Indy faces: Poetry slam competitor Matthew Davis - video included
Matthew Davis, 17, is “the resident teenager” at Earth House — a coffee shop, art gallery, performance space, community wellness center, bookstore and spiritual gathering spot inside Lockerbie Central at the corner of New York and East streets. A senior at Arlington High School, he has only been writing poetry for a year, yet he came second in the youth section of the Southern Fried Poetry Slam, held in Tallahassee last summer.
A reader of Foucault and Nietzsche, and an admirer of Barbara Kingsolver and Muhammad Ali, Davis isn’t afraid to speak out. His favorite poem, which he performs and delivers at competitions, conferences, and education symposiums, is about his experiences in the IPS system.
The poem, entitled “75108” (his student identification number) is about racism and conformity. He wrote it when he was 16, when he “was just getting hip to the system,” and can be found performing it on the Earth House stage regularly.
“The stage is like a blank piece of paper. I can express myself and get it out, no matter what I’m feeling. It’s usually a call to action, because I just hate to sit around and let things happen,” he said. “There should be no adjustment to injustice — that’s my stand.”
Greenhouse Poetry Slam
When: 8 p.m. April 4.
Where: Earth House, 237 N. East St.
Info: (317) 636-4060 or www.earthhousecollective.org
Aww, I wish I could be there. Good luck Matthew. I caught you at the Valentine’s Verses reading at Earthhouse. Kid, you’re the new voice of poetry in Indy. Take it and run with it. Peace.
Jason L. Ammerman
Poet and member of the Reservoir Dogwoods
Mathew-Davis : RE: Indy faces: Poetry slam competitor Matthew Davis - video included More..
hey man thanks for that encouragement it means alot to me man but since u couldnt make the slam will have others and besides slam you could come to the earthhouse and see or perform at the open mic
or just come through and kick it
again thanx man
Matt! Your awesome and always have been so talented! I am sooo glad that the rest of the world is getting to see this! Keep on doing what you do-its encouraging and desperately needed! You inspire me to keep moving forward! AWESOME!
LOve you!
Molly
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