Listen: Poetry in Atlanta shows another side of city culture

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Atlanta poet Ryan Jones may have felt defeated coming off of the stage for night two of the 2018 National Poetry Slam in Chicago in August. His slam team Art Amok didn’t place as well as they’d hoped and Jones was on an emotional rollercoaster after learning a friend had just passed away. But as the saying goes, every cloud has a silver lining, and Jones reasoned if the team did well, his friend’s belief in him as a poet became real. In the end, the four-member team won the group piece finals and brought a renewed admiration for Southern artists.

Art Amok’s history goes back to the early 2000s when local poets Karen Garrabrant and Theresa Davis started carving out a space where women could take the lead in the poetry scene. Kimeko McCoy spoke with the poets about Atlanta’s 30-year slam poetry history and how it has changed with a new generation. Plus, host Shane Harrison shares things to do during the next 10 days, including Strand Ole Opry’s Country Christmas at the Earl Smith Strand Theatre.

accessAtlanta podcast 

The AJC's weekly accessAtlanta podcast brings you the stories that make our eclectic city one of a kind.

Go with us behind the scenes for interviews with the people who create movies, music and art that’s making waves around the world. We’ll share some fun things to do in Atlanta over the next 10 days, too. Subscribe on iTunes or Google Play, or find previous episodes on the web at ajc.com.

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