01Paid | iTunes
Length: 17:36:36
Aired: 3/30/2009
Young poets compete in regional qualifying events in New York, Ft. Lauderdale and San Francisco for the chance to represent their city at the Brave New Voices 2008 National Slam Championship. Among those vying for places in the six-person poetry teams: B. Yung, a Brooklyn street teen with fire in my chest; Britney, a fearless competitor with cerebral palsy and huge ambitions; Mike, a crowd-pleasing audience favorite; Jasmine, a team leader coping with sickle-cell disease; and Ericka, a novice who compensates for her tough upbringing through writing and over-eating. watch
02Paid | iTunes
Length: 21:13:29
Aired: 4/6/2009
With only a few weeks before the Washington finals, the real work begins for poetry teams in Philadelphia (the defending champs), Honolulu and Ann Arbor. New faces include Alysia and Josh, two Philly poets who bonded in a diversity conference; Jamaica, immersed in the culture and traditions of Hawaii; Attai, a former prodigy striving to add substance to his style; and Ben and Aimee, part of a Michigan team trying to counter stereotypes of white upperclass kids. Meanwhile, in San Francisco, Ericka gets a second chance to make a team, while in NYC, B. Yung's spot is jeopardized when he fails a teamwork test given by his coach, Queen God Is. watch
03Paid | iTunes
Length: 17:00
Aired: 4/13/2009
In New York, Britney's words help B. Yung face up to his emotions. Ann Arbor poets Aimee, Carolyn and Fiona practice a three-part poem and share some emotional personal stories. After the Philadelphia team takes part in a blindfolded Trust Walk, one of its leaders, Josh, delivers an emotional Fathers Day poem to his dad, who put his own ambitions on hold to support his family. In Santa Fe, NM we meet April, who channels her Navaho background into poems recited with her team from the top of a mountain. Back in Ft. Lauderdale, Jasmine's recurring health problems make it increasingly hard for her to compete, while the team's talented #2 poet, Jon, struggles with a bipolar disorder that could end up making him a team liability. watch