Buddy Wakefield at the Film Building

The reading I went to was actually on my birthday, February 28. It took place at the Conway center, otherwise known as the film building. The main attraction was a performance poet named Buddy Wakefield, and he was actually on his first tour in seven years. It was an interesting experience, as I have never been to a poetry reading before. I chose this one partially out of necessity, but also because I like the performance space at the Conway center.

The event opened up with "literary death match" between students of the two Columbia organizations "Verbatim" and "Silvertongue". Contestants competed against each other by reading their pieces. The competitive aspect wasn't heightened a lot though, it was more just to have fun with and have something to get the audience engaged. One of the announcers mentioned that a big aspect of poetry readings was vulnerability, and that stuck with me for some reason.

Buddy came off almost like a stand-up comedian. He didn't sound like he had anything prepared and he just sort of made conversation with the audience. At first, his readings came off the same way. As the night went on, his poems started to take a more serious tone. It got to a point where he was almost rapping his lyrics as he really got into his rhythms. Nonetheless, he still was able to make the audience laugh with his satirical, as well as sincere, sense of humor.

What I enjoyed most about the reading was the idea of vulnerability. I had connected this concept mainly with actors, but I had never realized how much it also applies to poets, or any performance art for that matter. After realizing that idea, it became something very different than just listening to a guy on a stage. It wasn't the same sense I get when I go to see a music show, and perceive the people on stage as somewhat mythical and different from the crowd. It was a much stronger sense of familiarity and relation.

It's hard to say what would have made my experience better. I think I should have taken a notebook and actually wrote some things down because feel like there were other things I learned that I can't remember now. All and all, it was an enlightening experience.