Patricia Smith is a poet, teacher, performance artist, and author. Her new book, Shoulda Been Jimi Savanah, is the focus of the event. She is also the author of Blood Dazzler and Teahouse of the Almighty. A four-time individual champion on the National Poetry Slam, Smith has also been a featured poet on HBO’s Def Poetry Jam and has performed her work around the world.

This event will encourage students as they compete in Louder Than a Bomb (LTAB). LTAB is the largest youth festival in the world that brings together young people from many different backgrounds and sides of the city and celebrates the expression of their identities and values. LTAB is a friendly competition that focuses on community and self-reflection utilizing oral story-telling, hip-hop spoken word, and poetry. Not only are the stories real and inspiring but the program boasts an 85% high school graduation rate among its participants and has had zero incidents of violence in its 11-year history.

Recorded Friday, March 2, 2012 at the Chicago Cultural Center.