WATCH THIS is a new series that presents you with videos meant to spark ideas and discussions (and in some cases – can be used for competition).

“Maybe there are cartwheels in your mouth.
Maybe your words will grow up to be gymnasts.
Maybe you have been kicking people with them on accident.” – Andrea Gibson

 You may want to cover your chin with bandages before you watch poet Andrea Gibson perform. What is amazing on paper becomes jaw-dropping when you watch her speak with vibrating passion and urgency. Though many of her poems deal with complicated topics such as gender, identity, diversity and adversity – her “Letter To A Playground Bully…” speaks to anyone who has had to cope with an unpleasant or aggressive person. Unfortunately, that may apply to more of us than we'd like to admit.

A quick search on YouTube will allow you to watch several of her performances. If you're interested in reading more of Andrea Gibson's poetry (or using it in competition), you can order her books and cds through her website, Amazon or Write Bloody Publishers. 

READ THIS is a new series that highlights literature that should be worth your attention. 

“Only parts of us will ever
touch parts of others –
one’s own truth is just that really –
one’s own truth.” – Marilyn Monroe, “Fragments”

Some celebrities’ burn bright but fade quickly. [We miss you, Pauly Shore!] A few stars, though, still glow long after their time has passed.  The iconic blonde bombshell of the 1960’s, Marilyn Monroe’s name has been etched into our collective cultural consciousness as a symbol of unparalleled beauty and tragic demise.

But behind the platinum locks and rosy pout laid a mind far more complex than the purring kitten she portrayed in films. Her personal library contained over 400 books. She preferred to be photographed with books, tons of them, in fact. She read Dostoyevsky, Hemingway, and Kerouac. She studied literature and history at UCLA. Monroe was bubbly on-screen, and brainy off-screen.

 This month marked the 50^th anniversary of Monroe’s passing. Younger generations have been introduced to her through her films. Today, her private poetry, fragments of ideas, and observations have been collected and compiled into a new collection.

 So, interpers, whether you’re a fan of the actress, or interested in running a ‘celebrity’ piece that digs beneath the surface, “Fragments” is definitely worth reading. If you’re a speaker, Marilyn Monroe’s posthumous ponderings offer an excellent example of not judging a book by its (admittedly) beautiful cover. 

via BrainPickings

Customers using SpeechGeek's poetry and prose interpretation for selections in University Interscholastic League (UIL) competitions during the 2011-12 season should download a copy of our Author Verification Letter.