The Gazette offers audio versions of articles using Instaread. Some words may be mispronounced.
IOWA CITY — It’s rare that “thinking outside the box” is considered a winning strategy. But for spoken word poet Henry Morray, it’s the introduction to a winning work of art.
“These days I think about the inside of the box. It’s shaped like a refrigerator,” the first line of his poem “Jack in the Box” begins with a deep bass and slow rhythm.
“My icy fingers trace the heat of my belly, hunger springs from my insides like a bean. The students follow the kitchen counter,” he continues, while the pace of his speech accelerates. “Fe, fi, fo, I’m going through the kitchen cabinets.”
“No silver spoon in sight. I could come up with a plan to rob the giants of their golden geese,” he continues. “But a bronze egg will do.”
Morray speaks of the middle child and the hungry child within him as he grows into an adult’s reality, illustrating a stream of consciousness that harnesses each of the body’s senses.
“I remember there’s a bill to pay,” he says, as he quickly launches into an intimate monologue about how his body and soul are begging, amid all the pressures of life, to be released.
But above all for change.
We need to return to a time before the “dogma” of executive power, before activists “barked for every uprooted family tree,” before “taxpayer money financed genocide,” and before “giants trampled on children.”
“I’m thinking about the box now,” he finished. “From the frying pan, into the fire. From the tap, into the sea.”
The poem, performed in Dublin, Ireland, on November 6, earned Morray victory in Slamovision’s 2025 International Slam Poetry Competition, where poets from 15 UNESCO Literary Cities around the world competed.
Become a poet
Morray, 25, has launched his artistic career in just a few years since he was introduced to spoken word poetry in 2022.
In middle school, a seventh-grade teacher noticed his talent for writing and encouraged him to enter poetry competitions. But at the time, he only knew how to write poems that rhymed.
Poet and Cornell College graduate Henry Morray performs his piece “The Afrobeats of my Heart” during the Iowa City Spoken Word Jazz Jam, held at the Black Angel restaurant in Iowa City on December 9, 2025. Morray won the Slamovision international slam poetry competition and was one of 17 poets from UNESCO Cities of Literature around the world who entered the competition, along with competitors from 15 countries. (Nick Rohlman/The Gazette)
“I was the kind of kid who would stay up all night reading a book, like ‘Percy Jackson (and the Olympians),’ but I never liked poetry. I had a limited understanding of what poetry was,” he said. “It was more like ‘roses are red, violets are blue’. »
Initially studying engineering before graduating from Cornell College with a degree in marketing in 2023, it wasn’t until his first year of college that Morray discovered his passion.
He was made president of the college’s poetry club to make sure it didn’t die. Before long, he breathed new life into the club, taking members to spoken word experiences off campus.
That’s when he was first exhibited at Slamovision in Iowa City.
“When I heard the poetry there, I was like, I think we’ve come to the wrong place,” he said. “There was so much talent, it was incredible.”
But it was there that he won the local Slamovision contest for the first time. The poet immersed himself in the Iowa City spoken word scene, making himself known and making connections that would lead to opportunities as a entertainer, educator, and champion of the art.
Today, the Cedar Rapids-raised man is breathing new life into spoken word poetry in Iowa through his own work, as well as that of his students.
His poetic style
Morray’s style – a mix of tempos, voice changes, textures and metaphors – takes the listener on a visceral journey that they can visualize. He mixes callbacks, alliteration, and poetic devices with musical skills he learned as a musician in high school, such as improvising with changes in volume and composing crescendos of speech from soft to loud.
“It’s abstract with deep emotions. It’s going to take some of the most important topics we know, from love to hate, and try to make it into something we can digest and feel,” said Caleb Rainey, a prominent spoken word artist in Iowa known as The Negro Artist and Morray’s mentor. “He doesn’t look like another poet, he looks like Henry.”
Morray’s love of art focuses on its ability to engage each listener in new and unique ways through themes of love, introspection and social justice. His poems are often reverse engineered as he seeks to answer one question: “How did we get to this point?” »
Poet and Cornell College graduate Henry Morray performs his piece “The Afrobeats of my Heart” during the Iowa City Spoken Word Jazz Jam, held at the Black Angel restaurant in Iowa City on December 9, 2025. Morray won the Slamovision international slam poetry competition and was one of 17 poets from UNESCO Cities of Literature around the world who entered the competition, along with competitors from 15 countries.
It’s all, he says, about making a human connection that doesn’t preach to others, but resonates with them.
“I want them to laugh, I want them to cry. I want them to feel not only the parts that make them feel light, but also the parts that make them feel heavy,” Morray said. “When I write a poem, I’m always talking to myself. But I know that because I’m just another human being, if I feel it, someone else will feel it in the audience.”
His award-winning poem, “Jack in the Box,” began with a prompt asking him where he wanted to be. He began to think about it first with his own needs – the bills being due – before realizing the needs of the world outside of him.
Thanks to him, the first-generation American and son of Sierra Leonean immigrants wanted to feel nostalgia for the days when bills weren’t due, before we knew what genocide was, before evictions dominated daily news.
“What I wanted people to feel was a collective feeling of ‘I don’t like where we are as a country and a world.’ It was frustration,” he explained. “To create a future that I want and that we want as a society, we have to think beyond our own individual needs. That’s what I wanted people to feel.”
Poet and Cornell College graduate Henry Morray performs his piece “The Afrobeats of my Heart” during the Iowa City Spoken Word Jazz Jam, held at the Black Angel restaurant in Iowa City on December 9, 2025. Morray won the Slamovision international slam poetry competition and was one of 17 poets from UNESCO Cities of Literature around the world who entered the competition, along with competitors from 15 countries.
The next generation of poetry
Now in the Quad Cities, Morray leads poetry workshops for students in the Young Lions Roar program and co-hosts The Roaring Rhetoric Open Mic in Rock Island, Illinois.
Oral poetry has long been foreign to traditional literary institutions. But with the Iowan’s international win among the UNESCO Cities of Literature, times could be changing. Regardless of the country, the power of spoken word poetry transcends language barriers.
Rainey said spoken word poetry, whose growing appreciation internationally is indicative of new advances, remains powerful because of its ability to build bridges in a fractured world.
“That’s why this competition works on an international level,” Rainey said. “I think it’s a clear indicator of a change in institutions and because of the appreciation of community and connections. By default, we get more recognition for the craft itself.”
According to his colleagues, Morray’s contribution to the next generation will be invaluable in continuing the momentum of this art form. In addition to his other qualities, Des Moines poet Kelsey Bigelow calls Morray “the biggest hype man in the Midwest” for other aspiring poets.
“Henry is one of them. That’s probably why he wins,” she said. “Being such a genuine soul and poet shines through every time Henry does this.”
Morray isn’t yet sure how poetry fits into his career, but he has ambitions to win a Pulitzer Prize for poetry and explore the UNESCO cities of world literature.
“Poetry, I think, is not something that will ever leave me,” he said. “I know poetry will always be a part of my life.”
Comments: Reporter Elijah Decious can be reached at (319) 398-8340 or elijah.decious@thegazette.com.
The meeting discussed the use of anti-terrorism laws to combat paramilitary flags and murals
#meeting #discussed #antiterrorism #laws #combat #paramilitary #flags #murals
A file held at the Public Record Office in Belfast includes the minutes of a meeting which took place at Stormont House.
A flag belonging to the Ulster Defense Association (UDA)(Image: Liam McBurney/PA Wire)
A meeting at Stormont discussed the use of anti-terrorism laws to combat displays of paramilitary flags and murals in 2004, according to declassified files.
The papers reveal that a senior PSNI official said “comprehensive case law” could be developed within the courts to establish a “clear line between what is acceptable and what is not”.
A file held at the Public Record Office in Belfast includes the minutes of a meeting which took place at Stormont House on March 2, 2004, attended by PSNI representatives, civil servants and representatives from the Community Relations Unit (CRU) and the Community Relations Council (CRC).
The minutes indicate that a previous meeting concluded that a “community approach to the flag issue was preferable to a police-only response.”
Senior officer Gary White told the meeting he had had a discussion with the Crown Prosecution Service regarding the use of the Terrorism Act 2000.
The minute read: “Again, the question of what is and is not acceptable behavior has become an issue, but GW (Gary White) believes that the DPP is in favor of using this provision generally and this is easiest where a flag or mural illustrates an explicit level of support for a paramilitary organization.
“Obviously there will be areas where there will be doubts about what a flag is.
“GW suggested that this issue should be left to the courts and that comprehensive case law could be developed to establish a clear line between what is acceptable and what is not.
“He also reminded the group that there is great sympathy for the idea that what was acceptable during the worst phases of the Troubles may not be acceptable now.”
The minutes indicate that the meeting recalls a test case relating to the display of paramilitary flags in Hollywood, which resulted in the conviction of four people under section 13 of the Terrorism Act.
It was subsequently learned that the CRU had commissioned research from the Institute of Irish Studies at Queen’s University into the issue of flags and emblems.
The CRU’s Billy Gamble said “his preference was for the community to resolve these issues on their own”, but he felt there “had to be a threat of final sanction”.
The minutes state: “The group was clearly impressed by the approaches of the CRU/CRC and expects the outcome of the policy document in June.
“It is clear, however, that there will be times when the community simply cannot stop the paramilitaries from engaging in this activity.
“In such circumstances, the PSNI is content to have the necessary powers under the Terrorism Act to deal with the situation. In short, there is no universal policy that can solve the flag problem.”
For all the latest news visit the Belfast Live homepagehere Andsign up for our daily newsletter here.
Source link
#meeting #discussed #antiterrorism #laws #combat #paramilitary #flags #murals
Eddie Hearn pays tribute as two members of Anthony Joshua’s team die in car crash
#Eddie #Hearn #pays #tribute #members #Anthony #Joshuas #team #die #car #crash
Anthony Joshua was involved in a car crash in Nigeria on Monday, leaving two people tragically killed in the incident and the former heavyweight champion was rushed to hospital.
12:47 a.m., December 30, 2025Updated at 00:47, December 30, 2025
(Image: Photo by Cameron Howard/Getty Images)
Eddie Hearn, chairman of Matchroom Sport, has paid tribute to two men who tragically died in a car crash involving British heavyweight Anthony Joshua in Nigeria on Monday.
The victims were identified as Kevin Ayodele and Sina Ghami, while Joshua was taken to hospital with minor injuries following the collision.
The incident occurred on Monday morning on the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, just outside Lagos, when a black Lexus Jeep collided with a stationary red Sinotruck commercial vehicle.
The accident claimed the lives of Ayodele, also known as Latz, and Ghami, both close friends and members of Joshua’s team. Two other men in the vehicle were said to have escaped unhurt.
Hearn, chairman of Joshua’s promotional company Matchroom, was among those who paid tribute to both men when news of their tragic deaths was confirmed.
“With the heaviest of hearts,” he shared in an Instagram post. “Two great men. Rest in eternal peace Sina and Latz. My deepest thoughts and prayers are with everyone.”
Boxer Chris Eubank Jr also shared a heartfelt message, saying: “Thank God our heavyweight champion survived this horrific car accident. And pray for the two fallen soldiers, Latz and Sina, and their families.
“I knew they both…were truly good men. Rest in peace boys.”
Slim Albaher of Misfits Boxing also paid tribute, adding: “Sending prayers for Anthony Joshua and the two brothers who died tragically in the car crash. I can’t believe Latz was one of the guys involved… he was such a good soul and supportive brother. Allah Yerhamu, may Allah grant Latz and Sina Jannah.”
Another fighter, Mutah Beale, also said: “From Allah we return sad and shocking news regarding the death of our dear brother Abdul-Latif following a car accident. May Allah have mercy on him and grant him Jannah, and may Allah ease this difficult time for his family. We also wish the champion a speedy recovery. »
OnestoplistDubai shared a touching message: “May Allah forgive your faults and grant you the highest level of paradise. Ameen. Nothing but good memories when we were together.
“My condolences go out to your family and loved ones Sina @258mgt @anthonyjoshua. A gentle reminder to all brothers and sisters. From him we came and to him we will return. Now at peace, Sina.”
Click here to sign up to our sports newsletter, bringing you the biggest news and headlines from Ireland and beyond.
President McAleese’s husband’s contacts with the UDA took ‘a life of its own’, ambassador heard
#President #McAleeses #husbands #contacts #UDA #life #ambassador #heard
Contacts between the husband of former Irish president Mary McAleese and UDA leaders in Northern Ireland took on “a life of their own”, a British government official said in 2003.
Declassified files show Martin McAleese had arranged a coach for loyalist leaders to attend a golf outing, but they refused, fearing it would be “too much like a UDA day trip”.
A senior civil servant noted that “there were a few surprises” in contacts but that Dr McAleese was determined to expand the list of his “loyalist friends” to include the UVF.
One of the files released under the 20-year regime concerns Dr. McAleese’s efforts to force loyalist paramilitaries from the margins of the peace process during his wife’s first term as president.
HISTORY CENTER
If you are interested in this article, you will no doubt enjoy exploring the different historical collections and content in our historical hub. Find out HERE and enjoy reading
The extent of his contacts is contained in a confidential memo written to the then British Ambassador to Ireland, Stewart Eldon, by senior civil servant Chris McCabe in September 2003, entitled “Loyalism and the Irish: Lunch with Martin McAleese”. Mr McCabe said he had a “private conversation” with Martin McAleese over lunch.
The memo said: “Martin McAleese is very candid about his contacts with high-ranking loyalists. Impressive in both their breadth and depth. Well aware of the potential pitfalls, but so far things have gone remarkably well.
“Determined to persevere for as long as possible, expanding the list of his loyalist ‘friends’ at every opportunity.”
Mr. McCabe added:
This allowed us to hear firsthand what Martin was doing: although we were already aware of much of what he told us, there were a few surprises.
The note stated that Dr McAleese had received a letter from “South Belfast UDA Brigadier” Jackie McDonald in February 2003.
“Once Martin verified that there would be no political objections to such a personal initiative, the first meeting was arranged. Since then, the meetings seem to have taken on a life of their own.”
The memo details a list of contacts, including a meeting in Áras an Uachtaráin “involving 50 unionists/loyalists who focused on cross-community issues”. It also included “several meetings with UDA brigadiers (including a “jovial” Jim Gray) and others in which Jackie McDonald was clearly primus inter pares”.
The note continues: “Social events, including golf outings, in which some or all UDA brigadiers and their associates were involved. On one of these occasions, Martin called for a coach, but the brigadiers refused him on grounds of collective security and because it would be too much like a UDA day trip.
“Alternative transportation in a fleet of minibuses was agreed; each vehicle was checked for ‘bugs and bombs’ before its guests boarded!”
The note said Dr McAleese had “admitted to being relatively innocent abroad”, but added that he was struck by “the sincerity of everyone he met and would tend to take them at face value until he knew otherwise”.
The note adds: “For our part, we welcomed his initiative and the progress that has been made. We said that, given the provenance of some of the figures involved and the need for transparency, accountability and inter- and intra-community equality, we could not hope to match his activities on this side of the border.
“But that shouldn’t bother him, quite the contrary.”
The memo was copied to Secretary of State Paul Murphy and other Northern Ireland ministers in direct power. The note concluded by stating that Dr McAleese also wanted to make contact with someone on the “military side” of the UVF.
It said: “To ensure the PUP/UVF stays on board, he would have dinner with the party’s chairman, David Rose, and secretary, Dawn Purvis, later this week.
“He hoped this would lead to direct contact with someone on the military side. He also has tentative plans for some sort of dialogue with members of the DUP.”
Source link
#President #McAleeses #husbands #contacts #UDA #life #ambassador #heard
