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Culture April 2, 2020
Move over, Robert Frost! There's a cooler, modern way to appreciate literature: spoken word poetry
Spoken word poetry is a mixture of literature and performance. Artists from around the world gather for contests, a.k.a. slams, to compete for a top award, and lucky for us, they post videos of the performances! Here are the best ways you can witness the magic.
Their Vision:
“We seek to showcase the power and diversity of voices in our community. By encouraging and broadcasting the best and brightest performance poets of today, we hope to broaden poetry’s audience, to expand its reach and develop a greater level of cultural appreciation for the art form.”
“Maybe I wanted to float… or sink… or be still long enough to see what my insides looked like.”
Desiree Dallagiacomo is a poet and activist from rural California. She is a Pushcart Prize Nominee and the founder of an annual writing retreat for young writers. Sink, her first chapbook, or collection of poetry, is available for purchase on buttonpoetry.com
“Or… Do we shed our skin to the sound of privilege seeping into our souls?”
Born in New York and raised in Kansas, Jahman Hill is an educator, activist, and artist all in one. While receiving two Master’s degrees, Jahman traveled the world performing and teaching and made it to the finals in several major national poetry slams.
Their Vision:
“Poetry Slam, Inc. (PSi) exists to celebrate the power of the voice. PSi is an arts organization that works to provide a platform for voices to be heard beyond social, cultural, political, and economic barriers.”
“In the beginning, God told Eve she did not need a man to exist. It is he who keeps hissing to be born. It is he who only has a rib to give.”
Ebony Stewart uses her platform to speak on the intersection of blackness, womanhood, sexuality, and more. This poet and playwright from Texas has won several poetry competitions including winning the Woman of the World Poetry Slam.
“As you can see I am black and a woman and I’m not angry at all… Hell, I’m pissed the fuck off!”
Named as one of Boston’s Most Influential People of Color, Porsha O. organizes, educates and contributes to Boston’s growing poetry scene, as the founder of The House Slam and the artistic director of a literary non-profit. The self-described, “Black, poet, queer-dyke, hip-hop feminist, womanist” has won several championships at the Individual World Poetry Slam and the National Poetry Slam and continues to dominate the stage to this day.
Their Vision:
“Often referred to as WAN or WANPOETRY, Write About Now is a media company featuring spoken word poetry from across the world. We have a weekly show in Houston, Texas that meets every Wednesday at 7:30 pm at AvantGarden.”
“I used to wonder… what happens to a black girl who’s too anxious to feel like magic.”
Raised in Atlanta, Jae Nichelle began writing poetry as a hobby that quickly grew into a healthy obsession. A self-proclaimed “awkward black girl,” Jae writes for the person who feels ignored. After starting her own slam team, Jae placed at the College Unions Poetry Slam Invitational, the Texas Grand Slam, and won first at the 2017 Women on the Bayou Poetry Slam.
“Every time I articulate for White American ears… I lose a portion of ancestral will. “
Yaw Kyeremateng, originally from Ghana, is a speech and debate coach by day and poet by night. As the director of Forensics at the University of Concordia Irvine, Yaw discusses countless political issues every day. However, as a member of Da Poetry Lounge slam team, Yaw explores his personal relationship with these issues and educates the masses along the way.
Are you finally spoken word fan? Comment your favorite poem from the list!
