Words in your face

A high-energy cross-section of the new “spoken-word artist” movement –featuring rapid 30- and 60-second works that are explicit, political, fresh, funny, dangerous and unpredictable. Celebrating the contemporary expression more than rarified poetry, rappers like KRS.1 share the screen with performance artists like John Leguizamo and Jessica Hagedorn –along with lesser-known but emerging talents like Peter Cook and Matthew Courtney. Rock singer-turned-poet Henry Rollins also appears throughout the broadcast, which is directed by Mark Pellington, a creator of MTV’s acclaimed “Buzz” series.