The Spoken Word Revolution: Slam, Hip Hop & the Poetry of a New Generation

Rating:
Summary: ALA Booklist, starred review
Review: Here's a STARRED REVIEW, followed by a recommendation for young adult
readers:

*STAR*The Spoken Word Revolution: Slam, Hip-Hop, and the Poetry of a New Generation. Ed. by Mark Eleveld and Marc Smith. Apr. 2003. 256p.index. Sourcebooks...(1-4022-0037-4). 811.

Poetry began as an oral tradition and has circled back to its "live" roots in a movement known as the spoken-word revolution. Thanks to the innovators profiled in this delineating anthology, poetry is now performed, often competitively and quite dramatically, in front of large and enthusiastic audiences in bars and coffeehouses all over the world. Editor Eleveld, a high-school teacher in Joliet, Illinois, cofounder of EM Press, and an eloquent champion of spoken-word poetry, has joined forces with Smith, the acclaimed Chicago-based poet and creator of the poetry slam, to trace the evolution of spoken-word poetry from the Beats to rap, hip-hop, and performance art. The result is a dynamic and clarifying volume chock-full of fresh and informative commentary by the likes of Billy Collins, Marvin Bell, and Jerry Quickley and an exciting array of knock-out poems by Patricia Smith, Tara Betts, Jeff McDaniel, Roger Bonair-Agard, Bob Holman, Regie Gibson, DJ Renegade, Jean Howard, Luis Rodriguez, Saul Williams, Sherman Alexie, and many more. Eleveld and his contributors not only celebrate the verve, artistry, and significance of performance poetry but also anchor it firmly within the splendid, age-old, and life-sustaining universe of poetry, where it so rightfully belongs. And speaking of spoken, an accompanying CD presents poets performing
their work.-D.S.

YA: Accessible and lively poetry, hip page design, poets' bios, and anecdotal commentary make this a natural for teens. Donna Seaman.

Rating:
Summary: get excited about poetry
Review: I am a high school English teacher and The Spoken Word Revolution has completely changed the way my students respond to poetry. Whenever I used to say we were going to look at a poem my students would groan. Now they come into the classroom reminding me that Friday is poetry day and cheering the poems we listen to and discuss. The selection of poetry is wonderfully diverse but the audio CD is the best part. Listening to these poets is electrifying and has really sucked in my students. Suddenly they are going to poetry slams and submitting to the literary magazine. Suddenly poetry is fun. I cannot say enough good things about this collection.

Rating:
Summary: Slam comes to main street
Review: The Spoken Word Revolution is a collection of the written and performed works of more than 40 of the most influential slam, hip hop and performance poets in the world today. Slam poetry has evolved into an exciting cultural movement, with attendance far surpassing the traditional open mike poetry readings (anyone is welcome to participate and the crowd is generally supportive). The Spoken Word Revolution captures today's words and voices, in text and also on CD. Editor Mark Eleveld, a high-school teacher in Joliet, Illinois, has joined forces with Marc Smith, creator of the poetry slam. Together they trace the evolution of spoken-word poetry and rebirth of the oral tradition.

Rating:
Summary: Buy it for the CD!
Review: This collection preserves the essence of the contemporary spoken word "revolution" in poetry. Since much of the poetry slam experience falls in the realm of You-Had-To-Be-There, this book will serve as a useful reference for future generations. The essays and commentaries in each section also provide useful perspectives on this literary movement.

But the CD! The CD captures these performers and poets at their best. Every track offers something original and exciting. The Billy Collins tracks are particularly noteworthy as they capture the current Poet Laureate in front of a live audience, something not available anywhere else that I'm aware of. Although these tracks are uncredited, they originally appeared and are still available on the Writers Week VII CD produced by William Fremd High School in Palatine, Illinois when Collins visited there as part of the school's renowned annual celebration of writing.

If you're coming to Chicago for the National Poetry Slam this summer, you should bring a copy of this with you. Many, many of the contributors will be on hand.