Akilah Oliver at the Poetry Project

I went to an amazing reading last night by Akilah Oliver. She blew me away. I've always loved her work, the way she works with and through language. And the body and identity and memory. All from this very intimate but also intellectual position, but at the same time anti-intellectual.

But I hadn't heard her read in such a long time. Maybe a decade. Could that be? She was an amazing reader. The first piece was a heart-wrenching exploration of grief that was done with a harmonium accompaniment. I usually don't care for the music/poetry pairing, but this was absolutely fabulous, it worked so well. Akilah's reading style is already musical, and the sounds just sort of buoyed her voice, helped carry it. The reading was in the sanctuary and it was amazing how her words filled the space. I am really glad I went to this reading, it was one of the best ones I've been to ever.

Here, from The Putterer's Notebook (out of context etc)

"where is your embodiment? this small obsession of becoming and collapse."

"What is the primary duty of repair?"