This is LaJenne’ of Digital Youth Network’s All Access covering Brave New Voices’ Slam Poetry Festival. I swear I saw truth tonight. I saw it and it felt exactly how the poet and I felt and saw exactly as the poet and I saw. Truth and honesty was ringing in the Chicago Theatre today and I think that everyone felt it. July 18, 2009 marked the last day of Brave New Voices Slam Poetry Festival and it is bittersweet. Over the course of a week, ONE week, I feel alive, understood, inspired, renewed, loved, ecstatic, sad, and so much more that cannot possibly have a word tacked to it so as to even try to describe it. The poems that these poets place out there for all to hear are astounding. I wish that I could have the written verse so as to post it, but even then justice would not be done because I don’t feel as though the passion could be envisioned. I appreciate so much what Brave New Voices has brought to the forefront. This is the type of program that should be widely available to all.

Just to show the effect that this festival had I’ll share a small story. My brother is very smart but like many smart kids he has adopted the horrible tendencies so widely broadcasted by his favorite rappers. And television He has picked up bad tendencies like using the word “gay” in a negative connotation, being very close-minded and insensitive about gay men, and likes to remain ignorant at times because it seems to take to much effort from him to try to learn and understand. My brother randomly decided to go to the finale with me and came out changed. As soon as he left he bombarded me with questions especially about a poem named Switch performed by the New York team and a poem about Censorship performed by Hawai’i. My brother asked, “Do people really dislike gay people that much that they would kill them like that?” “Why would the government censor what people want to say, don’t we have free speech?” After a very enlightening long conversation on the train about how homophobia brews and telling him that the government has been doing it for years and so forth I see that shift in his brain. I see that change in his mindset just manifesting (he finally gets why I hate the term no homo). THIS IS POETRY. THIS IS WHAT IT DOES!!! AND IT IS SO BEAUTIFUL. We get a festival like this that brings 500 poets together, 50 teams, and a great city only tremendous things can happen.

For me this week has been everything in one. I haven’t even minded not having any sleep as a result of documenting, blogging, and capturing moments. I will truly miss it. I want to thank the teams for traveling as they did and also for being so down to earth. Many times you get talented people that are just asses because they feel that they are entitled to be. The youth are so talented, gifted, and humble. I wish I could have managed to get more than just a “Your awesome”  or  “Your piece was amazing” out of my mouth but of course you think of all the great things after the fact. Thank you for everything I truly wish that there was something that I could do to repay you all for these gifts that you have given and I hope that for now this is enough, thank you sincerely from the bottom of my heart.

LaJenne’