VAV Magazine Presents:
Hello, everyone!
Synthia here. I guess when you stay with who's going on, you get to know what's hot, and hardly anything is just plain out not, because poetry has an unnatural heat. Life is indeed the notes of what poetry is going on and you see things and feel things and you know things you could not even begin to explain to others. Our poets are in the movement and motion side of everything.
Synthia: Marc, I absolutely love what you are doing! It feels good to
know there is someone keeping poetry at the front line of life. Please enlighten
our readers on who you are, how long you've been doing this, where you're from
and a little about what you're doing.
Marc: What motivates me to write? No one thing motivates me to write.
Life motivates me to write a book--everything. Venus had a venue [that]
motivates me to write; being outside, some 80-year-old woman picking up trash
may inspire me to write…any little thing inspires me to write. That's why when I
hear poets say things like “writer's block”, I just say, “Dude, you ain't
listening. It's so many poems out there and so many issues it's out here for you
to write about it--you just have to listen. Open your eyes grab it.”
Marc: (sighs) Oh wow, yeah but…yes, I don't quite how to explain
what's speaking to me, [but] I definitely know that it's a positive energy. You
know, [it] has something to do with God in some form if not God. It's funny
because my homie was listening to my CD:(The Day You’re Born),
and he was comparing a line from another poet and he said, “Maybe you guys are
moving in the same energy.” It's all connected to your ancestors and Malcolm and
Martin, even back to Egypt. I mean, life is all connected. I know there's
something running through my veins. I'm not at that point of complete
understanding, but I'm aware that something is going on. You just gotta follow
your heart, maybe you'll figure it out.
Synthia: (chuckles) Alright, okay, no argument here. Speaking of
getting naked, poetically speaking, being that you are a celeb on the poetic
scene, our female followers want to know is there a ring-wearer or chain-bearer
in your life at this time?
Marc: (laughs) Well, right now, the only connection I have is my son; he is first and foremost. I'm recently single and I'm loving that, she taught me a lot, but right now I'm digging this single thing and I'm not looking for love, but I won't turn it down if it comes way.
.
Synthia: So I'm sure a lot of ladies are excited to know that lil' piece
of info. So, how do you feel about poetry and spoken word getting more exposure,
on a worldwide genre and Grammy-type level?
Marc: I love it, I love it, and I love every good thing for poetry,
whether it be Slams Poetry, Open Mics, Def Jams Poetry, in somebody's
house--everything dealing with poetry and getting it out there making people
aware is good. A lot people like to down Slams [but] if you don't like it that's
cool, you don't have to slam, there's other avenues you can take. Other people
want to 'dis' Def Poetry. 100% of the people who Def Poetry are poets and 80% of
them didn't get chosen when they submitted their tapes in and didn't get picked
and that's why they do it. It don't bother me none; I've heard awesome poets on
Def Poetry Jams and in Slams. For me, it's all out here…you just have to come
out here. One thing about poets is that they're so critical and they don't like
being criticized. I look at everything as it's all good. We need it; it's all
good. People just have to stop putting limitations on the way poetry should be
[because] poetry was the first instrument without musical instruments used
because our voice is an instrument, Country music is poetry… we just need to
stay positive.
(giggles) I write Country Music.
Marc: You do? (laughs) That's dope--you write country music. My favorite country song is “The Gambler.” (sings the chorus)
Synthia: How do you feel
when you're on stage?
Marc: I love it. I feel alive; it seems like I save all my energy for that short time that I'm on stage. It's strange because in my younger years, I was wild getting into everything [and] in my later years, I've calmed down…traveling has made me calm down, and performing has made me calm down even more. It's like I calm in my life, but when I get on stage, I release. I think when poets get on stage it should be an extension of themselves [and] that's how it is for me…it's like the most intense part of me and I wish I could stay up there for hours. I love it up there. The most uncomfortable thing for me was talking to the crowd between pieces [but] I've gotten better; it used to be a problem for me but the more you get up there the better you get. You gotta mingle with the crowd talk to them like you know them, and get comfortable with everybody. I'd like to think I've gotten better at that.
Synthia: And you are good. I can feel your plight and your words and for
the ladies; it's not only because he's sexy--even though you are a sexy man.
Marc, being that you are more than just sexy and in fact your social
issues--those things that are automatically labeled as "political"--it's on my
mind to ask you, do you feel like the weight of the world is in your mind or on
your shoulders and if so, why?
Marc: That's a good question. Sometimes I do [and] sometimes I don't
because I feel like any weight that is put on you--I feel like any weight that
is on me, I'm putting on myself, I mean [because] nobody can put anything on me
that I don't let be put there. Sometimes, you go into these venues and they'll
put you on some kind of level and they expect you to be on that level all the
time so they see you as only as good as your last piece, and if your latest
piece wasn't as dope as your last piece they say your slipping. So I tell poets,
you know I hate artists that come out with something every five years… I put out
a album every nine months like women be dropping babies, and I just don't under
stand if you're a musician or a poet or a painter, you should be painting, you
should be writing, you should be making music. Stop hibernating for five years,
like you a damn bear… to me people who do that are opportunists [because] they
take advantage of whatever limelight that's going get them paid. They ain't true
to their art. I'm true to my art…you'll know when I give this shit up. I mean,
I'm always writing and I believe in being a scholar of my work, study, read
books, read the newspaper, read novels [because] soon or later you get
empty...on a constant search for knowledge.
Synthia: Just a few more short ones and I'll let you get back to your
networking.
Marc: No problem. I'm alright.
Synthia: How was your experience in Houston and, in fact, in Texas for
the most part?
Marc: Man, I love it. Texas showed me so much love--Houston, Austin, San
Antonio, I love y'all for real. I don't when I'm coming back, but I hope to be
down hear sooner than I had planned, because I need to hit all the other cities,
so I hope to get back down here soon but don't quote me on a date. I was talking
one of my homegirls and I told her I wish I could teleport to hottest venues.
(laughs softly) I really wish I could come back in the year 3000 and be a
poet again so I could do it all over again. I would love to get back at the end
of the summer, I don't know if it's possible yet though. I want to tell
everybody out there that Texas got it going on…Texas got it going on for real.
Changed my life.
Synthia: What bit of information would you give to the poet or artist
coming to Texas? What should they know while in Texas?
Marc: Just be you and you will be received, be a people person, don't
come up with an ego, just get ready to feel like you're at home, even if you're
from New York, but it's a little different…the people are so hospitable, they
make me feel like I'm in Baltimore--aside from the cold weather and the gun
shooting.
Synthia: We got the gun shooting, not the cold weather. (laughs)
Marc: I haven't had chance to see it. Y'all good, I mean from what I seen
so far. The south in general is more hospitable. If you're traveling and doing
this you gotta be ready for everything-- the good times and hard times and there
will be hard times. You just gotta be ready and prepared and that's wherever you
go. I encourage them to go to all the venues not just the ones you heard were
the hottest venue, because you going to have a bad day. You gotta do it all 'cuz
you going have those nights when you feel like you need to get in touch with
Donald Trump, like you should be on "Apprentice" (lol) and it's people out here
that need to hear it, so you gotta be true to it. Poets coming down to Houston,
get ready to have a good time. For real.
Synthia: I'm glad to hear that, we try.
Marc: For real.
Synthia: As we end this interview, I would like to know what impact does
female writers have on your writing as a whole, if any at all?
Marc: Well, they definitely have an impact on my writing, and everything
else. It's like this--80 percent of your buyers will be women so if you think
you're going to come selling everything on only that, fuck Bush-shit you got
another think coming… brother (note: does this go right here?) kidding
me, that shit not going happen. You gotta be diverse and cover more than just
one thing. You know, you have to. When I first started writing, I didn't write
sexual pieces, but a year or two into it I wanted to branch out with my writing.
I didn't want to be known as just a revolutionary, Black struggle type of poet.
I want to be a writer, [so] I want to write about anything and everything. I'm
inspired by women and I can't begin to names of [the] many female poets, writers
and spoken word artists. For the most part, I'm inspired by great writing--male
or female…just good works. I like to go into a venue and not be the only one; I
want to leave inspired by someone else. I love that. I love that feeling, so
that's real.
Synthia: I have to ask you this question and leave you with this
comment.
Marc: This your last one? You can ask me more I don't mind
Synthia: VAV is embarking on a non-profit venture that involves housing
Spoken Word Artist/Poets… three per month for up to 14 days while they
perform--alleviating hotel fees. Do you feel like other cities can benefit from
getting involved? How do you feel about this mission? Will it be a needed
service for those traveling?
Marc: Capital "Y", capital "E", capital "S"! I shouldn't even have to add
on that, but I will--YES! I wish there were more groups like that even like in
other cities trying to put something together like that; this poetry scene is
like my own like 'Chitterling Circuit' and any kind of way of God. Yes, poets
would love that, poets would appreciate that…poets would love it. I mean, if
they're not appreciative of that, they don't appreciate a lot of things and
that's just that. But poets need to understand about giving--if someone gives
you something you should be prepared to give of yourself, you should feel like
it's not expected of you, but you expect yourself to do your part.
Synthia: Exposure of a cause brings builds bridges.
Marc: I'm so receptive to young poets out here… no matter what questions.
[If] they got questions for me, I'm always down to talk to them. There are
people who schooled me to the game. You gotta be out here you, gotta be willing
to work. I think [the retreat] is a good idea. I can't wait for you to get
started the sooner you get started, the sooner I get back out here.
Synthia: We're working on it, we're working hard to get it together.
Thank you so much, Mr. Marc Guy QwaZim Marcel for allowing VAV to have a little
of your time, and if you have anyone that you would like to thank or anything
else that you would like to say, this would be the perfect opportunity.
Marc: Everybody, just everybody… all the poets… my heart is so big [so] I
just say everyone who has something to do with poetry, everybody...
Synthia: And that concludes my interview with Marc Marcel.