jessica Care moore

Jessica Care Moore

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Meet Jessica Care Moore jessica Care moore Poole

POET ◦ ACTOR ◦ PUBLISHER ◦ RECORDING ARTIST

One of the most anticipated published poets of this generation, jessica Care moore is making a literary, theatrical and musical impact on the world that will help define the art of words. You’ve already witnessed the dynamic young voice from the Motor city that swept the nationally televised It’s Showtime at the Apollo’s notoriously tough audiences off their feet, winning a record five consecutive weeks with her powerful lyrics. jessica Care moore made history and is recognized as an Apollo Legend.

jessica Care moore has shared stages and worked with literary and musical artists George Clinton, Nas, Ossie Davis, Mos Def, Gregory Hines, CeCe Winans, Anthony David, Roy Ayers, Gil Scott Herron, Sonia Sanchez, Steve Harvey, Cedric The Entertainer, Patrice Rushen, Nikki Giovanni, The Last Poets and many more. A true renaissance woman, she is one of the returning stars of the new HBO Series Russell Simmons presents: Def Poetry Jam and has been featured on BET’s, NYLA, The Ed Gordan Show, Teen Summit, and NBC’s Today Show.

The Alphabet Verses The Ghetto
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Published: June 2003
Paperback: 208 pages
ISBN: 096583087X
Publisher: Moore Black Press

The Alphabet Verses The Ghetto (AVG) is the highly anticipated release from author jessica Care moore. A rich collection of poetry and prose divided into three chapters of resistence, love and survival. In the midst of all the hype with this art form called poetry, jessica Care moore takes time to flex her opinions and obvious growth as a writer inside these pages. The AVG is a great contribution to the future of American poetry. With call to action poems, like, "Joseph," and "Epilogue," to honest sometimes haunting love poems, like "Purple," and "Leaving Brooklyn," we get to know this poet like never before. "I got my momma's eyes and my daddy's guns."

Care moore has left audiences in awe with her original play There Are No Asylums for the Real Crazy Women. This one-woman stage production brings to life the story of Vivienne Eliot, the late first wife of famous poet T.S. Eliot. Fusing her modern use of poetry, hip-hop culture, feminist thought and language, Care moore, a solo virtuoso, offers a moving and innovative portrayal of an English woman born in 1888.

jessica Care moore Poole
June 2005 - Video © AALBC.com

Her new theater show, Alpha Phobia, is a semi-autobiographical sketch about a female poet who believes the alphabet is trying to kill her. This innovative and insightful production premiered at the 14th St. Playhouse in Atlanta during the National Black Arts Festival in 2002 and is preparing for NY and LA premieres. She is one of the featured actors/poets in the soon to released film, Hughes Dream Harlem on STARZ, and just finished lead acting work on the Indie film His/Herstory portraying a young woman named Faida who must choose between her art, her culture and the man she loves.

An international poetic force, jessica Care moore has performed for audiences in Toulouse, France, London, Scotland, Berlin, Paris and Holland. Her words inspire along with her innovative approach to music. A blend of funk, hip-hop, soul and rock, she is creatively influenced by artists like, Betty Davis, Janis Joplin, Prince, The Temptations, and Marvin Gaye. Care moore’s soulful, raspy voice leads the drum & bass-rock-poetry band Detroit Read (pronounced red, like the color). Her dynamic stage show fuses rapid-fire-heartfelt poetry, rock, melodic vocals, acoustic guitar, house & electric hip-hop. As a recording artist, she was featured with platinum recording artist NAS on Nastradamus and Impulse Recording Artist Antonio Hart’s Here I Stand. She’s a guest artist on the forthcoming Big Cat Records release from rap artist PBT and his debut album, Pimpin’ my Pen.

Words Don't Fit In My Mouth
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Format: Paperback, 151pp.
ISBN: 0965830802
Publisher: Moore Black Press
Pub. Date: April 1997

Jessica is also an internationally published writer, with her work being featured in several major anthologies including Abandon Automobile, (WSU Press 2001), Listen Up! (Random House, 1999), Step Into A World, (Wiley Publishing, 2001), Role Call (Third World Press 2002) Bum Rush The Page: A Def Poetry Jam (Crown Publishing 2001), in addition to Essence, Blaze, Source, Vibe, African Voices, Bomb, Mosaic, Good News, Savoy and BE magazines. Care moore’s highly anticipated second book, The Alphabet Verses The Ghetto (November 2002) is an introspective look into this young poets life and shows the growth of this globally recognized poet.

A multifaceted writer, publisher, and actor, Care moore hits home with her soulful sound, rapid-fire lyrics and hardcore appeal. Author of the best selling poetry collection, The Words Don’t Fit In My Mouth, she is no ordinary poet; she is one of the hottest young book publishers in the country. Moore Black Press was currently awarded a Small Press Award from the African-Americans Helping Authors Organization in NYC. As an activist and lecturer, jessica has become a strong voice in the fight against the AIDS epidemic, lending her voice to the AIDS WALK Opening Ceremonies in NYC, San Francisco and Atlanta. She is one of the organizers of the upcoming Hip-Hop-A-Thon, which hopes to increase AIDS education in the Black and Latino Bay Area Community.

Moore Black Press is also working to get kids to read with her Literacy Through Hip Hop Campaign. In 2003, she’s release the anticipated title, The Poetry of Emcees: A comprehensive anthology of hip-hop generation writers known to rock the pen. This exciting collection will feature the works of Mike Eric Dyson, Talib Kweli, Doug E Fresh, Saul Williams, Q-Tip, Tara Roberts, T.Tara Turk, The Last Poets, Mumz, Kevin Powell, dead prez , and many others. In addition to The Words Don’t Fit In My Mouth, Moore Black Press Inc., founded by Care moore in August of 1997, has published and gained international distribution for works by acclaimed poets, recording artists and authors Sharrif Simmons and Saul Williams.

I am a work in progress
for asha bandele
- jessica Care moore -

We are born writing
but will learn to wait
An agonizing line of blood will follow our future
and never find us
mistaking our memories for actual events
reason and common sense will never make an appearance
opening the door after a temporary disappearance
the fisher man showed up in your world again
guess that's why our female heroes got fancy
addictive names like

Heroin

You were born writing little girl
but you will learn to wait
the lines will appear as currents
events to fool you into submission
the grocery store
the post office
the unemployment line
the local train platform at two in the morning
this is where you will find poetry
screaming between the air inside your walk
this is how you'll learn to kiss and paint
nurse babies and call "next!"
on the ball court
your name will be one african syllable too many
for jane who didn't do her lower case b
phoenix assignment
pretending that she just can't pronounce Kenya or Brendesha
with america's alphabet
this is the moment you find meaning in cuss words
you will take cuts attempting to find the front line
your scent will leave hunters running in the wrong direction
as your home becomes brick your bones become thick
clocks will confuse the moon into thinking
dark is a synonym for gloom
you will stay still as your body leaves the room
for the first time in weeks
strength will appear from behind the sun
they will call you a freak and you will believe them
you were born writing and will soon learn to run

we are born writing
but will learn to wait
the wind will pause our dreams
lies suddenly sound like laughter
we will survive in here
or after
skeleton woman break dancing
into poses resembling roses
emulating an african nose
that never smelled ivory up close

this is when you will cry the most
learn to gather your tears into your fists
realizing water will never grant your wishes
reflections are always true but never wet
so we kiss ourselves
till our lips turn dry and honest

you will hear faint pieces of your voice
in the electricity of a phone line
screaming for freedom
in the middle of a message or a voyage
never delivered during long distance
conversations or kidnappings
this is the moment your fingers
will find your hand
and hang up on your past beliefs
what is a white courtesy phone?
Why can't I ever find one?

the lines will appear as a sound waving
good bye
when you jump off the side of the ship
in the footsteps of the march of tears
funeral processions will break into the hustle
digging up murdered soil
that forgot this was a man's world
and daddy needs a son baby
everybody will wear black
forgetting this is your damn birth day party
There was a time we didn't have to wait
nine months for our children to be born
we just believed they would come
and waited for them to quickly leave
i'll take the young pretty one
with the chiseled brown lips
for 5 axes 3 pigs 2 arrows 1 chicken and a bushel of wire
this is when you'll carve your first pencil from wood
and draw blood
this is when your story is erased
I was born writing
but will be taught to wait
I am an incomplete sentence
a work in progress
and i'm not finished
yet

Related Links

jessica Care moore Homepage
http://www.jessicacaremoore.net

Read more about Jessica in Mosaic Literary Magazine (download electronic version)

Saul Williams AALBC.com Page
http://aalbc.com/poet/saul.htm

AALBC.com's Moore Black Press Page
http://aalbc.com/writers/moore.htm

Eargasms (CrucialPoetics, vol. 1) Eargasms (CrucialPoetics, vol. 1)
http://www.inch.com/~ozone/eargasms/eargasms.html

MSN Sidewalk Slamnation Page
http://newyork.sidewalk.com/detail/77807

Slam
mums, Williams moore and Beau Sia
Photo/image credits: courtesy Film Forum/Lina Pallotta