Miller Aud-cast #47: Paul Richmond

Hello and welcome to Miller Aud-cast, the Missouri Review podcast where we listen to and discuss the finalists for the 2021 Miller Audio Prize. I’m Marc McKee, TMR’s managing editor. It’s good to have you back, or here for the first time, with episode 47 of the Miller Aud-cast, featuring the latest finalist for the 2021 Miller Audio Prize in Humor, Paul Richmond’s “Life Stories.” Paul Richmond was named Beat Poet Laureate twice by National Beat Poetry Foundation, Inc. Massachusetts 2017 to 2019, U S National Beat Poet Laureate 2019 - 2020. Paul is best described as political, deadpan and wryly humorous delivered in his own style. He has been called, “Assassin of Apathy – power of words / humor - on the unthinkable, the unsolvable, to analyze to digest to give birth to creativity and hope.” He has performed nationally and internationally and he has six books published. Artist Notes: “Life Stories” is made of two pieces performed by Do It Now, featuring Paul Richmond: “Flash Cards” and “Family Traditions.” Do It Now changes personnel, the core being Paul Richmond, Spoken Word and Tony Vacca on balafon, percussion and donso ngoni, John Sheldon on Guitar. Joining them for this set is Avery Sharpe on acoustic bass, Charles Langford on saxophone and Derrik Jordan on percussion. “Family Traditions” features Paul Richmond, Spoken Word and Tony Vacca on donso ngoni, and Avery Sharpe on acoustic bass. Alan Stockwell was the audio engineer and mixer for both pieces. Check out the website for more: www.humanerrorpublishing.com . Keep listening after the piece to hear managing editor Marc McKee and contest editor Bailey Boyd talk about the artful, complex layering of music, stand-up comedy, and spoken word that goes into making this entry so provocative and entertaining. Aud-cast 48 will be here for you before you know it, so keep a watchful ear and listening eye about you. Thanks as always to the Missouri Review contest editor, Bailey Boyd, and to Patricia Miller, for her generous support for the Miller Audio Prize. BE ADVISED: Entries are now open for the second annual Perkoff Prize, the new opportunity from the Missouri Review which awards $3000 + publication in prizes to the poet, fiction writer, and essayist with the best work engaging the fields of health and medicine in provocative ways. Learn more on our website, or subscribe to our newsletter for weekly updates. As ever, TMR is open for submissions year-round, and we remain dedicated to discovering and publishing the best contemporary writing in fiction, nonfiction and poetry. Be heard. Give us the opportunity to discover you: submit your work today! In addition, we have tons of marvelous (and free!) creative content to read, listen to, and even watch on our website. Learn more at missourireview.com.