Marcus Amaker
Author archive
… and we are the flawless
God took a selfie before the Big Bang and noticed the sadness in his eyes. Loneliness covered his face in darkness; depression awakened the need for light. Heaven was a tiny house with just enough room for God to meditate and dream of a universe devoid of vanity. Soon, space expanded from a single snapshot […]
All of my purple life
May 19, 2016
Thoughts from a mega fan. My speech at the Charleston Music Hall, prior to a showing of Prince’s “Purple Rain” on May 18, 2016. I don’t have a good memory. I have a hard time recalling names and moments from my past. Sometimes, it’s hard for me to remember what I did last weekend, much […]
Surround Sound, at Redux
May 7, 2016
My first official show as tape loop is in the books. MAN, it was an amazing time. About 80 people came to Redux for the Surround Sound show … I’m so thankful for the love and good energy from everyone involved. Pam and Jason spun records, Nick Jenkins and I performed on stage and the […]
Writing poetry for people on a typewriter
April 30, 2016
Some poets and I had the chance to set up shop at the Charleston Farmers Market, armed with a ton of blank paper and … a typewriter. We were there to celebrate the last day of National Poetry Month. We charged people $1 for a poem. It was amazing how many people loved the idea. […]
Why I love A Tribe Called Quest
March 25, 2016
The first “poem” I wrote was a verse-by-verse cover of A Tribe Called Quest’s “Butter,” from The Low End Theory. I put “poem” in quotes because I really didn’t know what I was doing – I was just really enthralled with the rhyme style of Phife Dawg. The year was 1991, and I still had […]
Poem – “surround sound (she reads me like music)”
if our love is a record player then our bodies are the speakers. my voice is wired into you and this poem will shine a light on the revolution of our union as we find the grooves within each other. side 1, track 1: the needle drops to expose the clarity that lies within the […]
I’m on the cover of the Charleston City Paper. What?
January 29, 2016
Someone on Facebook said that I’m having a good year. I can’t argue that. The mayoral inauguration poem , the branding of the Charleston Jazz Festival and now … this! I’m so grateful to be included in this Charleston City Paper story. My little portion of the story talks about naps, Moe’s Crosstown, gin and […]
The Charleston Mayoral Inauguration Poem – “Reimagining History”
It’s a beautiful time to be in Charleston. As we transition into a new year, we celebrate a new mayor, John Tecklenburg. John and his wife, Sandy, reached out to Marjory Wentworth and I last year after we performed a free benefit concert for the families of the Emanuel AME victims. At that event, the […]
Videos for the Children’s Museum of the Lowcountry
December 23, 2015
The Children’s Museum of the Lowcountry offers hands-on exhibits for kids, including parties, programs, camps & classes such as yoga & dance. I had the pleasure of doing a series of videos for them, and I’m super proud of how they turned out. See the videos below, and learn more about the Children’s Museum of […]
New album – “the drum machine”
October 28, 2015
Happy to announce my new album, “the drum machine.” It’s a 31-minute electronic music album recorded at home in Charleston. The theme? Beats. It’s also an homage to my music from the last 10 years. I did my first album as tape loop in 2005 after buying a Boss DR 202 drum machine. That album, […]
