Tag: Slam poetry

Read Slam Poetry written by slam poets, cowboy poets, and literary giants inspired by the state of Arizona!

Joy Young

November 22, 2024

Joy Young: A Dynamic Storyteller and Performance Poet

Joy Young is a versatile storyteller, performance poet, educator, and curriculum development expert whose work is dedicated to amplifying marginalized voices in the literary and performance arts. With a career spanning national stages, classrooms, and community spaces, Joy uses storytelling as a transformative tool for connection, healing, and justice.

Joy Young’s storytelling has been featured on prominent platforms like Button Poetry, Everyday Feminism, and SlamFind, showcasing their ability to captivate audiences with raw honesty and powerful narratives. They have performed at festivals, colleges, LGBTQIA+ events, and fundraising initiatives across the United States.

Known for their magnetic stage presence, Joy has opened for celebrated artists such as Andrea Gibson, Buddy Wakefield, Sonya Renee Taylor, and Denise Jolly. Formerly the co-host and co-producer of The Storyline Slam, Joy cultivated a space for storytelling at Changing Hands Bookstore in Phoenix, Arizona. Recently, they relocated to Chicago, Illinois, where they continue to engage with the local arts scene.

Educator and Facilitator

As an educator, Joy Young develops and leads poetry and storytelling workshops, storytelling circles, and various trainings designed for individuals interested in writing, performing, and teaching.

Joy’s teaching emphasizes trauma-informed practices and affirmative feedback methodologies, ensuring participants feel safe, supported, and empowered to share their stories. Their work fosters creativity, connection, and self-expression in diverse communities.

Storytelling Coaching and Consultation

In addition to performing and teaching, Joy offers storytelling coaching and consultation for individuals, organizations, and projects. Their expertise has been utilized by:

Non-profit organizations for policy, advocacy, and fundraising storytelling
Museums curating narratives into educational formats
Authors and creatives seeking guidance on crafting impactful stories

Joy also works with groups to shape their narratives into cohesive, compelling collections.

Justice Studies and Storytelling Research

Joy Young holds an MS in Justice Studies from Arizona State University, where their academic work focused on storytelling as a tool for empowerment and advocacy. Their capstone project, “Your Story is More than a Survival Guide,” is an open-source storytelling guide designed for individuals and groups. This guide is available for free on their website and provides actionable strategies for creating impactful stories rooted in personal experience.

National Recognition and Artistic Contributions

Joy’s performances and workshops have been featured at leading arts and storytelling events nationwide. Their dedication to using art as a tool for activism has earned them recognition in the performance poetry and education communities. Whether performing on stage, leading a workshop, or curating stories, Joy’s work highlights the profound power of storytelling in fostering empathy and change.

A Mission to Amplify Marginalized Voices

Joy Young’s work reflects their deep commitment to elevating marginalized voices, promoting equity, and fostering understanding. Through performance, education, and advocacy, they continue to create spaces where diverse stories are valued and heard.

For more information about Joy’s workshops, performances, or storytelling resources, visit their website at joyyoung.org.

Discover more poets and writers from Arizona HERE.

“Hip-Hop Republican” by The Klute

November 7, 2024

This poem was a spoken word poem, often performed in poetry slams locally, and nationally by The Klute, and various other members of the Arizona poetry community, sometimes with the audience clapping in beat, and other times with beatboxing poetry performers such as Aaron Hopkins-Johnson or Ed Mabrey. It was originally written in 2007, and some of the references were periodically updated from performance to performance. This version is from 2012, and has slight variations from the published versions found on The Klute’s audio recording version on “Reading the Obituaries Over My Dead Body” and Brick Cave Media‘s published “Hate You Can Trust“.

Republican National Committee chairman Michael Steele
says the the Grand Ol’ Party is in need of a “hip-hop makeover.” I got this.

Yo, I’m a Republican and I come from the street
fresh for twenty ten with an old skool beat
ya’ll used to love us,
but now, not so much
Keith Olbermann thinks the party’s out of touch.
so tonight on countdown, now it’s rhymes that we’re fixin
like the original gangsta, Richard Milhouse Nixon
now we’re making mix tapes
we’re not gonna burn ’em
Watergate taught us lessons
and you suckas gonna learn ’em
gonna pump up the jams, like we did in the 80s
but now we’re not just white, we got some blacks, some ladies
okay not a lot
but at least half a dozen
Alan Keyes, Larry Elder, Strom Thurmond’s lost cousin
straight out the cabin like Abraham Lincoln
but still in the closet in case the Tea Baggers got ya thinkin’
because we’re down with the dirty, but only if it’s straight
that’s why we dropped dimes on California’s prop eight
we’re the party of God
just like the Taliban
over Mullah Omar’s the Reverend Pat Roberson
we got the mormons, catholics, pentacostals too
our Israel support is outreach to the Jews
we support home schoolin’, intelligent design
because dinosaurs and man, were at the same time
we save stem cells, we stop some abortions,
we’re pimpin’ out Jesus in generous proportions
The TV’s turned to Fox News
Rush Limbaugh is pumpin’
check it out o’er here,
Ann Coulter is crumpin
My DJ Adam Smith
call him Ghosthand for short
from the lower middle class
he likes to extort
because it’s class warfare when Mr. Potter gets smoked
when the poor takes the hit,
the markets get stoked
it’s trickle down economics
can’t you understand
the fact that you’re unemployed
has totally been planned.
Wit’ invisible hands,
MC Adam’s laying down the tracks
he’s gonna spin yall out
a motherfuggin flat tax
fifteen percent, fifteen percent, fifteen percent
that’s all you gotta pay
so step off tax man with your 1040A
i got a right to bare arms
and I know how to use it
posse of lobbyists so Im not gonna lose it
I roll with Dick Cheney
so you know Im a killah
cappin old geezers
makin grave land filler
Got glocks, uzis, machine guns too
permit from Sarah Palin to hunt moose at the zoo
like Jennifer Grey in Red Dawn lands,
you’ll only get my gun from my cold dead hands

all the wolverines here say HO
all the wolverines here say HO

Yeah
God, guns and money
you know that they’re with us
so like it says on the coin
who you gonna trust
forget about bush
cuz Reagan is out game
unlike the Gipper
you won’t forget our name

The preceding message was paid for by the Republican Party and is responsible for its content.

and I approve that message because the GOP is hype.
so peace out ya’ll
and to ya’ll a good a’ight!

Did I say peace? I meant WAR.

About the poet The Klute

You can listen to more audio recordings from The Klute from the album “Reading The Obituaries Over My Dead Body“, or read the poem in text form in a collection of poetry called “Hate You Can Trust“. Learn more about The Klute HERE.

“Letter To Summer” by Valence

October 11, 2024

I send letters and Bottles across bodies
of water or folded up and flown over the
Peaks addressed to the summer summer is
a star-eyed space cadet called me
Stardust in the making I wrote back
don’t forget your belly laugh is my
childhood toy chest you taught me how to
speak up gutsy back when I was gunshy31
and a winter as beautiful as Robert
Frost epat since then some car accidents
thick black stitches and outpatient
surgery I now realize we are Playing for
Keeps and I am Sleepless but I still
want hot coffee and good times for
dreamers the heart is fragile shelter
but I want it fresh final steady before
we said I miss you wish you smiled more
you sturdy banister heart monitor
sidekick they won’t play you my glues
forever I won’t always be there to rim
shot your punchline I know because the
stars are in season and they only smell
sweeter the older we get don’t they
there was a time when I wi outed
stargazed with so many questions all
piano glissando and shimmering Christmas
light spinning under willow trees
chasing the fireflies even now with my
ghosts the nightmares of sweet nothing I
once met a woman with her mother’s last
heartbeat tattooed on her wrist and I
realized love could be life’s tender
mercy and keep us strong keep us head
above water keep us heart pumping that
raw ink calligraphy and painting our
dreams on the Twilight streets of
anywhere life sometimes strikes me as
rusher let the way you die younger bear
witness to death with the grace of a
passer by and Perfect Stranger summer
skull curse frights me every sunset
summer don’t remember me Shipwrecked
Only Sunrise Breakfast light is the
pendant that hangs from your necklace
your beauty begets a crowd like an ink
be Stadium still letting off heat and I
know I’ve been the Distortion making
something heavy out of your sweetest
Melody for some time now but no regrets
we are not just our smoke flying Skyward
like a soul from the exit wound born up
by seraphs we are not just our heavy
hearts and solemn goodbyes we are heart
Menders open eyes bright as the moon let
your gaze hold me like high tide sing me
the Blues

Video transcription of “Letter To Summer” by Valence and Ghost Poetry Show.

About the poet Valence

Valence is a slam poet and artist in the Phoenix area of Arizona. Learn more about his work HERE.

atlas st. cloud

October 3, 2024

atlas st. cloud: Poet, Advocate, and Voice for Queer and Disabled Communities

atlas st. cloud is a poet from Phoenix, Arizona, who uses his writing to explore themes of gender, queerness, mental health, and disability. Raised in the conservative traditions of the Mormon faith, atlas’s work is deeply personal, often grappling with the complexities of identity, faith, and self-discovery. His poetry offers a lens into the lived experiences of a disabled queer person navigating societal norms and expectations.

Writing and Publications

atlas st. cloud is the author of two powerful poetry collections, the Punchline Remains The Same and Sediment.

Both books were published by Kith Books, a publisher that specializes in amplifying marginalized voices. These collections delve into the intersections of disability, queerness, and mental health, with an honest, raw, and often heart-wrenching perspective. Atlas’s work is recognized for its ability to bring together personal reflection with broader social commentary, making his poetry both intimate and universal.

His writing confronts the difficulties of reconciling his upbringing with his identity, offering readers a unique window into the pain, growth, and resilience that comes from challenging the boundaries imposed by society and faith.

Performance and Community Involvement

In addition to his written work, atlas st. cloud has performed at key poetry venues in the Phoenix area, including The Phoenix Poetry Slam and Ghost Poetry Show.

Both of these platforms have allowed Atlas to reach wider audiences and share his deeply affecting poetry with those who may have similar struggles or experiences. His performances are known for their emotional intensity and thought-provoking content, blending vulnerability with empowerment.

Themes in His Work

Atlas’s poetry often focuses on themes of:

Gender identity and queerness: He writes about the challenges and triumphs of existing as a queer person in a world that can be hostile to non-normative identities.
Mental health: atlas uses his own experiences to write about the complexities of mental health struggles, particularly from the perspective of someone navigating these challenges as a disabled person.
Disability: His work speaks to the realities of living with a disability, addressing both the personal aspects and the societal barriers that disabled individuals face.
Faith and religion: Raised in the Mormon faith, Atlas’s writing frequently engages with questions of faith, often critiquing the constraints and expectations imposed by religious institutions, while simultaneously exploring the role of faith in personal identity.

Personal Life and Identity

atlas st. cloud’s personal history of growing up within the Mormon Church deeply informs his writing. His poetry is a reflection of his journey toward self-acceptance and understanding of his own identity as a queer, disabled person. atlas has used his work to challenge traditional narratives and expand the conversation about what it means to live authentically while navigating the confines of societal and religious expectations.

Living in Phoenix, Arizona, atlas remains an active participant in the local poetry scene and continues to use his work as a platform for advocacy, emphasizing the importance of intersectionality and amplifying marginalized voices.

Legacy and Impact

atlas st. cloud is part of a new generation of poets whose work is pushing the boundaries of what poetry can achieve in terms of activism and self-expression. His commitment to exploring difficult themes and his willingness to be vulnerable on stage and in his writing make him an essential voice in contemporary poetry. Through his work, he provides a space for those who often feel unseen, offering both solidarity and inspiration.

To learn more about st. cloud and his poetry, visit Kith Books or look for his performances at poetry venues across Phoenix.

st. cloud’s work continues to resonate with readers and listeners, offering hope, truth, and a raw examination of life at the intersections of queerness, disability, and mental health. His ability to blend personal experience with larger social issues makes him an important voice in today’s poetry landscape.

Discover Arizona Poets

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Sarge Lintecum

June 6, 2024

Introducing Sarge Lintecum: a remarkable individual whose journey from the battlefields of Vietnam to the stages of blues clubs and concert venues is nothing short of extraordinary. Sarge, a highly decorated combat veteran with three tours in Vietnam, discovered solace in writing about the unspoken traumas of war after two decades of living in near-seclusion. His writings evolved into soulful blues songs, accompanied by his mastery of the harmonica and the twelve-bar blues.

Vietnam blues-combat tested blues for peace — Buy Vietnam Blues by Sarge Lintecum on Amazon

Sarge embarked on a musical odyssey, gracing open mic blues clubs with his poignant performances, unaware that this was the inception of a career that would span over three decades. Sponsored by Lee Oskar Harmonicas, he became a nationally acclaimed blues singer, songwriter, poet, and harmonica virtuoso.

Throughout his extensive career, Sarge has captivated audiences across the nation, performing at diverse venues, including schools, colleges, and universities. His Vietnam Blues Show, featuring music from his acclaimed recordings, is a powerful testament to his unique blend of musical prowess, storytelling, and heartfelt poetry. Sarge Lintecum continues to be a living testament to the healing power of music and the arts in overcoming the scars of war.

Discover and learn more about poets and poetry from Arizona HERE.

Christopher Fox Graham

June 5, 2024

Nestled in the heart of Sedona, Arizona, amidst the striking red rock formations and the whispered secrets of the desert winds, resides a poet whose verses echo with the rugged beauty of the Southwest. Christopher Fox Graham, affectionately known as CFG, is not merely a poet and writer; he is a literary force that has left an indelible mark on the Northern Arizona poetry scene.

The Journey Begins

Graham’s poetic odyssey began in Flagstaff, Arizona, where he represented the city on an astounding twelve National Poetry Slam teams. A true testament to his unwavering commitment and artistry, Graham’s participation spanned from 2001 to 2018, showcasing his enduring love for the craft. Each performance was a melodic tapestry of words and emotions, a testament to the power of language in the hands of a master wordsmith.

The Mastermind Behind the Mic

In the mystical realm of Sedona’s poetry scene, Graham assumes the role of slammaster, guiding the poetic spirits of the community. His influence extends beyond the stage, as he orchestrates the rhythm of Sedona’s slam poetry gatherings, creating an atmosphere where words flow like desert rivers, carving their paths through the minds of listeners.

A Global Poetic Odyssey

Graham’s journey as a poet has extended far beyond the boundaries of the United States. In 2002, he embarked on the “Save the Male Tour,” a four-man international spoken word tour. This journey took his verses across borders and cultures, proving that the power of poetry transcends geographical confines.

The Competitive Spirit

Graham’s poetry is marked not only by its lyrical beauty but also by a competitive streak that has defined his journey. He is renowned as one of the most statistically obsessive slam poets in Northern Arizona. His relentless pursuit of excellence and success on the slam poetry stage has not always been without strife, but it is this very drive that has pushed him to poetic heights.

Jedis and Padawans

Graham has a unique perspective on the world of slam poetry, believing that all slam poets are like Jedi knights in the realm of words. In keeping with this philosophy, he has dedicated himself to mentoring aspiring poets through the Erus/Parvalas Mentorship and his Treatise on Slam Strategy. Like a wise Jedi guiding their padawans, Graham imparts his knowledge and insight to the next generation of slam poets.

Verses Beyond Borders

Graham’s poetry has transcended the stage and the written page. His words have resonated across the airwaves, reaching audiences through MTV’s “Made” and The Travel Channel‘s “Your Travel Guide” episode of Sedona. He has taken his poetry on a grand tour, sharing his verses in nearly 40 states, Canada, Ireland, and Great Britain. His verses have become a bridge, connecting hearts and minds across oceans and continents.

Christopher Fox Graham, or CFG, is more than a poet; he is a living testament to the enduring power of words. His journey has been one of poetic exploration, competition, mentorship, and connection. He has etched his verses into the landscape of Sedona and the annals of slam poetry history. As the red rocks of Arizona stand steadfast, so too does CFG’s legacy in the world of poetry, a legacy that will continue to inspire and shape the poetic voices of the future.