Dallas Poets In The News
New York jumped out on top and never lost the lead, despite final sensational poem threats from Jerry Quickley of LA, Clebo Rainey's over-the-top from Dallas preachifyin’, and a penultimate rendition of “(Black/Redneck/Gay) Superhero” from Dallas that got the night’s only perfect score.
A performance poet known as Rock Baby was named winner of the 2009 Arkansas Poetry Grand Slam Saturday night at the Poet’s Loft, a coffee house, art gallery and performance venue on Central Avenue in Hot Springs. The Texas poet is a former national champion and has appeared on Def Comedy Jam on HBO. He placed second in the 2008 competition...
2009 HOT SPRINGS: Words, attitude, ability connect to make poetry slam champion
BY WAYNE BRYAN Staff Writer
Photo by Alison Harbour
2008 Individual World Poetry Slam Champion
For seven years, Joaquin Zihuatenejo, of Denton, taught poetry to 6th through 12th grades in the public schools of North Texas, and that experience prepared him to win, last December, the 2008 Individual World Poetry Slam Championship. I caught up with him at the Embargo in Fort Worth on their open mic night.A duet poem from Dallas also stood out; it was a funny piece, playing on the tropes of an infomercial, about taking a stand for one's self in one's relationship. Or as they put it in their chorus line, "Wearing the big drawers in the relationship." It was cleverly written, and got away from a big slam poetry complaint: group pieces that could be more effectively delivered by a single poet. Instead, it made great use of the two poets voices, as they played off each others lines in rapid-fire succession.
2010 Dallas Poetry Slam Team in St. Paul, Minneapolis
Sept. 16 Underground Poetry Circus (UPC).
Hosted by SUAAB advisor Jonathan "GNO" White and Dallas slam poet Rock Baby, this circus was the first to feature members of the newly organized UTD Slam Poetry Team. The main event was the performance by national and world champion poet Joaquin Zihuatenejo with the rollercoaster range of emotions in his poems about suicide and xenophobia. Between acts White and Rock Baby were hyped the crowd, screaming out phrases like "I'm Rick James," to which the crowd replied," bitch!"
2010 Slam poets take stage: Poetry team starts new verse, new semester
By Rebecca Gomez
photo by Brandon Higgins
The feature poet of the night will be Colin Gilbert. Gilbert is the 2006 Dallas Poetry Slam Champion, 2006 and 2007 Dallas Pugsley’s Poetry Grind Grand Slam Champion, 2008 Bryan-College Station Co-Slam Champion and 2009 9th Ranked Poet in the World (IWPS). Yeah, he’s that good. Check him and the other poets out at the RTR All-Star Poetry Slam Semifinals Friday night when your ears are tired of music.
The Comanche Slam
October 13, 2010 Maroon Weekly on Wednesday
We are so very fortunate to have such a talented and much-touted Slam Poet such as Rock Baby not only feature, but also agree to host the finals,” Oklahoma City SlamMaster Tracy Nelson Townsend said in a news release. “He brings such a great energy to stage with his own special brand of satirical humor, you’re smile muscles will be sore by the end of the show.
2009 HBO Def poet to host Oklahoma City poetry grand slam
The art of spoken word is growing in Dallas. A new group, Trinidad, is stepping out onto the scene. Trinidad consists of Natasha Carrizosa, Joaquìn Zihuatanejo and Will Richey.
"All three of us found each other through our cultures. We are all bi-racial, from different backgrounds, and the Latino ties is what brought us together," said Carrizosa, whose duel heritage consists of African and Mexican American. Zihuatanejo's heritage is white and Chicano. Richey's heritage is white and Puerto Rican.
2004 Local spoken word group to open for famous poet
By Allison Denman
These poets will slam off to see which three will accompany poet-host-provocateur Clebo Rainey to the National Poetry Slam in Portland on August 24. If you've never been to a poetry slam, the white-hot competition involved in this one should provide an entertaining introduction.
1996 The Second Annual Clearview Slam Off:
By Jimmy Fowler
1998 Slam Grows Up as it Blows Up:
Report from the Austin National Poetry Slam
By Bob Holman
Also represented in the new series is the work of award-winning Dallas area poets - including Judith Garrett Segura, Frederick Turner, Christopher Soden and Clebo Rainey. Rainey coached the Dallas team that won the 2001 National Poetry Slam in Seattle last month.
2001 New Posters & Great Regional Poems Highlight 3rd Annual Poetry in Motion Series:
For several years now, Clebo Rainey has been called "poet emeritus of Dallas" or "the father of Dallas poetry" or--most recently in these pages--"the Papa Bear of North Texas poetry." From hosting poetry nights at Club Clearview, the Dark Room, and the McKinney Avenue Contemporary to organizing virtually every reading for area arts festivals, the 48-year-old former small business owner currently reigns as the kingpin of Dallas' fertile poetry scene.
1997 Put a lid on it:
Fighting poets don't cuss any better than the rest of us
By Jimmy Fowler
Joaquin Zihuatenajo:
Street poet, spoken-word artist
Why he’s at the top : Ask anyone who knows the local poetry scene, “Who’s the best?” and Zihuatenajo’s name is always first on the list. He’s the 2010 champ of the European World Cup of Poetry Slam and also the 2009 Individual World Poetry Slam Competition grand-prize winner.
February 4, 2011 Dallas Morning News
A look at local artists who are at the top of their game
By Joy Tipping
Well, WAKE UP `cause Dallas Poetry Slam is here and poetry will never be the same to you again. If you have never been to a poetry slam, put aside all those past notions and get ready to be rocked into reality by some of the most talented, most courageous, most mess with your mind and tear your heart out artists of the spoken word you are ever going to see and hear.
March 7, 2011 Pegasus News
Theater reviews: Out of the Loop Fringe Festival in Addison
By Mary L. Clark
