Postmodernist Spoken Word and Poetry Slams

Extra Credit

Be warned. Some of these poems have spicy language in them. But hey, slam poetry & spoken word is kind of a Postmodernist thing!

This is Taylor Mali. He's one of the most famous slam poets in America. I bet you can't figure out why I love this poem so much! This is full of irony and a dash of paranoia.

Here is Rudy Francisco's spoken word performance of "Complainers." Consider his use of maximalism and fragmentation here when you watch his inspiring, energizing presentation!

Oh, come on. You knew there would be some Epic Rap Battles of History in here. I love the pastiche and historiographic metafiction elements of this one, combining historical events with Marvel comics. Perfect.

[Content Note in description below.]

This is spoken word called "Dear Anxiety" by Clayton Jennings. It is a powerful account of his overcoming anxiety, and it uses Postmodern elements of metafiction and intertextuality/pastiche. I tear up when I watch him. This one is heavier, so [CN - it addresses mental health issues, religion] skip this one if you think it's inappropriate for you.

83 comments

83 Comments

billyyerd

May 17, 2022

Billyyerd Pd.2

I complain A LOT, so watching Rudy Franciscos spoken word about Complaining. He explained the stories in so much detail. He made me think about complaining in another way. We always complain about the little things, but as he says "We are never given anything we can't handle", everything happens for a reason. Everything we go through always has a reason. He uses maximalism to talk about all the struggles people go through but still complain so little. It almost makes you feel guilty for complaining without a reason, because usually at the end everything turns out good.