United States of Poetry

(Mouth Almighty/Mercury)
by Ryk McIntyre

What works about this compilation of American spoken word artists is the balance it rests on. Well-known names are amongst the not-so-known-but-up-and-coming, and vice-versa. So for every Allen Ginsburg, there is a Maggie Estep; for your Amiri Baraka, there’s a Tracy Morris. Plain spoken pieces snuggle up to those with musical backing. Finally, a neat use of “found poetry” – the soldier’s drill, double-dutch rhymes, cheerleader chants, and square-dance caller shows how poetry is an everyday thing that we know. Sometimes we take its place in our lives for granted. We need only to recognize its broad familiarity.

There is something here for everyone, no matter what your taste in poetry. Whether it’s name recognition (Lou Reed and Leonard Cohen, for music fans; Ginsburg, Ai, and Robert Creeley, for readers of published poets; and Tracy Morris and Maggie Estep, for followers of performance poetry. They all come close to bringing listeners close enough. Whatever brings listeners close enough, it’s good they’ve come close. The inclusion of Tracy Morris and Maggie Estep was a smart move. Estep especially, is like a burning fuse of modern stress and potential explosion, and being placed next to Lou Reed must be like a dream come true for her.

With a generous 37 tracks , this disc is like a table laden with swollen delicious fruits, steaming main dishes, whole grains, and rough proteins. There’s enough for everybody and something for everyone.