Idaho State University Anderson Center to host workshop, reading by slam poet Andrea Gibson April 25-26 for National Poetry Month

Award-winning slam poet, activist and performer Andrea Gibson will give a reading performance at 7 p.m. Wednesday, April 25, in the Idaho State University Pond Student Union Quad Lounge.

Gibson will hold a workshop titled "Spoken Word in Action" at 11 a.m. Thursday, April 26, in the Rendezvous Complex, Suites A, B and C. Both public events are free.

Gibson focuses on gender norms, politics and the world we live in. As a slam poet, she is known for her engaging performances and captivating messages. She was the very first winner of the Women of the World Poetry Slam in 2008 and has earned several other awards throughout her career.

As a writer she has also published several books, such as "Pole Dancing To Gospel Hymns," "Trees that Grow in Cemeteries," "Yellow Bird" and "What the Yarn Knows of Sweaters." Gibson currently resides in Boulder, Colo.

The Anderson Gender Resource Center at Idaho State University, through a grant from the Idaho Humanities Council, is sponsoring Gibson's visit in recognition and honoring of April as National Poetry Month.

"I am excited that the Idaho Humanities Council is partnering with us to bring Andrea Gibson to Pocatello. Although poetry often has the reputation of being inaccessible, Andrea Gibson's energizing work will inspire even those who might never before have considered attending a poetry reading," said Rebecca Morrow, director of the Anderson Gender Resource Center, who first became familiar with Gibson after seeing her perform in Denver in 2010.

National Poetry Month was first introduced in April 1996, inspired by the success of Black History Month in February and Women's History Month in March, and has been celebrated across the United States and Canada since 1999. As a time to acknowledge and promote poetry, publishers often release poetry in April and libraries, writing groups and other related forums typically choose this month to focus on this art form. Slam poetry is a comparatively new form of performing art where the poems are delivered through spoken word in front of a live audience and judged to select a winner. 

For more information about the event, contact the Anderson Center at 282-2805.

Visit http://www.andreagibson.org/ for more information on Gibson,

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