|
|
 |
Letta Neely
and Abigail Sewell
pix by Cheryl Coward |
It is hard to believe that Abigail Sewell is only 19. At one of the spoken word showcases of Ladyfest South, the University of Florida student brought down the house with the sheer ferocity of her delivery of compelling and heartwrenching poetry. Hailing from Atlanta, Abigail already has a chapbook, Southern Black Girl Crying. Keep your eyes open for Abigail because she's sure to be a major act spoken word circuit in the future.
Cheryl: Was this your first Ladyfest?
Abigail: Yep.
Cheryl: Do you plan on attending others in the future?
Abigail: Yep.
Cheryl: How long have you been writing and performing?
Abigail: Writing since 4th grade, Performing since the 11th.
Cheryl: Who are your artistic influences and why?
Abigail: Perfoming...Staceyann Chin because she is so dynamic on stage. She is a genius at using her body to relate her feelings and emotions. It is always amazing to hear her strong voice, especially coming from one so slight. Writing...Ralph Ellison because of Invisible Man. The language and the concepts are so complex, yet political and cultural all at the same time. Every word means something. Also, Zora Neale Hurston...I love her use of dialect. I love how she intertwined social themes into a love story, Their Eyes Were Watching God. And Milton...he took the devil and made him the good guy. What can I say about that? I love the fact that he took something so ordinary and made it extraordinary, such as blank verse, iambic pentameter, and Christian themes.
Cheryl: How would you describe your writing?
Abigail: Hmmm...very aware of all the forces that make a poem...literally sound yet still for the layman's ear...an intricate blend of academia and the stuff you hear in coffeehouses and poetry slams.
Cheryl: How often do you do readings? Where?
Abigail: As often as I can...there are open mics in Gainesville weekly, but I only read about once a month at those...and outside Gainesville, whenever I am asked to.
Cheryl: Do you have a Web site where people can find out about/buy your work?
Abigail: Yep. http://www.geocities.com/abigailasewell
Cheryl Coward http://cherylcoward.com is a Chicago-based freelance writer and novelist. Her work has been published in such publications as the Chicago Tribune, the Village Voice, Essence and Black Enterprise.
|
