Monday 12 December 2016

5 Diverse Poets For You to Check Out on YouTube

You know that poetry is for everyone, right? Well slam and performance poetry is a great example of that.

And there are hundreds and thousands of poetry slam and performance videos on YouTube - they are so addictive, I'm surprised I ever get anything else done!









So I figured I'd share just a handful of my favourite diverse slam, spoken-word, and performance poets from YouTube (because my faves happen to diverse in this instance! Woo!)

Oh, and pretty much all of these have swear-words. Poets swear worse than sailors.







Winona Linn

Meskwaki poet Winona Linn is witty, clever, and passionate; her performances are amazing.

Check out: Knock-Off Native (below,) Currency, and Grey Owl.









Crystal Valentine


Stylish, bold, and unapologetically political, Crystal Valentine's poetry explores being a Black woman in today's America.












Dia Davina

A queer and genderqueer feminist, Dia Davina is awesome. They are funny and honest and just amazing.

Check out: Emergency Room (below,) Boy In My Closet and U-Haul











Elizabeth Acevedo

Afro-Dominicana poet Elizabeth Acevedo writes on race, feminism, and their intersection. She rocks.






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Benjamin Zephaniah

One of the best modern British poets there is, I will never miss the chance to recommend the wonderful Jamaican-British Benjamin Zephaniah.

Never afraid to speak on politics and race, or to combine poetry with music, Zephaniah is a definite favourite of mine.

Check out: Having a Word (below,) Responsible, and Us an Dem











So check some of these wonderful poets out, and enjoy!








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Last updated: 9th October 2019

10 comments:

  1. Thanks for this list! I definitely want to get more into poetry, so this will help me a lot!

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  2. This is such a cool list! I never even considered looking up poets on Youtube. Thanks so much. :D

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    1. Ha, once you start watching poetry vids on YouTube, you'll never stop! ;)

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  4. Cee,
    This post is great! I love poetry, I write it, but I have been discouraged as an ace woc, because I was worrying over representation and being alone in this field. So, this post gives me a lot of hope. I am subscribing to all of them, obviously. I also have to check out the list of LGBTQ folks you recommended to me on Twitter. You're the best.

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    1. Poetry is for absolutely everyone and there are poets from all backgrounds and walks of life. Never feel you are alone Dina - there are people willing to support you, I promise :) I'd love to read some of your poetry some time :)

      I'm sooooo glad that you found this post & my recs helpful! XD

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  5. I LOVE poetry. This is something you probably know because I really enjoy reading your micropoetry. But the thing is that I never really listen to slam poetry. My favourite slam poet is Rives, who I discovered because of Tedx. I also love Zephaniah's works. I discovered him in primary school and have read anthologies of his since.

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