And there are hundreds and thousands of poetry slam and performance videos on YouTube - they are so addictive, I'm surprised I ever get anything else done!
So I figured I'd share just a handful of my favourite diverse slam, spoken-word, and performance poets from YouTube (because my faves happen to diverse in this instance! Woo!)
Oh, and pretty much all of these have swear-words. Poets swear worse than sailors.
Winona Linn
Meskwaki poet Winona Linn is witty, clever, and passionate; her performances are amazing.
Stylish, bold, and unapologetically political, Crystal Valentine's poetry explores being a Black woman in today's America.
Check out: Black Privilege (below,) And the News Reporter Says Jesus Is White and Questions For Fox News Regarding the Race Card.
Dia Davina
A queer and genderqueer feminist, Dia Davina is awesome. They are funny and honest and just amazing.
Elizabeth Acevedo
Afro-Dominicana poet Elizabeth Acevedo writes on race, feminism, and their intersection. She rocks.
Check out: Hair, Afro-Latina, and An Open Letter to the Protesters Outside the Planned Parenthood
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Benjamin Zephaniah
One of the best modern British poets there is, I will never miss the chance to recommend the wonderful Jamaican-British Benjamin Zephaniah.
Never afraid to speak on politics and race, or to combine poetry with music, Zephaniah is a definite favourite of mine.
So check some of these wonderful poets out, and enjoy!
Like this post? Try these:
Last updated: 9th October 2019
Thanks for this list! I definitely want to get more into poetry, so this will help me a lot!
ReplyDeleteNo problem :)
DeleteThis is such a cool list! I never even considered looking up poets on Youtube. Thanks so much. :D
ReplyDeleteHa, once you start watching poetry vids on YouTube, you'll never stop! ;)
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ReplyDeleteCee,
ReplyDeleteThis post is great! I love poetry, I write it, but I have been discouraged as an ace woc, because I was worrying over representation and being alone in this field. So, this post gives me a lot of hope. I am subscribing to all of them, obviously. I also have to check out the list of LGBTQ folks you recommended to me on Twitter. You're the best.
Poetry is for absolutely everyone and there are poets from all backgrounds and walks of life. Never feel you are alone Dina - there are people willing to support you, I promise :) I'd love to read some of your poetry some time :)
DeleteI'm sooooo glad that you found this post & my recs helpful! XD
I LOVE poetry. This is something you probably know because I really enjoy reading your micropoetry. But the thing is that I never really listen to slam poetry. My favourite slam poet is Rives, who I discovered because of Tedx. I also love Zephaniah's works. I discovered him in primary school and have read anthologies of his since.
ReplyDeletePoetry rocks! And I'll have to check out Rives :)
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