Opening invocation and welcome to participants for the 1994 Furious Flower Conference at James Madison University. The Opening Session was held at the Grafton-Stovall Theatre at James Madison University on Thursday, September 29, 1994 at 8:30 a.m. This footage was originally recorded on 1 MII videocassette.

The Critics' Roundtable, "African American Poetry and the Vernacular Matrix," was held at the Grafton-Stovall Theatre at James Madison University on Thursday, September 29, 1994 at 9:30 a.m.

Original 1994 Furious Flower Poetry Conference program reads, "African American poetry, perhaps more so than fiction and drama, has lent and continues to lend itself to the thematic and formalistic expression of its matrixing in African American culture, in the vernacular (folk and popular) culture in particular. This roundtable will investigate the nature and extent of this matrixing. It will consider the relationship of the folk to the popular vernacular mode, whether "continuity" or "disjuncture" best describes that relationship and how the difference between the two is imprinted upon the literature. It will also consider the nature and validity of rural/urban, southern/northern distinctions as they apply to cultural expressive manifestations such as the blues, and the degree to which these distinctions spill over into the poetry as a literary production. (Alvin Aubert)"

This footage was originally recorded on 3 MII videocassettes.

Michael S. Harper's Keynote speech at the 1994 Furious Flower Conference. The session continued with poetry readings by Elizabeth Alexander, Gerald Barrax, Toi Derricotte, and E. Ethelbert Miller. The Keynote Speech and Poetry Reading was held at the Grafton-Stovall Theatre at James Madison University on Thursday, September 29, 1994 at 1 p.m.

This footage was originally recorded on 2 MII videocassettes.

Poetry Readings by Sam Allen, Pinkie Gordon Lane, Haki Madhubuti, and Naomi Long Madgett at the 1994 Furious Flower Conference. The Poetry Reading was held at the Grafton-Stovall Theatre at James Madison University on Thursday, September 29, 1994 at 4:45 p.m.

This footage was originally recorded on 2 MII videocassettes.

Poetry Readings by Amiri Baraka, Mari Evans, Michael S. Harper, and Sonia Sanchez at the 1994 Furious Flower Conference. The JMU Jazz Ensemble opened the session by playing "Cherry Juice." The Poetry Reading was held at Wilson Hall, James Madison University on Thursday, September 29, 1994 at 8 p.m.

This footage was originally recorded on 2 MII videocassettes.

The Critics' Roundtable, "Critical Theories and Approaches in African American Poetry," was held at the Grafton-Stovall Theatre at James Madison University on Friday, September 30, 1994 at 9:30 a.m.

Original 1994 Furious Flower Poetry Conference program reads, "The work of literary theory and of theorizing in other areas of the human sciences is to specify what conditions obtain among those who create, those who make use of creations, and the languages (or signs) that enable creators and consumers to negotiate in a world of social constructions. In short, theory is obligated to explain relations between people and artifacts in the contexts of history and culture. In that sense, theory is necessary for rigorous examination of African American poetry. How might theory advance the study and appreciation of African American poetry? Within the frame of this questions, scholars on the panel will be asked to address what kind of critical or cultural theory seems most appropriate for understanding poetry, how such theories influence interpretive methods and approaches, and how must theorists themselves grapple with their own historicity in light of African American poetry's evolution from orature to literature to newer genres that mix orality and literacy. The aim of the panel is to clarify some problems of theory and poetry as they affect various audiences (Jerry W. Ward, Jr.)"

This footage was originally recorded on 4 MII videocassettes.

Rita Dove and Gwendolyn Brooks' Keynote Speeches at the 1994 Furious Flower Conference. The Keynotes were held at Wilson Hall, James Madison University on Friday, September 30, 1994 at 1 p.m.

This footage was originally recorded on 2 MII videocassettes.

Poetry Readings by Dolores Kendrick, Nikki Giovanni, and Eugene Redmond at the 1994 Furious Flower Conference. The Poetry Reading was held at Wilson Hall, James Madison University on Friday, September 30, 1994 at 3 p.m.

This footage was originally recorded on 2 MII videocassettes.

Tribute Banquet to honor important black poets at the 1994 Furious Flower Conference. Mari Evans, Raymond Patterson, Margaret Walker, Naomi Long Madgett, Samuel W. Allen, Pinkie Gordon Lane, and Gwendolyn Brooks were the honored poets. The banquet was held at Phillips Hall, James Madison University on Friday, September 30, 1994 at 7 p.m.

This footage was originally recorded on 2 MII videocassettes.

The Critics' Roundtable, "Writing a Literary History of African American Poetry," was held at the Grafton-Stovall Theatre at James Madison University on Saturday, October 1, 1994 at 9:30 a.m.

Original 1994 Furious Flower Poetry Conference program reads, "As the drum stands at the crossroads of traditional African and African American culture, so the poets stand at the center of the drum providing the cadence, connections and continuity that define their literary history. Panelists on this roundtable will speak on periodicity and identify significant literary movements from the Harlem Renaissance through the Black Arts Movement to hip-hop. In an attempt to provide a valid historical framework for the poetry, panelists will discuss major literary milestones and important poets emerging during the twentieth century. (Eugene Redmond)"

This footage was originally recorded on 3 MII videocassettes.

Poetry Free Read at the 1994 Furious Flower Conference. The Free Read was held at Grafton-Stovall Theatre, James Madison University on Saturday, October 1, 1994.

This footage was originally recorded on a MII videocassette.

Poetry Readings by Jacqueline Brice-Finch, Gwen Butler, Kalamu ya Salaam, Jeannette Drake, Sybil Kein, Adam David Miller, Brenda Marie Osbey, Fabu Carter, Ester Iverem, and Mona Lisa Saloy at the 1994 Furious Flower Conference. The Poetry Reading was held at Grafton-Stovall Theatre, James Madison University on Saturday, October 1, 1994 at 2 p.m.

This footage was originally recorded on 2 MII videocassettes.

Poetry Readings by The Dark Room Collective at the 1994 Furious Flower Conference. Established in Boston in 1988, The Dark Room Collective was first a reading series and later a small community of black poets and writers. The Dark Room Collective's poetry reading at the 1994 conference was held at Grafton-Stovall Theatre, James Madison University on Saturday, October 1, 1994 at 4:15 p.m.

Tape 1 begins with the last 10 minutes of Poetry Reading 5 and The Dark Room Collective reading starts at the 12 minute mark.

This footage was originally recorded on 2 MII videocassettes.

Conference Finale for the 1994 Furious Flower Conference. A celebration of black arts and culture, the conference finale featured musical and spoken word performances by Mellasenah Morris, the JMU Contemporary Gospel Singers, Val Gray Ward, and Bernice Johnson Reagon. The Conference Finale was held at Wilson Hall, James Madison University on Saturday, October 1, 1994 at 8 p.m.

This footage was originally recorded on 6 MII videocassettes.

Supercuts of the 1994 Furious Flower Conference, featuring footage from all 3 days of the conference. This footage was originally recorded on 10 MII videocassettes.

Opening Session and welcome to participants for the 2004 Furious Flower Conference at James Madison University. The first recording is a copy of the ten-minute documentary that was shown during the opening session and the second tape features performances and remarks from the session itself. The Opening Session was held at College Center at James Madison University on Thursday, September 23, 2004 at 8:30 a.m.

This footage was originally recorded on 1 MDV and 1 DVCAM videocassettes.

The first Critics' Roundtable of the 2004 Furious Flower Conference at James Madison University. Trudier Harris moderated the session while Maryemma Graham, Hilary Holladay, and Tony Bolden critically discussed turn of the twentieth century poetry, The Black Arts Movement, and modern Black poetry. The session was held at College Center Ballroom at James Madison University on Thursday, September 23, 2004 at 9:30 a.m.

This footage was originally recorded on 3 DVCAM videocassettes.

Footage of the luncheon hosted by the George Moses Horton Society at the 2004 Furious Flower Conference. The 2004 Furious Flower Poetry Conference program reads, "Members of the George Moses Horton Society, based at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, will host a luncheon on Thursday, September 23. The Horton Society was concieved by Trudier Harris in the spring of 1996 as a way to encourage sustained scholarly focus on the works of African American poets and to foster presentation and publishing opportunities for that scholarship. Yusef Komunyakaa and T.J. Anderson are the featured speakers." This footage only shows a portion of the presentation by T.J. Anderson and Yusef Komunyakaa before cutting off abruptly. The luncheon was held in the College Center Ballroom, James Madison University on Thursday, September 23, 2004 at 11:45 a.m.

This footage was originally recorded on 1 DVCAM videocassette.

Keynote Speech and Poetry Reading 1 at the 2004 Furious Flower Conference. Houston A. Baker Jr. gave his keynote speech entitled, "The Poetry of Impulse: Six Inches of African Stone and Lyrical Black Consciousness" after an introduction by Trudier Harris. The session continued a presentation of the Furious Flower Lifetime Achievement Award to Houston A. Baker Jr. by Jerry W. Ward Jr. and Joanne Gabbin. Susan Facknitz introduced the next segment, a poetry reading with Jabari Asim, Major Jackson, Tony Medina, Opal Moore, Sharan Strange, and Yusef Komunyakaa. The Keynote Speech and Poetry Reading 1 was held at Wilson Hall Auditorium, James Madison University on Friday, September 23, 1994 at 1:15 p.m.

This footage was originally recorded on 2 DVCAM videocassettes.

Footage of Concurrent Sessions and the Furious Flower Art Opening Reception at the 2004 Furious Flower Conference. The first half of the footage shows snippets of concurrent sessions held in various rooms in Taylor Hall from 4:30-5:45pm on Thursday, September 23, 2004. The second half of the footage features the art opening reception, about which the original 2004 Furious Flower Poetry Conference program states, "Commissioned to bring visual attention to the work of African American poets and symbolizing the flowering of African American poetry, this important and original work of art by Atlanta artist Malaika Favorite will be unveiled." The reception was held in Taylor Hall Room 405 at James Madison University on Thursday, September 23, 2004 at 6:45 p.m.

This footage was originally recorded on 2 DVCAM videocassettes.

Poetry Reading 2 at the 2004 Furious Flower Conference. This reading featured the following prominent Black poets: Brenda Marie Osbey, Kevin Young, E. Ethelbert Miller, Haki Madhubuti, Lucille Clifton, and Nikki Giovanni. Kalamu ya Salaam introduced the poets at the beginning of the session. The Poetry Reading was held in Wilson Hall Auditorium at James Madison University on Thursday, September 23, 2004 at 8 p.m.

This footage was originally recorded on 2 DVCAM videocassettes.

The second Critics' Roundtable of the 2004 Furious Flower Conference at James Madison University. Daryl C. Dance moderated the session while Velma Pollard, Mark Sanders, Eleanor Traylor, and Omékongo Dibinga presented about the topic cross pollination in the African diaspora. The session was held at College Center Ballroom at James Madison University on Friday, September 24, 2004 at 9:30 a.m.

This footage was originally recorded on 3 DVCAM videocassettes.

Laureate's Circle poetry reading at the 2004 Furious Flower Conference. This reading featured the following prominent Black poets: Eugene Redmond, Dolores Kendrick, Askia Touré, Rita Dove, Amiri Baraka, and Sonia Sanchez. Joanne Gabbin introduced the poets at the beginning of the session. The Laureate's Circle reading was held in Wilson Hall Auditorium, James Madison University on Friday, September 24, 2004 at 1:30 p.m.

This footage was originally recorded on 3 VHS videocassettes.

Poetry Reading 3 at the 2004 Furious Flower Conference. This reading featured the following prominent Black poets: Harryette Mullen, Alvin Aubert, Nikky Finney, Everett Hoagland, jessica Care moore, and Kalamu ya Salaam. Tony Medina introduced the poets at the beginning of the session. The Poetry Reading was held in Wilson Hall Auditorium at James Madison University on Friday, September 24, 2004 at 3:30 p.m. This footage was originally recorded on 2 VHS videocassettes.