Listen to the Poet
Subtitle
Writing, Performance, and Community in Youth Spoken Word Poetry
Youth spoken word poetry groups are on the rise in the United States, offering safe spaces for young people to write and perform. These diverse groups encourage members to share their lived experiences, decry injustices and imagine a better future. At a time when students may find writing in school alienating and formulaic, composing in these poetry groups can be refreshingly relevant and exciting.
"Listen to the Poet" investigates two Arizona spoken word poetry groups ― a community group and a high school club ― that are both part of the same youth organization. Exploring the writing lives and poetry of several members, Wendy R. Williams takes readers inside a writing workshop and poetry slam and reveals that schools have much to learn about writing, performance, community and authorship from groups like these and from youth writers themselves.
Bio
Wendy R. Williams is assistant professor in the College of Integrative Sciences and Arts at Arizona State University. She is also an ASU alum, having earned a Bachelor of Arts in secondary education (English) in 1998, a Master of Education in curriculum and instruction (secondary education) in 2008 and a PhD in curriculum and instruction (English education) in 2015.
Praise for this book
A timely and necessary book for literacy educators and all adults who work with young people on their creative writing.
Yolanda Sealey-Ruiz, coeditor Gumbo for the Soul: Liberating Memoirs and Stories to Inspire Females of Color
Through rich and nuanced ethnographic detail, Williams beautifully ushers us into the world of a group of diverse and talented youth poets who join together to nurture their voices, hone their writing, and literally get their words out into the world.
Robert Petrone, coauthor Re-thinking the "Adolescent" in Adolescent Literacy
