Miles Merrill
“Australia’s spoken-word tour de force”
NEW CD DIRTY CURLY OUT NOW
Miles Merrill combines poetry with theatre, experimental audio, hip-hop beats, stand-up and political confrontation, flinging words in a rapid-fire onslaught of versified emotion.
Born in Chicago, now living in Sydney, recently Merrill opened for Saul Williams, wrote and co-directed a show in the Sydney Festival, performed solo at the Sydney Opera House, created Australia’s first spoken-word festival – The Night Words Festival and is co-creator/co-organiser of the national literary performance competition: The Australian Poetry Slam
Internationally Merrill has performed in such places as Krakow’s Audio Art Festival, and writers festivals in Bali, Beijing, Vancouver and Calgary
In Australia he pops up everywhere: schools, festivals, theatres, libraries, galleries etc.
Merrill is also a facilitator and organiser. He tours wordshops to communities internationally inspiring people to write and perform their own stories
His work is available in:
CD: What Night Knows, Dirty Curly with Aussie hip-hop producer Morganics
(See video clip for lead track below)
DVD: The Reel
Print: The Penguin Anthology of Australian Poetry, Terra: Anthology, The Asia Literary Review
Reviewers have offered the following comments on Merrill’s work
“Wild wordplay reminiscent of Gil Scott-Heron, Lenny Bruce and Allen Ginsberg “Chicago Reader
“Miles Merrill is the tour-guide of the human spirit…a remarkably adroit poet.”
DB Magazine
“Merrill’s stories, set to a background of music, pack a solid punch. Visit this show to learn what performing is really about.” Adelaide Advertiser
“Passionate, deeply enjoyable and demands attention. More please.”
Sydney Morning Herald
“He was on fire! Each piece was a wild, tongue twisting, spit-laden adventure.” www.songpod.com.au
Check out ABC TV's JTV poetry slam coverage with Sonya Renee and Miles Merrill (works best on LO-res):