Juke Joint Poetry

[scottwoods]

This is what I've been working on this weekend, among other things.

Some years ago I fell in love with the work of photographer Birney Imes, particularly his juke joint photos.  I contacted him for permission to do some poems inspired by his work, to which he readily agreed.  The link is the result.*

*Well, minus three poems.  The two that aren't up

Comments

[louiserobertson]

These are good, but they sound like lyrics. I can almost hear the song. Almost. I'm not good enough to actually hear the song. Buddy Guy?

[scottwoods]

They're certainly more fun read aloud, but they're not lyrics per se.
It's jus' how folk talk dat way sometime.

This is so cool!

[doniellemonique]

Great selections on the photos and the poems fit them perfectly. My two favorites so far are: Through That Way, and Slow Dance On First Date Recipe (kinda hot). The Gig gets special mention because its a calligram! LOVE IT!

This was definitely a great idea! I cant wait to read the poem that goes with the cover of the book. Congrats on a job well done.

Re: This is so cool!

[scottwoods]

Thanks! Considering I wrote them all within the last 24 hours or so, I'm pretty pleased with the first draft results. I was going to do a different form on each one, but I'll save that for that OTHER idea I mentioned to you.

Re: This is so cool!

[natlig]

I have to copy off of doniellemonique -- I was going to tell you my favorites, then I looked through the comments to see if they were anyone else's and she listed them in the exact order! Isn't that interesting?? :-) Added comments, "Through That Way" puts me right there and makes me feel like I've been there before and the poem is bringing back memories. In "Slow Dance on First Date Recipe" it takes me back to when I used to go on first dates so long ago. *sigh* I love them all. You should do poems to pictures all the time!

Juke Joint love

[anonymous]

Clearly your love of the Juke Joint is based on Delta Blues and all of those Mississippi and Louisiana (probably some Arkansas) Juke Joints have a wonderful historical flavor. But remember there is a whole honkey tonk connection to the Juke Joint too. Check this free mp3 out. Juke Joint Jumpin by Butch Hancock. That'll screw your head on crooked!
http://music.download.com/waynehancock/3615-8947_32-100074436.html

Steve

Re: Juke Joint love

[scottwoods]

Well, I'm Louisiana born. That, and the pics are all southern proper.

[afro_titus]

Awesome!! Juke Joints are so rich in history and Southern culture.

I have a poem about “Green’s Juke Joint” outside of Valdosta, GA. My mom and aunt used to sneak out and listen to the music and watch the action (according to there stories Juke Joints were pretty violent).

Side note: Though ‘Juke’ is a Gullah (Gichee) word , the term ‘sugar shack’ actually comes from the smell of sweat when it hits tobacco stained hands; ‘its sickly sweet.’
Since the clientele initially were field workers , everyone had tar stained hands. At least in my moms part of GA.

[scottwoods]

Thanks! That means a lot.
I'd love to see your "Green's Juke Joint" piece.
My family comes from hill stock, so we were miners and farmers.

[damncatfish]

Two words...

Awe some!

[scottwoods]

Thanks! I KNEW you'd dig it.
Now I need to do some bluegrass joints...