Ann Arbor Poetry Slam

What do you get when you put together 11 poets who have all won multiple poetry slams; who are all terrifically talented writers and performers; who are all devoted community volunteers, teachers, mentors and activists - and then dedicate them to mixing and matching their poetic, theatrical and musical talents for three solid months to produce one two-hour blow-out grand slamacular poetry concert?

You get one of the youngest, hottest, edgiest, most innovative professional
spoken word troupes in the nation set to electrify the stage with a verbal
magic that will make you think, make you wonder, move you, shake you, and
generally transform your state of being!

You get HOMEGROWN 2007 for the first time ever (following last year’s
sell-out) on two separate nights - Thursday, January 25th and Friday January 26th!
7pm both nights @ The Lydia Mendelssohn Theater in the Michigan League (911 N.
University Ave.)

It’s the last year of Wordworks with this particular combination of all-stars
as many of the poets are seniors who will be spreading out next year and
blessing the rest of the globe with their words so you do not want to miss this
final chance to see them as one dynamic, cohesive band-’o-mic-rockers!

Featuring -

Lauren Whitehead! A Poetry Slam champ too many times to count, Lauren is also
a talented singer, songwriter, director and actor fresh off the lead role in
the poetic drama Lay Your Comfort Down and the direction of last year’s Vagina
Monologues: A Colorful Production.

Molly Raynor! Ann Arbor legend Molly Raynor has had more influence on young
writers here and across the nation than any other writer bar none. The only
two-time Ann Arbor Youth Poetry Slam Champion ever, no one is more dedicated than
Molly to community activism and making the world a better place.

Adam Falkner! Another Ann Arbor legend, Adam has graced stages all over the
country with his phenomenal voice and talents. He too is tremendously dedicated
to working with young people and to creating positive dialogue across racial
and ethnic lines.

Coert Ambrosino! Another spectacular writer and spirited performer, Coert
co-directs the Men Against Violence Against Women White-Ribbon Campaign at U-M
and is very much a general and specific force for good.

Paco! The only poet ever to own every slam title in Ann Arbor (Youth,
Collegiate, Citywide), Paco brings his quirky style to the stage and dynamic and
compelling fashion. When he’s not writing and performing all over the country,
he’s becoming an engineer/math teacher or working hard as coach of the Academic
Games team for Ann Arbor middle schoolers everywhere.

Mariama Lockington! Mariama is the only person ever to be a Hopwood Award
Winner AND a University of Michigan Poetry Slam Champion! A cast member in the
Vagina Monologues, Mari teamed up with Lauren this year to win UMS’ Shakespearan
Sonnet Slam.

Claire Forster! The 2005 Ann Arbor Youth Poetry Slam Champion, an original
curator of the show that’s become the force of Breakin’ Curfew, and a cast
member of Lay Your Comfort Down, Claire has raised the standard of writing for the
current VOLUME youth poets in Ann Arbor with her unique brand of creativity
and passion.

Matt Dagher-Margosian! Matt brings his wacky genius back home from Western
Michigan in Kalamazoo where he’s working on becoming a teacher and mentor who
can encourage more young people to write.

Langston Kerman! Born from Chicago’s Young Author’s program and now a
sophomore and Slam Champ at U-M, Langston is an explosive talent whose poems will
shred your mind.

Sulaiman Abdur-Rahman! Long a stalwart and coach of Ypsilanti youth slam
teams, Suli brings a fire and soul to the stage matched by only a handful of
others around the country.

Angel Nafis! The newest member of Ann Arbor Wordworks, Angel’s talent as a
writer and performer is nationally recognized as that of a voice burgeoning and
blossoming into a flat-out star! A two-time member of the Ann Arbor Youth
Poetry Slam team and a cast member of Lay Your Comfort Down, Angel’s ability to
inhabit her poems is absolutely unmatched.