Hijinx (aka Al Morgan) has left his mark on the poetry scene for about two years and recently won a spot on the team for the Cleveland Classic Cleveland Poetry Slam to represent Cleveland at the poetry slam finals in St. Louis, Missouri later this summer. He'll also represent Cleveland at the 5th Annual Rustbelt Regional Midwest Poetry Slam being hosted in Cleveland this year at the Beachland Ballroom Fri 6/25 and Sat 6/25. He’s a Budweiser True Music Live contest winner and he’s opened up for such national recording artist as Rough Ends, Marcus Houston, as well as Heather Headley. His influences are Mos Def, Jill Scott, Black Ice, and a variety of others. Hijinx has released a short book of poems and is currently working material for an upcoming CD, in addition to writing a children’s book. For info about upcoming shows or booking call (216)774-0911 or (440)357-5264.

What is it about poetry that speaks to you and drives you to produce it, instead of utilizing another creative outlet for expression?
Poetry found me when I was a very young boy and had no one to confide in. It was always an outlet that was just between me and the paper. It came all the more easier because I didn’t need anyone else’s assistance, whereas something like playing an instrument or singing or rapping you need some type of training or accompaniment. With poetry, all you need are your thoughts.

How do you prepare mentally and emotionally for the demands of performance art in slamming?
I depend more on my training or practice when slamming. As long as I practice enough and have all my breaths and pauses down right, the emotions just come with it once I get in front of the audience. It’s easy for me to remember the feelings I had when I wrote the piece.

How did you find out about the Cleveland poetry community and what about it keeps you involved?
My friend told me about an open mic night about two years ago at SPY [nightclub] and it’s been an enjoyable experience ever since. The positive energy you receive from being around so many positive people as well as the comfort you feel from being surrounded by like-minded individuals is what keeps me coming back. And the fact that I love poetry keeps me involved.

Who are your creative mentors, and who in Cleveland inspires you and drives you to surpass your ways of poetic creation and delivery?
One of my creative mentors was/is a young woman by the name of Storm aka Malika. A member of The Black Poetic Society as well as one of the founders of E.V.E., she was instrumental in making sure that I stayed true to myself while trying to find my voice. I find inspiration all over the place and from many different people, but there are three poets who I love hearing: Q-nice, Keasha, and [Cleveland Poetry Slam winner] Keith “Boogie” Brown.

Does writing and performing come immediately and naturally, or is it more of a creative discipline?
To me the whole writing and creative process comes fairly easily and naturally which is why I feel like this is something I was meant to do.

What's involved in your creative process?
Sometimes it’s a thought that I continue to have over a course of some days. Sometimes it’s more immediate, due to some feeling or event that happened, but mostly it’s just me writing about whatever is on my mind when I take pen in hand.

What are you looking forward to during the Rustbelt competition? How do you think it will be different from the National Poetry Slam in St. Louis this year? Will you customize your performaces for both competitions, or keep them consistent for each event?
I’m looking forward to the whole thing since I haven’t competed or seen that many slams. I’m sure that the Rustbelt will be different from what’s going to happen at Nationals because it’s not as large as Nationals. And since I haven’t competed much, I don’t foresee customizing my poems for each event...but I could be wrong.

Do you absorb your competition's delivery, style, etc. - what have you learned from other poets?
A lot of times during competitions I tend not to pay a whole lot of attention to other poets because I’m lost in my own thoughts. I hear them, but yet I’m not really trying to absorb them as well as I would on another night when there isn’t a competition. I’ve learned a lot from many different poets who don’t even know that they showed me anything; the importance of body language is probably the biggest thing I’ve picked up since I started slamming.
Read Dear Daddy by Hijinx here

Interview by Tisha Nemeth
Photo by Al Morgan (:divend:)