“Ragan Fox is a Gay Slam Poet”: An Autobiographical Exploration of Performance Poetry's Performative Implications

Abstract

This essay reflects on and features poems representative of my decade-long involvement in performance poetry, which includes a third place finish in the individual competition at the 2005 National Poetry Slam, two published collections of performance poetry, and hundreds of featured performances, in venues ranging from the Nuyorican Poets Café to Air America radio. The artistic statement is an autobiographical consideration of the performative and poetic dynamics of specific performance poetry and academic contexts.