Buddy Wakefield
Encyclopedia
Buddy Wakefield is an American performance poet/slam poet, whose latest works have been released by Righteous Babe Records
(CD) and Write Bloody Publishing
(books).
and raised in Baytown, Texas
. In 2001, he left his position as an executive assistant for a biomedical firm in Gig Harbor, Washington, sold or gave away everything he owned, and moved into a Honda Civic
to tour North American poetry venues.
In 2004 and again in 2005, Buddy Wakefield won the Individual World Poetry Slam Championship title, becoming the first poet to win the title two consecutive years. Wakefield has been a member of several slam poetry teams, including Team Seattle in 2006 and 2007.
Wakefield continues to make his living through his poetry and performance. In addition to touring the country solo, Wakefield has also been a core member of several traveling poetry groups, including 2007's Solomon Sparrow's Electric Whale Revival, 2008's Junkyard Ghost Revival, 2009's Elephant Engine High Dive Revival and 2010's Night Kite Revival, where he shared the stage with poets such as Derrick Brown, Anis Mojgani
, Andrea Gibson
and Cristin O'Keefe Aptowicz
, among others.
When not on tour, Wakefield lives in Seattle, Washington. He currently serves on the board of Youth Speaks Seattle, a non-profit literary arts organization.
), Live for a Living (2007, Write Bloody Publishing
). and Gentleman Practice (2011, Write Bloody Publishing
)
Wakefield has also released three full-length spoken word albums. In 1999, he self-produced A Stretch of Presence
. In 2006, Run On Anything
was produced and released by Strange Famous Records
.
In 2009, Live at the Typer Cannon Grand was produced and released by Ani DiFranco
's Righteous Babe Records
. The album contains both studio-produced tracks and recordings of live performances, including several from Wakefield's numerous times opening for DiFranco on her tour.
named Wakefield as "the modern poetry slam role model." She wrote,
Righteous Babe Records
Righteous Babe Records is an American independent record label. It was created by progressive folksinger Ani DiFranco in 1990 to release her own songs in lieu of being beholden to a mainstream record company.-History:...
(CD) and Write Bloody Publishing
Write Bloody Publishing
-Authors:Authors published include: *Derrick C. Brown *Andrea Gibson*Anis Mojgani*Buddy Wakefield*Cristin O'Keefe Aptowicz*Karen Finneyfrock*Lea Deschenes*Mindy Nettifee*Paul G. Maziar*Robbie Q. Telfer*Taylor Mali...
(books).
Biography
Buddy Wakefield was born in Shreveport, LouisianaShreveport, Louisiana
Shreveport is the third largest city in Louisiana. It is the principal city of the fourth largest metropolitan area in the state of Louisiana and is the 109th-largest city in the United States....
and raised in Baytown, Texas
Baytown, Texas
Baytown is a city within Harris County and partially in Chambers County in the Gulf Coast region of the U.S. state of Texas. Located within the Houston–Sugar Land–Baytown metropolitan area, it lies along both State Highway 146 and Interstate 10. As of 2010, Baytown had an population of 71,802...
. In 2001, he left his position as an executive assistant for a biomedical firm in Gig Harbor, Washington, sold or gave away everything he owned, and moved into a Honda Civic
Honda Civic
The Honda Civic is a line of subcompact and subsequently compact cars made and manufactured by Honda. The Civic, along with the Accord and Prelude, comprised Honda's vehicles sold in North America until the 1990s, when the model lineup was expanded...
to tour North American poetry venues.
In 2004 and again in 2005, Buddy Wakefield won the Individual World Poetry Slam Championship title, becoming the first poet to win the title two consecutive years. Wakefield has been a member of several slam poetry teams, including Team Seattle in 2006 and 2007.
Wakefield continues to make his living through his poetry and performance. In addition to touring the country solo, Wakefield has also been a core member of several traveling poetry groups, including 2007's Solomon Sparrow's Electric Whale Revival, 2008's Junkyard Ghost Revival, 2009's Elephant Engine High Dive Revival and 2010's Night Kite Revival, where he shared the stage with poets such as Derrick Brown, Anis Mojgani
Anis Mojgani
Anis Mojgani is a spoken word poet, visual artist and musician based in Portland, Oregon.Mojgani has been characterized as a "geek genius" with "fiercely hopeful word arias"...
, Andrea Gibson
Andrea Gibson
Andrea Gibson born April 22, 1975 is an award-winning poet and activist. She currently lives in Colorado. Her poetry focuses on gender norms, politics, and today's struggles facing non-heterosexual people. Gibson disclosed that she chose to write what was in her bones and thus these subject...
and Cristin O'Keefe Aptowicz
Cristin O'Keefe Aptowicz
Cristin O'Keefe Aptowicz is an American poet and writer. Recently, she was awarded a 2011 National Endowment for the Arts Fellowship for Poetry.-Life:...
, among others.
When not on tour, Wakefield lives in Seattle, Washington. He currently serves on the board of Youth Speaks Seattle, a non-profit literary arts organization.
Books and records
Wakefield has published three books of poetry: Some They Can't Contain (2004, originally The Wordsmith Press; reissued by Write Bloody PublishingWrite Bloody Publishing
-Authors:Authors published include: *Derrick C. Brown *Andrea Gibson*Anis Mojgani*Buddy Wakefield*Cristin O'Keefe Aptowicz*Karen Finneyfrock*Lea Deschenes*Mindy Nettifee*Paul G. Maziar*Robbie Q. Telfer*Taylor Mali...
), Live for a Living (2007, Write Bloody Publishing
Write Bloody Publishing
-Authors:Authors published include: *Derrick C. Brown *Andrea Gibson*Anis Mojgani*Buddy Wakefield*Cristin O'Keefe Aptowicz*Karen Finneyfrock*Lea Deschenes*Mindy Nettifee*Paul G. Maziar*Robbie Q. Telfer*Taylor Mali...
). and Gentleman Practice (2011, Write Bloody Publishing
Write Bloody Publishing
-Authors:Authors published include: *Derrick C. Brown *Andrea Gibson*Anis Mojgani*Buddy Wakefield*Cristin O'Keefe Aptowicz*Karen Finneyfrock*Lea Deschenes*Mindy Nettifee*Paul G. Maziar*Robbie Q. Telfer*Taylor Mali...
)
Wakefield has also released three full-length spoken word albums. In 1999, he self-produced A Stretch of Presence
A Stretch of Presence
A Stretch of Presence is the first album by Buddy Wakefield.-Track listing:# Some They Can't Contain# A Little Ditty Called Happiness# Stretch So Strong# Cannonball Man# Opal People# Middle Distance# All The Time# Marbles in the Trees...
. In 2006, Run On Anything
Run on Anything
Run On Anything is an album by Buddy Wakefield. It is his first album since signing to Strange Famous Records, whose owner, Sage Francis is featured on the song "I Got Gone".-Track listing:# Healing Herman Hesse# Cannonball Man...
was produced and released by Strange Famous Records
Strange Famous Records
Strange Famous Records is an underground hip-hop music label based in Providence, Rhode Island, started by Sage Francis. Artists on its roster include B...
.
In 2009, Live at the Typer Cannon Grand was produced and released by Ani DiFranco
Ani DiFranco
Ani DiFranco is an American Grammy Award-winning singer, guitarist, poet, and songwriter. She has released more than 20 albums, and is widely considered a feminist icon.-Biography:...
's Righteous Babe Records
Righteous Babe Records
Righteous Babe Records is an American independent record label. It was created by progressive folksinger Ani DiFranco in 1990 to release her own songs in lieu of being beholden to a mainstream record company.-History:...
. The album contains both studio-produced tracks and recordings of live performances, including several from Wakefield's numerous times opening for DiFranco on her tour.
Influence
Wakefield has had a profound impact on the contemporary poetry slam movement, both in his performance and writing style as well as how he has conducted his career. In her book, Words in Your Face: A Guided Tour Through Twenty Years of the New York City Poetry Slam, author Cristin O'Keefe AptowiczCristin O'Keefe Aptowicz
Cristin O'Keefe Aptowicz is an American poet and writer. Recently, she was awarded a 2011 National Endowment for the Arts Fellowship for Poetry.-Life:...
named Wakefield as "the modern poetry slam role model." She wrote,
Discography
- Live at the Typer Cannon Grand (2009) Righteous Babe RecordsRighteous Babe RecordsRighteous Babe Records is an American independent record label. It was created by progressive folksinger Ani DiFranco in 1990 to release her own songs in lieu of being beholden to a mainstream record company.-History:...
- Run On AnythingRun on AnythingRun On Anything is an album by Buddy Wakefield. It is his first album since signing to Strange Famous Records, whose owner, Sage Francis is featured on the song "I Got Gone".-Track listing:# Healing Herman Hesse# Cannonball Man...
(2006) Strange Famous RecordsStrange Famous RecordsStrange Famous Records is an underground hip-hop music label based in Providence, Rhode Island, started by Sage Francis. Artists on its roster include B... - A Stretch of PresenceA Stretch of PresenceA Stretch of Presence is the first album by Buddy Wakefield.-Track listing:# Some They Can't Contain# A Little Ditty Called Happiness# Stretch So Strong# Cannonball Man# Opal People# Middle Distance# All The Time# Marbles in the Trees...
(1999) Independently released
Anthologies
- Elephant Engine High Dive Revival, Write Bloody PublishingWrite Bloody Publishing-Authors:Authors published include: *Derrick C. Brown *Andrea Gibson*Anis Mojgani*Buddy Wakefield*Cristin O'Keefe Aptowicz*Karen Finneyfrock*Lea Deschenes*Mindy Nettifee*Paul G. Maziar*Robbie Q. Telfer*Taylor Mali...
, 2008. - Junkyard Ghost Revival, Write Bloody PublishingWrite Bloody Publishing-Authors:Authors published include: *Derrick C. Brown *Andrea Gibson*Anis Mojgani*Buddy Wakefield*Cristin O'Keefe Aptowicz*Karen Finneyfrock*Lea Deschenes*Mindy Nettifee*Paul G. Maziar*Robbie Q. Telfer*Taylor Mali...
, 2008. - The Last American Valentine: Illustrated poems to seduce and destroyThe Last American Valentine: Illustrated poems to seduce and destroyThe Last American Valentine is an anthology published by Write Bloody Publishing in 2008.- Reviews :"Poems of romantic power and humor...A gorgeously successful union." ~ New York Times Book Review"4 out of 3 stars...
, Write Bloody PublishingWrite Bloody Publishing-Authors:Authors published include: *Derrick C. Brown *Andrea Gibson*Anis Mojgani*Buddy Wakefield*Cristin O'Keefe Aptowicz*Karen Finneyfrock*Lea Deschenes*Mindy Nettifee*Paul G. Maziar*Robbie Q. Telfer*Taylor Mali...
, 2008. - Spoken Word Revolution Redux, Sourcebook, Inc, 2008.
- Solomon Sparrow's Electric Whale Revival, Write Bloody PublishingWrite Bloody Publishing-Authors:Authors published include: *Derrick C. Brown *Andrea Gibson*Anis Mojgani*Buddy Wakefield*Cristin O'Keefe Aptowicz*Karen Finneyfrock*Lea Deschenes*Mindy Nettifee*Paul G. Maziar*Robbie Q. Telfer*Taylor Mali...
, 2007. - Freedom To Speak: The Best of the 2002 National Poetry Slam, The Wordsmith Press, 2003.
External links
- Buddy Wakefield's Official Site
- Wakefield's Page on Righteous Babe Records website
- Audio of Wakefield's Poetry, as heard on Indiefeed Performance Poetry Podcast
- Poem: Information Man
- Poem: Human The Death Dance
- Preview for "The Drums Inside Your Chest" Poetry Concert Film featuring Wakefield
- Buddy Wakefield's Twitter Profile