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	WILL YA REELING, WHEELING, FEELING POEM FOR WIL PERKINS SCAT POET EXTRAORDINAIRE Kimmika L. H. Williams

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Wil Perkins Memorial
June 24, 2000
Painted Bride Art Center
Philadelphia, PA USA

Splitting verb
With hyperbole
Lassoing lyrical minutia
Limerick
And binding
Winding
Rhythm
With musical beat
None other
Could compete.
His-
Was like Miles &
Monk &
Coltrane.
Playing syllables
Sound and rhythm
Mere tools
In "this" son of Shango's
Hand
Mouth
Movement
Verse
Song
Scat
Post structuralist
Fusing
Image and intent
'twixt and 'tween
rhymes
like "this" and "that"
hip
skipper
dip
flipper
dipping
into the sounds of
"color me black"
clearly
nearly
on/off
the beaten track
Poet
On the edge.
Chant,
Scream
Make you wanna holler
It's a shame
Those
Who propose
To know
See, feel,
Paint, play
Against the grain
Can't make a dollar
Speak
Chant
Say,
Expound, exhalt
Pose
In poetic prose,
I suppose.
Hold a note
Till it
Turns
On its urn
And burns
Into prayer
Wail,
If you want to
'cause Wil Perkins is dead
but the sound
like I said
the echo and the rhythm
the juju in the precision
the mojo in the percussion
the voodoo in
the hip/hop,
bop, pop, buzz, ting
the deconstructed message
at the "smack"
of the thing
More diviner
Than mere poet
Language alone
Insufficient.
King of "nommo"!
Here's
To what you left us
A moment of "sound"
As praise!

"Miles" by Shirley Kirkes Mar

Kimmika Williams-Witherspoon, M.A. Anthropology, MFA (Theater),Graduate Certificate) Women's Studies, B.A. (Journalism); is an Assistant Professor in the Theater Department at Temple University and a Future Faculty Fellow in the Anthropology Department, finishing up a Ph.D in Cultural Anthropology. A 2001 Independence Foundation Theater Communications Group Grant, the 2000 winner of the PEW Charitable Trust $50,000 fellowship in scriptwriting, and the 1999, winner of the DaimlerChrysler "Spirit of the Word" National Poetry Competition (Seattle) at the Unity'99 Conference, Kimmika Williams has also been the recipient of a host of awards and honors, including the DaimlerChrysler Regional Poetry Contest (Philadelphia), the 1996, Lila Wallace Creative Arts Fellowship with the American Antiquarian Society and a two-time returning playwright with the Minneapolis Playwrights' Center and Pew Charitable Trusts Playwrights Exchange.

Williams was, at one time, Arts Producer for public radio, WXPN-88.5, reporter and columnist with the Philadelphia Tribune and television editor for the Chicago-based "Maceba Affairs Media Review" Magazine. As a journalist, Williams' articles and essays have appeared in the "Hammer" Journal, "Dialogue", the Philadelphia REAL NEWS, POETS & WRITERS Magazine, THE OTHER SIDE, the New York GUARDIAN NEWSWEEKLY, the DAILY MUSE, BLACK AMERICA MAGAZINE, PHILLY BEAT, HIGH PERFORMANCE MAGAZINE and the PHILADELPHIA DAILY NEWS. In 1986, she was commended for outstanding journalism by the Philadelphia Veterans Administration.

Her stage credits include, "From Brillo Pads To Feminine Pads Raw Abrasives", "A Product of Pop Culture and Pissed", "Nappy Truth", "Common Folk", "A CHAINED FOOT STUMBLING ON A NEW WORLD", "GUMBO", "WE THE PEOPLE", "IZZY", "THE BLACK DIAMOND" and "WHERE WERE YOU IN '65". As a playwright, Williams-Witherspoon has had fourteen of her plays produced in professional theater, including "From Brillo Pads To Feminine Pads Raw Abrasives" (Women's Festival/Painted Bride), "Dog Days The Legend of O.V. Catto" (Venture Theater),"By What Price Unity" and "Nappy Truths" (Penumbra Theater, Saint Paul, Minn.).

Williams is a recipient of numerous Residency, Teaching and Community Service Awards, including citations from City Council, The Goode Admin., the Women's International League for Peace and Freedom and the key to the city of Scranton, Pennsylvania by Mayor James P. Connors in 1992. A contributing poet to several anthologies including (2001) Houston Poetry Fest Anthology; (2000) Split Verse Poems of healing; (2000) Houston Poetry Fest Anthology; (2000) Austin Poetry Anthology; Sunlight on the Moon (1999), 1999 Essence Magazine; Hard Love Writings on Violence and Intimacy,(1997); "Hip Mama", EROITQUE NOIRE BLACK EROTICA, (1992), NEW BLACK POETRY (1988), SAY THAT THE RIVER TURNS (1987) and CONCERNED POETS ON THE MOVE (1986), Williams-Witherspoon is the auther of seven other volumes of poetry, the forthcoming spoken word CD 2Deep with Lois Moses, the 1985 spoken word hit tape, Don't Call Me a Bitch and the soon-to-be released short story collection, Never Alone Tales from the 'Hood.

http//www.GlobalActivity.com/Kimmika
http//www.msnhomepages.talkcity.com/LibraryLawn/thereal3/KimmikaWilliams.html

E-mail Kimmika L. H. Williams at
comments@moondance.org

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