Matt's Writing

You can download my interviews on Fresh Air: The Alternative, University of Edinburgh student radio on my website http://mattswriting.com/ or on iTunes. When you search the iTunes store for DJ Matt Werner, my podcast "mattswriting" will come up. Or, by clicking this direct iTunes link , you can download my interviews and features on Talib Kweli, Saul Williams, Dahlak Brathwaite, Kid Beyond, Dave Smallen, Fr. Bruno Clifton, George Watsky, and Ise Lyfe.

Saul Williams Interview with DJ Matt Werner on Fresh Air: The Alternative Phone interview recorded on November 21, 2008, The show aired on http://freshair.org.uk on December 9, 2008. A PDF transcript by Korin McGinty of this interview can be downloaded here . The audio of this interview can be downloaded at http://mattswriting.com DJ MATT WERNER: Saul, I was wondering if you could come on the line now and discuss a little bit about your latest album Niggy Tardust. SAUL WILLIAMS: Sure, well the name of the album is The Inevitable Rise and Liberation of Niggy Tardust! And it’s a concept album where I am essentially exploring the idea and reality of liberation, of freedom, and what it means in the face of, or under the context of our existing definition of race, and how that relates to music and identity, and what have you. It’s essentially a very danceable dialogue, you know, self-exploration, and the need to step beyond the boundaries imposed by society as far as what people come to e...

I had the great honor to interview the ground-breaking poet and musician Saul Williams by phone on Fresh Air: The Alternative. This podcast was originally broadcast on December 9, 2008 on Fresh Air , the University of Edinburgh, Scotland student radio. Topics and ideas discussed in the interview include Saul Williams' third album, the Inevitable Rise and Liberation of NiggyTardust!, collaborating with Trent Reznor, esoteric religions, William Butler Yeats, poetry as an intuitive artform, what is beyond words, Walt Whitman, how we are so much more than how we are perceived, and Barack Obama. This hour-long feature on Saul Williams also features much of his poetry and music, including: Sha Clack Clack, Black Stacey, Sunday Bloody Sunday, Wine, Twice the First Time, Release, Amethyst Rocks, 1987, and Children of the Night. My past interviews can be found at http://www.youtube.com/djmattwerner

DJ Matt Werner's Radio Show on Fresh Air: The Alternative, the University of Edinburgh's student radio station was a big success this autumn semester. I will continue it in the spring, interviewing and doing features on authors, artists, and musicians who are challenging the status-quo of their fields. Interviews this semester included: Saul Williams, Kid Beyond, Dahlak Brathwaite, and George Watsky. For updates on my show next semester, please sign up for my show's Facebook group.