Outspoken Bean’s passion for poetry began when he was a student at Prairie View A&M University. Since then, his love for spoken word has taken him to more than 35 states and 200 universities, with performances in front of thousands of people. He’s currently Houston’s poet laureate.
Q: What first sparked your interest in poetry? Take us back to your original "aha" moment.
There were many "aha" moments. But the one that I tell the most is because it was the most true. When I started attending Prairie View, there would be freestyle cyphers all over the place. That scene was male dominated, in a circle spitting their rhymes. Whereas, the poetry cyphers were female dominated, with one dude and his guitar or keyboard and crappy poems. So I started going that direction. That decision opened the door to slam poetry, group poems, spoken-word, starting a poetry group, traveling, poets that I had never heard of and, the kind of exposure that I didn't know existed.
Q: What has been your favorite memory as the city's poet laureate, and why?
My favorite moment is actually receiving the news that I was selected. I was virtually teaching Amanda Gorman's poems to middle school students when I saw the email pop up in the corner of my screen. I lost it — lost all of my senses in front of my students.
Q: Many people use their art as therapy. In what ways have you found poetry healing?
I believe that poetry(art) is therapeutic, not therapy. Poetry is simultaneously an outlet and a hub. There is a power that poets release through their words/performances that can affect audiences in ways that are out of our hands. I hope that my work assists in the healing portion for people. I just release my work with pure intentions, with hopes that the impact is positive.
