Innovation, Jazz, and Poetry: A Review of makalani bandele’s (jopappy & the sentence-makers are) eponymous as funk by Ariana McMurl
Innovation, Jazz, and Poetry: A Review of makalani bandele’s (jopappy & the sentence-makers are) eponymous as funk by Ariana McMurl
In (jopappy & the sentence-makers are) eponymous as funk, makalani bandele’s new collection of poetry from Futurepoem Books, bandele explores intersecting identities while drawing inspiration from the jazz tradition. In this collection of one-hundred poems, the writer creates his own poetic form, “the unit,” employing a blend of language and syntax that emulates free jazz as an art form.
bandele is the author of two other collections of poetry, including Under the aegis of a winged mind (Autumn House Press, 2020) and Hellfightin’ (Willow Books, 2012). Read his work in Issue 21 of Miracle Monocle.
As a reader, I was surprised to discover that the sentences within bandele's poems are not strictly governed by those surrounding them, leading to a disordinate reading experience. Mismatched sounds came together to create something beautiful; each poem could best be described as its own unique sensory experience that combines audible, lyrical, and visual elements to tell its story.
The ever-changing syntax and variety of visual elements accompanying the poems is part of the appeal of bandele’s units. As a reader, I enjoyed the shifting visual landscape; there are multiple figures accompaning the poems that add new textures and sensations to the words on the page. There are even some visual poems within the collection that caught my eye. These poems act as fragments for the reader to piece together, but come together in the end to make for an interesting tonal experience—one reminiscent of a jazz arrangement.
bandele takes his units a step further in the latter half of the book, wherein his form departs even further from the lyric. Many of the poems in this second half of the book are accompanied by QR codes, each one leading to a YouTube video that is a collaborative project between bandele and other artists. These videos reveal the way the poems were originally meant to be experienced and added a great deal of enjoyment to the process of unraveling the intricacies of bandele’s poetry. At the end of the book, bandele also offers a QR code that leads to his own code that he used to create some of the later units contained in the book. I have never seen an author do something like this before, but I think creating your very own form and code alongside that is an incredibly innovative endeavor.
Current cultural issues facing our society are a major themes contained within the collection, something I think many readers will find refreshing, as the writer pulls no punches. bandele tackles racism, transgender and queer identities, women’s rights, and also celebrates Black culture. In specific, bandele celebrates Black culture and its transcendence and resilience through time. Paying heavy homage to the freestyle jazz tradition was a bold move that contributed to the overall message and tone of the book.
Some poems contained within the book that I would encourage readers to check out include “unit_20, as a unit of energy,” a poem that explores themes of police violence in Black spaces. “Unit_22” was a personal favorite of mine for both its subject matter and sound. The poem sounds lyrically interesting and also explores the way Black women are treated in the workforce, a highly relevant cultural conversation.
My own personal journey with this book was a very eye-opening one. I found myself unable to put the book down once I started, wanting to see how bandele would shake up expectations next. At times, I found it easy to get lost and swept away in the current of language, but I would encourage readers to slow down and take their time pouring over bandele’s words. The unit is an experience that transcends the purely written form.