How poet Ariana Brown became the Afro-Latina role model she needed
Growing up in San Antonio, Ariana Brown said she struggled to find other representations of herself -- an Afro-Latina woman from a working class family -- both in her community and literature.
The poem that led Missy Elliot to surprise a young fan with a visit
What do you do when Missy Elliot shows up at your door? Poet Ashlee Haze found herself asking that earlier this month, after one of her poems caught Elliot’s attention. In “For Colored Girls (The Missy Elliot Poem),” Haze…
What gun violence looks like, in one powerful poem
Gun violence "can't be solved with political correctness," poet Aziza Barnes says.
For poet Fatimah Asghar, the word ‘orphan’ has more than one meaning
English needs to be broken, according to poet Fatimah Asghar. For Asghar, that goal is a reason to create spoken word poetry, using the language in new ways and to address stories at the margins, including her own.
Aja Monet's poem examines the "reckoning of power" in an interaction between her brother and the police.
In Honor of Obama Inauguration, Spoken Word Artist Conjures Power of 'Change'…
The Obamas hosted a "Poetry Jam" Tuesday night at the White House. Rising stars in the arts world as well as established poets, writers, and musicians were invited. Following is an excerpt of the evening, with footage courtesy HBO.
On Tuesday, President Barack Obama and first lady Michele Obama welcomed actors, poets and writers to the East Room of the White House for a night of poetry readings and spoken word.
Through verse, members of the Spoken Word Club at the Santa Fe Indian School articulate identities both modern and traditional, and maintain links to the past through native language and culture.
