Merrick Moore-Fields
Merrick Moore-Fields is an animator and comic book artist from Oak Park, Illinois. Graduating from OPRFHS in 2011, Merrick attended Hampshire College, and graduated in 2015 with a degree in Computer Animation. He currently lives in Chicago, Illinois, and is working on the next issue of his comic, "The Pit-Fighters."
The impact of poetry and the spoken word club
Spoken Word Club at Oak Park River Forest High School helped me get through difficult times. Poetry had always been an outlet for me growing up; my brother and I used to rap 8 bars when doing our daily chores. When he died tragically in a car accident when I was 16, I was in a very dark place. I became depressed, suffered from anxiety, and my grades at school began to slip. Spoken Word club was like a sanctuary that helped heal my troubled mind. Hearing and sharing stories from others really mended my heart, and my anxiety would always disappear when going on stage. Poetry was the therapy I truly needed. Without the club, I probably never would have graduated High School. But Mr. Kahn, Sully, Langston, and others really pushed me to be the best I could be as a poet and a person. I am eternally grateful for the teaching and guidance.
Top favorite poets or lyricists
Nas
The Wu-Tang Clan: by far the biggest inspiration for my lyricism. These guys treat rap like a martial art, and are the best at their craft.
Writing Prompts
Think about someone who is no longer alive. What impact did they leave on you, or the world around you?
Write about a time a piece of art (song, painting, dance, etc) changed you or gave you a revelation
Write about a time you found comfort in a song
Write about the time you discovered your favorite piece of music
Write about the last thing someone told you before you didn’t see them again
Use allusion to help you describe the last time you saw someone
Write about how music has impacted your life
Write from the view of you being the one who disappeared