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TimBookTu continues its series of interviews with writers, poets, or other persons
who are making a difference in the literary world. Our aim is to get their
thoughts, ideas, advice, comments, or whatever they have to say about writing,
poetry, publishing, and other topics that may relate to the written word and the
African-American experience.
Our interview this time is with Ms. Jessica Holter, who writes under the
pen name Ghetto Girl Blue. Ms. Holter is a poet
and founder of the Punany Poets, an Oakland-based poetry and performance
group.
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TimBookTu: I'm sure you are asked this question all the time, but how did you
come up with the name Punany Poets.
GGB: My mother haunts me. She lived and died by Punany.
She was in love with my father, a Jamaican man who I
never knew. Punany is an Afro Caribbean euphemism for
vagina. I love the way the word sounds. I wanted to
bring into light a belief system that the sacred place
of woman should be adored, appreciated, respected.
Women are reciprocal in nature. If the woman is
respected, so shall her man be. The thought of dying
for something as beautiful and as natural as sex
floored me. I wanted to get some artists to help me
put a book together.
TimBookTu: How did you form the Punany Poets?
GGB: The Punany Poets group wasn't planned, it became.
Writers, and singers and dancers who all had something
to say on the subject of love as sex in the black
community submitted work and auditioned with
performances until Punany was a living breathing life
force of her own. It's funny, even I play second
fiddle to her now.
TimBookTu: Where is your home base? Are the performances only in California or do you travel to other parts
of the country?
GGB: We are based in Oakland. A city known for speaking
the unspeakable in fashions not consistent with the
mainstream. From Huey P. Newton to Too $hort this
place has pushed the envelope. We plan to travel,
with our message that "sex is beautiful, love is
attainable and respect is necessary" in the very near
future. We will be in Los Angeles and New York in the
beginning of May and in Texas at the end of May.
TimBookTu: Ms. Holter, your group, the Punany Poets, was recently featured
on a segment of HBO's Real Sex. [Editor's note: The particular episode is
Real Sex 24] How has that changed things for you and the
group?
GGB: The HBO segment will open doors for all poetry and
spoken word. The segment, Punany World Wide, has put
us in the position to live by our art. Like all
things for Black people, the involvement of the
outside force caused conflict, fear and doubt. But we
have founded our organization on love. This is my
premise: If you have been blessed with a gift, it is
not yours to deny your public. Every time I grace the
stage, I want to give all that I have to give in that
moment. I expect nothing less of the performers,
despite who may be zooming who. There is no room for
crabs in this bucket. Our honor is to our craft and
the spirits who have blessed us to give and to be
received. Nothing else matters.
TimBookTu: Do you feel that it [Real Sex] has brought or will bring more
attention to the presentation of erotic poetry?
GGB: Erotica is sweeping our Black nation like a wild fire.
We are getting submissions and requests to perform
all over the country and in Canada. Erotica, is
universal because love and sex are universal. Soon,
spoken word will be as universal as the black rhythm
that taps into hearts from prisons to white houses.
This is a good time for Spoken word. It is a time
when we are still able to tell the truth...not just
what sells….you dig?
TimBookTu: Erotic poetry tends to conjure up a lot of different images to
different people. How has the African American audience received the poetry
and performances by your group?
GGB: Do black people have sex? What don't we talk about
it? We have babies, we are dying of AIDS, our men are
doing each other in jail then coming home to us, but
we can't talk about it? We lay, though the needle
still protrudes from the arm of our lover playing
chicken with life to escape this twisted existence.
The sickness is not sex; it is a lack of communication
about it. I must base my answer on the responses I
am getting and say, if we were not ready before, we
are now. HBO just wet the surface; we are heated,
primed, awaiting entry into the erotic black soul…
bracing ourselves for the black sexual revolution!
Screaming "enough is enough, you will not cheapen this
like I was a backwater whore or a video bimbo. This
Punany I got will rock your soul back to the
motherland. Enter black man, become a king again…and
your mouth may never utter bitch again!"
TimBookTu: Has the subject matter and the performances by your group
presented any challenges such as finding venues or drawing audiences?
GGB: Though rumors have always persisted that I was hosting
some kind of sex cult, we have never been denied a
venue. I have been requested to perform "clean
material". But I am a trained writer. I studied
under Courtland Milloy of BET and the Washington Post.
So I don't have a problem cooperating with
limitations or special requests. I don't really do
hate pieces, but I have a whole lot of politic in me.
But Punany is raw. She has a life force of her own
and her subject matter is attainable to the average
mind, so most requests we get are for Punany.
TimBookTu: Is there audience participation?
GGB: There is minimal audience participation in the Punany
showcase. Our Dinner theatre show, Flesh and
Consequence involved the audience throughout the show.
TimBookTu: How do you distinguish between what is considered erotic and
what may be considered as extreme or pornographic?
GGB: Everyone had a different thresh hold for the erotic.
I can only speak as an individual. The condoning of:
Sex with animals, sex with minors, sex with violence,
sex with anger, sex with death…that just about covers
my idea of pornographic. You?
TimBookTu: Have you always written erotic poetry and would you consider it
to be your main focus?
GGB: No. I have not always written poetry, but I have
always done spoken word. I started in church during
alter-call and then in special programs. I joined
Toastmaster International and The Martin Luther King
Forensic Society at Howard. Momma said I loved to
hear myself talk. But if not us…then who? I used to
be scared to be the me I knew I was meant to be. But
I realized one day. We are seriously lacking in
leadership as a nation…black and poor people, I mean.
There is not main doctrine for life or for revolution.
I am ready to position myself as a writer, a shaper
of thought. What after all makes one an authority? I
am ordained by the ghetto, both my love for it and my
fear of it. In other news, I have completed my first
novel. It is called AKA Deadman.
TimBookTu: After viewing the Real Sex episode, it seems that the group enjoys
what they are doing and the audience reaction was very receptive. Also, some of
the group's work seems to have almost an educational aspect to it when it comes
to sex and eroticism. Do you feel that your work helps to loosen up the viewers
and readers and gives them some ideas about livening up their relationships?
GGB: Yes. We get requests for private shows. You know,
couple in a hotel room. We perform poetry…just poetry… and they thank us.
TimBookTu: Tell me more about yourself and your background? Was there any
aspect of your upbringing that you feel prepared you for becoming a poet and
writer?
GGB: Pain. My foster father molested me and my foster
mother didn't do anything about it. Later I was raped
by a man and I wrote about it in the school paper…Not
about my being raped, but about date rape and is
created a stir. Dwayne Wiggins, then an unpublished
son writer, went on to write a piece called "261.5"
which was featured on the Tony's first album. In is
he explains the desire to be with a minor…. The
Oakland Tribune wrote a piece about the date rape
series that have begun in my high school paper as a
result of my first piece. In it the writer, Cohen,
was his name, told that I was actually a victim.
Momma hadn't even known. People at church talked to
me, pulled me to the side. Made me feel better. I
realized that I could made people feel better by
letting them know that they were not alone. Writers
are little angels, you know? I am proud to be among them.
TimBookTu: Was writing something that you always wanted to do?
GGB: I have never wanted to do anything but write. It is a
fire quenched only by putting pen to pad. My husband
didn't understand that. Now, that I am often alone
with thought, I have so much stuff to publish I can't
get the copyrights done fast enough. I am just
waiting on a great agent…not good… great. It's not
about the money for me. I want the work to get out
there. all across the globe, 'cause I really think,
even if I am not the greatest writer in the world, I
am willing to discuss the things few people talk
about, with a voice familiar to and for a silent,
weather-worn generation.
TimBookTu: Has the emergence of more black writers and the burgeoning
number of spoken word artists made it easier for you to find outlets for your
work?
GGB: I have been a published journalist for a long time.
But until spoken word emerged, I was limited to
covering music, or some boring topic I was assigned.
Open mic gave me voice as an individual.
TimBookTu: What role has the Internet and technology played in helping with
getting the word out about Punany Poets?
GGB: I didn't use the net very much until recently.
Timbooktu has featured GGB worked for nearly a year
now and that has been positive. I think the Internet
is great. I can remember pasting up my high school
paper by hand.
TimBookTu: Since the works featured on TimBookTu are in a written form and
not performed, do you feel that the performance of a poetic piece gives a much
different meaning to it or greater impact?
GGB: Definitely. I will have a sound sample created and
get it to TimBookTu for folks who don't live in the
bay and have the opportunity to see us…or me as GGB.
TimBookTu: You have a book of your work that is available. Tell us more about
it and what it contains.
GGB: Punany: The Hip Hop Psalms is now a limited edition
production. It will be available in April. It is the
original book from Punany complete with pictures and
hip-hop styles poetry. Following this book will be
Verbal Penetration and Skin & Soul and BluePunany on
erotic. I have two other books completed, Speaking
the Unspeakable, and Black Words Soft Spoken.
TimBookTu: What is your current schedule of appearances for Punany Poets?
Do you foresee the group putting its work on video, DVD or other media?
GGB: I have uncut footage of the HBO taping. We will have
private screenings and performances very soon.
TimBookTu: I was told that the Real Sex episodes have brought offers from other
entities to showcase your work. Do you care to say who these groups are?
GGB: I am still entertaining offers. I am trying to be
careful this time around and make informed decisions.
I do have a record company exec coming to check us
out. I may be performing at the Filmore in San
Freancisco with Dwayne on March 28th. I'm looking
forward to being part of history.
TimBookTu: Thank you Jessica for taking time from your schedule for this
interview. I hope the readers will purchase your books and attend the
performances of the poets. I wish you much continued success.
GGB: Thank you for talking to me. I look forward to working
with you very soon.
Books by the Punany Poets and Ghetto Girl Blue will be available online at the
Ajani Bookstore. You can also find out more about
upcoming events and activities involving the Punany Poets by visiting
The Punany Poets website.
You can read past TimBookTu interviews of fascinating and talented people
in the TimBookTu Interview Archives.