What an interesting story! I'm not into poetry at all, but several of the poems read were amazing, and it blows me away that a heavily-accented Swedish composer can get together with an poetry-writing American inmate and make these things happen. Listen for the poem "Beauty in Cell Bars", it's worth it all by itself. I love the narrator's measured but natural voice. And Spoon Jackson reads as well as he writes. Good audio.
This piece grabbed me as soon as I heard the opening lines from prisoner/poet Spoon Jackson. Jackson is the much more inherently intriguing half of the 'unlikely partnership,' which makes for an interesting challenge for this story's producer, KVMR's Mike Thornton, because the person he interviews is the other half of the collaboration, a Swedish composer named Steffan Safsten.
Thornton has put this story together with a lot of skill --- it has a nice flow, a thoughtful array of Jackson's poetry, and well-selected pieces of interview tape from composer Safsten --- but as I listen, I find myself wishing over and over that Jackson was interviewed as well. What's Jackson's back-story? What did he think when a Swedish composer wrote him out of the blue asking to put his poetry to music? How does he think the composition turned out?
I find myself especially wanting to hear from Jackson when composer Safsten suggests that a prisoner is likely to have a 'freer mind' than the rest of us. What does a man who's been imprisoned for 28 years think about a statement like that?
A Swede and state convict walk into a bar… well kind of. Spoon Jackson is behind bars for life. Classical composer Stefan Säfsten’s bars are on the sheet music. Through a common friend these two men meet and a collaboration of music and poetry begins, resulting in a CD entitled "Frihet för de Fångna/Freedom for the Prisoned". In listening to the words and music of the composer and the poetry of this PEN award winning prison poet, there’s an engaging synergy, that unfortunately isn’t reflected in the delivery of the bookend narration on this 9 minute meditation, but that doesn’t detract from the curious appeal of this piece. The poet Jackson’s voice comes sounds slightly tinny and metallic, but it actually seems to add a slightly haunting dimension to Säfsten’s composition. Local references in the narration may make this piece difficult to place, but a few minor changes in the text and energy of the presenter can make this piece more airable on a variety of stations with classical & public affairs program segments.
Comments for An Unlikely Partnership
Produced by Mike Thornton
Other pieces by KVMR
Rating Summary
3 comments
Hans Anderson
Posted on December 14, 2006 at 06:42 PM | Permalink
Review of An Unlikely Partnership
What an interesting story! I'm not into poetry at all, but several of the poems read were amazing, and it blows me away that a heavily-accented Swedish composer can get together with an poetry-writing American inmate and make these things happen. Listen for the poem "Beauty in Cell Bars", it's worth it all by itself. I love the narrator's measured but natural voice. And Spoon Jackson reads as well as he writes. Good audio.
Aaron Henkin
Posted on August 24, 2006 at 09:23 AM | Permalink
Review of An Unlikely Partnership
This piece grabbed me as soon as I heard the opening lines from prisoner/poet Spoon Jackson. Jackson is the much more inherently intriguing half of the 'unlikely partnership,' which makes for an interesting challenge for this story's producer, KVMR's Mike Thornton, because the person he interviews is the other half of the collaboration, a Swedish composer named Steffan Safsten.
Thornton has put this story together with a lot of skill --- it has a nice flow, a thoughtful array of Jackson's poetry, and well-selected pieces of interview tape from composer Safsten --- but as I listen, I find myself wishing over and over that Jackson was interviewed as well. What's Jackson's back-story? What did he think when a Swedish composer wrote him out of the blue asking to put his poetry to music? How does he think the composition turned out?
I find myself especially wanting to hear from Jackson when composer Safsten suggests that a prisoner is likely to have a 'freer mind' than the rest of us. What does a man who's been imprisoned for 28 years think about a statement like that?
Michael Johnson
Posted on August 01, 2005 at 04:03 AM | Permalink
Review of An Unlikely Partnership
A Swede and state convict walk into a bar… well kind of. Spoon Jackson is behind bars for life. Classical composer Stefan Säfsten’s bars are on the sheet music. Through a common friend these two men meet and a collaboration of music and poetry begins, resulting in a CD entitled "Frihet för de Fångna/Freedom for the Prisoned". In listening to the words and music of the composer and the poetry of this PEN award winning prison poet, there’s an engaging synergy, that unfortunately isn’t reflected in the delivery of the bookend narration on this 9 minute meditation, but that doesn’t detract from the curious appeal of this piece. The poet Jackson’s voice comes sounds slightly tinny and metallic, but it actually seems to add a slightly haunting dimension to Säfsten’s composition. Local references in the narration may make this piece difficult to place, but a few minor changes in the text and energy of the presenter can make this piece more airable on a variety of stations with classical & public affairs program segments.