Classic Slam this Saturday in DTLA. Meet you there?

Last year I had the pleasure of being one of the judges of the Get Lit Classic Slam, and each and every poet blew my mind.

In Get Lit's words:

"Get Lit – Words Ignite* transforms the educations of teens from South LA and all over Southern California.... Each April, high schools all over the city come together to celebrate youth empowerment by performing classic poems of their choice (by the likes of Whitman, Neruda, Sanchez, Tupac, and many more), along with their own spoken word response pieces... The event will be hosted by spoken word icons Marc Bamuthi Joseph and Chinaka Hodge..."

Sepia by: Khamal Iwuanyanwu (who came in first.)


Today means Amen by: Sierra DeMulder (who hosted last year's slam)


I am Terrified of People by: Iain Kohn

This year I'll be attending with Archer and his friend and I CANNOT wait to introduce them to the voices of their peers. I think poetry is SO important for children/teens to be exposed to because IT'S RULE BREAKING. And our education system does not reward most children for breaking rules and speaking up. And cursing and crying and saying NO. FUCK THIS. THIS IS HOW I FEEL AND I AM RIGHT TO FEEL THIS WAY.

Trumpets by Alex Copeland & Jensen McRae

I have never been so proud to be an Angeleno as I was at last year's slam. These kids are our future -- and hearing them, supporting them, applauding them is an honor and a privilege...

*Get Lit - Words Ignite is a nationally recognized organization founded to stem dropout rates and spark dramatically increased literacy among youth in Los Angeles. Through an innovative curriculum that fuses classic, iconic poetry with students’ original spoken word responses, Get Lit places the greatest poets of our time in dialogue with over 25,000 teens each year who transform their lives and communities through art and social consciousness. Claim your poem, claim your life.

P.S. Here's an awesome video featuring Get Lit on Reading Rainbow:

You can click here to reserve your free tickets. Suggested donations are $15 for adults and $5 for kids, at the door. I hope to see some of you there!