I came up with an idea, not sure if I did it independently, but I don’t know of any posting or discussion on it prior to this weekend.

I was hanging out in Chicago with many poetry friends and family and it occurred to me while hanging out with Joel Chmara, Robbie Q and Alvin Lau that I’ve always wanted to perform duets with them. I’ve actually considered preparing duets with many performance poets all over the spoken world.

So the idea is this: Any one writes any number of duets. Make them available online as scripts, with the parts designated for anyone; could be random or specific people in mind. Your part vs. anyone’s part. Any one could memorize the alternate part, then when the primary author gets to town, or the alternate performer is in the same locale as the primary author, they can do the poem anywhere.

The Sweet Nugget

© 2008 Mike McGee

MIKE: I like nuggets.

VOICE 2: I like sweetness.

MIKE: We could join them up to make…

BOTH: SWEET NUGGETS!

I like this idea a lot. Imagine a duet with Roger Bonair-Agard and Paulie Lipman. An ode to awesome things with Ken Arkind and Tony Brown. Patricia Smith and Rob “Ratpack Slim” Sturma rockin’ to childhood. The potential for collaborations are endless. Andrea Gibson and I remarking on love and ladies.

I’m sure somone has done this, but I’m thinking of collecting collaborative duets and posting them on my site.

I think I may post a not-oft-used duet I wrote with Shane Koyczan. That could be fun to do with almost anybody.

I think it could be such a nice addition to a poetry feature if I had a duet or two to do with a poet I have very little access to.

Thoughts?

–––––––––

Word to the nerd.

2008: Doing it!

Originally published at Mike McGee Town. You can comment here or there.