Yictove

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Yictove was a poet born on 28 February 1946 in New Orleans, Louisiana. He worked as a performer, mentor and instructor in the United States and abroad, and was particularly active in New York City and New Jersey. He died on 29 July 2007 in Newark, New Jersey.^[1]

Born Eugene Melvin Turk, Yictove was a proponent of rhymed poetry, who mentored high school students in New Jersey, including those at East Orange High School, performed as a poet in the schools courtesy of the Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation, taught creative writing in public libraries and in the Safe Haven program/YMCA in East Orange, New Jersey, and directed poetry series in New York City's Knitting Factory. He also produced and hosted a poetry series on cable television in Newark.^[2]

Yictove published two books, D.J. Soliliquy and Blue Print, and a CD, My Life, My Story. He was working on his third book before his death.^[3]

[edit] Quotes about Yictove

Yictove has left his magical fingerprints everywhere. He writes with the resonance of a native New Orleans bluesman, the sharp eye of a New York City street poet, the rolling rhythm of a Jamaican dub-poet, and the vision of a prophet circling the modern Jericho. These poems are alive, whispering and booming, testifying to what Yictove means when he says: "Tongues that do speak the truth / are remarkable to listen to."

—James Nolan, author What Moves Is Not the Wind

This "Brother/Man" from New Orleans who has touched spirits on one shore and the next has come touch base with ours. He speaks of the conditions that are within our control, and the necessity for some changes of the urgency in the need to learn to learn how to truly love ourselves in order to be free enough to open up and learn to love each other. Offering no panacea, he speaks of the reality of the hard work intrinsic in the finding of solutions. He is a believer in the wondrous results of honest attempts at communications with our lovers, families and friends--a direct path to broader communications with our people.

—A.H. Reynolds^[4]