In the beginning was the word. The word spread and became a revolution. The Spoken Word Revolution is the celebration of a revolution in poetry and a collection of the written and performed works of more than 40 of the most influential slam, hip hop and performance poets in the world today.

Editor Mark Eleveld, a high-school teacher in Joliet, Illinois, cofounder of EM Press and eloquent champion of spoken-word poetry, has joined forces with Marc Smith, the acclaimed Chicago-based poet and creator of the poetry slam. Together they trace the evolution of spoken-word poetry, and espouse a continuation and rebirth of the oral tradition in our country, and in countries around the world, where the power of poetry performed inspires an audience.

The Spoken Word Revolution captures today?s electrifying words and voices, in text and immediately live on one audio CD. From U.S. Poet Laureate Billy Collins? introduction "Poems on the page, Poems in the air," to poet, artist and star of The Lord of the Rings Viggo Mortensen?s "Weekends," hear an incredible array of today?s most exciting and innovative spoken-word artists performing their works. Performance poetry represents a new democratization of poetry and is an outlet more and more people are using to express themselves. Slam poetry has evolved into a worldwide social, literary and cultural movement. This is the definitive collection of spoken-word poetry, brought together for the first time from the page to the stage.

The definitive collection from the most significant poetry movement in the world today — narrated by the man who started it all, Marc Kelly Smith. One audio CD highlights performances by some of the best spoken word poets of today with narration by Marc Kelly Smith.

Audio clips from the included CD:

• Spoken Word Intro
• HT Write a Plit. Poem
• Careful What You Ask For
• It's a teenage thang

Mark Eleveld is the publisher of EM Press, a small independent poetry press based in Joliet, Illinois, devoted to slam and urban poets. He has also handled PR for Marc Smith, founder of Slam Poetry and MC of the Uptown Poetry Slam at the Green Mill. He lives in Joliet, Illinois.

Mark Smith is a poet and founder of the Slam Poetry movement. In the almost 15 years since the inception of the Slam Poetry movement, Marc has gained an international renown. He lives in Chicago, Illinois.