Big Poppa E (![[info]](http://p-stat.livejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif){kind=small} poetryslam) wrote,@ 2008-05-09 06:34:00 |
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article from the mississippi press
Poetry champ performs for Moss Point students
Friday, May 09, 2008
By AMBER CRAIG
MOSS POINT -- Big Poppa E is passionate about poetry, politics and underdogs, but nothing fires him up like talking about Pluto.
"I write poetry about things that really move me, and one thing that really moves me is givin' it up for the person who doesn't have a voice," he told students during a Thursday performance at Moss Point High School.
Then the poet read a piece about Pluto's downgrade from planet to "dwarf planet" status and compared it to "weird" kids who have undiscovered potential.
The 1999 National Poetry Slam champion took the stage in front of hundreds of students. Big Poppa E has performed three times on HBO's Def Poetry Jam and is the author of multiple chapbooks featuring his poetry.
A poetry slam is a competition in which poets read or recite work and are ranked by judges, typically pulled from the audience.
BPE's poems Thursday addressed issues ranging from life's character-building struggles to bitter relationships to writer's block.
He told students that high school can be particularly difficult because although parents and teachers pull young people one way, "You want to be yourself and want to define yourself," and it's sometimes difficult to balance the two sides.
During the 45-minute performance, the tone often switched from passionate to comedic, as Big Poppa E threw out jokes and read some of his short poetry addressed to an ex-girlfriend in the midst of commentary about the need for political change.
He said he writes one poem every day, even if he's not feeling inspired.
"They ask me if I get blocked, and I get this all the time," BPE said before reading a short poem about writer's block.
Big Poppa E visited Moss Point High School because of a student's message left on a slam poetry Web site.
Cheris Smith completed a senior project this year about slam poetry. Smith taught poetry techniques to Gautier Elementary School students and organized a poetry slam last week at Moss Point High School.
"I like writing poetry, and I thought it would be something good to bring to the children," Smith said.
BPE spent the day teaching poetry workshops at the high school and capped off the evening by performing at the school's senior project banquet.
The winner of last week's poetry slam, Victoria Landrum, performed her winning piece Thursday in front of the school. Landrum, who began writing poetry as an elementary school student, said her peers could benefit from the emotional release of writing their feelings down on paper.
"Instead of them doing drugs or other stuff, they need to just write it out," Landrum said.
Poetry champ performs for Moss Point students
Friday, May 09, 2008
By AMBER CRAIG
MOSS POINT -- Big Poppa E is passionate about poetry, politics and underdogs, but nothing fires him up like talking about Pluto.
"I write poetry about things that really move me, and one thing that really moves me is givin' it up for the person who doesn't have a voice," he told students during a Thursday performance at Moss Point High School.
Then the poet read a piece about Pluto's downgrade from planet to "dwarf planet" status and compared it to "weird" kids who have undiscovered potential.
The 1999 National Poetry Slam champion took the stage in front of hundreds of students. Big Poppa E has performed three times on HBO's Def Poetry Jam and is the author of multiple chapbooks featuring his poetry.
A poetry slam is a competition in which poets read or recite work and are ranked by judges, typically pulled from the audience.
BPE's poems Thursday addressed issues ranging from life's character-building struggles to bitter relationships to writer's block.
He told students that high school can be particularly difficult because although parents and teachers pull young people one way, "You want to be yourself and want to define yourself," and it's sometimes difficult to balance the two sides.
During the 45-minute performance, the tone often switched from passionate to comedic, as Big Poppa E threw out jokes and read some of his short poetry addressed to an ex-girlfriend in the midst of commentary about the need for political change.
He said he writes one poem every day, even if he's not feeling inspired.
"They ask me if I get blocked, and I get this all the time," BPE said before reading a short poem about writer's block.
Big Poppa E visited Moss Point High School because of a student's message left on a slam poetry Web site.
Cheris Smith completed a senior project this year about slam poetry. Smith taught poetry techniques to Gautier Elementary School students and organized a poetry slam last week at Moss Point High School.
"I like writing poetry, and I thought it would be something good to bring to the children," Smith said.
BPE spent the day teaching poetry workshops at the high school and capped off the evening by performing at the school's senior project banquet.
The winner of last week's poetry slam, Victoria Landrum, performed her winning piece Thursday in front of the school. Landrum, who began writing poetry as an elementary school student, said her peers could benefit from the emotional release of writing their feelings down on paper.
"Instead of them doing drugs or other stuff, they need to just write it out," Landrum said.
