Eyes Free [Paperback]

Taalam Acey (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 2004

Eyes Free: The first full length (300 p.) spoken word memoir of the current generation of poets. Chronicles the life(style) of Taalam Acey, a full time, traveling spoken word artist...sleeping on subways and in motels... From the Greyhound bus trips through the deep south to being treated to international flights... From losing his business, his home, and all his possessions, to struggling to write well enough to regain all that he lost. The loneliness and the indiscretions, demons, and vices that came as a result. Here is all of the pain and the triumphs woven between a history and analysis of contemporary spoken word culture and the artists who have been integral to it.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Taalam Acey brings a truth that cannot be denied. Driven by arresting images and insightful social commentary..." -- Michael Datcher, Author of RAISING FENCES: A Black Man’s Love Story

"When Taalam first appeared... I looked into those wide open eyes and said to myself, "This man carries the Message." -- Marc Smith, Founder of Slam Poetry

About the Author

Acey performed at the 2001 and 2002 Essence Music Festivals in New Orleans. He has discussed spoken word at UC Berkeley and on BET’s Teen Summit. His video, When the Smoke Clearz, was nominated for a 2002 Sundance Film Festival On-line Award. Crack the CIA, a film narrated by Acey, won the Audience Award at Sundance that year. He holds a BS in Accounting and an MBA in Finance. Prior to becoming a full time performance poet, he was a full time lecturer in senior level accounting at Rutgers University, and a principal partner in a small business consulting firm.

Product Details

• Paperback: 300 pages
• Publisher: Word Supremacy (January 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 097472310X
• ISBN-13: 978-0974723105
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.5 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,515,203 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A masterfully written must-have for lovers of spoken word., January 22, 2004

By 

Clarissa Bolding "clbzone" (Austin, TX USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Eyes Free (Paperback)

You haven't experienced spoken word until you've experienced Taalam Acey. Words fail to describe the effect this man has on the mic. And off. When he says, "someone or something is protecting me", believe it. I still find him inspiring to this day.

Eyes Free is powerful on so many levels. It is a raw collection of pivotal events, places, people and other phenomena that will evoke a gammet of emotion. I found myself laughing one minute (the humor is off the chain) and going "dayum, T!" the next, all the while turning page after page after page into the wee hours of the night. Eyes Free chronicles the travels, trials, tribulations & turmoil of one of the world's finest jewels.

He covers early origins from the oral communication carried over on slave ships, to early poets like Phyllis Wheatley, to Harlem Renaissance and Langston Hughes to The Last Poets. The imagery is so vivid, one feels as if they are right there with him, especially on the night he fell in love with spoken word.

Eyes Free is sensual, seductive and scorching. These "spells" Taalam "Conjures" are no joke. Please take this journey through the eyes of one of the most powerful voices on this planet.

Taalam. Thank you for sharing and showing yourself to the world. In giving so much of yourself, the love you are getting and will continue to receive is but a single drop in an ocean of gratitude for your presence in this here universe. I truly believe and know our ancestors are pleased. Peace*blessings.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Poet's Life, October 8, 2004

By 

The RAWSISTAZ Reviewers (RAWSISTAZ.com and BlackBookReviews.net) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Eyes Free (Paperback)

In his candidly written memoir EYES FREE, celebrated spoken word artist Taalam Acey paints an extremely intimate self portrait and allows the reader a raw, unabashed view of his life story. With his straightforward and unencumbered prose, Acey does a remarkable job of affording the reader access to his innermost thoughts and feelings.

EYES FREE is a story of triumph and the ability to change life's challenges into opportunities and then making the most of those opportunities. The author affirms this time and again as he takes the reader through his life's journey, frankly detailing his beginnings as "a child of some of the most god-awful blight the modern world has ever known."

Whether divulging the vivid details of his promiscuous lifestyle before, during, and after his failed marriage, relating the gritty details of his stint as a rapper and then drug dealer, or simply relating his experiences garnered during his travels as a spoken word artist, Acey manages to maintain a smooth, clear writing style that very effectively holds the reader's attention.

Rich with fascinating anecdotes and thought provoking observations, EYES FREE is a thoroughly engaging read and a true testament to the remarkable storytelling ability of Taalam Acey. This author writes with a fluidity of expression that leaves the readers hard pressed to put this book down.

Reviewed by Autumn
of The RAWSISTAZ Reviewers

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Truth Hurts, February 1, 2004

By A Customer

This review is from: Eyes Free (Paperback)

Seldom is a book with such honesty and depth entertaining...Taalam has managed to captivate the reader on page 1 and leave them longing for more on page 300. Here is the history of spoken word cleverly woven into the life's journey of one of the most compelling poets ever to grace a stage. Impossible to put down and a must read for anyone who has ever been, loved, or wanted to love, a black man.