Postcards From the Promised Land with Poet & Storyteller Marlon Carey

Postcards from the Promised Land is a poetic journey through memory, migration, and becoming. This original performance weaves spoken word and song to trace the immigration story of a young Jamaican boy sent to America with a promise to write home. Charged by his great-grandmother to send postcards and letters back to “the yard,” he chronicles his new world in snapshots—each poem a dispatch, each song a stamped confession.

From the bright hope of arrival to the complex realities of growing up in an urban Black community, these pieces capture culture shock, humor, longing, survival, and self-discovery. The postcards evolve over time—at first full of wonder, then edged with questions, and eventually grounded in hard-earned truth.

Through rhythm, storytelling, and music, Postcards from the Promised Land explores identity, family legacy, and the meaning of “promise.” It is a love letter across borders, a conversation between generations, and a reminder that the American dream looks different depending on who is writing home.

Pay What You Can ($20 suggested)

Marlon “Inphynit” Carey is a storyteller, hip-hop artist, slam poet, actor, and educator with Rhode Island Black Storytellers (RIBS). For over eight years, he has woven narratives that spark empathy, humor, and community while uplifting literacy and learning. Inspired by his three children and guided by masters like Len Cabral and Valerie Tutson, he blends music, poetry, and performance to engage audiences of all ages. His commissioned school stories and collaborations—including The Shakespeare Time-Travelling Speakeasy and his album High Value Target—reflect his commitment to using story as a bridge between people and possibility.