Meet Billy Lamont - (Part 2)
Last week Billy discussed his journey to becoming a multimedia poet and performer, his avant-garde approach to writing, music, performance art, politics, and film, his many television, stage, and radio appearances, how his first book of poems was born, and how he finds inspiration for his poems. We learned about his writing habits, the poets who've inspired him, and he even walked us through the stages of creating a poem from start to finish. He touched on his thought-process in choosing titles for his poetry books and delved deep into what inspired the powerful title, Words Ripped From a Soul Still Bleeding.
This week we focus on the theme for each of his books and what they're all about. We examine his profound and thought-provoking poems that go beyond simple rhymes and how he takes them to the next level through his performance art. He remarks on what topics are off-limits. We dig into how he synchronizes his poetry with film and electronic music, incorporating his CD/digital release album Beyond Babylon. He opens up about some of his most memorable appearances on MTV and Lollapalooza rock tours. Finally he shares his best advice for up-and-coming poets and treats us to one of his favorite poems.
Please share the theme for each of your books.
The Gallery of Light
The Gallery of Light is my first above ground book that was distributed nationally by Ingram. It contains a section dedicated to my first chapbook of poetry, (a 24-page simple booklet, that is like a chapter) Eulogy: Flowers for The Living. This book opened many doors of success for me by GOD's grace. The theme for this book focuses on the sharing of my intimate, as well as dramatic performance word-portrait painting poems, in the atmosphere of different lights. The cover photo shows me in the fetal position as a symbol of both the pain of being emotionally paralyzed in the strobe light section, and the freedom of new birth in the candlelight section of the book. The Gallery of Light concept and poem was written to be inspirational. It morphs into a forty-minute performance poem that follows a character through seven different lights in the following years. I performed this with visuals, and accompanying electronic and world music soundscapes, that was also captured as a CD album of the same name.
Strobe Light Generation
I was writing a poem and thinking about the Beat Generation writers and wondered what I would call this generation. I thought about technology, data, communication, and media, traveling faster and faster, and the effect information overload can have on a person and culture, and how it can be like a strobe light. I could see the beginnings of a short attention- span culture, with attention deficit on the rise. I could see a generation with great people and potential, needing to slow down and live more organically so as not to lose critical thinking skills, and to be able to think clearly for themselves. This way those growing up in this environment can live healthy and more fully by experiencing the underlying love and silence in the noise. This way individuals and communities do not become susceptible to propaganda and brainwashing in an age of reality TV, social media, and quick-fix spirituality. That is the theme of this book.
Words Ripped from a Soul Still Bleeding
The theme of this book comes from my selected poetry that breaks down the fourth wall of performance, art, perception, and culture. This book focuses on my avant-garde performance poetry as sacred pop art. In this book I make myself transparent and vulnerable for the reader, and it feels as if I bleed onto the pages from my heart, soul, and life. These poems were written to be soulful sensory experiences for the heart and mind, that resonate with hope and inspiration for personal, spiritual, and social reform for the reader, whether it be locally, nationally, or globally in this age of artificial intelligence. May your very soul be a great poem!
Your poetry goes beyond simple rhymes. Your poems are profound, thought-provoking, and inspiring. What messages are you trying to impart to your readers through your poetry? Are any topics off-limits?
I look at my poetry as words of creation and healing. Words of hope that encourage dignity, shed light, uphold life, exorcize demons, and seek truth, with a desire to inspire people to live by love. My words and creations are like a voice crying out in the wilderness of modern pop culture to share how loving and respecting God, and all life, overcomes the all-too-common forces of entropy. This is the spirit/womb my poetry is born from. I do not write to romanticize death, or apathy, or war, or hate, so that is off limits. I write to empower and inspire people to create and not destroy with their words and actions. LOVE IS ETERNAL! There is only one unique magnificent YOU! Your life is a message!
You take your poems to the next level as a performance artist. Tell us about that. Where have you performed? Do you create your own music or draw from the vast library of songs out there? How do you choose the songs you use?
In many of my poems I become the poem as I’m performing. I’m a poet that is a poem, a creation that can create. Some highlights of performances for me have been on MTV, on multiple dates of Lollapalooza rock tours in 1994, 1995, and 2003, and at the Cornerstone Festival in 2004 and 2006, as well as intimate, inspired smaller performances.
The last few years I have been enjoying performing a multimedia show synchronizing my performance poetry with film, and electronic music based on my CD/digital release album Beyond Babylon. I have performed special shows at historic locations, movie theaters, independent bookstores, record stores, and major bookstores including a book signing at Barnes & Noble. I write my own music but often collaborate with talented musician friends, and have had the pleasure to work with several of my well-known inspirations who have become friends. Usually, the songs and artists I choose to work with come from a deep, specific inspiration, or a deep connection to them. But I have done experimental collaborations starting from scratch too and saw how shaking up the art process effects the art in the moment, sort of like in jazz.
Do you have any new books on the horizon and if so, can you share a tidbit?
I am chipping away at a new book, and new songs. I see my creative-land borders as a writer, performer and multimedia artist expanding into new areas too. One of the things I have been working on and am excited about is writing a Forward for an upcoming book titled Rebel Poet about my close friend the late Larry Norman. Larry Norman is widely known as the Father of JESUS Rock who challenged many conventions with LOVE. It is being written by the brilliant writer Allen Flemming, as an artistic work of literary non-fiction. I am honored to be a small part of this wonderful book!
~ the hour
is a wildflower
untouched by the razor wind ~ ❤
What advice can you give to other aspiring poets?
Your soulful voice and poetry is important, always, forever, and now, but especially now in this age of artificial intelligence and propaganda. It is great to study the elements, tools, and styles of poetry so you can understand poetry more fully. But naivety can also be a gift to your creativity. The rules are made to be broken. You can be free and inventive. Poetry is what YOU want to say and how you want to say it at any given moment. It can be traditional or non-traditional. The main thing is it is YOUR voice. There is only one unique magnificent YOU!!! May YOUR very soul be a great poem! Our life is a message!
Would you be so kind as to share one of your favorite poems?
Yes. My pleasure. I chose this poem for You and The Reader of this interview today because it poetically illustrates the point of so much of what we have discussed today.
Hero Or Villain Of My Villanelle?
By Billy Lamont
You decide - Sheep or goat? Heaven or Hell?
Break down the fourth wall of art and culture!
Hero or villain of my villanelle?
Truth comes like ringing the Liberty Bell
Propaganda kills like a mad vulture
You decide - Sheep or goat? Heaven or Hell?
A turtle leaves the cover of his shell
A diamond forms under extreme pressure
Hero or villain of my villanelle?
Thirsty lips taste cool water from a well
Dignity offers hope, something more pure
You decide - Sheep or goat? Heaven or Hell?
Poems bleed from my veins like ink from ink wells
Open wounds held to the light like torture
Hero or villain of my villanelle?
My words vibrate and create, can you tell?
Naked heart transparent without closure
You decide: Sheep or goat? Heaven or Hell?
Hero or villain of my villanelle?
To learn more about Billy Lamont or to purchase his books and music, visit:
Official Website: http://billylamont.net/
Poet Billy Lamont Facebook: http://facebook.com/poet.lamont
Billy Lamont Facebook: http://facebook.com/Billy-Lamont
Poet Billy Lamont Instagram: http://instagram.com/poetbillylamont
Poet Billy Lamont Twitter: http://twitter.com/poetbillylamont
Poet Billy Lamont/The Other Perspective Management YouTube channel: sage777billy
Email at The Other Perspective Media: TOPm777@gmail.com
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