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.
(longer bio:)
Marlon Carey is a Poet Educator Actor Communicator Entertainer…Storyteller.
He has a Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) degree in Creative Writing, which he earned at St. Andrews College in Laurinburg, NC under the watchful eye of Prof. Ronald H. Bayes. Carey has written and taught Poetry and Creative Writing for over a decade in the New England Area and around the country. Carey is a community activist and has worked for and in collaboration with numerous Neighborhood Development, Outreach and Community Advocacy organizations.
Carey worked with D.A.R.E. on the campaign for “Question #2” in Rhode Island, which led to the historic passing of legislation to stop the disenfranchisement through extended parole, restoring voting rights for persons previously convicted of a felony, who have served their time. Carey has also performed in plays and other events to champion Inmates’ rights with the notable director Bruce Reilly of 1000lbs Guerilla Theatre Company.
Also known as hip hop poet, Inphynit, (Pronounced “Infinite”) Marlon Carey was a member of the 2010 Boston Lizard Lounge Poetry Slam Team which was ranked 11th in the Nation, as well as the 2013 Providence Poetry Slam team, and is a proud member of Providence-based poetry ensemble, Brother’s Keeper, a group dedicated to inspiring and educating young men in urban environments aspire to greatness. Carey was also producer and radio DJ on Off Tha Top, a radio show that ran for for over four years on 88.1FM (WELH) Providence through Brown University’s BSR, student and community radio.
Named “Best Hip Hop Poet” by the Cambridge Poetry Awards two years in a row, he has also been the Boston Cantab Lounge’s “Grand Slam Champion”. Marlon has been a TEDxBoston speaker and a presenter at a Providence presentation of Pechakucha. Carey has been a regular collaborator with local Storytelling troupe, RIBS (Rhode Island Black Storytellers), including Valerie Tutson, Raffini, and Len Cabral. With a blend of eclectic themes, wordplay and wit, Marlon brings a refreshing twist on performance poetry his charming flow, poignant, clever lyrics and serious fondness for language are blended artfully to create a unique presentation.
Marlon was a curator for a week of poetry and music by local artists as part of the historic exhibit Locally Made at RISD Museum and was a performer in the poetic performances at Soundsession Providence (later PVD Fest) each year.
In theatre, Carey has been in major plays such as The Sunset Limited, Topdog/Underdog and Shakespeare’s Othello, in which he played the character Iago with great success. He remains active in the area of theatre and was a lead actor in the original run of When Mahalia Sings, at Mixed Magic Theatre. He was a company member of 2nd Story Theatre where he performed in Take Me Out, A Few Good Men, Lobby Hero and Enron.
Marlon was Lucien in 2nd Story Theatre’s presentation of RI playwright Tom Griffin’s The Boys Next Door.
Marlon was a lead actor in a presentation of an Afro Brazilian play entitled “Sortilegio” at Brown University’s Rites and Reason Theatre.
Marlon has published three chapbooks: Giraffe Theory (2000), Prolegomenon (2003) and Lazarus (St. Andrews College Press, 2007). He has also released several albums with hip hop group United Soul Alliance. His latest offering is a digital album entitled High Value Target which is available at http://inphynit.bandcamp.com
Other Titles are: End of The World Mixtape 2012: OCCUPY Your Mind, And Plan M: the un-Mixtape which he largely produced in his home studio.
Currently Marlon’s time is taken up with his work with Rhode Island Black Storytellers and as a Teaching Artist with his company Shakespeare to Hiphop, (a literacy enrichment program that travels to various schools around New England,) writing, performing and spending quality time with his family, two girls, one boy, a wife, three cats…and 21 fish.
