CR 033: Buddy Wakefield on Poetry, Clichés, and Trying to Live for a Living

The award-winning actor, writer, producer, and poet discusses his impressive career and singular performance style.

Buddy Wakefield, photo by Katherine Mager

In 2001, Buddy Wakefield did what nearly everyone dreams of doing: he left his job, got rid of his possessions, and set out to “live for a living.” It was a risk, but one that paid off. In the ensuing years, he has been featured on NPR, the BBC, and HBO’s Def Poetry Jam; toured with Sage Francis and Ani DiFranco; won the Individual World Poetry Slam Championship two years in a row; published multiple books of prose and poetry; released four albums; and, thanks to his relentless touring schedule, earned the title of “most toured performance poet in history.”

Though most people might not think of live poetry as a laugh-out-loud affair, Wakefield’s performances are an amalgam of thought-provoking writing and gut-busting comedy, something he admits was intentional. “I hate reading poetry,” he says. “And I had it in my head that poetry wasn’t enough, because I knew how bored I was with it. Therefore, it had to be something fun on stage. And while I k…