The first slam poem Bianca Phipps wrote was about a boy. She’d broken up with him but didn’t say everything she needed to. So she said it in a poem, on a stage, in front of strangers. “It’s terrifying ...

Sometimes small changes can make or break a night. SLAM!, (Soul, Love, And Meaning), Boston College’s spoken word club, was supposed to host its first Sunset SLAM! of the year outside. Unfortunately, ...

Nia Lewis hated dodging strangers making leering comments on the street. First the catcalls made her angry. Then they inspired her. “You must understand that a body is just a body, a silhouette isn’t ...

At least four hundred poets have descended on Denver, heads full of memorized verses, for the National Poetry Slam.For those who can't distinguish a slam poem from a verbal fistfight or the recitation ...

Iowa City has always been a hub for writers from all walks of life. Whether in attendance at the University of Iowa’s renowned Writer’s Workshop or a participant in the various events hosted by UNESCO ...

When Olivia Vella’s seventh grade teacher asked every student to write a monologue on a topic about which they were passionate, Vella immediately knew what she wanted to say. She wanted to tell girls ...

Khary Jackson and Sierra DeMulder took different paths to slam poetry. Jackson was a debater and theater major. In slam, he found a playground, a space to “perform on stage without being in a play.” ...

In Trigger Warning, her award-winning poem, Portland poet Jordan Wolmut dissects the concept of a slam poetry competition while taking part in one. In the poem, Benson High School senior Wolmut ...

Note: The nature of slam poetry means that this video contains some audio content that may be considered not appropriate for younger viewers, or safe for work. Any parent knows that helping our ...

Glittering metaphors and powerful performance are the key factors to any successful spoken word poem. The poet behind the work is equally important — they bring the personality and stories to the ...

CAPE TOWN, South Africa — Arms outstretched and eyes locked on her audience, Koleka Putuma is a big stage presence for a young woman barely 5 feet tall. Her voice is velvet. But her words cut like a ...

Poetry combined with hip-hop, classical and pop music has young poets competing for prizes from $100 to $1,000 at this year’s Dranoff 2 Piano Fusion “Piano Slam.” The music-poetry mashup is at the ...