Events | Summer 2025
INTERSECTIONS BETWEEN POETRY AND MUSIC
[ To the best of our knowledge, our humble project is unique because it unprecedentedly brings bilingual literature into the DOOM zeitgeist. As such, our primary interest is not replicating [or covering] DOOM’s works but tracing the genealogy of DOOM’s tropes, samples, and archives. We aim to reinterpret [and dislocate] these elements both musically and literarily, enabling visual artists to reshape them [live] in innovative ways. ]
Daniel Dumile, also known by his stage name MF DOOM or simply Doom, was a British-American rapper, songwriter, and record producer. Noted for his intricate wordplay, signature metal mask, and "supervillain" stage persona, he became a major figure of underground and alternative hip hop in the early 2000s. DOOM was born in West London and raised in New York to Trinidadian and Zimbabwean parents, where he faced significant adversity, including experiences of anti-Black racism, harassment, and challenges regarding his citizenship. The loss of his younger brother and first musical partner in the early hip hop trio KMD [active from 1988 to 1994] influenced him to pursue a solo career. Dumile began to craft his DOOM persona, inspired by Marvel Comics character Doctor Doom, while performing in Georgia during the mid-1990s. He released his debut album, Operation: Doomsday, in 1999, and went on to create five more studio albums, two live albums, three compilation albums, ten instrumental albums, seven collaborations, and fourteen singles before his passing in 2020.
- Robin Garner is an award-winning poet, filmmaker, entrepreneur, recording artist, and keynote speaker based in Louisville, KY. She has a remarkable talent for using poetry and spoken word to uplift, encourage, and ignite her audience, sharing raw and transparent narratives inspired by her own adversities and triumphs. Robin is widely recognized for her powerful explorations of women’s experiences, focusing on themes of identity, resilience, and self-love.
- Kuda Baby is a rising rap artist hailing from the heart of Kentuckiana. Known for his high-energy performances and sharp, lyrical prowess, Kuda Baby brings a fresh, dynamic voice to the rap scene. Raised in a region where the culture blends small-town roots with urban influence, his music reflects a unique fusion of hyphy, crunk, and pop rap. Kuda Baby's sound is built on a foundation of intricate wordplay, hard-hitting beats, and storytelling that captures the raw energy of his upbringing.
- Kenneth Woods, AKA KennyFresh, is a spoken word artist, writer, and poet. He has performed in the Midwest as well as in various states throughout the U.S. Kenneth is a member of the Academy of American Poets, and is an Indiana Humanities - Indiana Authors Awards 2023-2024 Writers Workshop Bureau author. He currently serves on the Indiana Arts Commission's Strategic Framework Advisory Committee (SFAC) and served as a 2022 Indiana Arts Commission Poetry Out Loud judge. Kenneth is honored to be a 2023 Indiana Poet Laureate Nominee.
- Edward Hardin was born in Louisville, KY. Raised by a librarian and a chemical engineer, Hardin has always been a passionate reader, writer and lover of science. Sitting on his parents' living room floor watching Twin Peaks re-runs and hiding behind his uncle's couch watching Aliens as a child sparked an interest in all things filmed. Working primarily with Dosey Doe Films, Hardin has acted in, produced, directed and written multiple projects (features and shorts) to date.
- Carlos Martínez Rivas (1924-1998) was a Nicaraguan poet and is widely considered one of Latin America's most important writers of the twentieth century. All of his works, except La insurrección solitaria [The solitary insurrection] (1953), remained unpublished until the publication of his Poesía Reunida [Collected poetry] (Anamá, 2007). Despite this effort, he remains virtually unknown in Latin America, and even more so in the English-speaking world. Operation Doomsday joins current trends in bringing attention to CMR's poetry by introducing a rather obscured vinyl recording whereby Martínez Rivas addresses his own personal 'end of times'.
Crew | Poets | Musicians
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