NAHUATL

Weekly Writing Prompt – June 19, 2012

admin — Sat, 19 May 2012 14:31:44 +0000

Write a 50-word (at least) poem using only one-syllable words.

Kristine:

That’s what she said
To me
When I asked her where the cracks came from.
“What won’t fit?”
She sighed and shook her head
like my mom does when the cat pees on her rose bed
“You know,” she said with the piece of glass held to her eye
“Too much love will make a heart break.
Guess they don’t make them like they used to.”

Rob:

When white man won,
Black man lost
track of mind.
No peace in there.

Just a drug war no one will see.
Brain turns to time bomb.
Tick. Tock. BOOOOOOOM!
Sharp pain shoots

to heart. Break.
Now piece all ‘round.
Good God ran out.
Bad God laughs “Go!”

No wife.
No kid.
No house.
No home.

Breonca:

It’s 8 am
I cant seem to think of the first time we met
I can feel the sun through my wind oh
That fresh scent
I breath in the breeze that wipes my eye lids
The hiss seeps through my hair
Crawls of chirps
Rest in my ear lobe

June Feature: Jamila Woods

admin — Fri, 18 May 2012 11:11:36 +0000

Jamila Woods is a poet, vocalist, and performing artist who sings in
elevators and talks to birds in public. As a seasoned poetry slammer,
Jamila has competed in several collegiate and national competitions,
most recently repping Team Providence on finals stage at the 2011
National Poetry Slam in Boston, MA. She is a two-time champion of
Chicago’s Louder Than A Bomb College slam, and was also awarded the
title of “Best Female Poet” at CUPSI in 2009. Her first book of
poetry, entitled “The Truth About Dolls” is due out on New School
Poetics Press in 2012.

Survivor Slam

admin — Wed, 16 May 2012 21:53:34 +0000

May Feature

admin — Tue, 01 May 2012 21:32:01 +0000

Rasul Muhammad Elder was born in 1981 in Jersey City, New Jersey, in the shadow of the New York Skyline. It was this unique setting that seduced the young Elder into a life of rhymes. Hip Hop was in full swing and Elder’s father, Raw Street Poet, “Rap Lord Supreme” was at the epicenter. It was with his father, age 11, that Rasul performed with, Queen Latifah, Naughty By Nature, The Brand Nubian’s, King Sun, and Just Ice, just to name a few. As a young teen Elder developed at talent for song writing, by 16 had record an Album with producer Dark Blue. At seventeen Elder tour Europe with his teen age friends U.N.3, playing shows with Mob Deep and Foxy Brown. At 19 Elder moved to Richmond V.A. To learn recording engineering at the Sound of Music Studios, Co- owned by David Lowery of Cracker and John Morand. Together they have produced legends such as; Hanson, Counting Crow, Jason Mraz, Sparkle Horse and much more. Elder learned the art of analog recording. This same year became Rasul became Rasul the Nobody. Performing shows with Safety Hawk a punk/Hip Hop band. They gained so much momentum that they did a 35 state tour twice in 2 years. After disbanding, some of the members regrouped to form Tiger Bomb, Hip Hop/Soul/Funk/Punk. Tiger Bomb did even better than Safety Hawk partly because Rasul had also began Promoting events prior to its formation, he was booking his own band were he would have booked others. They did 3 National tours. Around the Same time Elder began work on a play called Engage that he had co-written for the Performance Initiative. In 2004 He acted in this play opening for five nights. This same year Elder Organized the Ingredience Hip Hop Festival in Richmond Virginia. By 2005 Elder was The Hip Hop Music director at WRIR 97.3fm. He formed a show called Ingredience Radio, which featured artist like, the Roots and Jean Grey. This was also the year, Elder did his first Poetry Slam Tour. Founded Ingredience Magazine which latter became RVA Mag. Toured Colleges teaching poetry and hip hop Released the solo ablum W.W.W.D.O.T.C.O.M. . In 2006 Elder became the First Poetry Grand Chapion of Richmond Va and went to the National Poetry Slam with a team of five from Richmond. This year Elder also developed a spoken word curriculum for VCU and taught it, while managing a night club called the Hyperlink in Richmond. Elder also began teaching elementary and middle school poetry classes for Art 180. Rasul worked as an engineer at Donland studios working with Busta Rhymes’s producer Chucky Madness, Mad Skillz Nicole Ray and the Wailers. Rasul formed a friendship with Drummie Zeb of the Wailers and joined his side project the Razor Possie/Ragwa with members for Parliament Funkadilics and Bad Brains. They did one National Tour. In 2008 Rasul became Rasul “The Knowbody” Elder and attend the National Poetry slam with Slam Nahuatl out of Richmond. That year they took second place for group pieces. In 2009 Slam Nahuatl won 1st place on Broadway at the Sound Bites Poetry Festival, they took 5th at Southern Fried and returned to Nationals revered. Elder Also Released a solo album tittled “The Hexagon Sound Track” selling10,000 copies that year.

April Feature

admin — Sat, 31 Mar 2012 04:34:13 +0000

Born in Dallas, Texas performed in local venues from Reciprocity, Dallas Slams (Clebo Rainey), Internet Cafe and all the others that came after that. Performed with the Zwadi Writers in different locations from Dallas to Fort Worth and became attached. Aided in forming Fort Worth Slams and was a member of the Team the first 8 years of it’s inception. Was the coach of Fort Worth Slam Team in 2006. Has been working with schools from elementary to college doing creative writing classes before labeling them creative writing classes, because he was asked to come and speak. Maybe given a stipend for coming out but found true value and humility in being asked to present work someone else saw worthy of others hearing. Now a full time poet featuring throughout this great nation hoping somewhere between the stage and the page words will take up residence in the mind of the listeners and live on.

March Feature

admin — Wed, 15 Feb 2012 20:02:41 +0000

Marlon Carey is a Poet (Inphynit, 2010 Boston Lizard Lounge Poetry Slam Team, Providence-based poetry troupe, Spittin’ Images), Educator (writing and teaching Poetry and Creative Writing in the New England Area and around the country; most recently at the Rhode Island Juvenile Detention Center), Actor (The Sunset Limited, Topdog/Underdog, Othello, When Mahalia Sings), Communicator (producer and radio DJ on “Off Tha Top”, www.BSRlive.com) and Entertainer (published chapbooks: Giraffe Theory (2000), Prolegomenon (2003) and Lazarus (St. Andrews College Press, 2007), released EPs, There Is No Plan, Be. and Plan M: the un-Mixtape,) making his first appearance on the ________________ stage. Marlon earned his BFA degree in Creative Writing at St. Andrews College in Laurinburg, NC, and is proud to be a community activist, collaborating with numerous Neighborhood Development, Outreach and Community Advocacy organizations in
Rhode Island, Massachusetts and the New England area. PEACE

February Feature

admin — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 15:24:36 +0000

Joseph Green is a Washington, D.C. based solo performance poet and educator with more than eight years’ professional experience. As a solo artist and member of the intangible collective, Joseph LMS has performed at venues and schools throughout the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast United States. For Five years he has coached the Hayfield Secondary School Forensic Speech Team, an art Joseph mastered at a young age: he ranked 13th in the nation for Dramatic Performance as a high school senior (1999). He toured with the educational entertainment group Theatre IV, the country’s largest in school touring company, for two and a half years at more than 200 schools and professional theatres educating children and families.

A four time qualifier in the National Poetry Slam, he has represented the Oneota Slam team twice as their Grand Slam Champion (twice 2005-6), as well as Slam Richmond (2009), and DC’s Beltway Poetry Slam Team (2011, ranked 5th in the nation). As the Beltway Poetry slam Team representative at the Individual World Poetry Slam, (2011) Joseph is currently 16th ranked poet in the world. His one man show “She Is” was commissioned by the Upper Catskill Community Council of the Arts, at the Wilbur Mansion in Oneonta, NY. He has a self-published poetry chapbook called “Her and Everything Else” and a poetry album entitled “Unmastered-Vol. One.” Joseph LMS is currently producing his first book of poetry, recording his second full-length spoken word album, and working to create the first city wide youth slam in D.C., Maryland and Virginia under the Louder Than a Bomb banner.

End Hunger Slam video mash-up

admin — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 15:29:58 +0000

Thanks to Breonca Trofort at http://www.autofocusphotography.net/

January Feature

admin — Wed, 28 Dec 2011 22:25:29 +0000

George Yamazawa Jr. is a first generation Japanese/American poet from Durham, North Carolina. Raised in a Buddhist household while learning the nature of the Bible Belt, “G” quickly understood how to embrace his differences and take pride in his culture. Heavily influenced by hip hop, G first began writing rhymes at 12 years old but never considered himself a writer until he discovered poetry. But in 2007, G was expelled from his high school and sent to an alternative school. During that time of uncertainty and depression he discovered the power of spoken word and used it as a positive outlet for his creativity. Since then, he has become one of the founding members of the Sacrificial Poets, the premier youth poetry organization in NC, and dedicates his time cultivating the young voices in his community. In 2010, G performed at the Sundance Film Festival, Bonnaroo Music Festival, and Nuyorican Poets Cafe. At only 21 years old, he is an Individual World Poetry Slam finalist, National Poetry Slam finalist, and a two-time southern Fried Champion.

december-feature

admin — Sat, 12 Nov 2011 19:13:57 +0000

Rasheed Copeland is an up and coming poet raised in Washington, DC. He has competed on the National Poetry slam level as a member of DC’s 2010 and 2011 Busboys and Poets 11th hour slam team. As 2010 NUSPA (National Underground Spokenword Award) winner for “Best Performance Male” he has featured at various venues along the east coast including the prominent Busboys and Poet’s as well as the Legendary Spit Dat. He is also a crucial fixture of Graffiti DC which is rising poetry slam in Washington DC. With an affinity for justice, love, God and the city he was raised in, Rasheed uses his smooth style and his tremendous writing ability to draw in listeners.