Bay Area, our young people are wrapping words of wisdom around subjects like survival, poverty, oppression, community, life, and death. It's time to listen up.

“Just like a picture is worth a thousand words, a word can provoke a thousand memories,” says Tele’Jon Quinn, one of seven 16 to 18-year-old Oakland youth poet laureate finalists. “Memorizing goes hand in hand with reflection. If my words can cause someone to reflect on an important issue or event in their life, then my words were worth sharing.” The East Bay bards are now preparing for the first group performance at the Art and Soul Festival in Oakland on Sat/4. Read more »

The scene would not have seemed unusual to the average passerby: the three of us, 20-something-year-old women, had just stepped into Madrone Art Bar for drinks after work. We sipped pale ales and chatted up three male strangers in a booth. But this was no chance meeting. Tonight the air tingles with curiosity and expectations because the meeting is predestined – not by fate, but by the new group dating website Grouper.  Read more »

Hey you, over-20 person. Do you ever wonder what what on the minds of today's teens? The answers are heavy, and they soar from the mouths of spoken word poets -- especially those of the recently-announced team that will be representing the Bay Area at this year's Brave New Voices international slam on July 21. Care to meet them? Read more »

There's no question that a childhood spent growing up Ethiopian in Haight-Ashbury made fertile ground in which to grow a stand-up career. That's where Yanye Abeba is coming from. Abeba is performing in Kung Pao Kosher Comedy's second Color of Funny comedy tour on Thu/21 and Fri/22. Her schtick will be part of a unique line-up -- and afterall, how many other people can pull on the interactions between their first generation African father and the homeless kids on Haight Street for their funny? Read more »