Controversial slam poet to perform at Courtyard Cafe
Alvin Lau will be performing at the Courtyard Café on Wednesday Oct. 13. Lau uses his art to speak out against injustice in the world.
Lau is known for his appearances on HBO’s Def Poetry Slam in addition to being the highest ranking Asain-American slam poet ever. On top of that, Lau has won the National Youth Poetry Slam twice and was also named “Poet of Conscience” by Amnesty International in 2006.
Slam poetry is a type of poetry that uses live performance in front of an audience, who serve as judges, to continue the tradition of poetry as an oral art form. Slam poetry is less accepted as literature by academic communities, but widely received by young and diverse poets. This is due to the tendency of slam poetry to speak out against injustice, violence and racism.
Lau in particular focuses on themes such as the loss of his native culture in the American melting pot and the obsession with money, which he himself has experienced as a professional poker player.
According to Kady Johnson, one of the CAB members who worked to get Lau to Gustavus, many members of CAB felt moved to have Lau perform for Gustavus in the Courtyard Café after seeing him perform at the National Association for Campus Activities (NACA). “We wanted to see him perform here because slam poetry isn’t something that we usually bring for CAB Coffeehouse [performances], but it completely fits in the environment, and it just made sense to fill the space with something other than music for a night,” Johnson said.
Lau is also an appropriate performer for the Gustavus community given the themes of his poetry and the incidences of hatred which took place on campus last fall. Lau has touched on all of these themes in past performances, and it is expected that his poetry on Wednesday will address issues including gay marriage, human rights, race and social status according to Johnson.
CAB members highly encourage students are highly encouraged to attend Lau’s performance on Wednesday in order to experience a type of literature that many have not witnessed before. Students will also be presented with an alternate opinion on many social issues that our country struggles with today. “[Lau] speaks out against injustice and oppression using personal stories that will be relatable and relevant to all those in attendance,” Johnson said.
To learn more about Alvin Lau, visit his myspace.com page: http://www.myspace.com/alvinlau. To learn more about slam poetry go to www.poetryslam.com/ or nationalpoetryslam.com/.