Poems
Thank you for being here. This is the digital space for my new and old poems. I was named Charleston, SC's first Poet Laureate in 2016. Buy my books from my official online store and check out some of my poetry videos. My 11th poetry book is we deserve a world without war.
Glossy to matte: redesigning my poetry book through Createspace
April 7, 2015
I am obsessive about graphic design. It’s hard for me to look at any logo, poster, movie, album or book without thinking about the fonts, colors or paper that was used. (Everyone smells books, right?) Paper is super important, and I’m in the process of updating some of my older work from a glossy to […]
Poem – “self portrait (in bloom)”
when i was in the 8th grade, i wore baggy pants and my bookbag on my chest because i was not bold enough to throw the monkey off my back. inside of the backpack was a lack of confidence weighing me down. i had not found my voice. this is the portrait of a black […]
Video: Young poets in Charleston, SC
My poetic energy is moving toward youth poetry. Hopefully, my experience in the art form can help the students improve their writing. Charleston is home to a lot of talented, forward-thinking young poets. I’ve been blessed to be a part of Matthew Foley’s Holy City Youth Slam, an organization that is bringing together youths in […]
My 16 favorite albums of 2014
December 31, 2014
2014 was another stellar year for music. It started in January with a great album from Mogwai (Rave Tapes), and ended in December with the instant classic Black Messiah, from D’Angelo. Here’s the rundown of my favorite records: 1. FLYING LOTUS, You’re Dead! Death is a topic that can be untouchable – not many artists […]
Poem: b r e a t h e
two words with two G’s spread hate like a disease the smoke is everywhere and i can’t breathe. it only took one arm to squeeze the life out of an unarmed man the only thing in his hands were the lifelines embedded on his palms, now we stand on the front lines singing songs of […]
Photos of Lockwood Murphy and Sarah Kenney
December 8, 2014
I was asked to take photos of a friend’s proposal: Lockwood planned to propose to his girlfriend (now fiancé!), Sarah Kenney, at the Battery. I’m definitely not a photographer, but I think the pics turned out pretty solid! See for yourself. Congrats to the couple! Nice to see so many good people choosing to get […]
New videography work: Komen Race for the Cure, 2014
November 14, 2014
The video I did for last year’s Komen Race is one of my favorite videography pieces. So, I put a lot of pressure on myself to make this one just as impressive. This year was special because Jordan was the Chair of the whole Race, so I was able to hear more about the behind-the-scenes […]
MANCATION 2014: Cleveland
October 9, 2014
Sights and sounds from the annual MANCATION trip to Cleveland. BAM
Review: Prince, Art Official Age & PLECTRUMELECTRUM
September 29, 2014
Being a Prince fan can sometimes feel like being on a roller coaster. The highs are out of this world, but the lows are inevitable. For every great record like 3121, you’ll get a less-than-stellar album like Planet Earth, just one year later. But believe me, his two latest albums, ART OFFICIAL AGE and PLECTRUMELECTRUM, […]
Poem: “CODE.”
If I write lines of poems like I write lines of code, no comma would be out of place and every quotation mark left open would throw the whole piece off center. Maybe coding is, in fact, poetry. Maybe life is, in fact, poetry and we are the result of a Universal code where X’s […]
Somewhere in West London …
August 27, 2014
I have many favorite artists. Most of you know about the heavy hitters on my list: Prince, Joni Mitchell, Ani Difranco, PJ Harvey, Tori, Tribe. On that list as well is Kate Bush, and she’s making news because she performed her first concert in 35 years last night in London. It’s part of a 22 […]
Poem: Brother Denmark
(about Denmark Vesey) the history books tell us that you won your freedom when you won the lottery, but freedom isn’t something you win – freedom is a birthright. freedom is as seamless as your name, even when it was changed by a captain who claimed to control the sea. But God is the only […]
