By: Nina Peci –

On Friday, Feb. 10, Will Evans, slam poet and founder of the blog, Black Nerd Problems, came to Southeast to share his slam poetry and talk to students about life as a parent and a “nerd.” Kim Anthony, Southeast’s Louder than a Bomb sponsor, invited him because she believes bringing in artists who make a living off their craft is important for the purpose of exposing young artists.

“I feel that slam poetry is the only art form that demands to come off the page,” said Anthony. “When you write a novel or other forms of poetry, that doesn’t demand to come off the page, and be spoken, and be alive, and be performed.”

She believes that feeling is what sets slam poetry apart from other written works like novels, poems, and speeches.

“[Mr. Segrist and I] started this because there’s the population of kids that like poetry and working with words but are not speech people,” said Anthony. “Speech and slam poetry are very, very different animals. It’s just a process, it’s a very chill environment and you don’t even have to compete.”

For those who do compete, Anthony says that there is more to be gained than “snaps” or recognition for your poem. “You can get up there and feel that large realm of empathy, sympathy, and connection to people through that competition.”

By having Louder than a Bomb at Southeast she says it opens up a new realm of experiences for kids who don’t think they fit into the regular track of activities.

“With the infusion of technology, we’re losing that connection to our empathy, our sympathy, and our emotions,” said Anthony. “Rarely do students have to look into each other’s eyes when they trash talk them, and that’s taking a big toll on our emotional connections with each other.”

She hopes with slam poetry, that’s a barrier we can break and encourages students to reach out and give it a try, whether you’re a writer or not.

“Poetry is not that hard,” said Anthony. “It’s just being honest with yourself and putting it out there.”