Popular spoken word poetry artists perform

Posted: Jan 15, 2012 10:43 PM by Kathy Kuretich
Updated: Jan 15, 2012 10:55 PM

23 year-old Sarah Kay and 24 year-old Phil Kaye, are two people at the forefront of an art form that's gaining popularity with young adults.
"Spoken word poetry is a type of poetry that doesn't stay on the page. There is something about the poem that demands that it be spoken outloud or seen in person. There is an element of performance that is a crucial part of the poem itself," explains Sarah.

Sunday evening, Sarah and Phil performed for an audience at the Clark Center for the Performing Arts in Arroyo Grande. And while spoken word poetry may be catching on with younger generations, the crowd in Arroyo Grande had people of all ages. Sarah said even though we live in a Facebook and Twitter world, people are eager for new forms of self expression.
"People are still very excited about the rare opportunity to gather at the same place at the same time, and share breath, and space, and the room and
share experiences in a very intimate setting," she said.

Sarah Kay and Phil Kaye are not siblings nor are they married, or even dating... they're just friends who met at a college talent show, had the same last name, and the same passion for spoken word poetry.
"I knew that we both loved to do this, and we loved writing with each other, spending time with each other. I don't think we anticipated the outpouring of support that we get, which has been really wonderful," said Phil.

They've performed and taught workshops throughout the country. Currently, they're on a California poetry tour with their organization Project V.O.I.C.E
(Vocal Outreach Into Creative Expression), which aims to shed more light on spoken word poetry ... and encourages others to give it a try for themselves.
"When we watch young people fall in love with it for the first time, it helps us fall back in love with it even though we've been doing it for ages. Every time I see a new person get excited about it, it's like starting all over again," said Sarah.