Review of Tribute to Amiri Baraka by Jessie Branch

Amiri Baraka was a poet of great social and political import. He has spoken out against hate and has also been accused of spreading that same anger. Baraka believed that poems should follow a poets natural breath and used this when creating his poetry, often putting it to music. After his death in 2014, many poets felt that his impression was lasting and needed to be expressed as such. Several of these poets gathered at St. Marks Church on April 22nd to read some of Baraka's work and release the compilation of his poems, entitled "SOS". Readers included: Ammiel Alcalay, Thomas Sayers Ellis, Adam Fitzgerald, Rachel Eliza Griffiths, David Henderson, Basil King, Ricky Laurentiis, Eileen Myles, Camille Rankine, Ariana Reines, Paul Vangelisti and Simone White.

            The evening began with "Heroes Are Gang Leaders", an essay paired with saxophone smoother than honey. A child's voice began the piece, and then a woman began singing with honesty and vibrant charm. Depictive of the aesthetic in Baraka's work, this piece utilized music along with poetry to create an exchange in emotion and rhythm. One of the disappointing facts of a tribute dedicated to Amiri Baraka is that he is not reading his words, and his reading is such an essential part of his poems.

            The readers were clearly selected with great thought. This review will focus on the readings of Basil King, Eileen Miles, and Simone White. The other readers were excellent as well, but these three in particular were very memorable. King was a friend of Baraka's back in the 60's in New York City, and began his reading with a story about the moment he first saw the Kennedy's driving in New York City in the back of a convertible. He asked Baraka what was going on, to which Baraka replied, "White people". King had the demeanor of being very sweet, and seemed very calm. When he began reading, however, his energy immediately picked up. He read with vigor.

            Eileen Miles is an impressive poet in her own right, and described herself as exactly the person Baraka frequently spoke out against. That being said, they had been friends during his lifetime, which she believed spoke to his true character. She read "Numbers, Letters", and the particularly humorous "Arts Gratica Artis", which contained the line "My poetry has always been aimed at destroying ugly shit, so why, Ronald Reagan, shd you get away?”

            Simone White is the woman essentially in charge of the Poetry Project, and it was an honor to see her read. She seemed collected, carefree, and like her true purpose there was to celebrate the life and work of Amiri Baraka. She spoke with ease and the audience was captivated by her energy. She read "Confirmation", which talked about song and how that is what love truly is. Her reading of "Tom Ass Clarence" was stunning; Baraka himself couldn't have had any complaints about the performance. The final line of the poem, "These knees got they own / Show" struck home and was a perfect way to finish off the main readings.