"These days," Bob Holman says, "poetry is so owned by the book
that many are surprised to
learn Poems predate writing."

To Holman, performance is an integral part of the poem. Oral Traditions are at the root of his work, inspired by his research into the origins of Hiphop Poetry in Africa, and have led to his work with endangered languages. His lineage also springs from Dada, SurrealisM, & FuturisM. He has done considerable work in theater, including directing Poets Theater Festivals at The St. Marks Poetry Project and La Mama.

The clips featured here range from MTV's Def Poetry Jam — still the peak of poetry's reach in popular media; duets with Griots Papa and Salieu Susso; a collaboration with choreographer Melissa Fenley. For a stellar clip of Bob's performance in "Captain John Smith Goes to Ukraine," Yara Arts Group's 2013 production with Holman in the title role, go here.

Bob Holman rants in the New York Poets Series, Bowery Poetry Club, February 27, 2024. Video by Antonio Ferrera.

"Panic*DJ!" with Vito Ricci at Club La Mama, 1990

"Whatever I Was Thinking Of" video by Alex Meillier

"How Kora Was Born" ft. Salieu Suso

Listen to “Sing this one back to me”


The title cut from my book of poems, “Sing This One Back To Me,” performed with the great AfroPop ensemble, Timbila. Music (and mbira) by Nora Balaban. Banning Eyre, guitar.


Bob Holman's YouTube channel
is home to a growing archive
from the 1980s to now.

Bob Holman reads "Three Years Now We've Been Talking About The War" by Serhiy Zhadan, to celebrate the launch of Words For War (Academic Studies Press, 2017). Having written an introduction to his work for a forthcoming book by Yale Press, Bob also collaborated with Zhadan on "Tychyna, Zhadan & The Dogs", produced by Virlana Tkacz at LaMama Theater

Here is a timelapse of Norte Maar's BROOKLYN COMBINE event where I performed "Rue Surf" with Molissa Fenley and a moving painting by Roy Fowler!

Bob Holman reads "Take Only What Is Most Important" by Serhiy Zhadan, to celebrate the launch of Words For War (Academic Studies Press, 2017). Having written an introduction to his work for a forthcoming book by Yale Press, Bob also collaborated with Zhadan on "Tychyna, Zhadan & The Dogs", produced by Virlana Tkacz at LaMama Theater

Bob Holman talks about his new pamphlet from PeKa Boo press, "The Cutouts: Matisse", third consciousness and the music of Fatoumata Diawara.

Bob Holman and Molissa Fenley perform their collaboration "Rue Surf" in front of paintings by Roy Fowler.

Comments by Bob Holman, who judged the University of Tehran's English Literature Student Association Haiku Contest.

"Slammin: The Sport of Spoken Word" (1990) features poets Cheryl B, Evert Eden, David Mills, and Susan Ross.

"Words In Your Face" (1991) features Henry Rollins, Maggie Estep, John Leguizamo, John S. Hall, Muta Baruka, Deacon Lunchbox, and Bob himself.

With Molissa Fenley & Dancers, Judson Church, September 2009

The Cut-Outs (Matisse) features choreographer Molissa Fenley, poet Bob Holman and composer Keith Patchel. Bob Holman wrote The Cut-Outs (Matisse) and set his spoken word to music by Keith Patchel. Molissa Fenley choreographed dance to the words and music, all presented together in live performance.

Bob and Molissa have a long history of collaboration. They have presented dance and poetry pieces since 2008, firstly meeting at the Atlantic Center for the Arts, artists’ residency in New Smyrna Beach, Florida where they premiered “STEP,” a work read by Bob standing among the nine dancers, his words reflecting, auguring, considering the actions of the dance. Further exploration continued with Double Beginning, where again after visits to the rehearsal studio, a work of words was invented to accompany in rhythm, in idea, in inspiration. Most recently, Bob and Molissa collaborated on Rue Surf, where the words and the dance were inspired by paintings by artist Roy Fowler and performed as part of the painting exhibition.

The poetry is written to/from the famous cut-outs by Matisse, the music reflects the joy of that writing and adds its take on the art, the dance considers the writing, music and art and combines all with an exuberance of physicality. Together, dance, poetry and music unleash the humor, poignancy and significance of the visuals. The abstraction of the Cut-Outs comes full force into life as the combination of the arts create a playing field for the imagination. Each of the artists involved brings their very particular passion to the mix.

The mix carries themes of high art to rock and roll: the music switches from operatic oratorio to Satie-like invention to the crunch of the composer’s punk guitar. The poetry is of urgency, of relevance; the dance is of physical engagement, the body in the present moment. The mix is of contemporary techniques animating the combination of visual, sound, sequence of physical form. The joy is inherent in this proposed collaboration of art explorations – art inspired by other art, artists inspiring each other.

Molissa Fenley is a New York based choreographer and performer, founded Molissa Fenley and Company in 1977 and has since created over 85 works. She has been a professor at Mills since 1999. Poet Bob Holman played a central role in the spoken word, slam and digital poetry movements of the last several decades. He is at the forefront of preserving endangered languages throughout the world. Language Matters with Bob Holman, a documentary exploring the endangered language crisis, aired nationally on PBS in January, 2015. Filmed around the world, Language Matters takes viewers to a remote island off the Australian coast, where four hundred Aboriginal people speak ten distinct indigenous languages, all at risk; to Wales, where Welsh, once endangered, has recovered; and to Hawaii, where Hawaiians are fighting to save their native tongue. Keith Patchell is an award winning composer and producer working in film, visual arts and commercial genres.