Them: “So, what do you do?” Me: “I’m a poet.” Them: “Me too! What kind?” Me: “Spoken word.” Them: “Oh, cool. Like rap and stuff? I write normal poetry.” There it is. The divide. It pops up constantly in conversations, the idea of “normal” poetry (or even worse,...
Since he released his first book, "Look Black Boy," this spring, Caleb "The Negro Artist" Rainey has been the subject of many articles and interviews. Here, he shares some of his inner-most thoughts and feelings about putting...
I published a book. That sentence is so much bigger than the four words that contain it. Most days I still can’t believe it. Since I was in seventh grade I knew I was meant to be a writer, but being a published author is one of those dreams--and we all have...
DES MOINES -- In a world where many of us are still ignored, a group of talented high school poets in Des Moines turned to spoken word as a way to shatter the silence. They take the stage in hopes to share the stories they’ve kept secret, or to shed light on those...
At the risk of coming across as that obnoxious English lit instructor, or a dinner party show-off, or your annoying know-it-all friend, I’m writing this month about the difference between spoken word and slam poetry. Caleb Rainey Spoken word is an art form that...
