Word Warriors 35 Women Leaders in the Spoken Word Revolution

by Olson, Alix; Ensler, Eve

• ISBN13: 9781580052214
• ISBN10: 1580052215
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2007-10-05
• Publisher: Seal Press

Summary

Female spoken word artists have become the spokeswomen for a new generation. This demanding oral poetry of the early 21st century has defined a vanguard of lithely muscled voices; women who think and act decisively to create their distinctive and desperately earned realities. The combination of the eminent slam movement and the upsurge of bold underground feminism has created a unique pool of women who verbally challenge society on all fronts.

Author Biography

Alix Olson is an internationally touring folk poet and progressive queer artist-activist. Olson's innumerable stage, broadcast, radio and print appearances include, most recently, twice headlining HBO's "Def Poetry Jam." She was a winner of the 1998 National Poetry Slam. She has coauthored Burning Down the House, two books of poetry, produced two spoken word CD's, and written for dozens of anthologies and compilations. Olson is a monthly columnist for Inside Out magazine and a regular contributing writer for Velvet Park Magazine. The Progressive calls Alix "an electrifying performer who seduces the audience with wit and energy, spinning tales of life on the road between her fiery poems. A sharpshooter with theatrical flair, Olson oozes both love and rage."

Table of Contents

Sarah Jones: Cast of Characters	p. 1
Your revolution
Wax poetic
Michelle Tea: On Sister Spit	p. 13
Pigeon Manifesto
The Beautiful
Lenelle Moise: Protegee	p. 29
We live up here
Loch Ness monsters
Daphne Gottlieb: Lost and Found	p. 43
Somewhere, over
Death drive (a transfession)
Natalie E. Illum: On Mothers and mothertongue	p. 55
I am from, third cycle
What we learn in one night
Aya De Leon: Lyrical Self-defense and the Reluctant Female Rapper	p. 63
Cellulite
Grito de Vieques
Leah Harris: A Mad Poet's Manifesto	p. 73
Revenge of the crazy wimmin
Take refuge
Meliza Banales: The Dirtiest Word You've Ever Heard	p. 87
Do the Math
Generations
Karen Garrabrant: Slam Ma'am	p. 98
A Sylvia Plath Sliver
Air Ego Balloon
Beth Lisick: Stumbling In	p. 111
Empress of Sighs
Monkey Girl
Genevieve Van Cleve: Page for a Day	p. 121
A Quick Thank-You Note to Anne Sexton and Sylvia Plath
Altar Call (I Want Jesus Back)
Cheryl Burke: Making a Name	p. 132
Motor Oil Queen
Jones
Katz: A Choir is Born	p. 144
Nothing Generation
Taken in Like Oxygen
C. C. Carter: What I Remember	p. 154
The Herstory of My Hips
Warning
Alix Olson: Turn it Down a Notch	p. 166
Subtle Sister
That the Protagonist Is Always a Man
Suheir Hammad: In My Own English	p. 176
First Writing Since
A prayer band
Rachel Kann: From Inside	p. 193
Montana de oro
Titular
Nomy Lamm: Body Sanctuary	p. 204
Book of Rules: A Girl's Guide to Doing What You're Told
There's always this feeling like something's missing
Andrea Gibson: Shaking It Off	p. 215
Andrew
Blue Blanket
Thea Hillman: My Longest Relationship	p. 226
Starfucking Closer to Home or What Happens
When You Reach for the Stars and They Reach Back Miscarriage
Ellyn Maybe: We All Leave Something	p. 237
Ball and Chain Record Store
Ellyn May be's Dream
Tracie Morris: Ad-libbing	p. 256
Apology to Pangea
Las Brujitas
Cristin O'Keefe Aptowicz: Working Luck	p. 265
Lit (Or to the Scientist Whom I'm Not Speaking To Anymore)
All I'd Leave Behind
Sini Anderson: In Other Words	p. 277
"God in You"
Say More
Eileen Myles: In and Out of Spoken Word	p. 287
An American Poem
Merk
Lynne Procope: Taco Shop Tales	p. 301
Any closer to home and my heart will burst 2
Butterfly Nut House
Marty McConnell: You Say You Want a Revolution	p. 313
Instructions for a body
Joan of Arc to the $2,000-an-hour woman
Bitch: Spilling Ink	p. 323
Pussy Manifesto
Red Roof In
Turiya Autry And Walidah Imarisha: Good Sista/Bad Sista	p. 331
Supa Soul Sistas
No You Don't Know Me
Lynn Breedlove: A Boy Among Weemoon	p. 351
Knuckle Sandwich
Breasticles
Staceyann Chin: Poet for the People	p. 361
Cross-Fire
Poem for the Gay Games
Julia Serano: Exceeding Expectations	p. 374
Sleeping sickness
Vice versa
Patricia Smith: Name-Calling	p. 386
Asking for a Heart Attack
Building Nicole's Mama
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