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"When you commit your life to being a vessel as an artist, you witness magic." |
POET HERO:
SAUL WILLIAMS
by Geeta Malik
Many of us have dozed off as our English teacher began to drone on and on about poetry, which seemed boring and full of ancient people who wrote words we couldn't begin to understand or relate to. Then, the world discovered Saul Williams, an African-American poet/actor/musician, born in New York in 1972. His poetry takes its inspiration from hip hop, philosophy and politics, and he has been recognized throughout the nation as a visionary. Williams has helped to bring his form of poetry, known as Spoken Word, to the forefront. Spoken Word often consists of fast words that have an innate rhythm to them, like hip hop. Spoken Word artists often compete in arenas similar to rappers' battles, known as "slams," where one poet sounds off against another and the best poet wins.
Williams finished college with a degree in Philosophy, and received his Master's degree in Acting from New York University. After graduation, he began to attend open mic sessions in New York, and what he heard amazed him. "It was a great moment in my life," he says. "It felt like a calling." Williams began to write and perform his own poetry and, in 1996, he became the Nuyorican Poet's Cafe Grand Slam Champion. Following his success, Williams was approached with a movie role. The movie, released in 1998, is called "Slam," and details the life of a young man who discovers the power of poetry while in prison, and uses it to regain his sense of self. Williams and his poetry have also been featured in a variety of documentaries about the Spoken Word circuit. Williams is also a published writer and musician whose album, "Amethyst Rock Star," was critically acclaimed but ignored by most of the general public. He continues to perform his poetry at festivals around the country and is a role model for all people trying to express themselves using a medium closer to their hearts than the rigorous structure of mainstream poetry.
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Written by
Geeta Malik
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Slamnation.com Paul Devlin's "SlamNation" is a documentary about the 1996 National Poetry Slam held in Portland, Oregon. The documentary also features Saul and many other slam poets. The Nuyorican Poet's Cafe Find out about up-and-coming artists. Saul Williams.com Slam Poetry -- PDF format Read a paper on Slam poetry that includes examples and an extensive reference section. |
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To read about Saul Williams in Spanish, click here to visit Mi Heroe’s Saul Williams story.
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RECOMMENDED
READING | |
 Said the Shotgun to the Head by Saul Williams |
 The Seventh Octave: The Early Writings of Saul Stacey Williams by Saul Stacey Williams, Jessica C. Moore (Editor) |
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| A. Navoi wrote poetry over 500 years ago that has withstood the test of time. | Ada Aharoni works for peace between Israelis and Palestinians with poetry. | Alexander Pushkin is one of Russia's greatest writers. | Anna Akhmatova is considered one of Russia's best poets. |
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| Carl Sandburg wrote poems, stories and nonfiction about Americans and American life. | Chairil Anwar was a beloved Indonesian poet. | Christine de Pisan was a 15th century French poet. | Dante Alighieri contributed to Italian culture by his use of the Tuscan language instead of Latin. |
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| Doreen Van Lee writes about her Chicago childhood. | DuBose Heyward Wrote most of the lyrics to the famous musical, 'Porgy and Bess.' | Dylan Thomas : life will carry on, always with the same vigor. | Edgar Allan Poe was a renowned poet who overcame many hardships including depression. |
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| Edna St. Vincent Millay 's poetry was both popular and critically acclaimed. | Emily Elizabeth Dickinson wrote nearly 2,000 poems in her lifetime. | Emma Lazarus was an advocate for immigrants' rights and wrote the poem inscribed on the Statue of Liberty. | Hadraawi, Beloved Peacemaker / Poet of Somalia is a powerful voice for peace in his country. |
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| Henry Rago was a Poet and Professor whose poetry stands the test of time. | Ilse Bing was a remarkable poet and photographer. Her works withstand the test of time. | Isaac Rosenberg was a poet of the Great War. | Jack Prelutsky is a beloved children's book author, and the first Children's Poet Laureate |
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| Khwajeh Shams al-Din Muhammad Hafez-e Shirazi is a renowned Iranian poet. | Langston Hughes was nicknamed the Poet Laureate of Harlem. | Li Bai is often referred to as the 'God of Poets' in China. | Maria Josephine Barrios Filipina poet and activist |
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| Mariama Khan writes poetry to champion the cause of the voiceless. | Mattie Stepanek is a hero to people of all ages around the world. | Maya Angelou is a beloved female author and poet. | Naguib Mahfouz was the first Arab to receive the Nobel Prize in Literature. |
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| Ntozake Shange is the inventor of the choreopoem. | Pablo Neruda is the most widely read Latin-American poet. | Paul Laurence Dunbar was an African-American poet of the nineteenth century. | Phillis Wheatley was the first distinguished African-American poet. |
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| Robert Lee Frost was named 'the national bard.' | Robert Penn Warren was the first Poet Laureate of the United States. | Saul Williams is a Spoken Word Poet and Slam Champ. | Shel Silverstein was a poet, playwright, lyricist and good friend. |
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| Theodor Seuss (Dr. Seuss) Geisel | W.E.B. Dubois was a leading 19th century writer and scholar. | William Shakespeare wrote plays & poetry that continue to have a lasting effect on readers all over the world. |
Last changed on:3/25/2005 10:43:51 AM
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