On the day meant for celebrating love, writer, performer and singer, Arthur Flowers, came to sing the blues at Washington College.
Thursday, February 14, Flowers fulfilled WC with an evening of performance of literature and music.
The performance was held in the Norman James Theatre in William Smith Hall. There was no admission fee and the concert was open to WC faculty and students as well as the public. The performance was held in celebration of Black History Month.
The performance was sponsored by several clubs and organizations at WC, including the Sophie Kerr Committee, the WC Chapter of Cleopatra's Daughters and the Office of Campus Events.
Flowers is a professor at Syracuse University, where he teaches creative writing. He is also the co-founder of the New Renaissance Writer's Guild.
Flowers is from Memphis, Tennessee, but did not delve into culture and blues music until he moved to New York after his service in Vietnam.
The blues singer became devoted to discovering the African traditions that have influenced American culture during his research in the Hoodoo religious traditions as well as the blues. He aspired to make the African dialect a living part of our nation's literary tradition and language forms.
Flowers is the author of two novels which include, De Mojo Blues and Another Good Loving Blues, a children's novel as well as the nonfiction, Mojo Rising: Confessions of a 21st Century Conjureman.
His presentation and writing is performed as a "literary hoodoo man." He performs in such a manner to strive to bridge the gap between Western literary culture and African oral traditions.
He believes himself to be a "contemporary griot." Flowers refers to the storytellers of ancient African societies who used oral traditions to pass their stories from generation to generation.
The technique of "performance literature" is used as the medium to pass his stories on. He complements his performance with African American instruments and rhythms.
WC sophomore Mauricio Cordoba commented, "Arthur Flowers was simply great."
He continued, "The instruments, the music and his enthusiasm - his interaction with the audience made the whole event even better. His stories were both insightful and funny. [They] made everyone laugh."
Ambika Vishwanath, a freshman at WC, explained that she "went for the performance."
She added, "I really enjoyed his writing, and I love blues music. I thought that the show was great."
Vishwanath also had concerns, however: "I only wish that more people had attended; he gave a unique view on simple everyday stuff."
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