Friday, November 1, 1996
POETRY:
Group of adults, children perform today at Kerckhoff Art
GalleryBy Nerissa Pacio
Daily Bruin Contributor
Gumbo ain’t just for southerners anymore. In fact, that tasty,
hot and simmering mixture is for everyone, especially those with a
hearty appetite for … poetry? That’s right, Roni’z Bakstreet
Poetri is, according to Roni herself, a "poetic gumbo pot with all
kinds of flava’, from jazz, to hip-hop, to classic and
R&B."
So those starved for a unique recipe of literary juices should
think twice about putting that food in their mouths. Roni’z
Bakstreet Poetri, performing Friday at the UCLA Kerckhoff Art
Gallery, will satisfy hungry minds.
Roni Walters’ performance features a wide age-range of poets,
from 4-year-olds to adults. Her inspiration to not only write her
own poetry but bring others into the poetic world stems from the
work of such poets as Nikki Giovanni, Maya Angelou, the Watts
Prophets, and her very own mother  "Hazel Pearl Moody," who,
according to Walters is "the greatest poet of all." This spirited
ex-cheerleader-turned professional poet also receives inspiration
for her urban-themed poetry from experiences on the bus and at the
bus-stop. "I love meeting people on the street. The bus is my role
model for poetry!" says Walters.
Featured at the House of Blues, Borders Bookstore, various
college campuses, many coffee houses in the L.A. area and the
television show "Moesha," Roni’z Bakstreet Poetri is on the move.
"My goal is to prepare kids to be future writers, and for adults,
to let them see the importance of the business of poetry. I’m
taking them away from that strict ‘coffee house mentality’ and
showing them that this is also a way to pay the bills," Walters
says. While she emphasizes the entrepreneurial side of poetry, she
still maintains that "successful marriage between the entertainment
business and the art of poetry, because first and foremost I am a
poet/writer."
Although bringing Roni’z Bakstreet Poetri to the UCLA campus as
part of Walters’ campus tour is part of "the business," Walters
also hopes to give students a taste of her multicultural program
and to show them the sincerity and dedication of the poets. "I also
want the audience to have a good time and to see that they can
relate to the variety of poetic topics from the break-up of a
boyfriend to their relationship with their grandmother," Walters
says.
In bringing Walter’s poetry performance to UCLA, Alex
Papanicolopoulos, poetry events director of UCLA’s Cultural Affairs
Commission, hopes to "expose the campus to poets in the L.A. area
who are not from the standard group of nationally renowned ‘Best
American Poets,’ but poets who are unique and not nationally
exposed," he says. This quarter, Papanicolopoulos’ focus is on
poets outside the UCLA campus, whereas last quarter the majority of
featured poets were from the campus community.
Walters refers to her own community of Bakstreet poets as "the
Waltons of poetry." Tonight’s line-up of Roni’z tightly-knit family
of poets include 4-year-old Hanna, 7-year-olds Meghan and Sasha,
9-year-olds Joi and Sinamon, 12-year-old Jody and 15-year-old
Jamilla. Papanicolopoulos observes the uniqueness of Roni’z
"Bakstreet kidz" as children poets who speak "unrestricted
truth."
Adult poets include Valerie A. Dawson, Uncle Freeze, Jennifer
Bowens, Harley Searchy, Shehon, and "Alexandria the poet." They
will also be accompanied by base guitarist, "Lobase."
So who are these poets anyway? While they are all a part of
Roni’z Bakstreet Poetri, they are also "part of you," according to
Walters, because "if you have a feeling or thought, or emotion, you
are a poet. Whether you choose to put them on paper or not, you are
still a poet."
POETRY: Roni’z Bakstreet Poetri takes place 8:15 pm Friday at
the Kerckhoff Art Gallery. For more info about the Kerckhoff series
of readings, call Cultural Affairs at 825-6564.
Poet Roni Walters encourages youth to pursue poetry as a
career.