LTAB 2010: The Real Chicago Renaissance
Each year, more than six hundred teenagers from over sixty Chicago area schools gather for the worlds largest youth poetry slam, a competition known as Louder Than a Bomb. Founded in 2000 by local poet and friend of Novem, Kevin Coval and Anna West, Louder Than a Bomb is the only event of its kind in the country—a youth poetry slam built from the beginning around teams.
“Inner city students, suburban students, and everything-in-between students stand on stage in front of an audience and put their hearts and souls into three-minute poems. Then, the poetry of their hearts and souls is judged. After a semifinal round and final round, one team advances to the national Brave New Voices competition in Los Angeles. With so many more losers than winners, LTAB festival director Robbie Q. Telfer says the points are not the point. The point is poetry…
These kids are good. They don’t even sound like kids. They sound like storytellers owning the stage and the mic.”
- Betsy Mikel for Chicagoist
LTAB 10: THE REAL CHICAGO RENAISSANCE
FEBRUARY 19TH – MARCH 6TH
Full schedule available at www.youngchicagoauthors.org
Listen to recordings of last year’s finalists here.
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