Homophobia, Religion and American Government policies received a fresh, unabashed whirlwind of relevant social rationalization courtesy of three-time Beat Poet world champion Buddy Wakefield.
Wakefield spoke his renowned Beat Poetry in the lower sub room on Tuesday Feb. 18 at NIC.
“Buddy is a staff favorite here and we felt we had to bring him,” said Philosophy club president David McKerracher. “Even though he makes fun of philosophy majors, I still love it.”
This setting was different for Wakefield as he stood in the heart of Coeur d’ Alene, Id.
“This was once the skinhead capital of the world,” Wakefield said.
Then right as the students let their guard down Wakefield had some other things to get of his chest.
“C, o, e, u, r d ‘ Alene? That is stupid. Y’all need to fix that, ” Wakefield joked.
Wakefield’s beat poetry pieces like “Cute Town,” “Single Mother” and “Convenient Store” all held students attentions like a Bengal tiger in a straw cage.
Real and almost ferocious, Wakefield acknowledged the cultural differences but made no attempt to appease it with his poetry.
“Goodbye,” Wakefield announced as three people made their hasty exit away from the progressive language that seemed to speak to so many of the students in attendance. The language of this particular poem was one of religion, this in itself made some uncomfortable as shifty chairs and stares gleamed across the lower sub.
Wakefield even brought up 9/11 in one of his displays of expression. Mixing terrorist attacks on America with America’s attacks on third world countries. Seemingly blending the two ideas in a flurry of truth and uncertainty. More people walked out.
Not all was lost though. The majority of listener’s seemed to harbor a progressive intelligence that they felt was right on target. Even if that target didn’t represent the state they were in. The consensus of the lower SUB was in another space of it’s own.
The real deal is what Buddy Wakefield meant to many. NIC student Richard Fortman explained how he felt, “I think it’s a little forward thinking for our demographic here but it’s definitely thought provoking and I think we need that here (Coeur d ‘Alene, Id.)”
“There was a typewriter buried alive in that horse. The one I rode to get out of the flood,” read Buddy’s poster he had displayed on a white table set up outside the performance area.
The progressive thinkers of NIC praised Wakefield for making his way all the way out to their campus to speak his elegant and thought provoking words. One student summed it up quite profoundly as he shouted, “Thank you Buddy Wakefield.”