In this poetry class for beginning to seasoned poets we will examine the transforming genius of Williams in film and other resources. Richard Williams started and popularized the “Make S.M.A.R.T Cool” movement to promote values like intelligence, free thought, unity, and creativity in hip hop music and culture (SMART is an acronym for “Sophisticating Minds And Revolutionizing Thought”). The first segment of this poem-making class will start with a look at two of his more provocative films, both on environmentalism. Richard cites some of the sources of his inspiration as ideas that come from the Tao Te Ching, a 6th century BC Chinese classic written by Lao Tzu, and the Bhagavad Gita, a 700 verse Sanskrit scripture that is part of the Hindu epic Mahabharata written by the mythical sage Vyasa. Richard Williams graduated magna cum laude in Anthropology from the University of Missouri-St. Louis. “Prince Ea” is derived from Sumerian mythology meaning “The Prince of the Earth”. The second 90 minutes will focus on poets who have composed pieces on pollution and climate change, industrialization, threatened animals, and conservation. If you are aware of how Mother Earth has a fever, how she is sick and needs our interventions now, how the Green Economy is part of the solution to get her well, this is the class for you.