Nearly 15 years after his last featured performance, Mark Anthony Thomas revisits his poetic past with the documentary short film Folded Whispers at the historic Kelly Strayhorn Theater in Pittsburgh’s East Liberty neighborhood.
Thomas performs 17 new original poems on issues of identity, urbanism, love, loss, race and the pandemic. The film is produced by Built Different and described as deeply personal, reflective, and “a love letter to the Kelly Strayhorn Theater,” which is a home for Black and queer artists.
We had the wonderful chance to interview him.
Tell us about the creative process in the making of your film.
MARK ANTHONY THOMAS
With my first two books, I was very intentional in writing in specific poetic forms. With Folded Whispers, my writing style transformed to a more intimate, fireplace ambient storytelling. There’s a truthfulness and vulnerability of emotions that I wanted to tap into about my experience leaving my hometown (Atlanta) and the journey that followed. I’ve studied poets across the globe, specifically works that tapped into vulnerable, reflective issues.
I selected the 16 poems before starting the documentary creation process and knew I wanted to write one more poem alluding to Howl and James Baldwin’s Letter to My Nephew.
There were essentially three creative teams that helped shape the final product. The directors, Jordan Rooney and Shane McFarland constructed the best way to capture the moment. The team at Kelly Strayhorn shaped the event itself and worked to give audiences the intimacy of the theater’s historic entrance. And lastly, I commissioned two amazing photographers to interpret the themes of the poems and the film project. My favorite moment though was actually being in the moment performing and getting lost in the words and expression.
What were your cultural, literary, musical, film and philosophical influences in general and for this specific work?
MARK ANTHONY THOMAS
I’ve loved the documentary style of filmmaking, specifically those that capture artists in a specific era of their lives. Aretha Franklin’s Amazing Grace (2018) was an inspiration. Kid Cudy’s A Man Named Scott (2021) wa a favorite of the Folded Whispers’ directors. It’s not a documentary, but the film Howl (2010), about Allen Ginsberg’s epic poem during the beat generation has been a favorite.
Pittsburgh is a community with a vibrant, creative inclusive arts scene. Kelly Strayhorn Theater, which is a home for Black and queer artists, is one of the most important cultural institutions in the United States and anchor for the city’s culture.
Venues are equally important to artists as they are to audiences. It was important for me, during my time in Pittsburgh, to enter the sacred space of the theater and, essentially, introduce my creative side to an entirely new audience. I had so much to share and I wanted this moment with people who had never seen this side of me.
What do you think of this statement: ‘Literature is to poetry as lies are to truth’ (Umberto Saba)? If this refers to literature, what do you think about it in relation to cinema? Do you think it might have something to do with your work or your creative process?
MARK ANTHONY THOMAS
We all view the world so differently. Artists help us see things in the image in which they see them. Cinema gives imagination life in a way that is deeply moving and eternal. Documentaries are a form of truth channeled through a director’s literary eye. Every film is a convergence of a multitude of artists and truths, and equally important, omissions.
What do you think a viewer might first perceive and then think in front of your film?
MARK ANTHONY THOMAS
It’s not a memoir or a documentary about my life. People may expect that, but I’m not ready for that type of project just yet. It’s a period piece that documents the moment in history that has largely been defined by loss, uncertainty, and solitude. Here you have a man revisiting a lifeline after a 15-year break, to celebrate peace, resilience, and self-assurance.
Do you consider your film cinema, video art performing art or a documentary? Where do you draw the line? Where do you find more freedom of poetic expression? Is a definition really necessary for poetry?
MARK ANTHONY THOMAS
It’s a short documentary. The event itself was a one-night only performance that took place on my 43rd birthday. For the audience, they didn’t view their experiences as being captured for a film. It evokes two separate emotions for me – remembering the actual performance and the story the film tells about the night at a venue where voices feel liberated.
If anything, the younger generation has helped me think outside of the box of artistic siloes. Poetry really should be more prevalent in culture, like music has become, with film being one of the best channels to touch more people.
What are your next projects?
MARK ANTHONY THOMAS
I’ve since moved to another creative American city to take on a pretty demanding career – Baltimore. I’d like to immerse myself in the creative culture and see where things lead. There will definitely be another film in my future.
