JT BULLOCK
JT Bullock is a New Orleans native who has been living in Birmingham, Alabama since 1998. His poetry covers a broad range of subject matter that run the gauntlet from personal confessions to political protests. In his work as a spoken word artist, he has experimented with the rhythmic styles of hip-hop, the brutal honesty of satirical comedy, and streams of consciousness found in surrealistic monologues. He is the author of one chapbook called Uncommon Days in Blues of Gray and a CD entitled I Can Sue Reality.
In 2000, he joined the Birmingham Slam Team as an alternate at the Southern Fried Regionals in Americus, Georgia and has been rocking the mic ever since! Two years after his first competition, he came back to Southern Fried in Memphis as a member of Team Montevallo and scored a major victory as the ..1 team in the southeast.
He is a frequent competitor at the Lake Eden Arts Festival in Black Mountain, North Carolina and has advanced to the Final Round on three occasions. His most remarkable accomplishment to date happened at the 2006 National Poetry Slam in Austin, Texas where he placed 19th in the nation out of nearly 400 poets from 72 venues across the United States, Canada, and abroad.
Through the Phi Theta Kappa International Honor Society, he has performed on the academic circuit at the University of Las Vegas, Nevada, Windward Community College in Kaneohe, Hawaii, and the University of Houston-Clear Lake. He opened the 2006 Phi Theta Kappa International Convention in Seattle, Washington with a performance to a crowd of 3,500 college students and educators from across the United States and seven other nations. At this convention, he shared the stage with likes of Madeline Albright and Cokie Roberts. It was here that he also received praise for his work from Pulitzer Prize winning journalist and Columbia University professor Mirta Ojito. These experiences have led him to pursue a career in creative writing and education.
ANDI KAUTH
Although she has been writing poetry since she was old enough to put complete thoughts together, Andi began her career in Slam in 2004, when she was mentored by the creator of Slam himself, Marc Smith. Since then, she has gone on to become Slam Master of the Palatine Poetry Slam, Coach of the 2005 Palatine National Poetry Slam team, and a member of the 2006 Palatine NPS team. She mentors kids in the art of spoken word, and has also been invited into high school freshman English classes to help introduce the writing and performing of spoken word. She has been published twice in the Celebration of Young Poets poetry anthology and has been featured in The Viking Logue and The Daily Herald.
Winning two slams at Chicago's Green Mill have been highlights in her young career. Other highlights include performing in the Slam Master Slam against more than twenty of the best poets in the country at the 2005 National Poetry Slam, placing 31st individually at the 2006 National Poetry Slam, and participating for three years in William Fremd High School's annual weeklong literary festival. She recently received the honor of being named Best Writer of her 2006 graduating class. She has a CD out called "The Young(er) Years" and is working on a chapbook.
Andi has taken the year off before college to pursue her dreams of becoming a professional performance poet and to go on tour. She also hopes to give presentations at Women's Centers and wherever she goes, raise awareness of sexual violence so that some day soon the high percent of rape and sexual violence in the US will start decreasing. In college, she plans on studying Civil Rights/Liberties and English Ed.
ANDI KAUTH & BILLY TUGGLE: ENTER THE LIONS '07 SUMMER TOUR...
Two fifths of the Palatine, IL Poetry Slam team, a classic Batman & Robin duo, Andi and Billy will be all over a bunch of stages together this summer, hopefully one near you.
Yeah, I said it. Near you!
7/18 CHICAGO,IL Heartland Cafe "In One Ear" 7/19 GRAYSLAKE, IL Jesse Oaks Bar 7/24 early PALATINE, IL Durty Nellies, Palatine Grudge Slam featuring the Palatine, Chgo./Mental Graffiti, Chgo/Green Mill, Milwaukee and Spoken Word Univ. of Mpls. slam teams 7/24 late CHICAGO, IL Trace Lounge "Safe Smiles" presented by PolyRhythmic, featuring Tara Betts & Rich Vilar 8/5 DALLAS, TX The Dallas Invitational Poetry Slam with Team Palatine 8/7-12 AUSTIN TX The National Poetry Slam with Team Palatine 8/25 CHICAGO, IL The Bucktown Arts Festival
The 2007 Team Palatine also stars Dennis Florine, Peter Barlow and Lisa Riderelli. For the 3rd year in a row, the Palatine Poetry Slam is one of 3 Chicagoland teams and 4 from Illinois to compete at NPS and this year's only Illinois enty in the Dallas Invitational. Late this summer and thru the fall, Billy will continue the 3rd leg of the Fear of a Dread Planet Tour.
