Permission to SPEAK

"International spoken word artist Taalam Acey contacted several of the learned elders of his art form for permission to speak candidly about their lives and lessons. He traveled to both U.S. coasts and to the South and Midwest to talk with the poets from previous generations that most inspired him. This was a pilgrimage of sorts that led to the timeworn streets of the urban northeast, the sprawl of Los Angeles, the precipitous mountain roads of the Humboldt Redwoods, the desolate abandon of a midwest "ghost town," and the transendent vibration of New Orleans. The conversations delved into performance and visual arts as well as love and life lessons. We say "When an elder dies a library burns to the ground" due to the magnitude of what our bona fide paragons may show us; the most authentic are capable of midwifing our true essence. Here, we hear from seven of those wise and active elders who are each thankfully still manifesting their ability to unearth the precious gifts among us"--