We were learning the Vietnam War in social class the other day, and we learnt about how average American citizens strongly opposed the war at that time, because of the unnecessary damage that would be done to all the victims and their families & friends. A couple of days later, I came across this poem…
Do you love poetry? performance? Do you love talking? listening? Creatively expressing yourself out loud? If you like anything creative, expressive, and inspirational, than the Calgary Spoken Word Festival is for you! You’re probably wondering what the heck this festival is. My words couldn’t justify it, so check out the website here. I will, however, somewhat…
Heyyy! Since spring started yesterday, I figured now would be a great time to share a poem I created last year. It’s about spring and butterflies and nature and all that fluffy light stuff. It is a concrete poem, and so I tried to use the shaping and stuff to compliment what the writing said!…
A collaboration between dozens of artists around the globe, a beautifully crafted piece carrying a poignant, powerful message – we’ve all been there. What really touched me in this video was the effects of bullying, carried on long after adolescence, to this day. What to do? We’ve all heard those presentations. But the message…
Excerpts from a beautiful spoken word poem by the Canadian poet Shane Koyczan: You see, I took class on listening So I could hear something positive And then live happily with the mindset That will give me altitude when needed. I’ve got a confidence so deep seeded It’s growing reverse. And I rehearse handshakes with titans Because…
As soon as I heard Ellen Hopkins had a new book out I scurried over to Indigo to buy it; as my favourite author, Hopkins books are the holy grail of literature. There was no way my bookshelf would be deprived of the wonder and bliss that is her complete collection of teen books. Her…
When I finally returned home this summer after seven weeks of being away, I found something rather surprising waiting for me. I suppose you could take it as a “welcome back” present from my mom. The object itself is actually rather commonplace- one of those solar flowers that moves its petals when exposed to sunlight…
This is one of my favourite poems, taken out of the poetry collection “What Narcissism Means to Me” by Tony Hoagland. Credit to the Poetry Foundation for a copy of the poem. The poem is accompanied by a fitting picture of Boston University, which I took. Windy today and I feel less than brilliant, driving over…
On Sunday, Richie and I went down to Dutton Theatre on the 2nd floor of Central Library to check out this Story Slam Competition. There was a $5 admission fee, and it was actually something completely new to me and worth the money.
Guess what, it’s youth week! And to kick off the event, the Calgary public library played host for Snap Judgement, a story slam competition concluding the 9th annual Calgary Spoken Word Festival. The event was last Sunday (April 22) at the downtown public library, and what a way to start Youth Week! The CSWF is…
On Saturday the 14th, the best youth poets in the city gathered to SLAM in the Sustainable Poetry Youth SLAM at the Public Library. The competition was the first of many poetry-related events hosted by the 2012 Spoken Word Festival in Calgary as part of Youth Week Calgary 2012. As the MC for the event,…
This weekend, I attended the slam poetry event hosted by the Calgary Public Library and This Is My City at the John Dutton Theatre in the Central Library. The program was essentially the Kickoff Event for this year’s 9th Annual Calgary Spoken Word Festival. It is also a part of Youth Week Calgary 2012. If…
I discovered this video at a youth leadership summit last year, but I think it’s still relevant. Personally, it was a really powerful indicator that motivated me to share it with youth in my community. Check it out! (:
You are YOU. Don’t forget that. Here is a poem that shows you to reveal your mask. Show everyone who you truly are. There will always be someone in this world willing to accept you.
This poem by E.E. Cummings is one of my favorite pieces of literary art. Cummings’ free, unbridled disregard for what is deemed “proper” grammar and syntax is what makes him so special. The deeply personal rhythm that he captures in his writing could only be conveyed through his artfully deconstructed verses. This unique ability to…