Cold and sleety outside—who cares! There was a warm glow in a black box theater where reg e Gaines was giving a workshop before an open mike in downtown Newark. What a gift! What an evening! What talented poets were gathered in that sacred space!
Tips reg shared, both for writing and performing our work:
Create “Miles Davis silences”—The legendary Miles Davis was a master of the pause—the silence between notes that defined and crystallized them. As reg says so well, “Never be afraid of the pauses,” between your words when you write or perform your work. “If you want a bigger impact, create more space.”
Rock your rhythm—reg grew up listening to jazz greats, and all his siblings are singers and musicians, so rhythm—notes, beats, and pauses infuse his his poetry and prose. He encourages us all as writers to find our own rhythm, especially by reading our words aloud. Rhythm is the heartbeat beneath our words—the pulse that carries them forward.
Make people listen with single-syllable words—Single syllable words punctuated by pauses grab your audience’s attention. Everyone leans forward to hear what comes next—and that’s what you want your audience to do—to lean in and listen.
Give your audience the “freedom to imagine”—Pictures and pauses allow your audience to visualize—to fill in the spaces between images and see what you are saying. You want to “shine a light on the world for the audience,” and help the people sitting in the dark to see what you see. If you are talking about something traumatic, you want them to “hear the tears in your words,” to have a “healing moment” with you.
Strive for imagery and efficiency—We’re in a world where everyone constantly scrolls on their cell phones—reg calls them “brain dead rotation devices.” This is our “enemy,” our “competition.” To win people’s time and attention, we need to enliven our work with pictures, and write with clarity and efficiency.
Embrace and contribute to community: At his workshop, reg urged us all to connect and stay in touch. The more we all come together and shine our lights and share with one another, the more we give each other strength and hope. It is so sweet and encouraging when someone tells you that something you’ve said at an open mike is beautiful and meaningful to them! Listening to each other lifts each of us up.
“Get out of your own way”—This means different things to different people. but, in the end, it’s about “being who you are.” “Do not make excuses for who you are…wear it like a badge of honor.”
Inspiring words from a master wordsmith! Bravo, reg—write on!
