MPR’s Perry Finelli interviews local poet who is a part of this year’s Poets on the Buses metro event. Poet reads a poem she will be performing.
MPR’s Perry Finelli interviews local poet who is a part of this year’s Poets on the Buses metro event. Poet reads a poem she will be performing.
SPEAKER: A group of local poets is hoping that some commuters this evening will be moved by more than the Metro Transit bus they're riding on. 18 poets will attempt to inspire riders during the third annual Poets on Buses, an event designed to help launch the Minneapolis Mosaic Festival of Arts. Spoken word artists will ride buses on major Minneapolis corridors, and perform for rush-hour commuters.
One of these poets, Karma The Oddest Goddess, will perform on routes along Hennepin Avenue. She joins us now. Good morning.
KARMA THE ODDEST GODDESS: Good morning.
SPEAKER: Have you ever performed on a bus before, or for a similar captive audience?
KARMA THE ODDEST GODDESS: No. I have not ever performed on a bus. I've daydreamed about it.
SPEAKER: So why put poets on buses?
KARMA THE ODDEST GODDESS: I think it's a great way to show the Twin Cities that there is art going on here, especially poetry. A lot of people that use public transportation come and go from a lot of different places, and will just be a way to show our faces and show that there's art going on right here at home.
SPEAKER: So you said you've never done this. How do you prepare for this kind of performance?
KARMA THE ODDEST GODDESS: Well, I'm using my imagination. I use public transportation. So I'm like, what do the people want to see? And I do a lot of writing on the bus, anyway.
SPEAKER: Describe what that performance will be like.
KARMA THE ODDEST GODDESS: Oh, what I'll be doing is, I'll be getting on the bus. I have [? Ashley ?] [INAUDIBLE]. She's another spoken word artist. We'll be just getting on buses, and starting from the moment we step up the stairs and say hello to the bus driver, we will perform pieces, and look at the people. And I think that it will just be good for people to see us.
SPEAKER: Will you give us a sample of one of your poems?
KARMA THE ODDEST GODDESS: Yes. I will.
It's been a long day, the clock hand moves slow,
If the bus driver would take me where I wanted to go, it would be home where the heart is,
Wait, stop the bus at that festival because I hear music, I see dance, I feel poetry,
Bus driver, stop there for me, Twin Cities, home is where the art is.
SPEAKER: What kind of reaction do you expect to see from riders?
KARMA THE ODDEST GODDESS: A surprise, you know?
SPEAKER: Yeah. I'm sure.
KARMA THE ODDEST GODDESS: You don't have poetry on buses, so it could be used as entertainment for the person with sore feet from a long day's work. It could be used as information for people who are just waiting to go home. And I expect to see a lot of different reactions. I don't see anything being negative. I mean, this is like a stage. We're going to use the walkway as a stage, so it's going to be interesting.
SPEAKER: I would like to know, though, what you'll do if riders don't react at all?
KARMA THE ODDEST GODDESS: We'll continue to carry on. You have to understand, if I was on a stage, there would be some people who will react, and some people who wouldn't react.
SPEAKER: So as a spoken word artist, what will you get out of this experience?
KARMA THE ODDEST GODDESS: Well, I get to see what it's like performing on the bus, first of all. And then, also be able to share my poetry with other people. And I think it's going to be a good experience. It'll give me something to write about as well.
SPEAKER: Yeah. Well, how about bus riders? What do you hope they feel by the time they get off the bus?
KARMA THE ODDEST GODDESS: I want them to feel like, you know what? You got New York. You got LA. We got Twin Cities right here. There are a lot, tons of poets, dancers, singers. It's right here in the Twin Cities. This is where the art is at.
SPEAKER: Yeah. Sounds good. Good luck. Thanks.
KARMA THE ODDEST GODDESS: Thank you.
SPEAKER: Karma The Oddest Goddess, a spoken word performance artist. She'll be riding buses up and down the Hennepin Avenue corridor today and tomorrow between 4:00 and 6:00 PM.
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