I like Buddy Wakefield a lot.
My introduction to poetry readings was interesting. A few years ago my life consisted mostly of copious amounts of Oxycontin (among other opiates), extreme alienation and reading poetry. I used poetry to cope with the loneliness and agony when the opiate ration wasn’t enough to distract me.
I wanted to hear live poetry for a reason I cannot remember now. Google showed only one poetry reading in Orange County. It happened to be right down the street from where I lived at an independent cafe named “the Ugly Mug”.
So I went not expecting much, not knowing much about who was reading and high on 5 80mg Oxycontin pills I chewed up.
A handful of torturous open mic readings started the night. The audience remained quiet after each open reading except some weird bald guy sitting near the front who would clap his hands excitedly.
The drugs kept me fairly placated, otherwise, I think I would have walked out immediately. A small woman walked up and started reading poetry about a conversation she had with her niece. I liked the poem but didn’t hear who she was. Or maybe I did and I just don’t remember.
The host announced Buddy Wakefield was up next and the weird clapping bald guy rose from his chair and walked to the mic.
Buddy seemed really animated like a hummingbird on coke. I watched him jump around and talk oddly and kept thinking ‘who would look at a little baby and name it buddy?’
Buddy started performing, gaining momentum with each poem and the audience was getting rowdier and interacting with him. I wasn’t sure what was going on. I yelled out ‘show me your tits’ , without hesitation Buddy lifted up his shirt, bared his luscious pink nipples and went right through with the recital.
His last poem was interrupted by a college kid yelling ‘flock printer’. Buddy stopped, thanked us for the interruption because he was feeling more like ‘flock printer’, and I sat confused wondering what the fuck a flock printer was.
The poem was really good. Started out slow and peaked like an orgasm. I listened intently and stared a little.
Despite the sadness, the insomnia, the numbness, the opiates, Buddy’s poem let me feel emotion, something I did not think I was capable of any more.
Most of his poetry has a philosophical feel to it and challenges the listener to ‘live life’. I thank him for it and suggest people see him once in their life. His tour dates are posted at his website
Here are a couple of his performed poems:
Tags: buddy wakefield, oxycontin
I saw Buddy at a grocery store near my house about a year ago. I had seen him win a competition a month or so earlier, and it was my first experience of his work.
I saw Buddy at a grocery store near my house about a year ago. I had seen him win a competition a month or so earlier, and it was my first experience of his work.
there’s an ugly mug by my house. real shit joint. but its cozy. it feels good.
there’s an ugly mug by my house. real shit joint. but its cozy. it feels good.
great post jereme, I’ll check his stuff out.
great post jereme, I’ll check his stuff out.
matthew,
yeah i think he lives up in washington or used to? i don’t know. i don’t stalk people but i vaguely remember that he was up there..
i think the chick who read before him was mindy netifee (i think. i was pretty high). she is reading tomorrow at the ugly mug. i just looked it up. maybe i will go.
poetry in orange county is like finding a raisenette in a bunny litter box.
matthew,
yeah i think he lives up in washington or used to? i don’t know. i don’t stalk people but i vaguely remember that he was up there..
i think the chick who read before him was mindy netifee (i think. i was pretty high). she is reading tomorrow at the ugly mug. i just looked it up. maybe i will go.
poetry in orange county is like finding a raisenette in a bunny litter box.
the owner of this place is kind of a dick. he likes me for some reason. probably because i am a dick too.
I really hate this (sorry). And I don’t understand why anyone who likes poetry likes slam “poetry.” Maybe I’m missing something (which is totally possible) but this guy doesn’t even seem unique within the slam poetry community. What makes this appealing? These kind of things always strike me as self-indulgence to the max, disguising as something that helps people in one way or another.
the owner of this place is kind of a dick. he likes me for some reason. probably because i am a dick too.
I really hate this (sorry). And I don’t understand why anyone who likes poetry likes slam “poetry.” Maybe I’m missing something (which is totally possible) but this guy doesn’t even seem unique within the slam poetry community. What makes this appealing? These kind of things always strike me as self-indulgence to the max, disguising as something that helps people in one way or another.
pr pr pr, watch his videos. order his cd’s or something.
the guy quit his job and lived in a car to perform poetry for a year or two? i forget how long. he is awesome.
he is real.
endorse him yo.
pr pr pr, watch his videos. order his cd’s or something.
the guy quit his job and lived in a car to perform poetry for a year or two? i forget how long. he is awesome.
he is real.
endorse him yo.
alex,
i am not really fond of slam poetry either. i find it kind of contrived.
regardless the guy writes his own stuff. how is he not unique. he has won a few awards?
but let’s examine your last statement
“These kind of things always strike me as self-indulgence to the max, disguising as something that helps people in one way or another.”
yeah because writing normal poetry isn’t self indulgent? doing a reading isn’t self indulgent? doing a reading is ego. there is no need to read in public. you want to be admired, you want your words to be heard and felt, you think you are fucking special.
you are not special.
slam poetry is honest about it at least. it is a competition. the audience knows it is a competition. in that regards it is more real than anything you’ll ever see in the fake ass publishing world.
you don’t have to like him. you don’t have to like him. i wrote about my own experience.
alex,
i am not really fond of slam poetry either. i find it kind of contrived.
regardless the guy writes his own stuff. how is he not unique. he has won a few awards?
but let’s examine your last statement
“These kind of things always strike me as self-indulgence to the max, disguising as something that helps people in one way or another.”
yeah because writing normal poetry isn’t self indulgent? doing a reading isn’t self indulgent? doing a reading is ego. there is no need to read in public. you want to be admired, you want your words to be heard and felt, you think you are fucking special.
you are not special.
slam poetry is honest about it at least. it is a competition. the audience knows it is a competition. in that regards it is more real than anything you’ll ever see in the fake ass publishing world.
you don’t have to like him. you don’t have to like him. i wrote about my own experience.
I lived really close to that Ugly Mug (by Chapman University). Aimee Bender read there once, to my surprise.
I lived really close to that Ugly Mug (by Chapman University). Aimee Bender read there once, to my surprise.
Don’t get me wrong, Jereme. I wasn’t trying to attack you, or assert that you don’t have the right to like it. It’s just something that I’ve never really cared care for and I was wondering what attracted you to it.
I think you’re absolutely right though, what isn’t self-indulgent?
Don’t get me wrong, Jereme. I wasn’t trying to attack you, or assert that you don’t have the right to like it. It’s just something that I’ve never really cared care for and I was wondering what attracted you to it.
I think you’re absolutely right though, what isn’t self-indulgent?
creativity and self-expression
creativity and self-expression
Charles,
yeah i remember when she was there. i didn’t go. i live near the circle. i write about it a lot.
small world.
Charles,
yeah i remember when she was there. i didn’t go. i live near the circle. i write about it a lot.
small world.
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no i wasn’t taking it as an attack. sometimes i seem overly aggressive in tone when I don’t mean to be.
i would have been really mean if i thought you were attacking me.
i don’t know what attracted me to it. what attracts me to any poem? i can relate to it and feel emotion i guess.
i will say maybe you should try to go to a live performance? it is completely different than watching him on youtube.
no i wasn’t taking it as an attack. sometimes i seem overly aggressive in tone when I don’t mean to be.
i would have been really mean if i thought you were attacking me.
i don’t know what attracted me to it. what attracts me to any poem? i can relate to it and feel emotion i guess.
i will say maybe you should try to go to a live performance? it is completely different than watching him on youtube.
I tried to flirt with a girl at a poetry reading once. It wasn’t successful.
I tried to flirt with a girl at a poetry reading once. It wasn’t successful.
Jereme,
I lived on Shaffer St (and Maple) for a number of years. It is a small world. Still live in Orange. Very cool to (sort of) meet a writer living in the same area.
Jereme,
I lived on Shaffer St (and Maple) for a number of years. It is a small world. Still live in Orange. Very cool to (sort of) meet a writer living in the same area.
i dont mind slam poetry sometimes. the performance aspect. i already take ti for granted that i probably wont like the poetry. that may be dickish to say, but whatever. for me its the human element. the voice. the spoken word. the human body as a voice and an instrument. sometimes hearing such big and unexpected voices coming from people is a treat. alix olsen, cheri luster, to name a few. small people, enormous voices.
its almost like a great speech.
i dont mind slam poetry sometimes. the performance aspect. i already take ti for granted that i probably wont like the poetry. that may be dickish to say, but whatever. for me its the human element. the voice. the spoken word. the human body as a voice and an instrument. sometimes hearing such big and unexpected voices coming from people is a treat. alix olsen, cheri luster, to name a few. small people, enormous voices.
its almost like a great speech.
maybe she was a lesbian?
or super angery and a sylvia plath fan.
maybe she was a lesbian?
or super angery and a sylvia plath fan.
i know the spot.
i am at the circle frequently. if you see an angry looking guy with long hair and a giant red beard stop by and say hello. i’m usually smoking a cigar and not talking to anyone.
you might even catch me brown bagging with my friend at night by the fountain. we are known to do that.
i know the spot.
i am at the circle frequently. if you see an angry looking guy with long hair and a giant red beard stop by and say hello. i’m usually smoking a cigar and not talking to anyone.
you might even catch me brown bagging with my friend at night by the fountain. we are known to do that.
There is an Ugly Mug in Seattle right next to where I work. They have soup.
There is an Ugly Mug in Seattle right next to where I work. They have soup.