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Kenneth Zane Beasley III (born June 4, 1974), known as Buddy Wakefield, is an American
spoken word Spoken word refers to an oral poetic performance art that is based mainly on the poem as well as the performer's aesthetic qualities. It is a late 20th century continuation of an ancient oral artistic tradition that focuses on the aesthetics o ...
artist, a three-time
poetry slam A poetry slam is a competitive art event in which poets perform spoken word poetry before a live audience and a panel of judges. While formats can vary, slams are often loud and lively, with audience participation, cheering and dramatic delivery. ...
world champion, and the most toured performance poet in history. His works have been released by
Strange Famous Records Strange Famous Records is an indie hip hop record label based in Providence, Rhode Island. It was founded by Sage Francis. Artists on its roster include B. Dolan, Cecil Otter, Prolyphic, and Sleep, among others. History Strange Famous Records st ...
(CD), Righteous Babe Records (CD), and
Write Bloody Publishing Write Bloody Publishing is an independent American publishing house, founded in 2004 by traveling poet Derrick C. Brown Derrick C. Brown (born February 7, 1973) is an American comedian, poet/performer and founder of Write Bloody Publishing. H ...
(books). He has lived in Sanborn, New York;
Baytown, Texas Baytown is a city in the U.S. state of Texas, within Harris and Chambers counties. Located in the Houston–The Woodlands–Sugar Land metropolitan statistical area, it lies on the northern side of the Galveston Bay complex near the outlets of ...
;
Seattle, Washington Seattle ( ) is a port, seaport city on the West Coast of the United States. It is the county seat, seat of King County, Washington, King County, Washington (state), Washington. With a 2020 population of 737,015, it is the largest city in bo ...
;
Los Angeles, California Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the wo ...
; currently residing in
Porto, Portugal Porto or Oporto () is the second-largest city in Portugal, the capital of the Porto District, and one of the Iberian Peninsula's major urban areas. Porto city proper, which is the entire municipality of Porto, is small compared to its metropol ...
.


Biography

Buddy Wakefield (born Kenneth Zane Beasley III) was born in Shreveport, Louisiana,Artist Interview with Buddy Wakefield: ''Fine Line Magazine''
/ref> then raised in Sanborn, New York and
Baytown, Texas Baytown is a city in the U.S. state of Texas, within Harris and Chambers counties. Located in the Houston–The Woodlands–Sugar Land metropolitan statistical area, it lies on the northern side of the Galveston Bay complex near the outlets of ...
. He was adopted by a stepfather in 1980 and became Buddy Marshall Stevens. After eighteen years of no contact, Buddy chose his own legal last name, Wakefield, from the
Weezer Weezer is an American rock band formed in Los Angeles, California, in 1992. Since 2001, the band has consisted of Rivers Cuomo (vocals, guitar, keyboards), Patrick Wilson (drums, backing vocals), Scott Shriner (bass guitar, keyboards, backin ...
song '' My Name is Jonas,'' thinking that the second half of the song began "My name is Wakefield. I've got a box full of your toys." He later discovered that Weezer's
Rivers Cuomo Rivers Cuomo ( ; born June 13, 1970) is an American musician. He is the lead vocalist, guitarist, pianist, and songwriter of the rock band Weezer. Cuomo was raised in a number of Buddhist communities in the Northeast U.S. until the age of 10, wh ...
was not saying ''Wakefield'', but rather ''Wepeel,'' the name of Cuomo's sled from childhood. In 2001, Buddy left his position as executive assistant at a biomedical firm in Gig Harbor, Washington, sold or gave away everything he owned, and moved into a
Honda Civic The is a series of automobiles manufactured by Honda since 1972. Since 2000, the Civic has been categorized as a compact car, while previously it occupied the subcompact class. , the Civic is positioned between the Honda Fit/City and Hond ...
to tour North American poetry venues. In 2004, and again in 2005, he won the Individual World Poetry Slam Championship title, thanks to the support of anthropologist and producer
Norman Lear Norman Milton Lear (born July 27, 1922) is an American producer and screenwriter, who has produced, written, created, or developed over 100 shows. Lear is known for many popular 1970s sitcoms, including the multi-award winning ''All in the Famil ...
. He was a member of several slam teams, including Team Long Beach in 2002, and Team Seattle in 2006 and 2007. Having not competed in poetry slam since 2008, he has gone on to build a significant following, and still considers performance poetry to be his day job while living in Los Angeles, and Porto, Portugal, pursuing acting and screenwriting for both television and film. In addition to touring the world solo for two decades, Wakefield has also toured, performed with, headlined and opened for hip-hop, folk, and rock acts worldwide. As well, he was a core member of The Poetry Revival (2007-2010) with poets Derrick Brown, Anis Mojgani,
Andrea Gibson Andrea Gibson (born August 13, 1975) is an American poet and activist from Calais, Maine, who has lived in Boulder, Colorado since 1999. Gibson's poetry focuses on gender norms, politics, social reform, and LGBTQ topics. Personal life Gibson ...
and
Cristin O'Keefe Aptowicz Cristin O'Keefe Aptowicz ( ; born November 26, 1978) is an American nonfiction writer and poet. Life A native of Philadelphia, Cristin O'Keefe Aptowicz graduated from Central High School of Philadelphia in 1996 and received a B.F.A. in Dramat ...
. As of 2019, Wakefield has performed in every state in the U.S. except North Dakota, on purpose, as a nod to his most streamed single, "Convenience Stores." In 2020, Wakefield founded Awful Good Writers and produced Heavy Hitters Festival, a summer-long series of online performances and workshops with a lineup boasting 40+ of the most beloved living spoken word artists, including
Saul Williams Saul Stacey Williams (born February 29, 1972) is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, musician, poet, writer, and actor. He is known for his blend of poetry and alternative hip hop, and for his lead roles in the 1998 independent film '' Slam ...
, Mary Lambert, Sarah Kay,
Beau Sia Beau Sia (, born 1976) is an American slam poet. Life and career Sia was born in Ohio. He is of Chinese-Filipino descent. Raised in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, Sia discovered spoken word poetry on MTV as a teenager. When not participating in his ...
, Rudy Francisco,
Sonya Renee Taylor Sonya Renee Taylor is a New York Times best-selling author, activist, thought leader, spoken word artist, and founder of The Body is Not An Apology global movement. Taylor's work focuses on body liberation, racial justice, and transformational ch ...
, Sage Francis and others.


Poetry, Performance, Books and Records

Wakefield was the first author released o
Write Bloody Publishing
after its founder,
Derrick C. Brown Derrick C. Brown (born February 7, 1973) is an American comedian, poet/performer and founder of Write Bloody Publishing. He is the author of several books of poetry and is a popular touring author. He lived outside of Austin, Texas in Elgin, T ...
. He published five subsequent books with Write Bloody Publishing: ''Some They Can't Contain'' (2004, originally The Wordsmith Press; reissued by
Write Bloody Publishing Write Bloody Publishing is an independent American publishing house, founded in 2004 by traveling poet Derrick C. Brown Derrick C. Brown (born February 7, 1973) is an American comedian, poet/performer and founder of Write Bloody Publishing. H ...
), ''Live for a Living'' (2007,
Write Bloody Publishing Write Bloody Publishing is an independent American publishing house, founded in 2004 by traveling poet Derrick C. Brown Derrick C. Brown (born February 7, 1973) is an American comedian, poet/performer and founder of Write Bloody Publishing. H ...
)'', Gentleman Practice'' (2011,
Write Bloody Publishing Write Bloody Publishing is an independent American publishing house, founded in 2004 by traveling poet Derrick C. Brown Derrick C. Brown (born February 7, 1973) is an American comedian, poet/performer and founder of Write Bloody Publishing. H ...
), ''Stunt Water: The Buddy Wakefield Reader 1991-2011'' (2015,
Write Bloody Publishing Write Bloody Publishing is an independent American publishing house, founded in 2004 by traveling poet Derrick C. Brown Derrick C. Brown (born February 7, 1973) is an American comedian, poet/performer and founder of Write Bloody Publishing. H ...
), and ''A Choir of Honest Killers'' (October 15, 2019,
Write Bloody Publishing Write Bloody Publishing is an independent American publishing house, founded in 2004 by traveling poet Derrick C. Brown Derrick C. Brown (born February 7, 1973) is an American comedian, poet/performer and founder of Write Bloody Publishing. H ...
). Wakefield also wrote and published a comical reference book with Stephen Snook, for backyard chicken keeping in urban and suburban environments
HENHOUSE: The International Book for Chickens and Their Lovers
(2012,
Write Bloody Publishing Write Bloody Publishing is an independent American publishing house, founded in 2004 by traveling poet Derrick C. Brown Derrick C. Brown (born February 7, 1973) is an American comedian, poet/performer and founder of Write Bloody Publishing. H ...
) Wakefield has released three full-length spoken word albums with best friend and producer Jon Berardi: A Stretch of Presence (1999) (co-produced with Levi Lyman), ''
Run On Anything Kenneth Zane Beasley III (born June 4, 1974), known as Buddy Wakefield, is an American spoken word artist, a three-time poetry slam world champion, and the most toured performance poet in history. His works have been released by Strange Famous R ...
'' (2006) which was released by
Strange Famous Records Strange Famous Records is an indie hip hop record label based in Providence, Rhode Island. It was founded by Sage Francis. Artists on its roster include B. Dolan, Cecil Otter, Prolyphic, and Sleep, among others. History Strange Famous Records st ...
, and ''Live at the Typer Cannon Grand'' (2009) which was released by Ani DiFranco's Righteous Babe Records.Page on Righteous Babe Records website
 DiFranco first became aware of Wakefield when her mother saw him perform at an art gallery in Buffalo, New York, and gave DiFranco a print out of Wakefield's website, saying, "You have to do something with this guy." The album contains recordings of live performances, including several from Wakefield's numerous tours opening for DiFranco, as well as one studio-produced track. On January 31, 2021 all contracts with Write Bloody expired, making Wakefield the sole owner of his entire body of work.


Influence

Though he has not competed in Poetry Slam since 2008, Wakefield has had a profound impact on the contemporary
Poetry Slam A poetry slam is a competitive art event in which poets perform spoken word poetry before a live audience and a panel of judges. While formats can vary, slams are often loud and lively, with audience participation, cheering and dramatic delivery. ...
movement, both in his performance and writing style, as well as how he has conducted his career. In her book, ''Words in Your Face: A Guided Tour Through Twenty Years of the New York City Poetry Slam'', ''New York Times''-bestselling author
Cristin O'Keefe Aptowicz Cristin O'Keefe Aptowicz ( ; born November 26, 1978) is an American nonfiction writer and poet. Life A native of Philadelphia, Cristin O'Keefe Aptowicz graduated from Central High School of Philadelphia in 1996 and received a B.F.A. in Dramat ...
named Wakefield as "the modern poetry slam role model." She wrote,


Discography

*
Live at the Typer Cannon Grand
' ( Righteous Babe Records, 2009) (CD), (MP3) *''Run On Anything'' (
Strange Famous Records Strange Famous Records is an indie hip hop record label based in Providence, Rhode Island. It was founded by Sage Francis. Artists on its roster include B. Dolan, Cecil Otter, Prolyphic, and Sleep, among others. History Strange Famous Records st ...
, 2006) *''A Stretch of Presence'' (Independently released, 1999) no ISBN


Bibliography

*''A Choir of Honest Killers'',
Write Bloody Publishing Write Bloody Publishing is an independent American publishing house, founded in 2004 by traveling poet Derrick C. Brown Derrick C. Brown (born February 7, 1973) is an American comedian, poet/performer and founder of Write Bloody Publishing. H ...
, 2019 *''Henhouse: The International Book for Chickens and Their Lovers'',
Write Bloody Publishing Write Bloody Publishing is an independent American publishing house, founded in 2004 by traveling poet Derrick C. Brown Derrick C. Brown (born February 7, 1973) is an American comedian, poet/performer and founder of Write Bloody Publishing. H ...
, 2012 * ''Gentleman Practice'',
Write Bloody Publishing Write Bloody Publishing is an independent American publishing house, founded in 2004 by traveling poet Derrick C. Brown Derrick C. Brown (born February 7, 1973) is an American comedian, poet/performer and founder of Write Bloody Publishing. H ...
, 2011 * ''Live for a Living'',
Write Bloody Publishing Write Bloody Publishing is an independent American publishing house, founded in 2004 by traveling poet Derrick C. Brown Derrick C. Brown (born February 7, 1973) is an American comedian, poet/performer and founder of Write Bloody Publishing. H ...
, 2007 * ''Some They Can't Contain''
The Wordsmith Press
2004 * ''Some They Can't Contain'',
Write Bloody Publishing Write Bloody Publishing is an independent American publishing house, founded in 2004 by traveling poet Derrick C. Brown Derrick C. Brown (born February 7, 1973) is an American comedian, poet/performer and founder of Write Bloody Publishing. H ...
, 2004 *''Stunt Water: The Buddy Wakefield Reader 1991-2011'',
Write Bloody Publishing Write Bloody Publishing is an independent American publishing house, founded in 2004 by traveling poet Derrick C. Brown Derrick C. Brown (born February 7, 1973) is an American comedian, poet/performer and founder of Write Bloody Publishing. H ...
, 2015


Anthologies

* ''Elephant Engine High Dive Revival'',
Write Bloody Publishing Write Bloody Publishing is an independent American publishing house, founded in 2004 by traveling poet Derrick C. Brown Derrick C. Brown (born February 7, 1973) is an American comedian, poet/performer and founder of Write Bloody Publishing. H ...
, 2008 * ''Junkyard Ghost Revival'',
Write Bloody Publishing Write Bloody Publishing is an independent American publishing house, founded in 2004 by traveling poet Derrick C. Brown Derrick C. Brown (born February 7, 1973) is an American comedian, poet/performer and founder of Write Bloody Publishing. H ...
, 2008 * '' The Last American Valentine: Illustrated poems to seduce and destroy'',
Write Bloody Publishing Write Bloody Publishing is an independent American publishing house, founded in 2004 by traveling poet Derrick C. Brown Derrick C. Brown (born February 7, 1973) is an American comedian, poet/performer and founder of Write Bloody Publishing. H ...
, 2008 * ''Spoken Word Revolution Redux'', Sourcebook, Inc, 2008 * ''Solomon Sparrow's Electric Whale Revival'',
Write Bloody Publishing Write Bloody Publishing is an independent American publishing house, founded in 2004 by traveling poet Derrick C. Brown Derrick C. Brown (born February 7, 1973) is an American comedian, poet/performer and founder of Write Bloody Publishing. H ...
, 2007 * ''Freedom to Speak: The Best of the 2002 National Poetry Slam'', The Wordsmith Press, 2003


References


External links


Buddy Wakefield's Official SiteVoyage LA Interview with Buddy Wakefield

Wakefield's Page on Righteous Babe Records website

Audio of Wakefield's Poetry, as heard on Indiefeed Performance Poetry Podcast

Poem: Information Man

Poem: Human The Death Dance

Preview for "The Drums Inside Your Chest" Poetry Concert Film featuring Wakefield

Buddy Wakefield's Twitter Profile
{{DEFAULTSORT:Wakefield, Buddy Writers from Shreveport, Louisiana Poets from Louisiana American spoken word poets Writers from Houston 1974 births Living people Slam poets 21st-century American poets