is a must read for anyone who reads their poems to a live audience.
July 13, 2008
The only collection of actually contemporary American poetry you need. Read it out loud. To others. And you'll start to get somewhere in life. Or at least, you'll finally be standing up and saying out loud something with real beauty and anger and strength.
December 26, 2008
this is one of the most worn books on my shelf, i found it my senior year of high school and knew it was a guide to my heart, it shaped all my reading throughout college and i still thrill at the words of Maggie Estep.
March 24, 2009
This anthology is marvelous. There are so many little jewels in here, full of rhythm and truth. This poetry is exactly what I like it to be, raw, urban and somewhat real...
I pick up and read from this all the time
I pick up and read from this all the time
January 31, 2015
I have tgis book for quite some time. A few years actually. Only, now have I completed it. There was a few I enjoyed, U. N. Resolution, At the AIDS clinic, the heat...There were others. Wasn't the best, however.
February 14, 2007
fantastic anthology of thought-provoking, incendiary poetry. a must read.
August 21, 2007
a classic FAV from my angsty-i-hate-everyone-and-i-just-want-to-write-stream-of-consciousness-poetry-and-wear-black phase. which is over now btw!... kind of
August 31, 2007
An absolute necessity for spoken word enthusiasts and real, raw poetry lovers.
February 14, 2008
short and long poems by various authors...great book!
July 23, 2008
Sex Goddess of the Western Hemisphere is the best!
August 16, 2008
exciting, dangerous, sexy, emotive poetry from a grop of poets in New York. I thoroughly enjoyed every selection.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 59 reviews