Acclaimed poetry slam team to visit Brazosport College

Brazosport College is set to celebrate National Poetry Month with a daylong event featuring plenty of fun, prizes and poetry.

The College’s annual “Poem in My Pocket Day” is slated for Thursday, April 12 at the BC Student Success Center.

The highlight of the day is an appearance by the Houston VIP Poetry Slam Team, which is led by Houston’s Poet Laureate, Deborah D.E.E.P. Mouton.

The Houston VIP Poetry Slam Team is among the nation’s top poetry performers. In 2013, Houston VIP was ranked No. 2 in the nation’s best group performers. In both 2014 and 2016, Houston VIP was a semi-finalist in the National Poetry Slam and ranked as the best poetry slam team in the state of Texas. The popular slam team is making a return appearance to Brazosport College, as it was a hit at last year’s “Poem in My Pocket Day” event.

Mouton is an internationally-known poet, singer, actress, photographer, wife, mother and the current Poet Laureate for the city of Houston. Formerly ranked the No. 2 Best Female Poet in the World, Mouton has established herself as a notable force in the performance and slam poetry world.

“The Brazosport College Writing Center is honored to bring the Houston VIP Slam Team and D.E.E.P. Mouton back for a second year,” said BC Writing Center Director April Julier. “They really show students a different side of poetry, and that exposure is what National Poetry Month is all about. 

“The partnership between the BC Writing Center and Houston VIP Slam Team seems so natural,” Julier added. “Their slogan is ‘we’ve got a pocket full of poems,’ and our event is ‘Poem in My Pocket Day.’ It was meant to be.”

Also among the scheduled activities on “Poem in My Pocket Day” is a Poetry Scavenger Hunt, which is ongoing, with entries due by 4 p.m. on April 12. Locations include the BC Library, the Student Success Center, Student Life, Learning Services, Career Services, the IT Help Desk, the BC Bookstore ad the SGA office. Prizes include an iPad Mini, gift cards, swag bags, magnetic poetry and more.

“Poem in My Pocket Day” is scheduled from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Other scheduled activities include a poetry reading at 11 a.m. and a poetry writing workshop at 1:30 p.m.

For more information, contact Brazosport College Writing Center Director April Julier at april.julier@brazosport.edu or at (979) 230-3174. To learn more about Houston VIP Poetry Slam, visit houstonvipslam.com.