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Poetry as Performance: THTR 1008

Resources for the course Poetry as Performance, Theater 1008.

Organizations/Communities

  • Maya Angelou: the Official Website
    Angelou brings life to her poetry to life. Through this site’s news updates, reading list, and contact section, she builds her community of fans. The video gallery of her work (under “Media”) and the biography are a bonus for researchers.
  • Performance Studies Division, National Communication Association (NCA)   For those interested in performance scholarship, the NCA Performance Studies Division is the leading organization. Among NCA’s publications is Text and Performance Quarterly.
  • Poetry Foundation
    As the publisher of Poetry magazine, the Poetry Foundation deals with written poetry, but its site also includes audio, video, news, and blogs. Check out the Learning Lab, the Poetry Tool (for browsing), and the virtual poetry tours (Chicago and Washington, D.C.).
  • Poetry International Web
    This site could fit in a few different categories. It has audio files of some poems and video performances of some others. Since it brings together poets from many different countries, a community is the best description. The poetic texts appear in their original languages and in English translation. Also valuable are the articles, the interviews, and the links to other organizations.

Selected Sites

Academy of American Poets -  One of the liveliest and most comprehensive poetry sites, this has something for everyone. Visit the listening booth, find a poem, or read about the American Modernists.

Famous Poets and Poems: African American Poets.  Here you will find poets such as Rita Dove, Claude McKay, Imamu Amiri Baraka, Maya Angelou, Nikki Giovanni, Langston Hughes and other famous and contemporary Black poets. 

AfroPoets.Net - Famous Black Writers.  Here you will find links to famous African-American poets such as Maya Angelou, Nikki Giovanni, Langston Hughes, and more.    

BBC Online - Arts: Poetry - Listen to poets read their own works with recordings of Ted Hughes, Seamus Heaney , and others from the BBC archive; watch animated poetry; or create your own poem. A fun and informative site from the BBC.

Glossary of Poetic Terms Invaluable for students trying to make sense of poetry criticism, this site features a glossary of terms, definitions, examples, and quotations.

Internet Poetry Archive A great scholarly resource. This site features the writings of living poets from around the world, audio clips of poetry readings, poets' comments on their works, photographs, critical biographies and bibliographies.

Modern American Poetry Online journal and multimedia companion to OUP's Anthology of Modern American Poetry. A comprehensive guide to over 161 poets and their work.

Poetry Slam, Inc.  The official governing body of poetry slams worldwide.  Has a news section, a slam map, and links to tournament information.

SallyGaster's African American Phat Library.  "Includes the web pages of the former Bonvibre's Phat African American Poetry Book."

 

Venue Blogs and Websites

Nuyorican Poets logo

Nuyorican Poets CaféThis venue has been an institution since 1973. The Oxford African American Studies Center even includes an entry about it.3 Along with its merchandise catalog and events calendar, this site includes many interesting links. The Gallery of Nuyorican Stars includes links about such famous alumni as Benjamin Bratt and Savion Glover. The list of educational sites and learning communities includes the Power Writers Workshop, which comes through the NYC High School System.
Poetry Project at St. Mark's.  The Poetry Project has been a part of New York’s cultural scene since the late 1960s. Denise Levertov and Alice Walker, among others, have performed here. The site promotes the live events, but memberships allow for offsite participation, as do its Facebook group and Twitter feeds.
Stone Soup Poetry.  Stone Soup Poetry is a long-standing (more than 30 years) open mic in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Strongly influenced by the Beat poets, Stone Soup nonetheless showcases a variety of styles. This entry pays tribute to its founder, the late Jack Powers. When the blog announces featured performances, the posts also work well as poet profiles. An exciting development is the link to Stone Soup’s online magazine Spoonful. Also handy are the links to other venues.
 

Disclaimer

Internet Resources content for this topic is taken from Slam/Spoken Word/Performance Poetry from the Libraries of Fairmont State Univerisity, originally published in College & Research Libraries News - the Association of College & Research Libraries Journal March 2011 volume 72, number 3, pages 143-146, written by Maureen Perry.  Find the original article online here.  Content is used by Temple University Libraries to provide access to previously published information for educational purposes only.  Thank you!