Spoken Word (resistance and Healing) takes an intimate look at the genre of Slam and Spoken Word Poetry. In particular, this class is concerned with the emergence of spoken word as a literary, social, and political tool for resistance and revival in many distinct contexts including, but not limited to: Aloha ʻĀina & Hawaiʻi, Gender & Sexuality, #Blacklivesmatter & #Sayhername, etc.).
As a part of the class students will be exposed to a diverse collection of poetry (both written and recorded). As a class we will analyze the literary movements within the genre of Spoken Word & Slam. Moreover, we will question and consider the social, political, and material realities under which this literary genre was imagined and transformed since slam poetry’s emergence in the 1980s. A crucial part of the class will also include creating a spoken word poetry portfolio.