Counting Down--The CSIHSIS Annual Poetry Slam is Coming!!!!

To celebrate National Poetry Month our sophomore students have begun their original poetry portfolios. To honor their work and to engage them in spoken word poetry and oral delivery of poetry today they began their work with guest performance poet and teaching artist Lamont "Napalm" Dixon. Lamont will be working with all sophomore English classes for a week long residency that will culminate in our Annual Poetry Slam, featuring the work of our sophomore poets, our percussionists and all other members of our community who would like to participate, including teachers, parents, and students. We look forward to our students' performances and hope that former slam winners Darlene Akanmu ('10) and Priscilla Torres ('11) will once again captivate us with their poetry.

NAPALM", aka Lamont Dixon, http://www.napalmdabomb.com/index.html is a regular on the jazz-poetry scene. He infuses jazz, hip hop, blues, and drama with his performances and workshops.A Philadelphian, Napalm trained at Freedom Theater and the Phila. Univ. of the Arts, as well as a tenure with Temple U.'s Full Circle Improvisational Troupe. Napalm's poetry has been published in African Voices, The Phylaxis, New Poet's Revolution and Essence Magazine. _He is a recipient of the Phylaxis Society's Excellence in Literature Award and John G. Lewis Medal of Excellence for Art. Napalm is a teaching artist for Perkins Center for the Arts, the NJ & PA State Council for the Arts, and Rutgers and Rowan University.Napalm appears on African Rhythm Tongues with jazz musicians Khan Jamal and Byard Lancaster, Po-Jazz Connection with Arpeggio Jazz ensemble and others.He also served as co-executive producer for the Russell Simmon's 2001 Def Poetry Jam Tour in Philadelphia. In the past our students have loved working with Lamont and look back at it as a highlight of their sophomore year. We are confident that this year will be no exception.

Looking forward to having you and your family join us at our

Annual Poetry Slam!

Wednesday, April 28th at 6:00 PM