I’d already designed the watermelon bullet icon when, years ago now, the Washington Post sent me an advance copy of Elizabeth Alexander’s Antebellum Dream Book to review. (Once upon a time I wrote about poetry.) That book floored me…
Years later we would meet, and out of that collaboration came the 1st track on my ‘Special Gunpowder’ album, which featured Elizabeth reading her poem ‘Overture: Watermelon City’.
The city is burning and watermelon is all that can cool it…
and now… Elizabeth Alexander will be reading her work at the inauguration of President-elect Barack Obama – AMAZING!!!! I don’t have enough exclamation points. I should dig up the Post review…
suffice to say the Elizabeth is one of those rare poets whose work you live with, phrases and verses remain in memory and keep transmitting long after the book is closed. She’s great. The fact of her reading real poetry from a platform like this is simply fantastic, I hope she sells a million books. gObama! go Elizabeth! Go poetry! (thanks, Carol, for the tip)
WOW!!!! Great news, for so many reasons
Antebellum Dream Book is selling used on Amazon for about a dollar……… so- with shipping thats a whole book of poetry for maybe five/six dollars- tis the giving season…… post inauguration- prices might not be so low
i KNEW i recognized her voice! small world… and watermelon city is a fantastic track.
My small world moment with Elizabeth Alexander was realizing that I’ve played basketball with her brother (who was also on Obama’s transition team.)