Teams & Bios

Born on the east and educated in the west, tristan is currently a Producer for a chicago-based production company and a member of the Green Mill slam team.

Jessica Helen Lopez
I'm a poet. I'm a mom. I'm a UNM student and a waitress in a diner. I'm a joker. I'm a toker. I'm a midnight smoker.

Daniel C. Ramos
Daniel C. Ramos 1st got into poetry back in the 4th grade, when he left a secret admirer note in a girl's locker. When that worked out for him, he abandoned poetry until he needed it again in his senior year. He was able to break his misconceptions of poetry thanks to Javier Martinez and Derrick C. Brown. After attending NPS 05 in ABQ, NM he came back home to Amarillo and started Slam for the good people back in DEC of 05. Now registered and certified thanks to Raul Rodarte team SLAMARILLO will

Raul "magic man" Rodarte
Raul is probably the only vegetarian beaner poet in Amarillo TX married to a beautiful arian hussy and recycling goddess. After winning the title of Slamarillo Grand Slam Champion for the 06-07 season, Raul took a tour to the terrestrial nebula in the “Hoo Flung Poo” district where he found a planet inhabited by mini clones strangely looking similar to Colin Gilbert. After quickly destroying this planet with an organic nuclear “weapon of mass distraction” Raul was inspired to write a 3 minute po

Terri "Momma" Morgan
I am originally from a tiny little farming community in Northwest Oklahoma called Mutual. Professionally, I started out as a basketball coach, but I have been teaching sophomore English at Caprock High School in Amarillo, TX for 14 years. I jumped into the slam poetry scene in Amarillo when a spoken word group was started at my school. I worked with those students and later one of the alumni from that original spoken word group, Daniel Ramos, started slam in Amarillo with what is now calle

Karyna McGlynn
Karyna McGlynn’s poems have recently appeared in Gulf Coast, Indiana Review, LIT, Crab Orchard Review, Denver Quarterly, ACM and Fence. A three-time Pushcart nominee, Karyna is a Zell Writing Fellow at the University of Michigan where she recently completed her MFA. She has been a member of five NPS teams and currently works as a writer-in-residence for Detroit InsideOut Literary Project. Her chapbook Scorpionica is forthcoming from New Michigan Press. Her website is www.karynamcglynn.com.

Michael Moriarty
Mike Moriarty is a tutor at washtenaw community college. He enjoys watching cartoons, hijacking mental kayaks, and family dinners. He hopes one day to become a teacher, or to defeat Razor in a street race thereby winning back his dignity and ride.

Karen G.
Art Amok! slam ma'am, poet, host & Cliterati organizer in Atlanta for 6+yrs. Anthologized with her sheros in forthcoming "Word Warriors," as one of 35 female leaders in the spoken word movement.Punk is her gender.

Shannon Leigh
Shannon Leigh writes novels and plays guitar. She's appeared on HBO's Def Poetry Jam, came up through Austin youth poetry and now plays with Art Amok! She wants a schooner, a private island and a tattoo shop.Buy her shirt.

Stefen Micko
1st year member Art Amok! Slam team. I also host an open mic at Mocha Match Coffee. I'm recently married, earned a degree, and working on another.The military didn't kill me. I'm also an actor, originally from St.Louis.

Theresa Davis
What the 'mok!? Theresa is the captain of this year's Art Amok! Atlanta team. This is her second year competing. She's a mom and a teacher with an ancestry of spoken word and activism.She recently performed in The Vagina Monologues with Eve Ensler, Jane Fonda and Pearl Cleage.

Andy Buck
What can you say about Andy Buck that hasn't already been said on some two-bit, dime-store blog? This is year four for Andy on an Austin team. He'll be sleeping in his own bed this year.

Danny (Dny) Strack
Danny Strack is a regular performer and feature at spoken word venues throughout central Texas, appearing on stage over 250 times in the past three years. Danny performed in the 'Haiku Death-Match' which received the 'Best of Festival' Award two years in a row in Austin's FronteraFest Theater Festival at the Hyde Park Theatre in 2005 & 2006. In 2006, Mr. Strack also wrote, directed & starred in the short FronteraFest play Zowie Kapow, and starred in the short, satiric film, "G

Krissi Suzanne Reeves
Krissi Reeves will rip your face off---metaphorically speaking---with every word she grants you, every delicately placed spoken-word firebomb, every steel-toed ass-kicking story she tells. For five years, Krissihas been one of the freshest voices in the Austin poetry scene, routinely bringing the audience to their knees with her singular mishmash of audacious vulnerability and unique sense of the absurd. Krissi has featured throughout the States, served as a member of the 2005 Austin Slam

Christian Drake
Christian Drake is a unique contradiction: surely the world's only "eco-billy" poet, he's a little bit environmentalism, a little bit rock and roll. Hailing from the hill country of Massachusetts, where he fostered a lifelong love of nature and botany, he now works as an "urban forester" planting street trees in San Francisco. A veteran of the Berkeley '06 and DC/Baltimore '05 slam teams, this up-and-comer has received national attention for his dark eroticism, unapol

D.Silence
D.Silence is the 2003 and 2007 Berkeley Slam Champion, a Speech and Debate National Champion, and the former Slammaster of San Francisco. D.Silence’s unique blend of edgy humor and cutthroat politics has left audiences across the West Coast in a 3rd wave racial deconstructionist frenzy. The self-proclaimed best dressed poet and dorky baddass is the hip-hop union of Roald Dahl and Richard Pryor personified.

Isaac Miller
Isaac Miller is a young but already accomplished performance poet. At 19, he’s a 5x competitor & 2x finalist at the Brave New Voices Youth Slam. Isaac is the 07 Youth Speaks Champ & member of the SF Youth Team. A freshman at UC Berkeley, organizer of Cal Slam, member & Coach of the team that placed 4th at the 07 Collegiate Nationals. Since age 13, Isaac has shared stages with Beau Sia, KRS-ONE, Jeff Chang, Zion I, Lifesavas, & Saul Williams. Isaac's work is both anthemic &

Jamie DeWolf
JAMIE DEWOLF was once called a "verbal Genghis Kahn." He’s performed on Def Poetry Jam, at 50+ universities, San Quentin Pen, & taught youth on probation. DeWolf won 3 Grand Slams in a row, as well as at the Ill List, Chi-Town Classic, Battle of the Bay, Indie Slam Showdown, the $1000 Berkeley Slam, & many others. He was an Indi finalist for the NPS, IWPS, & lead 4 teams to Western Titles. He hosts Tourettes W/out Regrets, the largest poetry slam in the nation, which w

Joshua Walters
Joshua Walters is an award-winning poet who combines poetry with theatre and music. He performs, produces and hosts The Vowel Movement, a monthly beatbox showcase in SF. Nationally, he’s performed at The Bowery Poetry Club (NYC), Symposium (Boulder), Denver Poetry Slam, Evergreen College (Olympia) and Lewis and Clark College (Portland). He has shared the stage with Scratch (The Roots), DJ Quest, Kid Beyond, Variable Unit, Infinite and Soulati (Felonious), Rene del Fierro (The Salvador Santana

Cheryl Maddalena
Slamming and a slam fan since 2000, Cheryl has previously competed at Nationals in 2002 (with San Jose and a newborn baby), 2004 (with Berkeley while pregnant), and 2006 (with the lovely boys of Boise). If she has a style, an archetype, or a mission, please let her know. What she does have for sure is a mouth and a stopwatch. It seems to be enough.

Cody Spanbauer
Cody Spanbauer is 25, and lives in Boise, Idaho. He has been involved in the Boise Slam scene for more than 5 years. Cody placed 2nd in the state finals in '06 to see who went to IWPS, and is a two time member of Team Boise (Idaho's ONLY Slam Team) for both the 2006 and 2007 nationals in Austin Texas. You may have seen him in many different poetry events in the Boise area, from performing on stage at Boise Pride '06, and '07, to helping Cheryl Maddalena run the children's "Yell Well&

Isaac Grambo
Isaac Grambo is a snappy dresser. He earned a BFA in 2002 from Eastern Washington University and an MFA in 2006 from Boise State University, both in Performance Art. Isaac competed at NPS last year and returns this year as coach of Team Boise. When not poeticizing, he writes, directs and acts in The Grambo Report, a public access satirical news program that has now been featured in no less than two states! (If you count YouTube, you might say it's international.)

Boston Poetry Slam @ the Cantab Lounge
Simone Beaubien, Shira Erlichman, Brian S. Ellis, and Jme. Fighters. Lovers. Last four standing.

JeFF Stumpo
Founded B-CS slam scene. Authored multilingual chapbook El Oceano y La Serpiente / The Ocean and The Serpent (Zenane 2004) and forthcoming chapbook Riff Raff (Unicorn Press 2007). Working on PhD in English at Texas A&M. Likes collaborating with visual and multimedia artists (brought Poetry in Motion to A&M for a year, writing poetic sequence based on art by Marc Silva, performing in installation piece for VizLab student Tim Weaver's MA thesis). More info at http://people.tamu.edu/~jstumpo

Blaqbaree
A seedling haiku aspiring to be the next canon like every poem that could lying in wait for the masses to partake of her Afrikaan blended nectar... one verse at a time.

Norris Guest
Born on the planet funkadelic for he is the game lord sent here to punish you.

Bluz
A poet, astronaut, cowboy, prom king(8years in a row suckas), dicator of a small communist island, professional turtle wrangler, National Musical chair champ 2004-2007, one of yours mom's top friends on myspace, slam master, and voted america's best drinking buddy 5 years and counting..he is Bluz

Inkera
Inkera is a lover of poetry, good people,warm spirits and rainshowers. She finds solace in volunteering and helping others. She is currently the assistant and number one fan for SlamCharlotte, the slam team in Charlotte NC. She doesn't consider herself a poet but finds that writing is the only thing in life that frees her soul and allows her spirit to soar. Inkera's love affair with PSI started in 2004 at the first iWPS. She has volunteered at a PSI event every year since then.

Sheba-Sheba Yall! (and you don't stop...!)
www.myspace.com/thequeensheba Compton to Ghana:Hates laundry,loves ice-cream.Rolling Stone's 500 Songs for Kids '07,National Black Arts Fest’07, Rolling Out Magazine.Seen:BET's Lyric Café & on any late night bootleg Cable channel.Seen with a bunch of celebrities who wouldn’t add her name to their bios.In Spit!;Spoken Word movie,her 3 music videos,5th album:Domino Affect,boasting Hidden Beach Recordings Mike Phillips, Ketcha Vibe Julie Dexter & W. Ellington Felton.Published: works Nomi

Amy David
Amy is excited to be competing at the National Poetry Slam for her first time. A native of Chicago-ish, Amy has been a bibliophile all her life, and assumed that everyone had notebooks full of angsty poetry growing up. She is on the board of the Poetry Center of Chicago, and her work has been featured in APICS Magazine.

Tim Stafford
Tim Stafford is the slam master and current Grand Slam Champion of the Mental Graffiti Poetry Slam in Chicago. He'd like to thank his bandmates from "Little Fighter: A Tribute to White Lion" for letting him take a week off from their Midwest tour to compete at NPS this year.

Anastacio Palomo
first time team member. originally from just west of Chicago, a Texas transplant struggling to not grow roots but rather to spread wings and keep mobile on this journey of life. peace much love.

Andrea Vocab Sanderson
Vocab is a former member of San Antonio Puro Slam 2005 and 2006. She is a Alamo city traitor that vowed to try out for slam again, because of friendship. She still mananged to not be hated and despised by the team members from San Antonio she left behind. But she loves them dearly.

Digh
Fresh off the Boat for the second year representing Corpus Christi with her south Indian goodness, Digh comes with the force of a Kerala monsoon.

Candy
Wife. Mother. The most seductive poet on this side of The Mississippi!!

Joaquin Zihuatanejo
Aka The Mexican. The only poet in the world that can be absolutely naked and still pull a knife on you.

Militant X. Amerikkkan
Co-Slam Master. Poetry Slam Co-host. Slam Team Coach. Team's Visonary. Amerikkka's Most Dangerous Poet.

Nicole' Mondaine
A fiery Creole creation telling it like it is every chance she gets. So men, watch out... there's a predator on the prowl ready to eat you up!

Rock Baby
The Titty Man. On tour at Hooter's and Twin Peaks across America. Call me. You wont be disappointed. 911-TITTY(84889). Good luck and have fun!

Twain
A yellow rose growing in a project window. Husband to a beautiful wife. 2007 Dallas City Champ(Sorry. I couldnt help myself). This is Twain.

"Konnichiwa" Zach Schrotter
Self proclaimed Poet “OF DOOM!” & Dallas’ ‘05 City Champion, the co/host/co-slammaster of The Poetry Grind@Pugsley’s Library has a B.A. from Texas Woman’s University & owes his sanity to his loving wife, Kasi.

Captain Carnivale
amy has been a poet almost as long as she could spell the word. she loves the sound of laughter and works tirelessly to cultivate her own. She dreams in rainbow technicolor, exorcises her demons with a pen, and prefers the freedom of unlined paper. Bookworm, teacher, firestarter, shadowboxer, make-out artist, teammate, coach, poet, pirate. '06 Indie Finalist, '04 Dallas Bronze, '01 Dallas Gold.

Eric "Bear Dance" B.
Eric is relatively new to the world of spoken-word poetry, but has quickly gained recognition for his dancing skills. As alternate for the 2007 Pugsley’s Library Slam Team, he has learned that if at first you don't succeed, skydiving is not for you. Eric is like “The Force.” He has a light side and a dark side, and holds the universe together. He is the current Lube Wrestling Champion of Denton, Texas; enjoys the freedoms of entertaining that poetry grants; and always remembers that he’s uniqu

Victory
Victory is a poet, singer, artist, stupid romantic, mother, daughter, daydream believer, but mostly an introvert with social anxiety- yet an almost masochistic urge to make a spectacle of herself. A performance poet for about 6 years, she competes regularly in slams, shows off publicly at open mics & art festivals. She has been on 2 different Dallas slam teams: 1)2004 Dallas Poetry Slam team , made the Finals, won Third Place. (served Team Dallas 1 year before as alternate) 2)2007 Dallas P

Bianca Mikahn
A ripe peach on the tree of this Denver scene due to drop oh so soon. Co-founder of Roc 'Em Soc 'Em running with the likes of AcesI Productions, The Paradox, Mercury Sauce, gracing stages from Nuba to Pretty Boys School of Public Speaking. Slamming like a champ, or actually as a champ with the '06 denver mercury slam team. A spitter to the core and watch her behind the boards!

Bobby Lefebre
Bobby LeFebre is a Denver born Spoken Word Artist, activist, and community organizer who graduated from Metro State in 2004 with a Degree in Psychology. LeFebre is currently employed as a Social Caseworker working with “Delinquent Youth” caught up in the Juvenile Justice System. He is co-founder of Café Cultura, a monthly community open mic/literary event in Denver focused on empowering communities of color through the art of poetry and spoken word.

Jai Harris
Jai Harris aka Jacqualynn J. Harris is a Parkhill Denver native with BIG Dreams. She has been writing poetry since she learned her ABCs but just recently came out of her shell and hit the stages to take her spot on the SlamNUBA Team! At the ripe age of 24, Jai is trying to make her presence known. She is also a filmmaker and has created such films as "To Bear the Burden" and the slamNUBA documentary, and she is currently working on a documentary with Danny Glover and Sonia Sanchez (p

Lucifury
Lucifury, A.K.A., Theo E.J. Wilson, was diagnosed Bi-Polar at the age of 11. He sought writing as a way to work through his emotions. These events uncovered his poetic ability, and the potential that he had to reach the lives of others. A native of Denver, Lucifury continued his education out of state, earning a bachelors in performing arts in 2003 from Florida A&M University. After working for some time as a professional stage performer, he returned, and pursued spoken word as an avenue for

Panama Soweto
Mild Mannered school teacher by day, super villian by night! Panama Soweto was bitten by a radioactive pencil and now terrorizes open mics, karaoke bars, and public libraries.

Suzi Q.
Suzi Q. Smith is a poet hailing from Denver, CO. She is the SlamEmpress for Denver's newest slam venue, SlamNUBA! In addition, she is the author of 'Walk Softly (and carry an a.k.)' - a poetry collection. In addition to the collection, her work has appeared in His Rib, The Peralta Press, Word is Bond, Events Quarterly, In Our Own Words, among others. Suzi Q. Smith is also the Poetry Editor for www.denversyntax.com, an online arts review.

JyObadele (Johnny Jenkins Jr.)
JyObadele, also known as Johnny Jenkins Jr., is a Detroit-based poet-activist. He is currently the Resident Host and Slam Master of the weekly EchoVerse Poetry and Slam Series at the Java Exchange Cafe. His poetry has been spotlighted in the Sunday Detroit Free Press and WDET FM101.9. He is currently working on his first collection of poetry to be released in Autumn 2007.

Londell Thomas
Also known as HiStory was a finalist in both the 2006 and 2007 slam invitationals. He has been in integral part of the success of the Detroit Ignition making Final Stage of the Midwest Poetry Slam League at the historic Green Mill in Chicago. He was also a member of the 2007 Rust Belt Championship team from Detroit. HiStory is the producer of Fly Tongue Poetry, and is noted for weaving faith and truth into his spoken word.

Marsha Carter
Marsha Carter was born and raised in Detroit. She started writing and performing in 2000. Her writing style is simple. She transforms personal life experiences into poetry in order to bring people closer to God through scriptures in her work. In 2006, she independently produced her first CD "Broccoli Don’t Taste Like Peach Cobbler.” In 2006, she also served as resident host of Unrestricted Soul.

Natasha Miller
Also known as T-Miller, she is one of Detroit's rising stars in performance poetry. She is the 2007 Detroit Grand Slam Champion. T-Miller is a poet, author, writer, and motivational speaker. She is also the host of her own open mic every Thursday at the Hunter Supper Club on Detroit's westside. Tasha is a hip-hop loving, down-to-earth woman with fresh verse and lyrics that promote self-awareness and provocative subject matters.

Omari King Wise
Omari is a Detroit-based poet and founder of Uhuru Cipher Artists Management. He was a member of the 2006 Detroit Slam Team, and a member of the 2007 Rustbelt Championship team from Detroit. He a co-founder of the 3rd Eye Open Poetry Collective and of a lecture group that is responsible for the activist series "Hip-Poe-Tics", which focuses on influencing activism through Hip-Hop, Poetry and Politics in Universities and communities around the nation.

Tom Budday
Tom is the 2007 Detroit Slam Team Coach/Alternate team member. He has been a finalist in the last two slam invitationals. Tom was also a member of the 2005 Detroit Slam Team, and is one of the poetry series original Poets-In-Residence. When he's not writing poetry, he's nurturing youth to appreciate and love the art of spoken word. His poetry ranges from the witty and delirious to the simple and sublime.

Dasan Ahanu
Dasan, a downhome product of backseat shenanigans and love. A poet, writer, emcee, organizer, and educator when he isn't playing spoons in his back poch band. There he is known as Sweet Daddy Acidolpholous, son of a piccolo player. He is currently an artist-in-residence at St. Augustine's College and his album "The Jim Crow Jackson Experiment" was released this year by Amp Truth Records.

Janella Sellars
Janella currently serves as the Slam Master for the Bull City Slam Team. As a visual artist, she seeks to educate others on the importance of supporting the arts. She is the Development Director for the St. Joseph’s Historic Foundation - Hayti Heritage Center (Durham,NC); contributing sponsors for the Jambalaya Soul Slam and the Bull City Slam Team, and the hosts for the 2009 Southern Fried Regional Poetry Slam.

Keisha "Lady K"
Keisha was born and raised in Raleigh, NC and has been writing poetry since the age of 10. She has cultivated her art into being more than just lyrics on a page, but as a conceptualization of creativity and love for the poetic voice. Her goal is to use this form of expression as an outlet to project emotions, passions, and effective actions. She is truly a student of life who hungers to learn from everyone and everything. This graduate of UNC-Greensboro is also the founder of Poetically Speak

Daryl Branson
Daryl has a Bachelor of Arts in Creative Writing from Missouri State University. He lives with his wife, Christina, and two cats.

Kimberly Simms
Co-Slammaster. Kimberly Simms is the founder of Wits End Poetry, which sponsors the Upstate Poetry Slam and hosted the 2004 World Poetry Slam. Simms is a published poet with her poems appearing in journals such as Eclipse, The Asheville Poetry Review, AIM Magazine, Growing Up Girl and more. She holds a Master of Arts in English from Clemson University and has recently become a 7th grade language arts teacher. Simms attended her first National Poetry Slam in 1997.

Mariangela Mihai
Mariangela was born in Romania and raised under the communist era for the first 9 years of her life. She became a member of the Upstate Slam Team in 2006 and represented the team at the 2007 World Poetry Slam in Vancouver. She says, "I owe my love for words and the insatiable thirst for knowledge to my father's image and influence, and to the breathtaking scenery of the little village I grew up in, in the heart of the Carpathian Mountains."

Mo'ses
Moses has been slamming his hip hop infused poems since 2003 and has been a member of the Columbia, SC and Upstate, SC slam teams. A veteran of Desert Storm, Moses is one of the founding members for the popular hip hop group Projeckt Lotus. Learn more about his current projects and check out the new album at www.projektlotus.com.

Moody Black
Co- Slammaster. Moody Black dedicates himself to spoken word and helping local area youth through his work as director of the T.K. Gregg Recreation Center in Spartanburg, SC. He is the father of three beautiful children and has performed across the South East from Miami to Durham. He was recently featured on Turner South's "My South," and is a key member of Dirty Mentalz - a collective of positive artists working to enlighten and "edutain" the masses.

SimpL
SimpL is a hip hop emcee by trade who recently joined the Upstate Slam Team. He is the father of two amazing toddlers who are already demonstrating their musical talents at a young age. He has recently been focused on creating deeper and more meaningful songs with his artistic family Projeckt Lotus, who recently released a new album.

Darren J. Ledbetter
Age 29 Height 5'9" I was born in Kalamazoo County. Had a beautiful backyard, which gave me a huge respect for nature. Even though I could never build a fort. During my adolescence schooling, I wanted to be a writer, but had no real drive to write stories. It was only until my latter years that I realized I had a talent of writing poetry. I studied it for ten years before I discovered poetry slams. The whole experience of being on this team has changed my personality and help me fin

Todd Bannon
AKA Big Giant Poet. Member of the 2001 Grand Rapids and 2003 and 2005 Kalamazoo Poetry Slam teams. Todd is the husband of a woman with infinite patience and the father of two children who will surpass in him every possible way. He is currently embarking on twenty-ninth career change. This is Todd's first time at NPS as a coach/slammaster.

beth gillespie
Oracle/Willendorf Zaftig prefers kindness and curiosity over liver and onions. Hard rhyme, soft skin, crooked smile. Pedantic and frantic w/too much wakefulness, Melancholy when it’s cloudy. Thinks kittens who thunk after meowing are forever silent and Husker football Saturdays should behave more like unfortunate felines, formerly mentioned.

Sam Stecher
Sam Stecher is a teacher from Kearney, Nebraska. You may have seen some of Sam's work, poetic and otherwise, under the following pseudonyms. Duke Graybow Jackie Treehorn Ricco Rochambeau Clark Ortega J.T.J. Featherbone Rufas Cola Zebulon Skronty Steve McQueen Rick Embargo Esteban Hype Fracus Romeo Brunswick Murry Hadron Ospicious Drummond Swank Royale William Claude Dukenfield Enzo Ferrajoli Murphy Fursure Theodore Smithereen Honey Bruce Fletcher Stecher Hook Daddy

John "Survivor" Blake
With five bags of heroin in a syringe, the syringe in his arm, John decided to kill himself. He buried his parents (father from AIDS, Mother from prison). His eight siblings gone as well; from addiction and AIDS. Someone showed him a video recording of Def Poetry. It was then, John heard and saw Marty McConnel, "do not let this universe regret you" and he yanked the needle from his arm. Now, slam-winner in over 15 cities, on his first national team, about to undergo another national

Jon Sands
Jon Sands is a genuine look into the mind of a moment wrapped neatly into an anvil, then dropped from a sixty story building. An Ohio native, now residing in NYC’s legendary slam scene where in his first year of competition he captured a slot on the LouderARTS NYC slam team. He now displays urban skin with blood that still flows pounds of granola, combining youthful idealism with probing societal questions, all mixed with the right touch of fire. Find out more on www.myspace.com/jonathansands

Oveous Maximus Salcedo
Oveous Maximus, born Ove Raphael Salcedo, is a native New Yorker who's roots go back to the Dominican Republic. He started writing and performing in New York City in the summer of 2003 after he lost his only brother CARLOS "Ziiinc Blue" to suicide. Since then Oveous' presence on stage has become a symbol of honor in the name of his brother "Ziiinc Blue" who is the eternal driving-force behind Oveous' work to uplift and rejoice the spirits of all people. Oveous has bee

Rachel McKibbens
SlamMaster, coach, team member & knocked up.

Roger Bonair-Agard
Roger Bonair-Agard is a native of T'dad & T'bgo, author of Tarnish and Masquerade, the one-man show Masquerade and the concert, Extra Cover. He teaches and performs throughout the planet. He keeps his belongings in Brooklyn.

Darian Dauchan
Darian Dauchan is an accomplished solo performer and actor who has appeared on both Broadway(Twentieth Century starring Alec Baldwin and Anne Heche) and Off Broadway theatre(Jean Cocteu Rep., Classical Theatre of Harlem). His first self-scripted solo piece Fallen Patriots, which chronicles the life of 3 African American Soldiers during 3 of America's biggest wars, WWII, Civil War, and the Vietnam War, received limited engagements at the Access Theatre, New York International Fringe Festival (pr

Jeanann Verlee
Jeanann Verlee, coach for NYC Urbana 2007, is a used-to-be punk rock girl who writes poems, collects tattoos, and winks at boys. Finalist for both NYC Urbana and NYC LouderARTS in 2007, this 2006 Urbana team member relishes this year’s opportunity to crack whips and clock poems. (myspace.com/jeaverlee)

RICO STEAL
TRINI POET/CONCEPT DESIGNER GRAPHIC NOVELIST (SPY and DICKSEY) Just that Dude. Much RESPECT

ShadoKat
ShadoKat is "rapidly becoming a leading force in the spoken-word world" (Home News Tribune, 2007). A New Jersey Native, ShadoKat has exploded upon the spoken word scene rousing audiences while featuring at venues such as The Green Mil Theatre in Chicago, Club Cargo in London, New Jersey Performing Arts Center, Yale University's Peabody Museum, The Green Court Theatre in Los Angelos and even garnering a 3rd place finish at the Apollo Theatre's renowned Amateur Night. In 20

Aaron Gardner
Aaron was on the Collegiate National Championship Slam team UC Berkeley for the first Collegiate Nationals. Team San Jose 2001 - Qualified for team Berkeley 2002 but dropped out to pursue teaching. Now he teaches Junior High in East Oakland - getting the new crop of hard spitting poets ready for war. Aaron DJ's for Tourrettes without Regrets, the most outrageous slam in the world - and after a small (6 year) break from Slam he's back reppin' Oakland - the scene that brought him up.

Dahled
dah.led (n): intelligent, articulate, witty, sarcastic, quiet except when loud, selectively social, warm hearted, well-written, provocative; poet, husband, friend, man.

nerCity
NerCity (Pronounced “Inner City”), Poet, Host, Community Activist and student of the art of spoken word poetry has been gracing the mic for over 10 years. His brash and gritty “In Your Face” style is not only a reflection of his life growing up in the streets of the Bay Area, but his “NerCity Poetry” reflects on the many lessons he’s learned from elders that are/were in his life. His Slam Resume reads as follows; 2002 Oakland Representative for the NYC Hottest Poet Competition, 2003 Oakl

nerCity
nerCity(Pronounced “Inner City”), Poet, Host, Community Activist and student of the art of spoken word poetry has been gracing the mic for over 10 years. 2002 California Rep for the Hottest Poet NYC, 2003 Oakland Slam Team Member that placed 4th in the Nation, 2003 New Word Series Team Member that placed 1st, 2004 Nuyorican Grand Slam Finalist, 2006 Berkeley Slam Semi Finalist, 2007 Oakland Grand Slam Champion and Team Member. "I've toured all over the country and I've been blessed to be

Kosher
"Kosher" is a member of the Oklahoma City Poetry Slam Team and is a poet who has performed at venues for food, alochol, and cheap tobacco. He has a never ending supply of ramen recipes and loves to cook Oklahoma cuisine for people.

Dan Leamen
Dan Leamen can wiggle.

JM Huscher
Johnny is a tornado.

Ross
Ross is the 2007 Lincoln City Slam Champion and a member of the '07-'08 Omaha Slam Team. His first book, "Only Bi-Lateral Amputees" was released earlier this year in a flurry of halfhearted purchasing and thunderous cries of, "Sure, I mean, I guess I'll buy it." He lives in Omaha and likes kitties.

J. Bradley
J. Bradley is the three time Cybertron Slam Champion, defeating Shockwave, Megatron, and Unicron, and winner of the Winn Dixie 500, the most prestigious shopping cart race in the galaxy. Check him out at myspace.com/jbradley.

Daniel José Custódio
Daniel is a spoken word artist and community activist. In 2005, he published his first book, "Rising to the Surface," which touches upon the struggles he had to overcome as a Latino male growing up in an environment of negativity. In 2005, he found Traveling Poet: a program that fosters positive change in the lives of unpriviledged youth via poetry and spoken word. Daniel is the captain of SlamRichmond, Richmond's first team to compete in PSI's national poetry championships.

Tom Sanchez Prunier
Tom Sanchez Prunier brings a mix of love, humor, daring, outrage, anxiety and facial hair to an already stacked Richmond team. His inspirations include Jeffrey McDaniel, Billy Collins, Taylor Mali, Shann Palmer, Hank Chinaski, Matthew John Conley, Colin Gilbert, Mar Hill, Chuck Palahniuk, Rick Reilly, Charlie Kaufman, Suheir Hammad, Gemineye, George Orwell, Stephen King and anyone with the courage to share their words. On a personal note, Tom really likes fried food. Please don’t feed th

Gray
Gray is currently alive. He goes to college sometimes. He prefers gin to most liquors because it reminds him of when he used to love to go outdoors. He stays indoors most of the time now, drinking gin. He writes, if you want to call it that. Most of it is doodles. He is currently not famous. Right now he probably needs a cigarette.

Jesse Parent
A native of Massachusetts, Jesse moved to Salt Lake City in 1997. He is an improviser by nature and has taught and performed in over 25 national improv festivals. In 2006, Jesse was named an artistic associate of the Chicago Improv Festival. He developed The Hook in 2004, which combines slam poetry, music, and long form improvisation. Jesse used his experience to get involved in traditional slam poetry. In 2007, he earned a spot on the Salt City Slam team, which he was also asked to help coach.

Shae
shae was born in a land which is falling into the pacific ocean due to the massive amount of assholes that currently live there. assholes weigh more than other people. indeed, an asshole could be thin as a twig but if he was rude enough, it would be possible for a skinny asshole to weigh as much as three tons. shae would like to think he is not an asshole, even though he weighs a lot. mostly he remains emersed in writing poetry, novels, and creating arts of bizar mediums.

Emily Shafer
...is a(n) [adjective] poet. She hopes her [noun] makes you want to [verb].

6 is 9
Play diligently Live sweetly Love wildly I'm an artist. Everything around me is a work of art, whether intelligently designed or charmingly 'accidental.' I love to write about the Mysteries, the ones we hide from ourselves, just waiting in the wings. I proudly represent Detroit and am grateful to be a part of this gifted St. Paul team.

Cynthia French
Plane tickets, purring cats, paychecks for art stuff, and foreign accents: these are some of her favorite things. Cynthia tends to straddle the line between the page and the stage: holding her MFA in Writing and being a long-time performer. 2007 will mark her 7th trip to Nats - but her first time representing the newly formed Soap-Boxing team of St. Paul. When Cynthia isn't writing or performing, she's teaching poetry workshops, looking for her dream job, selling pints and roller skating

EZRA
EZRA has been rapping and saying poems in public for over six years. Before that, he only did it in the bathroom, in front of the mirror, like in 8 Mile. He's that real. A two-time Minneapolis Slam Team member, EZRA looks forward to representing the first-ever St. Paul team at this year's Nationals. He also looks forward to everything else about Nationals, even the fundraising. EZRA is one of four emcees in the Hip-Hop crew M.E.S.S.

Tom Reed
Tom Reed grew up on a small organic farm in northwestern Minnesota. He began performing at age six writing and starring in “The Lone Ranger Meets Sleeping Beauty” a collaboration that resulted after Tom and the other first grader in theatre class couldn’t agree on one fictional world to bring to life for an audience of three. Tom later took to the stage in musicals, competitive forensics, satirical storytelling, choir, opera, stand up, and straight shows including a production of the Vagina M

Teresa Dawn Driver
Stagehand, Stage Manager, Secretary-Treasurer IATSE Local 415, Acting Director Tucson Poetry Festival, Mom of Ryan 9 & Kira 4, Still Loving Jaison Stagg, Aspire to be a Soapbox Preacher, 27 Personas in my Closet, 36 years of poetry & counting...Wow!

Fernando Raguero
poet who dabs in the dark and funny. brutally honest. no subject is off limits. has written about everything from peaches to pink urinal cakes.

Nora Smithhisler
She sings the song that ends the earth.

Scruffmouth
Scruffmouth - also known as Kevan Cameron - is a scribe, poet, and performer living in Vancouver, BC. He has been slamming, performing dub and spoken word for 3 years. Cameron also performs for film and tv; his poetry can be audio visualized in the ABC Family mini-series FALLEN. He attended Simon Fraser U. on a soccer scholarship, graduated with a Bachelor’s of General Studies, and played pro soccer before waxing poetic. When he is not reading or writing, Kevan is playing or coaching soccer.

Sean McGarragle
Originally from Toronto, Sean McGarragle is a poet and storyteller now living East Vancouver. He helps out with the Vancouver Poetry and Story Slams as well as being the founder of the West Coast Poetry Festival.

Chris August
Chris August: for stimulating conversations about Chris August and little to nothing else, go to http://www.myspace.com/whatwouldaugustdo

Chris Wilson
Chris Wilson is a little too emotionally closed off for real conversation. For an exercise in futility (and possibly your kegel muscles), head on over to http://www.myspace.com/juliompants

Delrica Andrews
SlamMistress for both DC and Baltimore since 2004; slam slave since 1999. For excerpts of the antics known as her life, visit: http://www.myspace.com/delrica (you can buy her book while you're there).

Joanna Hoffman
Joanna Hoffman: chat with her about Gefilte fish and Debbie Gibson at: http://www.myspace.com/joannahoffman

Twain Dooley
Twain Dooley: discuss the finer points of funk music, jerk chicken and cheap babysitters at http://www.myspace.com/funkpoet

Rich Boucher
A member of 3 poetry slam teams (Worcester ‘95 and ‘96, Washington, D.C. in 2001), this is Rich’s fourth trip to the National Poetry Slam. Rich has published some books of poetry and for 7 years hosted an open reading & slam in Newark, Delaware. He has a lot to learn. His page influences include James Tate, Charles Simic, and Wallace Stevens. His stage influences include Bill MacMillan, Sean Shea, and Lea Deschenes. His interesting blog, Apocalyptic Rabbit Speaks, can be found here: