EXPLORING ASIAN AMERICA
Summit participants were scattered around different neighborhoods via public transportation to explore Asian America, talk to people and learn about where communities created spaces. While I missed the group challenge, the next day, we watched people's skits and group poems.
WORKSHOPPING
The family enjoyed amazing workshops: from learning about songwriting, to listening to a panel discuss making a living as artists... and playing with the future (baby so cute).
CELEBRATING
After the 2Tongues final show, 50+ summit folks took over the patio at bar louie's. A waitress' worst nightmare: large group of excited, lightweights and drunks, who don't know what they want to order, move around constantly, hush the crowd to spit poetry and more poetry, and request separate checks. AND who bust out a guitar to start a sing-along.
"These are my people," I said. This is life: hanging with friends and family, laughing, eating good food, and talking shit.
POETING
National Poetry Slams were, um, interesting. Really wanted to recite at the erotica slam, even tried using the "it's my birthday" angle to get priority to read, but the host wasn't feeling me.
That's okay, we cyphered on the street corner: I spit a piece about how I love poets. Then Jaylee dropped a blunt and nasty and funny poem about how he loves to lick... Plus my fabulous birthday escort spit a bit about lazy afternoons.
After I make some smart ass remark, the photographer snapped a shot of me under this smiling vienna sausage sign. (You can't read it, but it says eat me.)
BIRTHDAY'ING AND KARAOKE'ING
We caravanned to Vanessa's birthday bonfire at her parents' beautiful home for singing, singing and drinking, and dancing dancing.