the december poetry slam at ballou high school was:amazingfunpowerfulmovingspiritualrealhonestintensefunnythese are the poets. some will go on to battle it out to make the 2012 dc youth slam team this year. there are many youth poetry slams scheduled for january and february, and these are the last chances to make the team.

here is video of me performing at the beltway poetry slam. can you tell i really like that hat? http://blip.tv/play/qSGC4tteAg.html

one of my latest pieces, via my good friends at the angle. check it out and share it if you appreciate the message. Jonathan B. Tucker: Dear David from Park Triangle Productions on Vimeo.

on friday i co-hosted a very successful youth open mic at bloombars, featuring the sensational twelve-year-old rockstar ella. there were supportive teens and adults there to cheer on the twenty-or-so young people who signed up to perform. most of them did poetry of some sort.  six-year-old alycia sang the "i love you" song from barney … Continue reading when youth bloom, we bloom →

tonight's event at busboys and poets with the national gallery of art was much fun. we recreated the electric headlines of andy warhol's day with dc artists mixing together topical subjects of today like troy davis and the death penalty, palestine and dc statehood, and corporate greed and the occupy movement. i performed alongside christylez … Continue reading making headlines →

i had the privilege and the pleasure of facilitating a writing and performance workshop with students at Trinity University here in Washington, DC a couple weeks prior to their open mic event, Speakin' It Real. i came back to the campus in Northeast DC last Tuesday night for the open mic, as a special invited … Continue reading shout out to Trinity Univ. for Speakin’ It Real →

as i prepare for the 2012 slam season, i'm looking back on the 2011 season and all we've done. just found these pictures from our trip to new york city. our friend and local poet in the DC/MD area, Chris August, just won the 2011 Individual World Poetry Slam. we could not be more happy … Continue reading 2011 slam season coming to close →

it meant a whole lot to me today when Col. Ann Wright said, prior to my performance at october2011.org in Freedom Plaza, that i was awesome. she was talking to one of the stage managers right before both of us were scheduled to go on. Ralph Nader was speaking and we were waiting backstage with … Continue reading Col. Ann Wright said i’m awesome →

today two remarkable and legendary figures passed away. i have the feeling that many more people know of steve jobs than rev. fred shuttlesworth. both of these men helped to greatly shape our society. i am not sure why it upsets me that not more people know of shuttlesworth's contributions, but it does. here is … Continue reading Rest in Peace Rev. Shuttlesworth and Mr. Jobs →

Spittin' Truth from Karina Stenquist on Vimeo.

gotta get writing and practicing. there are lots of great shows coming up this summer. i really hope you make it out to dc to see me and my students tearing it up sometime. the dc youth slam team are some really fun and inspirational poets. see photo. we're hosting a FREE poetry workshop on … Continue reading ready for summer? →

everybody likes a joke. even a bad one. the attempt alone is enough to sometimes win over an audience. they know that you know that they want to laugh and have fun, and even if you aren't making them laugh, at least you're trying. this is JBT's random unsolicited advice. thanks for joining us.

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