The Power of the Spoken Word
All my favorite books read well aloud. I like sentences that find their own distinctive rhythms, while maintaining the cadence of the stories in which they are written. I despise long blocks of back-and-forth dialogue with no references as to who is speaking. I actually like adverbs. Most of the time.
I appreciate writing that rolls off the tongue, that sounds fluid. I try to write that way. I don’t know that I always succeed, but I do put forth my best effort.
Spoken word artists have my utmost respect. It is such an incredible skill, so modern, yet so ancient in its tradition, and something I would love to find the courage to do one day.
Recently, I stumbled upon a spoken word piece that absolutely floored me, and it flashed me back to Noah St. John’s performance on The Fosters in the first half of the season.
When it’s good, spoken word is so incredibly good.
So, here’s Noah St. John on the Fosters –
And this one that recently put a spell on me by Marshall Davis Jones –