Over the last 12 months I’ve been working withSaul Williams on an anthology of both well-known spoken word poets and some young and previously unpublished writers as well. The collection we have assembled, CHORUS will be available Sept. 4th 2012 from MTV books. As Saul has said, “My goal is to create an important book that connects varied voices into a cohesive work of art that stands out as a generational testament of our times.”I’m honored and grateful to be a part of this project and to have had the chance to collaborate with Saul and our assistant editor Aja Monet Bacquie. 

You may remember Saul from the Cannes hit SLAM, or may have seen him on “Girlfriends,” or in the films K-PAX or LACKAWANNA BLUES. Saul and I have a similar point of view as actors who write, or writers who act. For me the process is equally satisfying in each craft. I am a vessel in either case, for the creativity that comes through my voice, my body, and my pen. And in CHORUS, having had the opportunity to help usher in a new generation of poets, I have found new joy in the arduous role of editor.

Saul’s previous books, “said the shotgun to the head” and “The Dead Emcee Scrolls” have burned his name into the annals of spoken word literature. A true renaissance man, Saul has put out two albums and has performed with with progressive hip-hop acts like KRS-One and The Roots and punk rockers Rage Against The Machine. He brought his own band all the way from Paris to the El Rey Theatre in Los Angeles recently for a unique blowout show.  If you missed this one, be sure to catch him next time around, or, if you can’t wait, check out some clips at his website!