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an article excerpt from the publication Get Underground written by Rachel Kann
"A name like nikki skIes could inspire some downright cheesy cliches from a cornball like me. Can't you just see it? "big skIes" "the skIes-the limit!" "blue skIes, shinin' on me..." But I will, (ahem) resist such impulses towards cuteness, because nikki's skIes are so much bigger and more vivid. Mean so much more. Real Missouri Moon-y as opposed to half-baked cartoon-y. I have committed to telling you some beautiful truth, because that is what the poetry of nikKi skies does.
Every time I see nikki perform, it is better than the time before. And I am never quite sure how it could have got better, 'cause it was already so tight. It was one of those crazy full-circle culmination moments for me. It was so beautiful. And nothing was more fun then watching people in the audience experience nikki for the first time as she let such TRUTH spill from her lips. She delivers her poems with gutbucket strength and unflagging commitment to the word. To me, that is the yardstick by which to measure a performance of a poem. Not by histrionics or showyness. Mean what you say, and say something really real, really worth saying, tell me your innards. Truthful beauty, beautiful truth. People just sat there with their jaws hanging open, listening to her as she confessed her attraction.
See, here's the thing about being an honest poet. You don't have to write a certain type of poem, you don't have to define yourself as a "love poet" or a "political poet" or label yourself at all. You just bring what's real and if you do it really well, with a ton of skill and talent, you are virtually as good as it gets. All the elements of reality are inextricably a part of the poem of a person who honestly experiences this life and holds the picture up for our contemplation. And that's what nikki is."
Check some writings at:
www.performancepoetry.com, www.getunderground.com and www.timbooktu.com
