Many of the groups in Ottawa seem to base much of their performances on jazz. The image of a poet grooving to the sounds of a trio of musicians in some smoky cafe may call to mind the work of Leonard Cohen or Jack Kerouac and the beat poets of the '50s, but Ottawa writer Colin Morton says there is a distinction. Poets often worked with musicians, long before beat. Performance poetry also addresses one of the main difficulties in going to a poetry recital B with a recital, the listener can't re-read lines and only has one chance to get the point. McMaster's explanation for performance poetry's appeal is a bit more succinct.
People are hungry for good words.
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