Podcasts about Brave New Voices

July 17, 2024, Washington, D.C. Some 200 young people from across the nation aged 14-19 — aspiring poets, storytellers, MC's, activists — are gathered in the nation's capital for the 29th annual Brave New Voices Festival — four non-stop days of slam poetry competition, coaching, workshops, late-night freestyling and in 2024, voting information.In summer, as the election loomed larger and larger we decided to turn our microphone to young people across America to hear their thoughts and feelings about the nation, about voting, about the election. Everyone always says young people are the future. But the truth is they are the present. And it is all on their plate.The Kitchen Sisters and producer Bianca Giaever traveled to the Brave New Voices Festival to take in the poets and their poetry, to listen and take the pulse of the moment. The hope, the scope, the vote. On July 21, the day after the festival ended, President Biden dropped out of the race. Keep that in mind as you listen.  The Hope & The Scope was produced by The Kitchen Sisters (Nikki Silva & Davia Nelson) and Bianca Giaever and mixed by Jim McKee. In collaboration with Nathan Dalton and Brandi Howell.Funding for The Hope & the Scope comes from The Robert Sillins Family Foundation, Susan Sillins & The Buenas Obras Fund.Special thanks to all the poets, the teams, the coaches, to the fabulous Future Corps 2024 and to all the staff, volunteers and radiant community of Brave New Voices. And to all we interviewed at the festival.Very special thanks to Youth Speaks, trailblazers of local and national youth poetry slams, festivals, mentoring, youth education and development — creators of the Brave New Voices Festival. Deep bow to Executive Director Michelle Mush Lee, Communications Director Bijou McDaniel, Stephanie Cajina, Joan Osato, James Kass, to Paige Goedkoop, Jamie DeWolf and Pawn Shop Productions and especially to Bianca Giaever who joined us in Washington, D.C. and came with her mic blazing.The Kitchen Sisters Present... is part of Radiotopia from PRX, a network of independent, thought-provoking, deeply-produced, highly-entertaining podcasts that widen your world.Thanks for listening. Thanks for subscribing.

This week on Rightnowish we take a little dive into family history and explore the big concerns of the next generation with published poet, educator and youth advocate, Michelle "Mush" Lee.  Lee is the executive director of the well renowned poetry organization, Youth Speaks. The organization boasts a long list of alums who are playwrights and poets, actors and activists. Just two years after its founding in 1996, Youth Speaks launched the annual youth poetry slam, Brave New Voices. This year, the three-day conference that pulls young poets from all corners of the country will be in the nation's capital, Washington D.C., just months before the presidential election. As an organizer, Lee is looking ahead to this year's conference with a clear understanding of why young people's voices are so important right now. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Britney Wilson is an associate professor of Law and Director of the Civil Rights and Disability Justice Clinic at New York Law School. Prior to her current position, Professor Wilson was a staff attorney at the National Center for Law and Economic Justice, a Bertha Justice Fellow at the Center for Constitutional Rights, and a Marvin M. Karpatkin Fellow in the Racial Justice Program at the American Civil Liberties Union. Born with Cerebral Palsy, Wilson has written and spoken extensively about disability and the intersection of race and disability for various media outlets including The Nation, Longreads, and This American Life, NPR, PBS Newshour, Colorlines, and The Huffington Post. Professor Wilson has also testified about issues facing people with disabilities before both local and international governing bodies, including the New York City Council and the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. Also, an accomplished writer and artist, Wilson has published and performed short stories, creative nonfiction essays, and poetry, including on the HBO series Brave New Voices. On May 16th, 2023, Britney Wilson will give a talk “Down for the Cause: Grace, Space, and Belonging in Social Movements” as a guest of the Oregon Humanities Center and part of the 2022–23 “Belonging” series.

Students from the National Student Poets Program discuss their work and the importance of poetry in the lives of young people today. The National Student Poets Program is the nation's highest honor for young poets (grades 10–11) creating original work. Annually, five students are selected for one year of service, each representing a different geographic region of the country. The Program believes in the power of youth voices to create and sustain meaningful change, and supports them in being heard. Four of the five 2021 National Student Poets joined us for this program: Aanika Eragam, Kevin Gu, Kechi Mbah, and Sarah Fathima Mohammed. The following conversation originally took place May 15th, 2022 and was recorded live at the American Writers Festival. AWM PODCAST NETWORK HOME About the 2021 National Student Poets: Aanika Eragam is a senior at Milton High School in Milton, Georgia who serves as the 2021 National Student Poet for the Southeast. Through her mother's bedtime tales of South Indian mythology, Aanika was first exposed to the power of storytelling in connecting her to her cultural heritage, unlocking foreign perspectives, and exploring history. Since then, she's written poetry and creative nonfiction about culture, family, girlhood, and body image. Aanika serves as the 2021 Atlanta Youth Poet Laureate and the Editor-in-Chief of her high school literary magazine The Globe. Kevin Gu is a Chinese American from Boston and the 2021 National Student Poet of the Northeast. His work has been included in Rattle, The National Poetry Quarterly, Ember Journal, and The Eunoia Review among others. On his off days, he enjoys hunting for underrated boba shops and eating cold watermelon. Kechi Mbah is a senior at Carnegie Vanguard High School and a Houston native. She first found a love for poetry when she stumbled upon a YouTube video of a Brave New Voices slam competition in the fall of 2019 and has been performing and writing poetry ever since. Her poetry explores many avenues from making the known strange to chronicling her experiences as a Nigerian-American and the histories of her people. She currently serves as the 2021 National Student Poet of the Southwest and her work can be found in Blue Marble Review, The Incandescent Review, elementia, and elsewhere. Sarah Fathima Mohammed, daughter of Indian Muslim immigrants, is the 2021-22 National Student Poet representing the West Region, the nation's highest honor for youth poets. She writes poetry sourced in grief, faith, and longing because, for her people, these emotions are inherited. When she travels back to her hometown in Kumbakonam, India, Sarah sits in circles with girls at the mosque, reading Safia Elhillo and Fatimah Asghar's anthology of Muslim voices, Halal If You Hear Me. When she is not writing, Sarah loves long morning walks with her family and listening to music by Yuna.

In today's episode, Alysia and I talk about:how writing builds empathywhat it means to embody our faithand the power of being honest with yourselfDr. Alysia Nicole Harris is an award-winning poet and spoken-word artist, an educator, and a linguist. In 2008 she featured on the HBO documentary: Brave New Voices where she wowed audiences with her piece "That Girl". In 2010 Alysia graduated UPENN Summa Cum Laude with honors and was also inducted into the Phi Beta Kappa honor society. Alysia received her MFA in poetry from NYU in 2014 and her PhD in linguistics from Yale University in 2019. Alysia was also a founding member of the internationally known performance poetry collective, The Strivers Row and has garnered over 5 million views on YouTUBE. She has toured nationally for the last 10 years and also performed at the United Nations and the US Embassies in Jordan and Ukraine, as well as in Australia, Canada, Germany, Slovakia, South Africa, the UAE, and the UK. You can check out more of Alysia's work on her website, alysiaharris.com, on social media @ poppyinthewheat, on YouTube, and at Scalawag Magazine .org. Think coaching could be for you, fill out the interest form here!Want the full episode? You can join our Patreon community to get the full episode! We hope to see you there!Support the show

On this episode of Black & Published, Nikesha is speaking with author, performer, playwright, and educator Ebony Payne-English,  about her journey as a literary artist that has led her to publish a poetry collection (Secrets of Ma'at), a graphic novel (The Random Happenings), and release six studio albums. Her latest offering, Kuongoza, dropped March 28, 2021 and is available on all streaming platforms. With 17 years of professional experience from Black on Black Rhyme to HBO's Brave New Voices, Ebony, is a nationally acclaimed spoken word artist whose performance credits include the renowned Nuyorican Café in New York and ESSENCE Fest. During the conversation, Ebony courageously discusses her devastating diagnosis with an illness that stifled her creativity for three years, how writing helped save her own life, and how Superman Returns inspired her forthcoming play The Goddess Experience. She also dishes on finding God in art and how she stands whole, complete & empowered in her gift as a spoken word artist and emcee. ***Follow @Nikesha_Elise on Twitter and Instagram and check out her latest novel Beyond Bourbon Street available everywhere books are sold. Don't forget to subscribe to Black & Published on your podcast platform of choice as well as rate and review. If you have thoughts, feedback, or questions about the episode, hit us up at @blkandpublished on Twitter and Instagram using the hashtag #blackandpublished. Support the show

Matthew Brown is a queer, Afro-Latino poet from Albuquerque, New Mexico and author of Verbrennen as well as Among God and Other Drugs, both by Swimming with Elephants Publications. He is also a community health worker, actor, and spoken word artist. He was a 2013 Brave New Voices finalist, three time Southwest Shootout Poetry Champion, and 2015 Albuquerque Grand Slam Poetry Champion. Matthew Brown's books Among Gods and Other Drugs: https://www.amazon.com/Among-Other-Drugs-Matthew-Brown/dp/1950375064 Verbrennen: https://www.bkwrks.com/book/9780615954684 If you'd like to be a guest on the show or have questions, you can email at penandpoet@gmail.com.  To help support the show, you can visit the show's Patreon page: https://www.patreon.com/penandpoetpodcast?fan_landing=true  Follow the show on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PenAndPoetPodcast

In this episode, I speak with Black poet, Jasmine Mans.Jasmine Mans is a poet from Newark, New Jersey. Her recently published book, Black Girl, Call Home (Penguin Random House) has been named one of Oprah's Most Anticipated LGBTQ Books and a TIME Magazine Must Read, to name a few; and Jasmine herself named as Essence's #1 Contemporary Black Poet to Know.Jasmine's poetry has gone viral many times over on YouTube. She has opened packed shows for Mos Def and Janelle Monae; and performed at such esteemed venues as the Kennedy Center, Broadway's New Amsterdam Theater, the Wisconsin Governor's Mansion, and the Sundance Film Festival. Mans also participated in "Brave New Voices", an 8-episode poetry documentary on HBO. Jasmine is a contributor to the 1619 Project and co-hosted the Kennedy Center's Arts Across America series alongside renowned poet Jason Reynolds. Jasmine is also the voice behind Ulta Beauty's MUSE campaign. Jasmine created the company Buy Weed From Women, where she sells her own designs in support of women working in the cannabis industry.

Laila Sokera Henderson- SOREN LIT Fall Issue 2021 Laila Sokera Henderson is an American poet, writer and actor of Nigerian descent. She is currently a university student, also working as a teaching artist in Atlanta, GA. She has served as one of Atlanta's Youth Poet Laureate Ambassadors since 2017, and has competed in the international poetry slam competition Brave New Voices. She is currently working on releasing a collection of poems. Stay up to date with her @LailaSokera www.sorenlit.com SOREN LIT Founding Editor an podcast host: Melodie J. Rodgers SOREN LIT Southern Renaissance of women, femmes, and/or non-binary writers exploring the lingering South... --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/melodie-rodgers/message

How do organizers and advocates use art to promote and demystify the struggle for disability justice and its connections to other liberation movements? On the 43rd episode of the Activist Files, Senior Legal Worker Leah Todd speaks with Britney Wilson, a poet and writer who was featured in the Brave New Voices documentary series, attorney, and Associate Professor of Law and Director of the Civil Rights and Disability Justice Clinic at New York Law School, and Lucy Trieshmann, an educator and writer, third year law student at New York University School of Law, co-founder of the Breaking Point Project, and treasurer of the National Disabled Law Students Association, about using art, storytelling, advocacy, and litigation as tools to move towards a world beyond ableism, criminalization, and other forms of discrimination. Both members of the extended Center for Constitutional Rights family, Britney is a former Bertha Justice fellow, and Lucy is a former Ella Baker summer intern. The podcast coincides with the observation of National Disability Employment Awareness Month in October.Britney and Lucy discuss the ways that art can help to share important narratives and open up space for difficult conversations on controversial issues, how disability justice is situated within a larger liberation politic that includes racial, economic, LGBTQIA+ and gender justice and abolitionist frameworks, the necessity of moving beyond concepts of access and compliance towards understanding everyone's role in interdependence in order to get towards freedom, and lessons those working for justice must commit to learning in order to move beyond an ableist conception of "normalcy."For further information:Britney Wilson's article on Access-A-Ride: https://longreads.com/2017/09/01/on-nycs-paratransit-fighting-for-safety-respect-and-human-dignity/Lucy Trieshmann speaks on accommodations in schools and the impact of the pandemic: https://www.teenvogue.com/story/disabled-students-school-covidLucy Trieshmann speaks on where she finds joy: https://www.usatoday.com/story/life/health-wellness/2021/07/21/wheelchair-users-talk-disturbing-questions-what-they-wish-you-knew/8017662002/

vesloils.com Use code SPOONIESUNITE for 10% offMaggie Bowyer (they/them/theirs) is a poet, cat parent, and the author of The Whole Story (Margaret Bowyer, 2020) and When I Bleed: Poems about Endometriosis (2021). They are a blogger and essayist with a focus on Endometriosis, Fibromyalgia, and chronic pain. They have been featured in Bourgeon Magazine, Capsule Stories, Detour Ahead, Written Tales, Scribe, and more. They were the Editor-in-Chief of The Lariat Newspaper, a quarter-finalist in Brave New Voices 2016, and they were a Marilyn Miller Poet Laureate. Maggie's Links:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/maggie.writes/?hl=enAmazon book "When I Bleed": https://www.amazon.com/dp/0578867877/ref=cm_sw_r_as_gl_api_glt_fabc_5PBX7F5ZFRCY9VQQGJC7?linkCode=ml1&tag=maggiebowyer-20&pldnSite=1Website: https://maggiebowyer.com/Coupon code: spooniesuniteSocial Media:https://www.instagram.com/therealspooniesunite/https://www.facebook.com/groups/2443751542368935Our New Book "Live a Better Life":  https://tinyurl.com/36b3xzm6Our Book “Empowered Self Care”: https://amzn.to/2Q2bUxqMyWellnessHub: https://my-wellness-hub.mn.co/Merch: https://teespring.com/stores/the-real-spoonies-uniteEmail: hello@TheRealSpooniesUnite.comSupport the show (https://my-wellness-hub.mn.co/)

Over-worked or over-entertained? Our humanity gives us the joint gifts of both activity and passivity. We act and we are acted upon. But how do we balance and mediate these states? How do we cultivate long practices and habits that help us to inhabit the space between activity and passivity, bringing them together in a beautiful agency?Poet and linguist Alysia Harris joins Matt Croasmun for a discussion of that space between active and passive in human life—bringing the concepts of wonder, awareness/attention, patient receptivity to the natural world and to God, bearing witness to the autonomy and action of the other, and how she cultivates and meditates on these things in her own life.Show NotesNorman Wirzba, This Sacred Life: Humanity's Place in a Wounded WorldActive life vs passive lifeIntermediate category between activity and passivity: attentive awarenessActive receptivity and bearing witnessHuman beings enacting and reactingWitness as perception and responseCarl Sagan, Robin Kimmerer, Timothy WilburnWonder as a mediating emotion between active and passive"I'm not the entire system."Granting autonomy to a natural systemMaking the right impact through granting the sovereignty of the otherAdam and Eve as gardeners—beauty vs productivityGenesis: "Avad and Shamar"—Till and Keep, Serve and ProtectRestrain, observe, attend, and magnify"Me and God"Capitalism, scarcity mentality, and "enough"Ping-ponging between over-worked and over-entertainment—deficient visions of activity and deficient visions of passivityMark 4: Parable of the Sower. Scattering SeedsDynamic reciprocity and intentional permeabilityThe patience an orchid demands"Ideas have no use unless they have something to do with our lives."Practices and rituals to inhabit the space between active and passiveWriting habits—"faithful stewardship with less brings faithful stewardship with more"Dance as an embodied balance with intellectual workIntercessory prayer and producing opportunitiesWorking out of hope instead of strivingRunning, walking, granting the natural world autonomyAbout Alysia HarrisFollow Alysia Harris @PoppyinthewheatAlysia Nicole Harris was born in Fremont, California but grew up in Alexandria, VA and considers herself on all accounts a member of the ranks of great Southern women. At age 10 she wrote her first poem, after hearing about sonnets in English class. That class began her life-long love of poetry and the literary arts.Alysia went to The University of Pennsylvania where she experienced her first success as a writer and a performer. In 2008 she featured on the HBO documentary: Brave New Voices where she wowed audiences with her piece "That Girl". In 2010 Alysia graduated UPENN Summa Cum Laude with honors and was also inducted into the Phi Beta Kappa honor society. Alysia received her MFA in poetry from NYU in 2014 and her PhD in linguistics from Yale University in 2019. Her dissertation “The Non-Aspectual Meaning of African-American English ‘Aspect' Markers” breaks with traditional analyses and explores the discourse-oriented uses of the preverbal particles ‘be' and ‘done' in varieties of African-American English.Although she has experienced scholastic success, poetry has always come first in her heart. Cave Canem fellow, winner of the 2014 and 2015 Stephen Dunn Poetry Prizes, Pushcart Nominee, her poetry has appeared  in Best American Poets, Indiana Review, The Offing, Callaloo, Solstice Literary Magazine, Squaw Valley Review, Letters Journal, and Vinyl Magazine among others. Her first chapbook How Much We Must Have Looked Like Stars to Stars won the 2015 New Women's Voices Chapbook Contest and is available for purchase on site.Alysia was also a founding member of the internationally known performance poetry collective, The Strivers Row and has garnered over 5 million views on YouTUBE. She has toured nationally for the last 10 years and also performed at the United Nations and the US Embassies in Jordan and Ukraine, as well as in Australia, Canada, Germany, Slovakia, South Africa, the UAE, and the UK.Alysia now lives in Atlanta, GA where she works as a consultant for the Morehouse Center for Excellence in Education and as arts and soul editor at Scalawag Magazine, a nonprofit POC-led, women run media organization focused on Southern movement, community, and dissent. She is working on a book of poems and a collection of essays about the intersections of faith, violence, and the natural world. Production NotesThis podcast featured poet Alysia Harris and biblical scholar Matt CroasmunEdited and Produced by Evan RosaHosted by Evan RosaProduction Assistance by Martin Chan & Nathan JowersA Production of the Yale Center for Faith & Culture at Yale Divinity School https://faith.yale.edu/aboutSupport For the Life of the World podcast by giving to the Yale Center for Faith & Culture: https://faith.yale.edu/give

Join hosts Chibbi and Raqui as we welcome Meccamorphosis to the Words and Sh*t stage! Streaming Live, tune in to get to know the person behind the poetry! Mecca Verdell is a Baltimore-based poet and performer of Dewmore Baltimore. When she started her poetry career in 2016, Mecca won Brave New Voices, an international youth poetry slam. She's also been a radio show host for two Baltimore-based radio stations, interviewing nationally and locally known poets and writers. She has been dedicated to providing youth with safe spaces to express their creative voices with free open mics, showcases, and competitions. Mecca is the former Youth Poet Ambassador of Baltimore (2017), opening performer for Aloe Blacc at the National Education Association conference in 2017, Southern Fried Poetry Slam winner of 2017 and 2018, Top 10 finalist of the Woman of the world poetry slam 2018, and top 3 finalists for Texas Grand Slam. Outside of competition, she has taught the importance of using poetry as a tool for social justice and healing for middle schools, high schools, and colleges.

On this episode of Black & Published, Nikesha is speaking with author, performer, playwright, and educator Ebony Payne-English,  about her journey as a literary artist that has led her to publish a poetry collection (Secrets of Ma'at), a graphic novel (The Random Happenings), and release six studio albums. Her latest offering, Kuongoza, dropped March 28, 2021 and is available on all streaming platforms. With 17 years of professional experience from Black on Black Rhyme to HBO's Brave New Voices, Ebony, is a nationally acclaimed spoken word artist whose performance credits include the renowned Nuyorican Café in New York and ESSENCE Fest. Episode NotesOn this episode of Black & Published, Nikesha is speaking with author, performer, playwright, and educator Ebony Payne-English,  about her journey as a literary artist that has led her to publish a poetry collection (Secrets of Ma'at), a graphic novel (The Random Happenings), and release six studio albums. Her latest offering, Kuongoza, dropped March 28, 2021 and is available on all streaming platforms. With 17 years of professional experience from Black on Black Rhyme to HBO's Brave New Voices, Ebony, is a nationally acclaimed spoken word artist whose performance credits include the renowned Nuyorican Café in New York and ESSENCE Fest. During the conversation, Ebony courageously discusses her devastating diagnosis with an illness that stifled her creativity for three years, how writing helped save her own life, and how Superman Returns inspired her forthcoming play The Goddess Experience. She also dishes on finding God in art and how she stands whole, complete & empowered in her gift as a spoken word artist and emcee. ***Follow @Nikesha_Elise on Twitter and Instagram and check out her latest novel Beyond Bourbon Street available everywhere books are sold. Don't forget to subscribe to Black & Published on your podcast platform of choice as well as rate and review. If you have thoughts, feedback, or questions about the episode, hit us up at @blkandpublished on Twitter and Instagram using the hashtag #blackandpublished. 

Join hosts Chibbi and Rooster as we welcome Josh Nguyen to the Words and Sh*t stage! Streaming Live, tune in to get to know the person behind the poetry! Joshua Nguyen is a bisexual Vietnamese-American writer, a collegiate national poetry slam champion (CUPSI), and a native Houstonian. He is the author of the chapbook, "American Lục Bát for My Mother" (forthcoming, March 2021, Bull City Press) and has received fellowships from Kundiman, Tin House, Sundress Academy For The Arts, and the Vermont Studio Center. He has been published in The Offing, Wildness, American Poetry Review, The Texas Review, PANK, Auburn Avenue, Crab Orchard Review, and Gulf Coast Mag. He has also been featured on both the "VS" podcast and Tracy K. Smith's, "The Slowdown". He is a bubble tea connoisseur and works in a kitchen. His debut poetry collection, "Come Clean" (forthcoming, fall 2021, University of Wisconsin Press), was the winner of the 2021 Felix Pollak Prize in Poetry. He is a PhD student at The University of Mississippi, where he also received his MFA. Joshua Nguyen began writing with the Meta-Four Houston Youth Slam Team from 2008-2012 and competed in Brave New Voices. He is an alumnus of the University of Texas at Austin and was part of the UT Spitshine slam team from 2014-2016. He placed #1 in the nation in 2014, won ‘Best Writing as a Team' in 2015, and was the 2015 CUPSI Haiku Champ. In 2016, he traveled to Washington D.C. as a member of Future Corp to organize the 2016 Brave New Voices International Poetry Festival. He was a featured poet in a commercial for the National Education Association's 'Do You Hear Us?' campaign.

Join hosts Chibbi and Raqui as we welcome Jay Ward to the Words and Sh*t stage! Get to know the person behind the poetry! Jay Ward is a poet and teaching artist from Charlotte, NC. He is a National Slam champion (2018) and an Individual World Poetry Slam champion (2019). Jay currently serves as a Program Director for BreatheInk, where he facilitates writing and performance workshops and coaches youth poets attending Brave New Voices each year. He has attended Breadloaf Writer's Conference, Callaloo, The Watering Hole, and Tin House Winter Workshop. His work can be found in Crabfat Magazine, Lackadaisy Lit Mag, and on Button Poetry.

In this episode we talk with Baltimore based poet, 2016 Brave New Voices winner and number 4 poet in the world Mecca "Meccamorphosis" Verdell. We discuss her poetry origin story (5:15), retooling as an artist (13:45) whether it's harder to write a comedy punchline or poetry punchline (21:00) If it's easier to win a BNV slam or adult slam (23:00) what winning means in the Baltimore poetry scene (27:10) Mecca gets passionate (35:25) Bluz and Jay Ward make proclamations again (53:50) Mecca has some tea (55:40) and of course we freestyle. Meccamorphosis Info: Mecca Verdell is a Baltimore based poet and performer of Dewmore Baltimore. When she started her poetry career in 2016, Mecca won Brave New Voices, an international youth poetry slam. She’s also been a Radio show host for two Baltimore based radio stations, interviewing nationally and locally known poets and writers. She has been dedicated to provide youth with safe spaces to express their creative voices with free open mics, showcases and competitions. Mecca is the former Youth Poet Ambassador of baltimore (2017), opening performer for Aloe Blacc at the National Education Association conference in 2017, Southern Fried Poetry Slam winner of 2017 and 2018, Top 10 finalist of the Woman of the world poetry slam 2018, and top 3 finalist for Texas Grand Slam. Outside of competition, she has taught the importance of using poetry as tool for social justice and healing for middle schools, high schools and colleges. Follow Meccamorphosis on IG @meccamorphosis on Twitter @MeccaVerdell Freestyle Beat: “Jazz Bop” by @scarterway on IG and Twitter PoetUp Crew: Twitter: @PoetUpPodcast @mallchi @MrBluz @jayward2030 IG: @PoetUpPodcast @mallchi @bluzbluzbluz @jward2030 Facebook: @PoetUpPodcast Email us at thepoetuppodcast@gmail.com Visit our website: www.poetuppodcast.com Rate us, Review us tell a friend about us. Thank you for listening. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/poetup/message

Arhm Choi Wild is a queer, Korean-American poet who grew up in the slam community of Ann Arbor, Michigan, and went on to perform across the country, including at Brave New Voices, the New York City Poetry Festival, and Asheville Wordfest. Their debut book of poems, CUT TO BLOOM, was the winner of the 2019 Write Bloody Book Contest. Arhm is a Kundiman fellow with an MFA in Poetry from Sarah Lawrence College, and was a finalist for the Jake Adam York Prize in 2019. They have been anthologized in Daring to Repair by Wising Up Press and The Queer Movement Anthology of Literatures, and their work appears in Barrow Street, The Massachusetts Review, Pleiades, Split this Rock, and other publications. They work as the Director of the Progressive Teaching Institute and as a Diversity Coordinator at a school in New York City.

“Times when I feel most accomplished are when I see former students accomplishing their goals.” Irene talks with Tish Jones about making decisions, getting inspired, standing inside integrity, and finding joy. Founder & Executive Director of TruArtSpeaks, Tish Jones is a poet, performer, educator and organizer from Saint Paul, Minnesota. She has performed at CBGB, Kaplan Theater, The Walker Art Center, Intermedia Arts, The Cedar Cultural Center and more. Her work can be found in the Minnesota Humanities Center’s anthology entitled, Blues Vision: African American Writing from Minnesota (Minnesota Historical Society Press, 2015), the 2011 and 2013 Saint Paul Almanac, and the Loft Literary Center’s Nation of Immigrants audio CD.  One of Springboard for the Arts’ 20/20 Artist Fellows and graduate fellow of the inaugural Intercultural Leadership Institute, Jones has always had a passion for bridging arts & culture, civic engagement and youth development. Senior Field Building Strategist for Youth Speaks and Co-Director of Brave New Voices, her work explores the ways in which art can function as a tool for social transformation, liberation and education. For more on her personal praxis in this arena, see Jones’ TEDxMinneapolis Talk on Spoken Word as a Radical Practice of Freedom.

My guest speaker Actress/Producer/Writer Tanya Young she currently works as a Writer and Producer on two projects – a zombie film and a sitcom -- wrapping in a few weeks. She pays her bills by fundraising for the CMG Short Film Festival in West Hollywood. A member of the Native American Casting Group and Board Member of the HIV Writers Workshop at Cedars-Sinai, this socially-conscious dramatist was a 2010 Writers Boot Camp Fellow and won the 2001 George Foster Peabody Award and the 2002 Literacy in Media Award for her animation writing for Nickelodeon on “Little Bill.” Acting on TV shows Mom, The Bold & the Beautiful and Strange Angel, Tanya has studied improve, written skits and performed theater with UCB and Second City. A former election campaign worker, charitable grantmaker and documentary producer, Ms. Young’s Muscogee Creek ancestors hail from the rural American South. In 2009, Tanya was Story Producer on HBO’s competition docu-series “Brave New Voices” about diverse young slam poets, including the spoken word team from the Santa Fe Indian School and indigenous poets from Honolulu. A former collaborator with the American Indian Community House, Tanya worked with Member Diana Gubiseh-Ayala to direct a documentary about fellow Native American and “two-spirit” women living with HIV/AIDS. A former Board member of the Manhattan cable access network and active member of the Third Wave Fund!, Tanya grew up believing we’re all here to work together to build a better world. We learn about this and more on “Behind The Real”. --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/aaron-d-king/support

The Blah Poetry Spot presents Words and Sh*t, an intimate performance and conversation so that you can get to know the person behind the poetry! This week we are featuring Albuquerque's own Mercedes Holtry, and we talked about history, family, storytelling, the importance and power of Latinx and Xicana voices, and so much more! Mercedez Holtry is a poet, writer, mentor, and Chicana feminist who focuses on bringing out her roots, experiences and lessons learned through her poetry in hopes that they embrace her people and other artists around her. She has represented ABQ on multiple final and semi final stages for national poetry events. She is a Brave New Voices finalist (2013), a two time finalist at the Women of the World Poetry Slam (2015, 2018), A National Group Piece Champion (2016), the winner of Modesto's “ILL List Slam” in California (2017), a featured poet in Mexico City's “Diverso” an international poetry festival embracing Mexican voices through poetry (2017) and holds multiple Albuquerque Slam Championships. She has worked with youth in poetry workshops in multiple cities around the country including Aspen Words' “Poetry in the Schools” project since 2015. Mercedez is not only a poet but an outreach coordinator for Warehouse 508, Albuquerque's Arts and Entertainment Center, in which she organizes workshops and poetry events for the youth to participate in. Since graduating from the University of New Mexico with her degrees in Chicano Studies and Journalism & Communications, she continues to cultivate the poetry slam community in Albuquerque, and co-founded and spearheaded "Burque Revolt", a intergenerational poetry slam organization that creates safe spaces for all ages to enjoy. She is passionate about spoken word and aspires to continually learn all she can about her art through working, slamming and organizing for her community. Hosted by Chibbi and Eddie V!

Youssef Kromah is an award-winning poet, best-selling author, dynamic speaker, community activist and international television host at Huda TV in Cairo, Egypt. He was first featured as a spoken-word poet on Russel Simmon’s HBO series Brave New Voices and later as a featured guest speaker on CNN’s Who’s Black in America, hosted by Soledad O’Brien. He is the founder of the Do It for The Deen initiative and an active youth leader in several Muslim communities. Youssef serves as a khatib for over 10 masjids in the Delaware Valley region, as well as assistant imam at Masjidullah in Philadelphia, Pa. Youssef is currently pursuing a degree in Islamic Studies at Al-Azhar University in Cairo, Egypt, with hopes of following a career track in Islamic Scholarship, while continuing his art, da’wah work and youth development initiatives.

This week we kick off the month of Dhul Hijjah with our guest Kashmir Maryam and we discuss "How Muslim Women can use Spiritual Empowerment to Increase Productivity". This episode is particularly important in this month as this is the month of "The Pilgrimage" and we often get so wrapped up in our daily lives that its easy to take our eyes and hearts off our true purpose. Kashmir recently returned from an Umrah Trip and Halimah wanted listeners to hear her raw account of a few of her experiences. We can truly have an amazing spiritual life and connection with our creator while pursuing worldly gains. Kashmir Maryam is a British internationally-acclaimed Author and Spoken Word Poet. Kashmir is featured in the award-winning documentary film ‘We Are Poets’, where she performed outside the White House at ‘Brave New Voices’- the world’s most prestigious poetry slam competition. Since then, Kashmir has published her most recent book ‘Nafsi: Jihad Upon my Self’, in which she addresses some of the greatest misconceptions about Islam, through poetry and prose. Kashmir continues to deliver inspiring speeches, as well as performing her poetry on national and international stages. Watch her ICNA Video "Great Women of Islam" here. Through her spoken word, she encourages the need for self-empowerment through spiritual cognizance and altruism, in order to ignite global change. Kashmir also co-founded The Strangers – a non-profit organization that is devoted to clearing up misconceptions about Islam, through the art of spoken word poetry. Follow her on IG This has been another spectacular episode of Boss Hijabi-Preneur brought to you by Be You In HD, LLC and the Not Without My Hijab Stageplay. To find out more about Services for Women of Faith in Business visit www.beyouinhd.com Want to learn more about the next city up on the tour visit www.notwithoutmyhijab.com If you would like to nominate a future guest or have your Business Ad featured on one of our upcoming episodes please email us at halimah@beyouinhd.com

Adriana Abundis is a rising star in the Xicanx educational world. Working as a teacher in San Antonio, Tx., for the past eight year Abundis has immersed herself in the life and culture of that city. She is an emerging muralist who is creating visual resistance and opportunities for her students to immerse themselves in the history and cultury of their Xicanx community. She has led and created 3 inspirational murals on the West Side of San Antonio that stretch over 3,000 square feet and continues to create artistic symbols of indigeneity, identity and pride with her art network: Arte de Lush. Please listen in on the future of Xicanx education in the Occupied Territories. Brave New Voices for a New Century.   www.waroftheflea.org @ernestomireles @bingbongvictory

Adam Gac interviews Jim Hohmeyer about a special concert event taking place in Midland on May 10.

When Islam was introduced it brought teachings to help people worship, honor and serve God more intently and Prophet Muhammad (SAW) saw to it that women were also elevated with its introduction. When I was thinking of topics for future podcast episodes I thought about how I can further honor women and empower them to own their Islamic Identity, I wanted to hear what men’s true perspective on Boss women in business is! Please enjoy this transformative bonus episode where I uncover the male perspective as I speak with Youssef Kromah while he’s abroad In #Egypt perfecting his craft by pursuing his dream of learning Islamic Studies and bringing it back to his home community. Youssef Kromah is an award-winning poet, best-selling author, dynamic speaker, community activist and international television host at Huda TV in Cairo, Egypt. He was first featured as a spoken-word poet on Russel Simmon’s HBO series Brave New Voices and later as a featured guest speaker on CNN’s Who’s Black in America, hosted by Soledad O’Brien. Youssef’s ability to captivate and enthrall audiences with his poignant words and power-packed performances has taken him all over the United States and abroad, including Cuba, Hong Kong, Palestine, Ireland, Thailand, Morocco, London, Egypt and many other countries. An alumnus of LaSalle University, Youssef graduated with the distinctions while double majoring in Leadership and Global Understanding and English. He is the founder of the Do It for The Deen initiative and an active youth leader in several Muslim communities. Youssef serves as a khatib for over 10 masjids in the Delaware Valley region, as well as assistant imam at Masjidullah in Philadelphia, Pa. Youssef is currently pursuing a degree in Islamic Studies at Al-Azhar University in Cairo, Egypt, with hopes of following a career track in Islamic Scholarship, while continuing his art, da’wah work and youth development initiatives. #hudatv______________________________________________________________ This podcast was brought to you by Be You In HD, LLC a transformational coaching company, aimed at helping women get unstuck, follow their passion and become full-time entrepreneurs. As one of our listeners we welcome you to schedule a "Discovery Call" with us to get started on your "Boss Business" today. For more information about Be You In HD and the webinars and workshops visit: www.beyouinhd.com

Episode seven features poet and spoken word artist Ashley Harris, who recently published the chapbook If the Hero of Time Was Black, based on the Zelda video game series. Ashley is a Virginia native, and a CUPSI and Brave New Voices alum based in Durham, NC.Ashley Harris is a longtime spoken word artist and poet. Her powerful performances have led her to feature and perform her original poems across the country, most recently during her book tour in support of If The Hero of Time Was Black. Ashley meshes her love for poetry, Black culture and science into a collection that is truly unique and thought-provoking.During our conversation, Ashley discusses the origins of her Zelda appreciation, how she leaned on the support of her mentors to make this book a reality and how she fights against complacency for evolve as an artist.As always, this episode features the following music: Aspire by Scott Holmes, and Purple Light by Blue Dot Sessions.Enjoy the episode and remember to Create & Connect!

Brave New Voices in Houston! & Mexican Origin Foods, Foodways & Social Movements. Great poetry and powerful research about our community. Guests: Tony Diaz, El LIbrotraficante interviews, In-studio- Cristy Johnston Limón, Tish Jones, and Brandon Santiago Brave New Voices International Youth Poetry Festival taking place in Houston. http://bnv18.youthspeaks.org/ And Dr. Devon Peña discussing his book Mexican Origin Foods, Foodways & Social Movements: Decolonial perspectives Bios: CRISTY JOHNSTON LIMÓN, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR-Committed to the absolute power the arts as a catalyst for social change, Cristy joined Youth Speaks in January of 2018. A native of San Francisco, Cristy grew up in the city’s Mission district, a community enriched by Central American diaspora and generations of Latinx artists, organizers and activists. Her bilingual public school education, infused with dance, music, and theater, ignited her passion to create spaces where all young people discover their power through the arts. This vision paved the way for her career in public service. She is a first-generation college graduate, having earned her undergraduate degree in political science at UC Berkeley and an Executive MBA from the Haas School of Business. TISH JONES, BNV CO-FESTIVAL DIRECTOR-Founder & Executive Director of TruArtSpeaks, Tish Jones is a poet, performer, educator and organizer from Saint Paul, Minnesota. She has performed at CBGB, Kaplan Theater, The Walker Art Center, Intermedia Arts, The Cedar Cultural Center and more. Her work can be found in the Minnesota Humanities Center's anthology entitled, Blues Vision: African American Writing from Minnesota (Minnesota Historical Society Press, 2015), the 2011 and 2013 Saint Paul Almanac, and the Loft Literary Center's Nation of Immigrants audio CD. A graduate fellow of the inaugural Intercultural Leadership Institute, Jones has always had a passion for bridging arts & culture, civic engagement and youth development. Senior Field Building Strategist for Youth Speaks, her work explores the ways in which art can function as a tool for social transformation, liberation and education. Devon G. Peña, Ph.D. Dr. Peña is Founder and President of The Acequia Institute (TAI), a private charitable foundation dedicated to supporting the environmental and food justice movements. Since 2006, TAI has drawn from endowment income, donations, grants, and other sources to provide more than $100,000 in direct-to-producer grants, scholarships, fellowships, and support for acequia and other traditional indigenous farmers. TAI is headquartered on a 181-acre acequia farm within the Sangre de Cristo Land Grant on traditional Caputo Ute hunting territories. Since 1999, Dr. Peña has served as Professor of American Ethnic Studies and Anthropology at the University of Washington where he directed the Ph.D. Program in Environmental Anthropology for six years. He is a prolific writer and has published numerous peer-reviewed journal articles and book chapters and is the author of three edited volumes and two award-winning monographs. Dr. Peña served as Senior Editor for two separate Oxford Encyclopedia projects on Latina/os assembled by Suzanne Oboler and Deena Gonzalez as Editors-in-Chief (2005, 2010). Producers: Leti Lopez. Producer: Marlen Treviño. Board operators: Alex Sorto, and Joe Anthony Trevino. NP Radio airs live Tuesdays 6pm-7pm cst 90.1 FM KPFT Houston, TX. Livestream www.KPFT.org. More podcasts at www.NuestraPalabra.org. The Nuestra Palabra Radio Show is archived at the University of Houston Digital Archives. Our hard copy archives are kept at the Houston Public Library’s Special Collections Hispanic Archives. Tony Diaz Sundays, Mondays, & Tuesdays & The Other Side Sun 7am "What's Your Point" Fox 26 Houston Mon Noon "The Cultural Accelerator" at www.TonyDiaz.net Tues 6pm NP Lit Radio 90.1 FM KPFT, Houston www.NuestraPalabra.org 24/7 The Other Side TV www.TheOtherSideTele.com

Carvens recently made his Broadway debut in the Tony Award winning Musical HAMILTON. He is an award-winning spoken word artist and some of his work can be seen in Russell Simmons' HBO special Brave New Voices. He is a published author under Penmanship Books, and he holds an MFA in Acting from NYU Tisch. He is about to set out a new adventure as he joins the Angelica touring company of HAMILTON as Washington. Hosted by: Paul Wontorek, Beth Stevens, Matt Rodin

On this edition of Making Contact, we'll examine how young people are using spoken word as a mechanism for social change.  The show also will explore how Brave New Voices International Youth Poetry Slam has challenged mainstream culture and created spaces that welcome and encourage marginalized communities to speak up about their life experiences – all through poetry. Featuring:  Kayla Kitchen; Aleah Bradshaw; Victor Masony; Quinton Campbell-Rod; Aurelle Marie; Aisha June; Tish Jones the Founder & Executive Director of TruArtSpeaks and Brave New Voices leadership fellow; James Kass, the Founder & Executive Director of Youth Speaks. Credits: Host: Anita Johnson, Producers: Marie Choi, Monica Lopez, R.J. Lozada and Anita Johnson Executive Director: Lisa Rudman Audience Engagement Director: Sabine Blaizin Development Associate: Vera Tykulsker Special Thanks: James Kass, the Founder & Executive Director of Youth Speaks Tara Dorabji, the Director of Development & Communications at Youth Speaks And Youth Speaks For More Information: Youth Speaks Brave New Voices Aleah Bradshaw Slam Champions Black Exorcism Image Credit: Constellations | Very Quiet – Flickr Music Credit: All Our Clocks Are Dying – by Ergo Phizmiz Prelude No. 1 – Chris Zabriskie Profanity Beep Notification: At these times we beeped out all profanity. 1:00:347 6:10:276 22:07:00 22:11:667 22:16:766 24:29:261 The post We Got Next: Youth Poets Changing the World appeared first on KPFA.

Carvens Lissaint is an excellent human and an award-winning poet. He is also covering Washington, Burr, and Lafayette/Jefferson in Hamilton on Broadway. The Carvens Origin Story is INSANE. The Carvens Hamilton Origin Story is EVEN MORE INSANE. Carvens talks about how In The Heights changed his life (Lin came out during intermission during In The Heights to chat with him - which would NEVER happen now), his experience growing up in Harlem with Haitian parents, and how he literally had a Hamilton in his bank account before he booked Hamilton on Broadway. Urban Dove: http://www.urbandove.org/ Urban Word: http://www.urbanwordnyc.org/ Brave New Voices slam champion Joshua Bennett performs "Tamaraʼs Opus at the White House Evening of Poetry, Music, and the Spoken Word on May 12, 2009: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_U5BwD8zOeM   hispanicfederation.org/donate    

On this episode of The Poetry Gods, we talk to Lauren Whitehead about courting rejection, writing in multiple disciplines, The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood, masculinity, & much more. As always you can reach us at emailthepoetrygods@gmail.com. We love to hear from you, so please drop us a line! Leave us a review on iTunes! Bring us to your college/ local hummus emporium! LAUREN WHITEHEAD BIO: Lauren Whitehead is a writer, performer and Master of Fine Arts recipient in Dramaturgy from Columbia University where she was a Schubert Presidential Fellow and an Undergraduate Writing Teaching Fellow. Lauren has written, composed and performed two one-woman musicals. The first, Written in Blues, was presented in the Afro Solo Festival, The Left Coast Leaning Festival at Yerba Buena Center for the Arts and at DiverseWorks in Houston, Tx. An excerpt of her second one woman show, A Tribe Called Blessed, debuted at the Women Center Stage Festival (Lynn Redgrave Theater) and was featured at The Nuyorican Poets Cafe. Her first full length play, stunning, still was read at Naked Angels 1st Mondays Play Reading Series after a residency at Vineyard Arts Project and her second full length work, American Courage, was selected for a workshop with Crowded Outlet and will have a reading at Judson Memorial Church in January of 2018. This year, Virtuosically Invisible, her non-fiction prose manuscript was runner up in a book prized judged by Maggie Nelson and her poems have been published in Apogee, Winter Tangerine and Union Station Magazine. Lauren has performed her work in various venues around the country including The Sundance Film Festival and The Kennedy Center for Performing Arts. Lauren was featured on HBO's documentary, Brave New Voices and this fall, she will originate the role of Un/Sung in Opera Philadelphia's production of We Shall Not be Moved, a hybrid opera written by Marc Bamuthi Joseph and directed by Bill T. Jones. Prior to that, she played the role of “Zillah” in A Bright Room Called Day (Connelly Theater). As a dramaturg, Lauren has worked in various capacities both inside and outside of the theater. She recently directed How Bodies Reclaim Light (New York Live Arts) and was playwright/adapter of Three Sisters: Tulsa 1921 (The Secret Theater). She was the assistant director of Paradox of the Urban Cliche by Craig “muMs” Grant, the festival dramaturg for The Fire This Time Festival and co-curator of the Conscious Language Festival at The Wild Project. In addition to touring with The Dialogue Arts Project, an organization that uses the arts to facilitate difficult conversations about social identity, Lauren has given a number of lectures and workshops across the country. Most recently, Lauren worked as a research assistant to Oskar Eusits at New York University in partnership with The Public Theater. Currently, Lauren teaches an Advanced Playwriting Lab at The New School and she facilitates a poetry and performance workshop at Juilliard. Follow Lauren Whitehead on Instagram : @lady_whitehead & on Twitter: @ladywhitehead Visit Lauren's website: http://www.laurenawhitehead.com/ Follow The Poetry Gods on all social media: @_joseolivarez, @azizabarnes/ @azizabarneswriter (IG), @iamjonsands, @thepoetrygods & CHECK OUR WEBSITE: thepoetrygods.com/ (much thanks to José Ortiz for designing the website! shouts to Jess X Snow for making our logo)

This week, we review the Minor Disturbance team sendoff show, discuss what happened with the youth slam, bring back the Hard Truth, and interview the hardest hustling poet in Denver, Hakeem Furious! Topics include Cap 6, what it takes to make it as a young poet with promise, Brave New Voices, NPS 2015, IWPS, the future of Slam Nuba, and the current state of Denver poetry.

This week, we review the annual Slaughterhouse Slam at the Mercury Cafe, and interview the amazing Mary McDonough! The Slaughterhouse Slam is an annual big money slam that has been a staple of Denver poetry since 2006. Mary McDonough is one of only three poets to represent all three Denver teams as a competing member, and is the Host City Chair for the National Poetry Slam in 2017! Topics include: Brave New Voices 2009-2012, the 2013 Mercury Cafe team, the 2014 Slam Nuba team, and NPS 2017 in Denver.

Lawrence Free Poetry team members Amelia Peters, Rowan Plinsky, Harper Schoenfeld, plus coach Andrew Martin joined ME for conversation and original poetry. LFP is the Slam Poetry Team of Lawrence (KS) Free State High School. The team began during the 2014-15 school year, changes each year as students graduate or move on, and has consistently placed in the top 4 teams at the Louder Than A Bomb annual youth poetry festival http://youngchicagoauthors.org/louder-than-a-bomb. LTAB feeds into Brave New Voices. Lawrence Free Poetry qualified for Brave New Voices in San Francisco July 19-22, 2017. BNV http://youthspeaks.org/bravenewvoices/festival/ is the largest spoken word event in the world and is comprised of teams from all over the globe. In addition, some of the teams may be featured on HBO’s Brave New Voices program http://www.hbo.com/russell-simmons-presents-brave-new-voices Support Lawrence Free Poetry’s trip to Brave New Voices through faculty sponsor Andrew Martin at AMartin@usd497.org or at www.GoFundMe.com/send-lawrence-free-poetry-to-bnv Follow Lawrence Free Poetry at https://www.instagram.com/lawrencefreepoetry/ & https://Twitter.com/LFreePoetry

Lauren Bullock is a multi-racial writer, performer, and community organizer. As a founding and three time member of the University of North Carolina’s slam team, the former Artistic and Executive Director of Wordsmiths (UNC’s first-ever organizational board dedicated to poetry and slam), and Future Corps mentor for international youth poetry festival Brave New Voices, Lauren is committed to supporting the young voices of her generation and those after. Currently she serves as a contributing staff writer for nerd culture web site Black Nerd Problems as well as poetry editor for literary magazine FreezeRay Poetry. Lauren used to be too shy to say anything for fear of rejection but in this episode, she will share how spoken word and poetry has help her be more confident in herself and also learn to speak her voice out loud to inspire others. Check out thetaoofselfconfidence.com for show notes of Lauren's episode, Lauren's website, resources, gifts and so much more.

Welcome to Episode 10 of The Poetry Gods! On this episode of The Poetry Gods, we talk about language, whiteness, community, and much much more. This is part two of our conversation with genius poet, educator, organizer Mahogany L. Browne. If you missed part one, you should go back and catch up. As always, you can reach us at emailthepoetrygods@gmail.com. MAHOGANY L. BROWNE BIO: The Cave Canem and Poets House alumnae is the author of several books including Dear Twitter: Love Letters Hashed Out On-line, recommended by Small Press Distribution & About.com Best Poetry Books of 2010. She has released five LPs including the live album Sheroshima. As co-founder of the Off Broadway poetry production, Jam On It, and co-producer of NYC's 1st Performance Poetry Festival: SoundBites Poetry Festival, Mahogany bridges the gap between lyrical poets and literary emcee. Browne has toured Germany, Amsterdam, England, Canada and recently Australia as 1/3 of the cultural arts exchange project Global Poetics. Her journalism work has been published in magazines Uptown, KING, XXL, The Source, Canada's The Word and UK's MOBO. Her poetry has been published in literary journals Pluck, Manhattanville Review, Muzzle, Union Station Mag, Literary Bohemian, Bestiary, Joint & The Feminist Wire. She is anticipating the release of several poetry collections in 2015: Smudge (Button Poetry), Redbone (Willow Books) & the anthology The Break Beat Poets: New American Poetry in the Age of Hip-Hop (Haymarket). She is an Urban Word NYC mentor, as seen on HBO's Brave New Voices and facilitates performance poetry and writing workshops throughout the country. Brown is also the publisher of Penmanship Books, the Nuyorican Poets Café Poetry Program Director and Friday Night Slam curator and currently an MFA Candidate for Writing & Activism at Pratt Institute. Follow Mahogany L. Browne on twitter & instagram: @mobrowne Follow The Poetry Gods on all social media: @jayohessee, @azizabarnes, @iamjonsands, @thepoetrygods & CHECK OUR WEBSITE: thepoetrygods.com/ (much thanks to José Ortiz for designing the website! shouts to Jess X Chen for making our logo)

Welcome to Episode 9 of The Poetry Gods! On this episode of The Poetry Gods, José apologizes to Nas, & we talk extensively about community and creating space with genius poet & organizer Mahogany L. Browne. This is Part 1 of our conversation with Mahogany. We couldn't stop after just an hour, so look out for Part 2 dropping on July 5th. Shout out to the sponsors: Drake! Thank you for the OVO chains. Shouts to SquareSpace-- y'all are not an official sponsor yet, but we're trying to make it happen. Holler at us. As always, you can reach us at emailthepoetrygods@gmail.com. MAHOGANY L. BROWNE BIO: The Cave Canem and Poets House alumnae is the author of several books including Dear Twitter: Love Letters Hashed Out On-line, recommended by Small Press Distribution & About.com Best Poetry Books of 2010. She has released five LPs including the live album Sheroshima. As co-founder of the Off Broadway poetry production, Jam On It, and co-producer of NYC's 1st Performance Poetry Festival: SoundBites Poetry Festival, Mahogany bridges the gap between lyrical poets and literary emcee. Browne has toured Germany, Amsterdam, England, Canada and recently Australia as 1/3 of the cultural arts exchange project Global Poetics. Her journalism work has been published in magazines Uptown, KING, XXL, The Source, Canada's The Word and UK's MOBO. Her poetry has been published in literary journals Pluck, Manhattanville Review, Muzzle, Union Station Mag, Literary Bohemian, Bestiary, Joint & The Feminist Wire. She is anticipating the release of several poetry collections in 2015: Smudge (Button Poetry), Redbone (Willow Books) & the anthology The Break Beat Poets: New American Poetry in the Age of Hip-Hop (Haymarket). She is an Urban Word NYC mentor, as seen on HBO's Brave New Voices and facilitates performance poetry and writing workshops throughout the country. Brown is also the publisher of Penmanship Books, the Nuyorican Poets Café Poetry Program Director and Friday Night Slam curator and currently an MFA Candidate for Writing & Activism at Pratt Institute. Follow Mahogany L. Browne on twitter & instagram: @mobrowne Follow The Poetry Gods on all social media: @jayohessee, @azizabarnes, @iamjonsands, @thepoetrygods & CHECK OUR WEBSITE: thepoetrygods.com/ (much thanks to José Ortiz for designing the website! shouts to Jess X Chen for making our logo)

This week we present poet Ebony Stewart.Ebony Stewart aka The Gully Princess is all things black, woman, and magic. She is the only adult female three-time Slam Champion in Austin Texas. Has shared stages with Buddy Wakefield and the late Amiri Baraka. Coached the Neo-Soul slam team finishing 1st place in Group Piece Finals in 2012, coached the Austin Poetry Slam team leading them to 5th place in 2013 at the National Poetry Slam and coached the TheySpeak Poetry Slam team finishing top 8 in the world at Brave New Voices in 2014.@WANPoetryyoutube.com/user/WANpoetryfacebook.com/WANpoetrywanpoetry.tumblr.comHosted by Davis Land.davisland.info Ebony Stewarts’s performance recorded at AvantGarden in Houston, TX.Arranged in Bryan, TXMusic from Tab & Anitek - Sights & Soundshttp://feeds.feedburner.com/WANPoetryhttp://archive.org/download/EbonyStewartWANPoetry/EbonyStewart_mixdown.mp3

Join Life Coach Ade for “Poetically Healing: The Power of Poetry to Heall the "Isms"” on the Ask Life Coach Ade Radio Show. We often hear that sticks and stones may break my bones, but words can never hurt us. We also know that’s not true. Words can be constructive or destructive. We have a choice in how we use them. When some of the top spoken word artists use their words, words can actually become a “Healing spell." Featured Artists include: Maya Angelou - http://mayaangelou.com/ Jon Jorgenson - www.jonjorgensonblog.com/wya-revolution.html Marc Marcel - http://marcmarcel.com/ Lauren Zuniga - http://laurenzuniga.com/ Propaganda - http://humblebeast.com Join Life Coach Ade for poetry and conversation.Let's find out how these words move you to bloom where you are planted.  Call in 347 426 3346 or post your questions on "Ask Life Coach Ade Radio Show" fan  (LIKE) page on Facebook. Also, don't miss Celestial Moment with Celeste Morgan. She offers the energy of the day! For more information about Life Conversations Radio visit www.LifeConversationsMedia.com 

The Philly Youth Poetry Movement is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization committed to helping the youth of Philadelphia discover the power of their voices through spoken word, literacy, and progressive workshop facilitation. The Movement provides a safe space for at-risk, empowered youth ages 13-19 to use their voice to promote social change, leadership, cultural diversity, and build self-esteem. Through monthly slams, free weekly poetry workshops, national/local performance opportunities, mentoring and community service, PYPM creates a platform for the next generation to be heard through the power of poetry. Email: info@pypm215.org and Web: www.pypm215.org SPECIAL GUEST: Cait Miner, PYPM Director of Educational Affairs. SPECIAL GUEST: Safiya Washington believes that poetry is a tool to change people and lives. She has been writing and performing most of her life and one year ago started seriously writing poetry. She says " I don't consider myself a poet more like a poet in training, I'm very aware that I'm new at this and need to pay homage" As a senior in high school she lives by this quote " In a world that chooses to paint the landscape in blood, I write to revive the heart of a generation gone numb - Mush " Victor Jackson is a junior at Germantown High School who has been writing poetry and participating in slams since the 9th grade. He competed last year for the Philly Slam Team, and although he did not make the team, he was able to travel to Brave New Voices with Team Philly and used his experiences at the festival to grow his writing and performance skills. He plans to go on to college to major in psychology or media studies.