News

People

Youth

See/Hear

Off/Stage

Ask a Poet

Mouth to Mouth

Calendar

About Us

News

Metaphor wants the skinny on your news! If you've just put out a poetry CD, are producing a major slam, administering a grant for performance poets or other big news, we want to know about it.

Check out some early press for our little baby:

Twin Cities Daily Planet
MnArtists.org

Teams announce National Poetry Slam lineups

Slam teams around the country -- a record 75 of them -- are winding up a season of competition with their own "grand slam finals." These teams will descend on Austin, Tex., Aug. 9-13 and vie for glory at the National Poetry Slam.

Check back often for updates as teams submit their "grand slam" results.
(Slam masters -- tell us your final results by filling out the form in the left column):

Ann Arbor, Mich. -- LOGIC, Mike Moriarity, Karynna McGlynn and Matt Ernst

Austin, Tex.  -- Da'Shade (champion), Andy Buck, Tony Jackson, Danny Strack and Krissi Reeves (alternate)

Berkeley -- Finals are May 9

Boston (Cantab Lounge) -- Simone Beaubien, Shira Erlichman, Harlym125, Brian Ellis, Jme. (Lizard Lounge) -- Grand Slam finals May 20

Columbus, Ohio (Writers' Block) -- Finals are May 30

Dallas (The Poetry Grind) -- Colin Gilbert (grand slam champion), Amy Weaver, Konnichiwa Zach, Lindsay Stone and Eric Breland (alternate)

D.C./Baltimore -- Finals are May 7

Detroit -- T. Miller (grand slam champion), One, Marsha Carter and Londell "HIStory" Thomas

Flagstaff, Ariz. (NORAZ) -- Grand Slam finals May 5

Hawaii -- Darron Cambra, Kealoha, Lyz Soto and Stri Longnekkar

Ithaca, NY -- Grand Slam finals May 4.

Kalamazoo, MI -- Gabriel Giron, Kirk Latimer, Rodney Spears, Denise Miller and Aaron Coleman.

Minneapolis (SlamMN) -- Wonder Dave, Lorena Duarte, Rhe and Riley

Montevallo, Ala. -- Alex Allen, Robbie Amonett, Bear the Poet, Cedrina, Jerri Hardesty and Lori Hamilton (alternate)

Omaha, Neb. -- Dan Leaman (champion), Katie F-S, Johnny Tornado, Ron Horner and Ross

San Antonio (PuroSlam) -- Anthony Flores (champion), Rich Perin, RiaListic, Amanda Flores and Emily Shafer

Seattle -- Tara Hardy, Danny Sherrard, Buddy Wakefield and Ryler Dustin

St. Paul, Minn. (Artists' Quarter) -- Ezra Stead, Khary Jackson, Cynthia French and Tom Reed

Worcester, Mass. -- Finals are May 20.

NYC: Workshops merge poetry, social justice

Urban Word NYC and Bowery Arts & Science are hosting separate workshops in July and August exploring the intersection of art, academics and activism.

The Summer Institute on Social Justice and Applied Poetics is designed for young leaders, activists, poets, writers, emcees and scholars, the workshops will show students how critical social dialogue, the poetry of resistance and social activism can ignite and incite change in their communities. Sessions run July 24 through Aug. 16. 

Urban Word and Bowery are also collaborating on a master class and performance series called "Write the Power: Poetry & Social Justice." Students will work with Amiri Baraka, Sapphire, Beau Sia, KnowMore.org and Queen GodIs to learn how these poets have infused their writings and world view to address and resist oppression and conservativism. Each night, these poets will give a performance and lecture illuminating the role of poetry in creating change. Sessions run Thursdays from July 26 through Aug. 16.

Register for either workshop through signup@urbanwordnyc.org or by calling 212-352-3495.

Teen poets mix with GLBT chorus

Choral music and performance poetry converge June 16-17, when One Voice Mixed Chorus invites Teens Rock the Mic, an ensemble of urban poets, into its  concerts at the Minnesota History Theatre in St. Paul, Minn.

Teen poets Gayle Smaller Jr., Kelly Xiong and Brittany Delaney and former Teens Roc the Mic poet Tish Jones are performing original work addressing issues of dreams, labels, fitting in, inner beauty, homophobia, suicide, drugs, gay marriage, poverty and war. One Voice Mixed Chorus is the largest GLBT chorus in North America, with 80 singing members spanning teens to seniors.

A concert highlight is the premiere of "Definition Suite," a five-movement choral and spoken-word composition by Mankwe Ndosi chronicling the varied life experiences of the teens involved in the project. The program also features music from a South African coming-of-age ritual and texts by Langston Hughes and Armistead Maupin, among other songs.

Performances are 7:30 pm June 16 and 3:30 pm June 17. Tickets for "Generations ROCK!" are $5 for students and seniors, $18-$25 for adults and available online at ovmc.org or by calling 612-332-1302.

June workshop teaches teachers about hip-hop

Educators and community leaders can learn how to incorporate "the best practices in hip-hop and spoken word pedagogy" into their work in a weeklong program offered through the University of Wisconsin.

Urban Word NYC and the Hip-Hop Association are teaming with the university's Office of Multicultural Initiatives for the second annual Spoken Word & Hip-Hop Teacher & Community Leader Training Institute, June 18-22.

The institute brings together leading educators, professors, emcees and activists utilizing spoken word and hip-hop as relevant, dynamic and necessary educational tools to engage students across multi-disciplinary curricula. Participants will develop lesson plans, strengthen their course study and create platforms to bring hip-hop history, culture and politics into their classrooms. Among scheduled performers and speakers are hip-hop legend DJ Kool Herc, Baruch "Baba" Israel, K-Swift and Queen GodIs.

For Teacher's Institute application and registration information, contact Karin Silet at silet@education.wisc.edu or 608-265-9568.