Speakeasy: Christian J. Collier

-Christian J. Collier

I was invited to speak at Unity Church of Chattanooga. Preceding me, a young man entered the mic at with a prayer. This prayer took me Home to a place where I would enter into an affirmation of what life might be through listening to this voice/these words. It evoked an energy of expectation, of possibility; it closed my eyes and opened them to the poet at the mic, Christian J. Collier. Then he spoke, honoring the words of his Mama:

After my own stint at the mic, I spoke with Christian, the poet, artist, and teacher, and learned he was on the heels of his summer program for young poetry and writer enthusiasts, MANIFEST Voices. From Collier, “…they’ve learned how to become better writers and readers, as well as how to trust in themselves and each other for support, feedback, and constructive criticism.” Of course, Garden Spices needed to hear Christian J. Collier’s voice:

Rumination

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Solace

Christian J. Collier is a 2015 Loft Spoken Word Immersion Fellow. This program is made possible by a major grant from the Surdna Foundation and by the generous support of Loft members.

He is an accomplished artist, public speaker, and educator who has shared the stage with several members of HBO’s Def Poetry cast, legendary poet and activist Ishmael Reed, Grammy-nominated artist Minton Sparks, Rock & Roll Hall of Fame members The Impressions, etc. Mr. Collier has also given a TED Talk and repeatedly been featured on the IndieFeed Performance Poetry Channel, which prides itself on featuring the best spoken word artists working today. Some of his works have been featured on The Guardian, and published in such publications as The Seven Hills Review, Dirty Chai, Voicemail Poems, Calliope Magazine, and The Origami Poetry Project to name a few, and his 2009 chapbook Ghosts & Echoes has sold hundreds of copies independently solely off the strength of readings and live performances.

In October of 2013, he released his debut EP Between Beauty & Bedlam, which he wrote and produced himself. The record fuses spoken word poetry and an eclectic mix of musical genres including Hip-Hop and ambient to make a sonic gumbo. It is available now at CD Baby, Bandcamp, at live performances, and from Christian’s website (christianjcollier.com).