Poet Sekou Sundiata performed “blessing the boats,” a one-man multimedia performance of his near-death experiences on Saturday night at Dinkelspiel Auditorium. Sundiata, a resident artist this quarter at Stanford, set poetry, prose and comedy to a background of music and video to tell the story of his kidney failure, organ transplant and near-fatal car accident.

“We looked at his work, and we were incredibly intrigued by his performances and interested in him, so we came together to host him here,” said Lois Wagner, executive director of Stanford Lively Arts, which presented the performance in conjunction with the Committee for Black Performing Arts. “Sekou is a really intelligent, sensitive human being and he’s able to express his emotions and experiences so well.”

“blessing the boats,” directed by Rhodessa Jones, addresses Sundiata’s illness, transplant and accident, all of which occurred in a five-year period.

Sundiata was diagnosed with kidney failure in 1996, and he received a live donor transplant from a friend in 1999. The following year, he broke his neck in a car accident. The performance describes the way his illness exiled his body and spirit, as well as his struggle to return to health.

Through mixed media, Sundiata weaves the ideas of family, friends, art, life and death into his personal story.

A post-performance discussion, moderated by Drama Prof. Harry Elam, was open to the public immediately after the show. Sundiata said that “blessing the boats,” which has been performed every year since 2002, was unlike anything he had written or performed before.

“This is my first solely autobiographical, introspective piece,” he said. “I wanted to write myself back into the writing life. At first it was more of an essay and less like theater, which is what I’m more used to, but the story is not only related to me but connected to the human drama.”

He said that the autobiographical format forced him to address his family’s reaction to his need for an organ donor, and the fact that his kidney failure was caused by 20 years of drug use.

“The main story, though, is the story of grace,” Sundiata said. “The whole thing is miraculous and completely mysterious. As much science, thought and logic there is, to me it’s still a story of mystery and awe and wonder.”

Born in New York's Harlem, Sundiata was involved in the Black Arts-Black Aesthetic Movement in the late 1960s. According to Lively Arts, Sundiata writes for print, performance, music and theater and identifies himself as a “ritual poet rooted in the black church, the black arts movement and the black avant-garde.”

Currently a professor at the Eugene Lang College of the New School University in New York City, Sundiata has recorded and released his own music for Righteous Babe, the record label of his former student Ani DiFranco.

His other theatrical works include “The Circle Unbroken is a Hard Bop,” which toured nationally. In March, he will bring “blessing the bsoat” to the Apollo Theater in New York City.

Sundiata has used “blessing the boats” to raise awareness of kidney disease and treatment as well as organ donation and transplant. In addition to his public performances, he also lectures about organ transplantation, kidney disease and other health issues especially focusing on cultural and minority issues.

As one of the three artists in residence this quarter for the Institute for Diversity in the Arts or IDA, Sundiata is also teaching “Writing for Performance,” a workshop on spoken word performance.

Georgina Hernandez, associate director of IDA, said that the institute was interested in Sundiata’s capability as both a performer and a teacher.

“We ask a lot of the artists in residence — they have to be committed to engaging the community with their art as well as teaching,” she said. “It’s a tall order, but Sekou fits the bill beautifully.”

During his quarter on campus, Sundiata will be gathering information for his newest multimedia project, “The America Project,” which will explore what it means to be an individual and an American citizen in a changing, complex world. He will also be conducting activities with senior citizens in East Palo Alto.

On Feb. 14, Sundiata will hold an “Informance” at the Mountain View Community School of Music and Arts, sponsored by the school and Lively Arts.