Urbana 2012 Team

Hi friends!  I’m very excited to be the 2012 Urbana Grand Slam Champion, and to be a member of the 2012 Urbana National Poetry Slam team along with Jared Singer, Jeanann Verlee and Ingamar Dion Ramirez.  We’ll be at the National Poetry Slam in Charlotte, NC this August.

In other news, you may have heard that Obama recently announced his support for marriage equality.  In honor of celebrating human rights for all humans, here’s a video of me performing Pride at City Hall in New York, while I watched LGBT couples finally get the legal recognition they deserve.

Help me win a Write Bloody Book Publishing Deal!

Hi friends,

I’ve been selected as one of 20 finalists by Write Bloody Publishing‘s book deal contest.  I just sent in a 40 page manuscript that is, in every way, my heart.  I recorded a video of one of the poems, and 20% of my score depends on the “likes” it gets on youtube.  This is where you come in.  I ask that you please take less than 3 minutes out of your day to click the “thumbs up” by my video on youtube, and to ask your friends to do the same.  It would mean the world to me to have this publishing deal, and in order for that to happen, I need some help.

 

Voting has begun.  Honestly, I hate having to ask people to do this stuff.  But this has been my dream since I was a 4 year old kid making up poems about rainbows, so here I am in your inbox.  Thank you so so much, on behalf of both 4 year-old and 30 year-old Joanna.  

 

Here’s the video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=alto22voBv0

 

Write Bloody Finalist!

I was very excited to find  out yesterday that I’m one of twenty finalists for a Write Bloody Publishing book deal!  I have until the end of the month to put together a 40-poem manuscript, videotape a poem, post it online and get lots of votes.  I hope you’ll vote for my poem and cross your fingers for me.  Once I have the video I’ll post it here.

WOWPS 2012…

was amazing and inspiring in so many ways.  Here’s a few:

• Sonya Renee’s RUCHUS workshop was exactly what I needed at the exact right time.  It takes courage to be raw and honest, and even more so to bring that gift to the world.  And while I’m on the topic of Sonya Renee, I am blessed to have this amazing woman in my life and as one of my closest friends.  I will nuzzle in her busom forever.  
• Rachel and Gypsy’s poems during the 2nd night of prelims.  Oh. my. god.  During Gypsy’s poem, I remembered that I first heard it about 7 years ago at the LEAF Festival in North Carolina. I thought about how long I’ve known her, and how much love I felt for her and so many other people in that room.  These two have dedicated themselves to making our community feel safe and nurtured. Sheroes.
• Marty McConnell never ceases to amaze me.  Her 2 and 3min poems the second night of prelims blew my brain open.
• Franny Choi is a genius.  I still can’t stop talking about her sac poem at Finals.  I want a Franny Choi action figure.
• Chris August, Caroline Rothstein, Omar Holmon, Emily Rose, Liz Bowen, Beth Hoffman, Sam LaRoche– I felt your love and support so profoundly even though you weren’t there in person.  Thank you.
• Tatyana Brown and Sara Brickman kept me from vomiting before my second night bout.  I’m in awe of their poetry and lucky to call them friends that I eat questionable gravy with. That sounds weird and I’m okay with that.
• Listening to Cynthia French run poems in the alleyway outside Leela and then watching her absolutely destroy onstage was so awesome.  Her range and charisma makes her unstoppable.  BOOK HER NOW.
• Leah Gould is one of my favorite people and poets. She needs to come visit NYC.
• Eboni Hogan is a brilliant writer, performer and also will one day be the host of the only talk show I will ever watch. 
• Jeanann Verlee is hummingbird and light.  To have someone I admire a lot give me such great feedback and advice means so much.
• Megan Falley is bold and unflinching and rocked out despite having a FEVER for all of wowps.  Muffstar.
• If you haven’t heard Angelique Palmer’s 4 minute poem, you need to.  This woman has strength radiating from every syllable.
• Natalie Illum is a rockstar and one of my favorite writers.
• God, I love Rachel Wiley’s undeniable master of wordcraft.  Magic 4 seahorse tour.
• Amy Everhart’s poems make my chest hurt, in a good way.  So much fire and gummy bear.
• Lauren Zuniga.  Her poems made me choke on my own heart.  I love smart, gorgeous poetry that also takes a stand on issues that matter.  I wanted to jump up and say “YES!” during her poems, but I thought that might be distracting.
• I don’t really know why I’m just now meeting Melissa May, but I’m already in love with her writing.  You should buy her chapbook, like, now.
• Mindy Nettifee is magic.  She anointed me backstage with something that smelled like hippies and summer and tranquility, and it made me feel like a unicorn warrior princess.
• James Merenda is so full of love and support and gives amazing hugs.  You should hug him.
• I was so thrilled and honored to share a finals stage with my friend Whitney and see her absolutely kill it on stage. 
• Dominique Ashaheed is so deserving.  Her passion and talent is intoxicating.
• Kay Krown, Porsha O, Olivia Gatwood, DeAnn Emmet, Krista Mosca, Miss Haze- so honored to share a stage with of these amazing ladies.
• Kait Rokowski is my unicorn.  How is she only 21 and so talented and amazing??
• I’m sure I’m forgetting people unintentionally.  I’m still sleep deprived and now sick with some respiratory evil, so any omissions are brought to you by Exhaustion, DayQuil and the letter J. 
• I came to wowps feeling a bit unsure of my place in the community, or if I have one.  Coming here reminded me that I never lost my friendships and connections here, and that I never could.  That’s the most amazing thing I ever could have won.  Have I told you lately that I’m in love with all of you?  Will you go to the prom with me?

Love,
Joanna

Published in decomP!

Happy February! I have a poem published in this month’s edition of decomP magazine.  Check it out here.

Poetic Theatre Festival

This weekend is the Poetic Theatre Festival, and I’ll be taking part in two shows.  The encore presentation of the Spoken Word Almanac Project takes place tonight, Jan 6th at 9pm.  Tomorrow at 5pm is the reading of Off the Record, a new play written by Akua Doku, Caroline Rothstein, Ka’mone Felix and myself.  Check out my interview with Stagebuzz here.  Hope to see you!

The political is personal

I’m honored to be a Semifinalist for the Jerome Foundation’s Stakeholders Choice Award.  I’ll be putting together a sneak peak of a potential one-woman show on breaking down barriers, both those we create ourselves and those imposed by society, that keep us from connecting on a human level. So much of racism, homophobia, and other forms of xenophobia are born from imagined distance. I’ll be posting the date of my show and I hope you can come watch.  Thank you to all of the incredible people in my life who have inspired me, especially my friend Fritz who I wrote this poem with over the summer.