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Behind the Poetry

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HER Replay: Behind the Poetry: Start With Your Roots

This week I’m taking y’all behind the poetry and digging into my poem “Start With Your Roots.” Listen in as I share how Outkast’s album Aquemini and my own southern upbringing inspired this poem. Please enjoy this episode from the HER Archives.

Listen on iHeartRadio, Apple Podcasts, and wherever you enjoy listening to podcasts.

Click here to view the transcript.

Show Notes:

Behind The Poetry episodes

Aquemini by Outkast

Rosa Parks by Outkast

Gone With The Wind 

Grandma’s Hands by Bill Withers

Java Speaks on Instagram

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HER Replay: Behind the Poetry: God Bless Mom (featuring My Mom!)

This week I’m taking y’all behind the poetry of my poem God Bless Mom and for the first time ever my mom is joining us as a guest in the HER Living Room! Listen in for how my mom inspired this poem and what she did that inspired me to become a spoken word poet. Please enjoy this episode from the HER Archives.

Listen on iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, and everywhere you listen to podcasts. 

Click here to view the transcript.

Support Amena

To support Amena’s creative work and get exclusive perks, become a member of her Patreon community. If you would prefer to support the show with a one-time contribution, go to paypal.me/amenabrown.

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HER With Amena Brown Episode 107: HER Replay: Behind the Poetry: Margaret

Yes I wrote a poem inspired by Judy Blume’s book Are You There God It’s Me, Margaret? Yes I auditioned for America’s Next Top Model and that also inspired this poem. And yes I actually met Judy Blume and got to perform my poem “Margaret” for her in the Before Times. AND YES I AM STILL FREAKED OUT ABOUT IT. Listen in to this episode to hear me tell y’all all the things!

Listen on iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, and wherever you listen to podcasts.

Click here to view the transcript.

Support Amena

To support Amena’s creative work and get exclusive perks, become a member of her Patreon community. If you would prefer to support the show with a one-time contribution, go to paypal.me/amenabrown.

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HER With Amena Brown Episode 100: Behind the Poetry: Our Own Potluck

It’s our 100th episode! What better way to celebrate than taking y’all behind the poetry of one of my favorite poems, Our Own Potluck. Listen in on how envisioned a living room of Black women led me to write this poem and how much our love the living room we have here on the podcast. Thanks for listening for 100 episodes!

Listen on iHeartRadio, Apple Podcasts, and wherever you enjoy listening to podcasts.

Click here to view the transcript.

Show Notes:

Behind The Poetry episodes

Our Own Potluck by Amena Brown

Edna Lewis

Too Heavy a Yoke by Dr. Chanequa Walker-Barnes

Sisters Of The Yam by bell hooks

The Taste of Country Cooking by Edna Lewis

Julie and Julia

Lyric Lewin

Amena and Edna by Amena Brown (Whetstone Magazine)

Juneteenth

Homecoming: A Film by Beyoncé

Support Amena

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HER With Amena Brown Episode 75: Behind the Poetry: Garden of Me

This week I’m taking y’all behind the poetry with one of my newish poems! Listen in to hear the books and experience that have been a part of my becoming and how I began to rediscover my voice!

Listen on iHeartRadio, Apple Podcasts, and wherever you enjoy listening to podcasts.

Click here to view the transcript.

Support Amena

To support Amena’s creative work and get exclusive perks, become a member of her Patreon community. If you would prefer to support the show with a one-time contribution, go to paypal.me/amenabrown.

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HER With Amena Brown Episode 68: Behind the Poetry: Start With Your Roots

This week I’m taking y’all behind the poetry and digging into my poem “Start With Your Roots.” Listen in as I share how Outkast’s album Aquemini and my own southern upbringing inspired this poem.

Listen on iHeartRadio, Apple Podcasts, and wherever you enjoy listening to podcasts.

Click here to view the transcript.

Show Notes:

Behind The Poetry episodes

Aquemini by Outkast

Rosa Parks by Outkast

Gone With The Wind 

Grandma’s Hands by Bill Withers

Java Speaks on Instagram

Support Amena

To support Amena’s creative work and get exclusive perks, become a member of her Patreon community. If you would prefer to support the show with a one-time contribution, go to paypal.me/amenabrown.

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HER With Amena Brown Episode 64: Behind the Poetry: A Breakup Poem

I’m digging into my poetry archives AND telling y’all my business! This week we’re going behind the poetry on a break up poem young Mena wrote that I rarely share on stage. So grab your discounted Valentine’s candy and listen in for all the breakup shenanigans!

Listen on iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, and wherever you enjoy podcasts.

Click here to view the transcript.

Support Amena

To support Amena’s creative work and get exclusive perks, become a member of her Patreon community. If you would prefer to support the show with a one-time contribution, go to paypal.me/amenabrown.

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HER With Amena Brown Episode 63: Behind the Poetry: First Lines

This week I’m taking you behind the poetry with my poem “First Lines.” Listen in to hear the inspiration behind this poem, why I used to sleep with books and my journal next to me, and how this poem ended up on my last spoken word album Amena Brown Live.

Listen on iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, and wherever you enjoy podcasts.

Click here to view the transcript.

Support Amena

To support Amena’s creative work and get exclusive perks, become a member of her Patreon community. If you would prefer to support the show with a one-time contribution, go to paypal.me/amenabrown.

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HER With Amena Brown Episode 57: Behind the Poetry: God Bless Mom (featuring My Mom!)

This week I’m taking y’all behind the poetry of my poem God Bless Mom and for the first time ever my mom is joining us as a guest in the HER Living Room! Listen in for how my mom inspired this poem and what she did that inspired me to become a spoken word poet.

Support Amena

To support Amena’s creative work and get exclusive perks, become a member of her Patreon community. If you would prefer to support the show with a one-time contribution, go to paypal.me/amenabrown.

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HER With Amena Brown Episode 45: Behind the Poetry: Girlfriends Poem

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For the past few weeks we’ve been talking about friendship so I thought it would be fitting to take you behind the poetry of Girlfriends Poem. In this episode I talk about the real life moments with my girlfriends that inspired this poem and why it’s one of my favorites to perform!

Support Amena

To support Amena’s creative work and get exclusive perks, become a member of her Patreon community. If you would prefer to support the show with a one-time contribution, go to paypal.me/amenabrown.

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HER With Amena Brown Episode 37: Behind The Poetry: Dear TV Sitcoms

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This week I’m taking you Behind the Poetry of one of my favorite poems to perform, “Dear TV Sitcoms.” If you’ve ever seen me perform live you have likely heard this poem as I love to close my sets with it. In this episode I talk about how a really difficult experience inspired me to write a poem that is infused with humor, 80s and 90s nostalgia, and reminders that Black lives always matter.

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To support Amena’s creative work and get exclusive perks, become a member of her Patreon community. If you would prefer to support the show with a one-time contribution, go to paypal.me/amenabrown.

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HER With Amena Brown Episode 34: Behind the Poetry: Letter to My Hair

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This week we are gathering in the living room to talk about natural hair. I began my natural hair journey 12 years ago and I wrote “Letter to My Hair” as a result. Tune in to this episode to hear about what made me do the Big Chop, how I learned to rock my TWA, and how this poem became a part of the story of how I became a poetic partner with PATTERN beauty.

Support Amena

To support Amena’s creative work and get exclusive perks, become a member of her Patreon community. If you would prefer to support the show with a one-time contribution, go to paypal.me/amenabrown.

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HER With Amena Brown Episode 26: Behind the Poetry: Margaret

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Yes I wrote a poem inspired by Judy Blume’s book Are You There God It’s Me, Margaret? Yes I auditioned for America’s Next Top Model and that also inspired this poem. And yes I actually met Judy Blume and got to perform my poem “Margaret” for her in the Before Times. AND YES I AM STILL FREAKED OUT ABOUT IT. Listen in to this episode to hear me tell y’all all the things!

Support Amena

To support Amena’s creative work and get exclusive perks, become a member of her Patreon community. If you would prefer to support the show with a one-time contribution, go to paypal.me/amenabrown.

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HER With Amena Brown Episode 22: Behind the Poetry: Key of G

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If you want to know how Sam Cooke, my dad, The Fugees and the Red Hot Chili Peppers helped me write a poem, then you are gonna dig this episode. I’m taking you behind the poetry of my poem Key of G and in the process I’m talking you through a lot of music I LOVE. 

In this episode I share some information about the Hungry Hearts anthology featuring my essay “Period Playlist.” The book is OUT NOW. Get your copy here: http://penguinrandomhouse.com/hungryhearts.

Show Notes:

Key of G by Amena Brown

Southern Fried Poetry Slam

A Change is Gonna Come by Sam Cookie

One Night in Miami

Hungry Hearts anthology, edited by Jennifer Rudolph Walsh

James Brown

Shining Star by Earth, Wind, and Fire

Do You Want More by The Roots

The Fugees

John Coltrane

My Favorite Things by John Coltrane

Under The Bridge by Red Hot Chili Peppers

Breaking Old Rhythms by Amena Brown

Jodeci

Live at Java Monkey by Amena Brown

Amena Brown Live by Amena Brown

Give Her A Crown: Grandma Bertha Lee

Support Amena

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HER With Amena Brown Episode 17: Behind the Poetry: Here Breathing

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This is one of my most vulnerable episodes to date. I’m giving you a Behind the Poetry look at my poem “Here Breathing” as I tell you the really difficult time in my life that inspired me to write the poem. I talk about what it means to survive hard things, how therapy helped me heal, why it’s important to remember we are still here and why I’m happy you are here too.

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HER With Amena Brown Episode 11: Behind the Poetry: Roots & Wings

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Every poem has a story. In each Behind the Poetry episode I share one of my poems, the real life story behind one of my poems, what it was like performing it for the first time and how I feel about the poem today. This week, I’m sharing my poem Roots & Wings and the very first time I ever performed my own poetry. Listen in to hear how the movie Love Jones and the legacy of my ancestors helped me to write this poem.

Support Amena

To support Amena’s creative work and get exclusive perks, become a member of her Patreon community. If you would prefer to support the show with a one-time contribution, go to paypal.me/amenabrown.

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