Word.Life

Listen now (17 min) | This week Donney unpacks the evolution and politics in his poetry

In this final episode of Season 1 of the Word.Life podcast, Donney unpacks his personal journey as a performance poet, the evolution of the politics in his writing, and how writing about race and culture proved to be the true mission statement of his artistry.

Listen now (25 min) | In this week’s episode of Word.Life Donney is in conversation with poet Sasha Banks about her debut collection “america, MINE”, writing honestly about what America has been to Black people and the injustices that impacted the collection’s writing. I have a confession: I have a bunch of talented friends. I say so not to brag about the circles I keep, but to state a matter of fact. Over the years, I’ve had the great fortune to meet and be in community with some of the dopest poets, emcees, musicians, and visual artists anywhere on the planet. My artist friends are not famous, but they are highly respected in their craft, revered amongst their peers, decorated, and quality humans. The overwhelming majority of them are from the South or have ties to the South as that is where my creative career blossomed, therefore it is where I met most of my creative friends.

In this week's episode of Word.Life, Donney is in conversation with poet Sasha Banks about her debut collection “america, MINE”, writing honestly about what America has been to Black people, and the injustices that impacted the collection's writing

Listen now (11 min) | This week on the Word.Life podcast, Donney Rose talks about H.E.R.'s Academy Award song "Fight For You" off the Judas and The Black Messiah soundtrack + the legacy of Fred Hampton.

Singer/songwriter H.E.R. is one of the most accomplished artists of her generation. “Fight For You” is a revolutionary masterpiece that added to her growing legacy.

Listen now (13 min) | Donney talks about how the work of the late poet, Etheridge Knight inspired Black boys in Baton Rouge public schools to embrace poetry in a manner they never did before. The first time I stepped into a classroom as a teaching artist was right at 15 years ago. After a half-decade as a performance poet and a few years as a substitute teacher, I was afforded the opportunity to teach the art of spoken word poetry to middle and high school students via the nonprofit I was working for at the time. The majority of my first year as a teaching artist was spent conducting writing workshops in Baton Rouge public schools. The pedagogical approach of the organization I worked for was to work in partnership with classroom teachers and guide their students in writing original poems in response to literary devices and forms they discovered in model texts we brought to the classroom. Oftentimes when the classroom teacher would inform the students that there was a ‘special guest’ that day to lead them in a poetry lesson, a collection of sighs and groans would fill the room.

Donney talks about how the work of the late poet, Etheridge Knight inspired Black boys in Baton Rouge public schools to embrace poetry in a manner they never did before.

Listen now (8 min) | In this week's episode of Word.Life, Donney pays homage to Lauryn Hill's Unplugged album, the revolutionary lyrics of the track "I Find It Hard to Say (Rebel)," her meteoric rise to stardom in the late 90s and the controversy that followed her after her breakout album,

In this week's episode of Word.Life, Donney pays homage to Lauryn Hill's Unplugged album, the  revolutionary lyrics of the track "I Find It Hard to Say (Rebel)," her meteoric rise to stardom in the late 90s and the controversy that followed her after her breakout album, The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill

Listen now (33 min) | Donney sits down with independent hip hop artist and his good friend, Marcel P. Black to discuss Marcel’s song (and album) “Cry Freedom”, the 2016 summer of unrest in Baton Rouge, and what it means to put your politics on the line beyond the rhyme.

Donney sits down with independent hip hop artist and his good friend, Marcel P. Black to discuss Marcel's song (and album) “Cry Freedom”, the 2016 summer of unrest in Baton Rouge, and what it means to put your politics on the line beyond the rhyme.

Listen now (26 min) | In this episode of Word.Life, Donney is in conversation with revolutionary poet, essayist, activist and scholar, Amoja ‘MoMan’ Sumler. They discuss his poem “The Key to Hitting”, systemic abuse and the literal violence that has plagued Black Americans for generations.

In this episode of Word.Life, Donney is in conversation with revolutionary poet, essayist, activist and scholar, Amoja ‘MoMan' Sumler. They discuss his poem “The Key to Hitting”, systemic abuse and the literal violence that has plagued Black Americans for generations.

Listen now (12 min) | In this week's episode of Word. Life, Donney unpacks Stevie Wonder's "Living for the City" and the longstanding complexities of Black migration It can be hard to decide which songs or albums of Stevie Wonder’s are his greatest offerings. There are very few musicians in the history of the recording industry who has had a career close to Stevie’s. For the past six decades, the man born Steveland Hardaway Morris has been one of the most revered creatives in American music and has the accolades and the adoration of fans around the globe to prove his invaluable worth.

Listen now (2 min) | An introduction to the Word.Life podcast

This is Word.Life, a newsletter about Podcast hosted by The North Star's Chief Content Editor and poet, Donney Rose. .

In this week's episode of Word.Life, Donney unpacks Stevie Wonder's "Living for the City" and the longstanding complexities of Black migration

Nina Simone once said that it is “an artist's duty is to reflect the times,” when interviewed about her seminal classic Mississippi Goddamn. It is in that spirit of critical reflection that The North Star introduces Word.Life., a new podcast seeking to unpack the intersections of literary art, music, politics and the revolutions that are often amplified in the creative realm. Hosted by The North Star's Chief Content Editor and poet, Donney Rose, Word.Life. is an exploration into the lyrics, verses, messaging and context of the songs and poems and prose and scripts where the art is the heartbeat, bassline and bottom line for radical change. From the timeless classics of yesteryear to the urgent work of modern-day griots, Word.Life. will dissect the work that lights the fire and calls the people to the frontlines.  Word.Life. is a weekly podcast that is released every Thursday on all streaming platforms, including Spotify, Stitcher, Apple Podcasts, & Google Play and streaming on Twitch & YouTube.