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HBO sits down with Def Poet Dahlak Brathwaite . . .
HBO:
How did you get into writing poetry?
Dahlak Brathwaite:
I got into writing poetry by way of a friend who opened an open mic at a nearby café. She invited me to come because she knew I MC'd, and she told me it was all the same, it's just spoken word. So I went there, and seen a little bit, and as I heard more spoken word, I saw it as another outlet for me to express myself.
HBO:
How would you describe your poetic style?
Dahlak Brathwaite:
My poetic style is uh - very intense. I like to, what we call in the bay - bust - and that's just about me just letting out all the frustrations or the anger I feel. It got a hip-hop cadence with it, without the bar form, without the restriction of the measure of time in the music.
HBO:
Where's your favorite place to write?
Dahlak Brathwaite:
My favorite place to write is at my parent's house, in the den. I don't know, it just brings me some type of comfort, just knowing that I'm home, just knowing that I'm safe, and that that's the best place where I can, you know, really allow myself to express myself.
HBO:
Where is the strangest place you've ever written a poem?
Dahlak Brathwaite:
The strangest place I've ever written a poem was on a toilet in Lake Tahoe. I don't know what got over me, but I just got the urge to express myself, so just got down.
HBO:
What about the craziest place you've ever written a poem down?
Dahlak Brathwaite:
The craziest place I've ever written a poem down - on my arms, on a napkin, I think on a table once, whenever it hit me.
HBO:
How do you know when the poem is good?
Dahlak Brathwaite:
I know a poem is good when I drop down my pen, I'm reading the piece, and I'm busting it and I'm giving myself shivers, and I'm really feeling it in myself. I get zoned out, and take it to another place - and that's when I feel like it's going to hit, because I know it's doing it for me, and I wrote it, so the surprise element might do it to another person.
HBO:
You performed last night, and you really rocked it. What did it feel like to be received so well?
Dahlak Brathwaite:
Man, I mean, that's the greatest feeling in the world for me. Stage is like home for me, and when the audience is real responsive, that just enhances my performance. So when they got up for me, or when they was feeling me, it's one of the greatest feelings in the world for me, and that's why I continue to write. That's what I look for when I'm writing, it's just - I see the face of the audience.
HBO:
Why did you want to be a part of Def Poetry?
Dahlak Brathwaite:
I wanted to be part of Def Poetry just to be in such good company, some of the most talented people I know, and some of the people that I admire. I just want to be around and learn from these people.
HBO:
Who are some of the poets you admire?
Dahlak Brathwaite:
My favorite poet is Mark Mamunte Joseph. He was a Def Poet last year, and he really inspires me - shows a new way of thinking. He's also my mentor. I like poets or people who can show me a different perspective, or show me a new way to think.
HBO:
What was the piece about that you read last night?
Dahlak Brathwaite:
The first piece I wrote was called "The Man's Holiday", and it's basically about the man myth. Since I was little, everybody been telling me about "the man" holding me down, the man doing this, the man got - you know - his foot on my neck. So I decided to write a piece addressing that, because I hear so many people blaming societal factors, and for the reason that they're not successful or the reason they can't do this. And sure that always comes into play, but I think sometimes people need to assume an amount of personal responsibility.
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