New Poem by Marvin X: Nobody wants nobody free, Sun Ra say discipline is the key, but wasn't Sun Ra free??????

Nobody wants nobody free
we love slaves
we are love slaves
I love you madly
I will kill faya
Kill you faya
I love you madly
you are mine
I am yours
we own each other
your pussy is mine
my dick is yours
this is called marriage
also chattel slavery
personal property slavery
not real estate
no W.E.B. DuBois
personal property
chattel real
ownership is the question and the answer
you do not need to own me
I do not need to own you
I am yours willingly
You are mine Willingly
Alas, I am your love slave
like those artists with Sun Ra
they agreed to be in the Sun Ra jail!
Even I agreed. I am his disciple even now
trying to understand the full glory of his mythology
I have begun the First Poet's Church of the Latter Day Egyptian Rivisionists
Sun Ra taught me this
yes
Latter Day Egyptian Rivisionists
the contradiction is this
artists impose their  creative mythology on lowly humans
who say Wake Up to What?
who say
in an August Wilson play, "I don't have all the answers. I don't even know the questions, sometimes."
Even Sun Ra who denied freedom in the quest for discipline
the most free spirit we know is who? Sun Ra! Ra Ra RA RA!
Artists need to know our thoughts are beyond the beyond
sometimes not for the common people the workers students unemployed uneducated
artists are dreamers of the worst kind
we sit imagining possibilities and impossibilities
Baraka said we artists live a privileged life
so I say be careful about imposing the creative mythology and ritual on the common people.
Be careful as you deliver beauty and truth.
And yet would the people know how beautiful they are except for images of artists
poets
dancers
musicians
painters
architects
To transcend Sun Ra, I say let us be free with discipline
not free to be free
as in a capitalism freedom
free trade
wage slavery
stolen land minerals
for what
minerals for cell phones so we can say Where you at? Where you at? Where you at?
Don't own me
I will not own you
we are together because I can laugh with you
we dialogue in poetry
so beautiful
I can read your mind
you read mine
no lies up in here
be with me because we are we
it is what it is
they say.

Photo essay by Afrah: Marvin X ends Chicago tour at South Shore recording studio

After reading at Chicago's African Liberation Day, Winnie Mandela High School in South Shore, the indefatigable poet ended his Chicago tour at the recording studio. At ALD, he performed For the Women and Amiri Baraka's classic DOPE.

African Liberation Day marchers

The ALD audience was ecstatic. They approached Marvin X after his reading by reciting lines from AB's poem:
uuuuuuuuuu
uuuuuuuuuu
uuuuuuuuuu
It must be the devil
it must be the devil
it must be the devil
cain't be rockefeller....
it ain't the police
must be the devil
must be the devil
ooowow, oooowow.....

 Poet Lasana Kazembe accompanied Marvin X on this communal project, including an  upcoming CD.

Letter from Dr. Lasana Kazembe

Bro. Marvin X,

Peace. It was truly a pleasure meeting and reading with you at Eliel's place last Saturday (Transition East) in Chicago.

We are looking forward to forging something positive and powerful in the space.

Please take good care. Talk soon.

Peace,

Kazembe

--

Lasana Kazembe, Ph.D.

Call/Text: (312) 282-7590

Email: kazembe1@gmail.com

Web: http://kazembe.webs.com/

Consulting Website: http://kazembeconsulting.webs.com/

Twitter: @Kazembe

Blog: http://blkartsmovement.tumblr.com

"A person is a person because there are people."

Marvin X replies to Lasana Kazembe

Dear Brother,

I am overwhelmed by the hospitality and love in your community throughout my visit,

from the University of Chicago, African Liberation Day and our recording session. I was on a majic carpet ride and floated all the way back to the BAY AREA. The chauffeur was on time departing and the plane was on time, and when I arrived in Oakland, the person who picked me up at the airport wasn on time. What more can one ask in this life? Again, you brothers were beautiful and you should know I appreciate you all who participated in the recording session and I know this project will be a positive contribution in the Black Arts Movement tradition. Peace and Love, Marvin X

 Marvin X reading Amiri Baraka's Dope

Chicago musicians and poet Kazembe accompanying BAM Master in recording studio: left to right Marvin X, Eliel Sherman Storey, sax, David Boykin, sax, Tony Carpenter, percussion, Lasana Kazembe, poet

 Marvin X reading from his collection Land of My Daughters

 Sax men  Eliel Sherman Storey and David Boykin

 Marvin X, Toney Carpenter, percussion and poet Kazembe

Marvin X reading What is Love and Dreamtime

Marvin X leaves Chicago to be a featured author at the Sacramento Black Book Fair, June 5, 6,7, 2015. The poet and his Chicago artists are available for concerts  nationwide. Call 510-200-4164.

Sun Ra, Hapi Earth Day, May 22

Human Earthquake demolishes Chicago: The Wild Crazy Ride of the Marvin X Experience takes no prisoners at University of Chicago

Marvin X, the itinerant, peripatetic poet, left no doubt he is the human earthquake in a concert at the University of Chicago in honor of Sun Ra, Black Arts Movement Master Musician, philosopher and father of Afro-futurism or Black Sci-fi, the man who claimed he was from outer space. The concert included original members of Sun Ra's Myth-Science Arkestra, Marshall Allen and Danny Thompson, along with Sun Ra conference planner, musician David Boykin, bassist Rollo Radford and drummer Isaiah Spencer. The conference was a celebration of Sun Ra's 101st earthday. Marshall Allen will be 91 on Monday, Marvin X, 71 on Friday, May 29.

 Marvin X and Sun Ra outside Marvin's Black Educational Theatre, Fillmore District, San Francisco, 1972.

 Chauffeur picking up Marvin X at O'hare airport for ride to University of Chicago

 After the Sun Ra men began the set, they were soon joined by David Boykin and Marvin X. According to several members of the audience, the music was not focused until Marvin X began reading, then the music became melodious and lyrical.

 Sound Check: Bass player Rollo Radford

 Sound Check: Drummer Isaiah Spencer and Sun Ra Arkestra member Danny Thompson

 Sound check: Marshall Allen, 91, leader of the Sun Ra Arkestra

 

Marshall Allen, leader of the Sun Ra Arkestra

 Members of the roundtable discussion on Sun Ra and Afro-futurism: Denenge Akpem, Ytasha Womack, Breanna Champion, Marvin X and David Boykin

Sun Ra musicians Marshall Allen, Danny Thompson and poet Marvin X, BAM associates since 1968.

 Ancestor Amiri Baraka reading with bassist Henry Grimes

Marvin X's rendition of Amiri Baraka's poem DOPE was a killer. The great writer Gregory Tate said,
"Marvin's reading of Baraka's poem DOPE was a monster!"  Thomas Stanley, Sun Ra scholar, author of The Execution of Sun Ra, said, "Marvin's reading of his own poems and DOPE was awesome. I had no idea!"

 Scene from Sun Ra's film Space is the Place, screened on Thursday at University of Chicago. Film was shot in Oakland-San Francisco Bay Area, 1972, during the time Sun Ra and Marvin X lectured in Black Studies at the University of California, Berkeley. The two also worked in the community at Marvin's Black Educational Theatre in the Fillmore.

Sun Ra: Astro Black Mythology and Black Resistance Symposium with a keynote address by Thomas Stanley

Description
On the occasion of his 101st birthday, we invite you to join us for a screening and symposium that will explore and unpack the connections between the ideologies of Black resistance movements and the "cosmic" philosophies of accomplished composer, jazz pianist, band leader, and poet, Sun Ra. The symposium will both reflect upon and anchor the philosophical foundation of Sun Ra's Astro Black Mythology in a contemporary conversation around Afro-futurism and movements such as #BlackLivesMatter.

Participants include:
D. Denenge Akpem
Breanna Champion
William Faber
Anthony Reed
Greg Tate
William Sites
Ytasha Womack
Marvin X

This symposium is organized by David Boykin, 2013/14 Arts + Public Life and Center for the Study of Race, Politics & Culture Artists-in-Residence, leader of the David Boykin Expanse, and founder of Sonic Healing Ministries, in collaboration with the University of Chicago.
Sponsored by the Reva and David Logan Center for the Arts, the Franke Institute for the Humanities, the Center for the Study of Race, Politics & Culture, the Julie and Parker Hall Endowment for Jazz and American Popular Music, the Department of Music, and the Deputy Provost for the Arts.

Marvin X Poem: Standing on the shoulders of ancestors

 OH, Patrice Lumumba
we love you
standing tall against global white supremacy in the Congo
blood diamonds
minerals so nigguhs can talk on cell phone bout
where you at
where you at
where you at......
Joy energy strength
resist resist resist
rise up rise up rise up
don't give up don't give up don't give up!
resist resist resist
no mo clowns, passive ass nigguhs without balls to confront white supremacy
It's not that you are physical faggot, you are a mental faggot
a mind in perpetual gender identity crisis
confused on the master slave relationship
in love with the master
total submission
no resistance
the white man is God Almighty
I am his slave I love him
will kill for him
my lover keeper
white man!
resist resist resist
Paul Robeson said, "I am the artistic freedom fighter !"
and so we are
standing on the ancestors
Kemit
Yoraba
Hausa
Ibo
Shabazz
standing tall
in Egypt we came to the Square with blankets 
in front of tanks, we did this.
reactionaries will never lay down their butcher knives, never turn into Buddha heads.
Wait. wait. wait. don't forget the killers who taught, dope dealers who showed me love, hey!

 

Zena Allen, BAM Master Poet Marvin X, Tarika Lewis, violinist, first female member of the Black Panther Party; Linda Johnson, Master choreographer/dancer in the Bay. She is Marvin X's favorite choreographer, although he has worked with other Bay Area choreographers, including Raymond Sawyer, Ellendar Barnes, Judith Holton, Wisteria.

 

Sun Ra said, "Sometimes you can be so right you wrong. The perfect man is a laughing stock. All work and no play makes Jack very dull. Yes, Jack is very very dull."

Truth is, can I talk about those who mentored me?
The worst people in the world.

Seriously, who taught Marvin X?

Alonzo Batin, Guru of the San Francisco Black Arts Movement. Alonzo recruited the BAM poets and theatre people into the Nation of Islam, Batin recruited the key members of Black Arts West into the Nation of Islam: Marvin X, Ethna X, Hillary X, Duncan X! Did Alonzo Batin have power over us? Alonzo taught us practical Islam. He said, "If drugs will bring you together with your people, then do drugs with them."

As per drugs, Marvin X has this to say, "I agree with the Harm Reduction Model, do drugs but don't harm yourself, don't neglect your wife and children, your community, the revolution. Need a wake up, go ahead, but don't spend the whole day getting loaded, then you gotta problem and you need to take up your post in the Liberation Movement of your people.

--Marvin X, aka Nazzam Al Sudan El Muhajir
5.19.15

Marvin X loves young people! He is a child in a man's body as John Bradshaw would say. He is full of passion, idealism, romanticism, but ever a free thinker, don't  even think about altering his thinking. Marvin X thinks while making love: "Wow, wouldn't it be better if there was another freak like you? Two freaks is better than one, right?"

Marvin X, the Human Earthquake hits Chicago; get ready for the Wild Crazy Experience of Marvin X, Black Arts Movement Master Teacher

Marvin X Reading at University of Chicago Sun Ra Conference, May 21,22, 2015

Oh, Sun Ra, Master Teacher of the Black Arts Movement, Mythologist, Linguist, Philosopher

In honor of Sun Ra
Parable of Black Man and Block Man
The Parable of No
Dope by Amiri Baraka, read by Marvin X, accompanied by
Marshall Allen, Danny Thompson and David Boykin, et al. Chicago Musicians