Popping Culture: Spoken Word and Nostalgia

This article explores the prominent use of popular culture as a thematic concern in contemporary spoken word performance, in particular the ways in which initially nostalgic representations of popular culture can be used to establish community and to interrogate historic cultural production. Using Svetlana Boym’s typological distinction between reflective and restorative nostalgia, I unpack the ways in which cultural production such as books, films, and television shows are presented in spoken word performances. Through case studies of four performances, I review techniques that build a sense of community through a shared awareness and appreciation of popular culture. I also examine ways in which these case studies reflect on the contemporary relevance of historic popular culture and re-evaluate it through a more contemporary lens to unpack its problematic values and undercurrents. In conclusion, I reflect on the ways in which the formal and affective dimensions of spoken word performance position it as a particularly effective medium for the representation and evaluation of popular culture, thus substantiating its frequency as a theme in contemporary performance poetry.