Tag: Poet Laureate

Nina Simone: Unraveling Her Profound Legacy

Posted on by Shelby Williamson

One of the great voices of American song, Nina Simone was a definitive voice of 20th century American music. Her voice, music, and legacy all continue to resonate today, more than two decades since Simone’s death at age 70. She remains a guiding star for multiple artists across styles and genres – including Jaki Shelton Green, Poet Laureate of Simone’s native state of North Carolina. In an in-depth chat, we go deep about the art and inspiration Simone left behind.

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Subscribe to Carolina Calling on any and all podcast platforms to follow along as we journey across the Old North State, visiting towns like Durham, Asheville, Shelby, Greensboro, and more.

Music featured in this episode:

Nina Simone – “I Wish I Knew How It Would Feel to Be Free”
Nina Simone – “Sinnerman”

Photo of Nina Simone by Stroud Productions, courtesy of the Nina Simone Project

Basic Folk – Kara Jackson

Posted on by Shelby Williamson

Kara Jackson has a mind like a diamond and a voice like maple syrup. She has always been drawn to music as a medium, but you probably first heard of her as the National Youth Poet Laureate. Cutting her teeth as a performing poet gave Jackson a huge public platform as well as a sense of how form can be a foundation for expression.

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Now, at the ripe age of 23, Jackson has released her stunning debut album, Why Does The Earth Give Us People To Love. As the title suggests, this album reflects on love and loss. Kara has some fantastic insights about how embracing grief, and sharing it with others, can lead us to a healthier culture. She also shares about how her parents’ political convictions have influenced her concept of an artist’s role in the world.

One of my favorite moments in my conversation is where Kara articulates how she sees her work in conversation with Black artists who came before her. What a gift, to hear a brilliant young artist speak so clearly about how their creativity fits into a bigger tradition. We cannot wait to see what she does next.

Editor’s Note: Lizzie and Kara talked about Kara’s poem “anthem for my belly after eating too much” at the top of the interview. Read it here.

Photo Credit: Lawrence Agyei