Poet Ivery “Poison Ivery” Johnson, 15, is a sophomore at Percy L. Julian High School.  This is the first year the school has participated in Louder Than a Bomb, where they advanced to the Final round of competition in the 2012 Festival. 

My Generation is a scathing look at today’s youth, based Ivery says “on what I see in ‘my’ generation today” - a commentary on teen mothers, the role of education, and the responsibilities of parents, Ivery reminds us that not all youth approve of the reputation some teens have cultivated.

The largest of its kind in the world, Louder Than A Bomb (LTAB) is Chicago’s rapidly-growing teen poetry festival, taking place February 18 - March 10, 2012, at various venues around Chicago. Aiming to bring teens together across racial, gang, and socio-economic lines, LTAB is a friendly competition that emphasizes self-expression and community via poetry, oral story-telling, and hip-hop spoken word.

Click here to hear all the other 2012 recordings, alongside nearly 200 Louder Than a Bomb Finalist pieces recorded by Chicago Public Media (WBEZ-Chicago) over the past eight years.