Foreword Dr. Stephen Larsen 12
Part I Background and History 22
3. The Vocabulary of Tribal Art 27
5. The Effect of Writing on Consciousness 36
6. Preliterate Poetry. A Primer 38
7. SOULSPEAK as a Participatory Art 44
8. The Communal Nature of SOULSPEAK 50
10. My Own Journey Continues 61
Part III Creating a Speaking 65
12. Some Additional Tips on Speaking 69
13. Speaking and Responding 72
15. Other SOULSPEAK Catalysts 81
16. Other Types of Catalysts 86
Part IV Some Final Thoughts on SOULSPEAK 92
17. Some Final Thoughts on SOULSPEAK 92
Part V A New Call for an Older Poetry 98
18. The State of Contemporary Poetry 99
19. What Oral Poetry Brings to the Table 103
20. We Have Mistaken the Totem for the God 105
21. The Encroaching Sea of Orality 108
22. Oral Poetry: Common and Uncommon Speech 116
23. The Transition from Oral to Written Poetry 119
24. A Brief History of Oral and Written Poetry 122
25. The Form of Oral Poetry 128
26. The Differences Between Oral and Written Composition 131
27. Let’s Pretend You’re an Epic Poet 140
28. Oral Poetry as a Galápagos of Poetry 150
30. Performance and Music in Poetry 157
31. Using Rap and Homer to Convince the Skeptical 163