The Palo Alto Teen Arts Council hosted its first Poetry Jam on Friday Jan. 16 at the Palo Alto Children’s Theatre. Many Palo Alto High School students performed original poetry, shared published works and read song lyrics to an audience of teens in the spirit of expression and acceptance.
Paly junior Molly Kraus performs an original response to the phrase “daddy issues,” a concept she thinks “our culture likes to hypersexualize.” The audience became emotional after her heartbreaking/touching poem. <span id=”mce_marker” data-mce-type=”bookmark”>È</span><span id=”__caret”>_</span>&amp;lt;span&amp;gt;New Gallery 2015/1/20&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;&amp;lt;span&amp;gt;Paly senior Ido Gal performs after watching other teenagers’ success. “I’m not really sure I’ve ever read a poem out loud, ever, but I wanted to dedicate this to Claire and Teddy for inspiring me,” Gal said before reading the poem. Photo by Ana Caklovic.&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;&amp;lt;span&amp;gt;flash&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;&amp;lt;span&amp;gt; 16&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;&amp;lt;span&amp;gt;cameramake&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;&amp;lt;span&amp;gt; NIKON CORPORATION&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;&amp;lt;span&amp;gt;height&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;&amp;lt;span&amp;gt; 397&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;&amp;lt;span&amp;gt;orientation&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;&amp;lt;span&amp;gt; 1&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;&amp;lt;span&amp;gt;camerasoftware&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;&amp;lt;span&amp;gt; Ver.1.00 &amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;&amp;lt;span&amp;gt;originaldate&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;&amp;lt;span&amp;gt; 1/17/2015 2:44:05 AM&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;&amp;lt;span&amp;gt;width&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;&amp;lt;span&amp;gt; 600&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;&amp;lt;span&amp;gt;cameramodel&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;&amp;lt;span&amp;gt; NIKON D5100&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;&amp;lt;span&amp;gt;Paly junior Molly Kraus performs an original response to the phrase “daddy issues,” a concept she thinks “our culture likes to hypersexualize.” The audience became emotional after her heartbreaking/touching poem. Photo by Ana Caklovic.&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;&amp;lt;span&amp;gt;originaldate&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;&amp;lt;span&amp;gt; 1/1/0001 6:00:00 AM&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;&amp;lt;span&amp;gt;height&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;&amp;lt;span&amp;gt; 397&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;&amp;lt;span&amp;gt;width&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;&amp;lt;span&amp;gt; 600&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;&amp;lt;span&amp;gt;orientation&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;&amp;lt;span&amp;gt; 1&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;&amp;lt;span&amp;gt;camerasoftware&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;&amp;lt;span&amp;gt; Picasa&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;&amp;lt;span&amp;gt;Paly senior Emma Chiu shares an excerpt from the novel &amp;amp;quot;Fahrenheit 451,&amp;amp;quot; a story she was familiar with from her participation in the Children’s Theatre play. Photo by Ana Caklovic.&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;&amp;lt;span&amp;gt;originaldate&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;&amp;lt;span&amp;gt; 1/1/0001 6:00:00 AM&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;&amp;lt;span&amp;gt;height&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;&amp;lt;span&amp;gt; 397&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;&amp;lt;span&amp;gt;width&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;&amp;lt;span&amp;gt; 600&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;&amp;lt;span&amp;gt;orientation&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;&amp;lt;span&amp;gt; 1&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;&amp;lt;span&amp;gt;camerasoftware&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;&amp;lt;span&amp;gt; Picasa&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;&amp;lt;span&amp;gt;The hosts of the event, sophomores Teddy Stewart and Claire Eberhart, kept the tone the light by telling poetry-related jokes in between poems. The two friends decided to create the event because of their love of poetry and named it after the famous poem “Point B” by Sarah Kay. Photo by Ana Caklovic.&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;&amp;lt;span&amp;gt;originaldate&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;&amp;lt;span&amp;gt; 1/1/0001 6:00:00 AM&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;&amp;lt;span&amp;gt;height&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;&amp;lt;span&amp;gt; 397&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;&amp;lt;span&amp;gt;width&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;&amp;lt;span&amp;gt; 600&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;&amp;lt;span&amp;gt;orientation&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;&amp;lt;span&amp;gt; 1&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;&amp;lt;span&amp;gt;camerasoftware&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;&amp;lt;span&amp;gt; Picasa&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;&amp;lt;span&amp;gt;Sophomore Aisha Chabane, a Paly theatre student, spontaneously decides to perform the poem “Girl Code 101” after watching other participants. Photo by Ana Caklovic.&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;&amp;lt;span&amp;gt;originaldate&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;&amp;lt;span&amp;gt; 1/1/0001 6:00:00 AM&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;&amp;lt;span&amp;gt;height&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;&amp;lt;span&amp;gt; 397&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;&amp;lt;span&amp;gt;width&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;&amp;lt;span&amp;gt; 600&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;&amp;lt;span&amp;gt;orientation&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;&amp;lt;span&amp;gt; 1&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;&amp;lt;span&amp;gt;camerasoftware&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;&amp;lt;span&amp;gt; Picasa&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;&amp;lt;span&amp;gt;Paly juniors Adele Bloch and Sophie Swezey took turns performing short, humorous poems by Shel Silverstein. The audience burst out laughing several times. Photo by Ana Caklovic.&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;&amp;lt;span&amp;gt;originaldate&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;&amp;lt;span&amp;gt; 1/1/0001 6:00:00 AM&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;&amp;lt;span&amp;gt;height&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;&amp;lt;span&amp;gt; 397&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;&amp;lt;span&amp;gt;width&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;&amp;lt;span&amp;gt; 600&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;&amp;lt;span&amp;gt;orientation&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;&amp;lt;span&amp;gt; 1&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;&amp;lt;span&amp;gt;camerasoftware&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;&amp;lt;span&amp;gt; Picasa&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;&amp;lt;span&amp;gt;Paly sophomore Zach Gibson performs original poems from what he called his “heartbreak years”. Photo by Ana Caklovic.&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;&amp;lt;span&amp;gt;originaldate&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;&amp;lt;span&amp;gt; 1/1/0001 6:00:00 AM&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;&amp;lt;span&amp;gt;height&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;&amp;lt;span&amp;gt; 397&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;&amp;lt;span&amp;gt;width&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;&amp;lt;span&amp;gt; 600&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;&amp;lt;span&amp;gt;orientation&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;&amp;lt;span&amp;gt; 1&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;&amp;lt;span&amp;gt;camerasoftware&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;&amp;lt;span&amp;gt; Picasa&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;&amp;lt;span&amp;gt;Senior Yi Ge performs several poems she wrote herself. She opened the night with a poem on the significance of platitudes, or common phrases. Photo by Ana Caklovic.&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;&amp;lt;span&amp;gt;originaldate&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;&amp;lt;span&amp;gt; 1/1/0001 6:00:00 AM&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;&amp;lt;span&amp;gt;height&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;&amp;lt;span&amp;gt; 397&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;&amp;lt;span&amp;gt;width&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;&amp;lt;span&amp;gt; 600&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;&amp;lt;span&amp;gt;orientation&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;&amp;lt;span&amp;gt; 1&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;&amp;lt;span&amp;gt;camerasoftware&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;&amp;lt;span&amp;gt; Picasa&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;&amp;lt;span&amp;gt;Before reciting Bruce Springsteen’s song “Born in the USA,” junior Russell Star-Lack tells the audience that “I think its hits the core of the struggle of what it means to be American and the contradiction we all feel.” Photo by Ana Caklovic.&amp;lt;br /&amp;gt;
&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;&amp;lt;span&amp;gt;originaldate&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;&amp;lt;span&amp;gt; 1/1/0001 6:00:00 AM&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;&amp;lt;span&amp;gt;height&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;&amp;lt;span&amp;gt; 397&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;&amp;lt;span&amp;gt;width&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;&amp;lt;span&amp;gt; 600&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;&amp;lt;span&amp;gt;orientation&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;&amp;lt;span&amp;gt; 1&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;&amp;lt;span&amp;gt;camerasoftware&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;&amp;lt;span&amp;gt; Picasa&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;&amp;lt;span&amp;gt;Junior Bryce Rockwell performs a poem she wrote for Mr. Sharp’s Writer’s Craft class. Rockwell explains the assignment, and says that “It had to be ten stanzas with a specific topic for each one, and three topics for each stanza. I did more than ten stanzas and I titled it ‘Three times the Weird.’” Photo by Ana Caklovic.&amp;lt;br /&amp;gt;
&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;&amp;lt;span&amp;gt;originaldate&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;&amp;lt;span&amp;gt; 1/1/0001 6:00:00 AM&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;&amp;lt;span&amp;gt;height&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;&amp;lt;span&amp;gt; 397&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;&amp;lt;span&amp;gt;width&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;&amp;lt;span&amp;gt; 600&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;&amp;lt;span&amp;gt;orientation&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;&amp;lt;span&amp;gt; 1&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;&amp;lt;span&amp;gt;camerasoftware&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;&amp;lt;span&amp;gt; Picasa&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;&amp;lt;span&amp;gt;Sophomore and Paly theatre student Andrea O’Riordan performs a short Silverstein Silverstein poem called “Call the Please.” Photo by Ana Caklovic.&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;&amp;lt;span&amp;gt;originaldate&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;&amp;lt;span&amp;gt; 1/1/0001 6:00:00 AM&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;&amp;lt;span&amp;gt;height&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;&amp;lt;span&amp;gt; 397&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;&amp;lt;span&amp;gt;width&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;&amp;lt;span&amp;gt; 600&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;&amp;lt;span&amp;gt;orientation&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;&amp;lt;span&amp;gt; 1&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;&amp;lt;span&amp;gt;camerasoftware&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;&amp;lt;span&amp;gt; Picasa&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;&amp;lt;span&amp;gt;Sophomore Izzy Kelly reads a poem about sailing, but says that “I’ve never sailed before, also I get seasick, It’s called ‘Where We Begin’ and its an original poem.” Photo by Ana Caklovic.&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;&amp;lt;span&amp;gt;originaldate&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;&amp;lt;span&amp;gt; 1/1/0001 6:00:00 AM&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;&amp;lt;span&amp;gt;height&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;&amp;lt;span&amp;gt; 397&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;&amp;lt;span&amp;gt;width&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;&amp;lt;span&amp;gt; 600&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;&amp;lt;span&amp;gt;orientation&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;&amp;lt;span&amp;gt; 1&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;&amp;lt;span&amp;gt;camerasoftware&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;&amp;lt;span&amp;gt; Picasa&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;&amp;lt;span&amp;gt;Junior Paul Bleich performs a mix of his own writing and several other published pieces about humanity and the Tower of Babel. Photo by Ana Caklovic.&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;&amp;lt;span&amp;gt;originaldate&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;&amp;lt;span&amp;gt; 1/1/0001 6:00:00 AM&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;&amp;lt;span&amp;gt;height&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;&amp;lt;span&amp;gt; 397&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;&amp;lt;span&amp;gt;width&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;&amp;lt;span&amp;gt; 600&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;&amp;lt;span&amp;gt;orientation&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;&amp;lt;span&amp;gt; 1&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;&amp;lt;span&amp;gt;camerasoftware&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;&amp;lt;span&amp;gt; Picasa&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;&amp;lt;span&amp;gt;Sophomore Clara Chiu and Sierra Parker, a Paly graduate, perform a poem together from the movie &amp;amp;quot;22 Jump Street.&amp;amp;quot; Photo by Ana Caklovic.&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;&amp;lt;span&amp;gt;originaldate&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;&amp;lt;span&amp;gt; 1/1/0001 6:00:00 AM&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;&amp;lt;span&amp;gt;height&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;&amp;lt;span&amp;gt; 397&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;&amp;lt;span&amp;gt;width&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;&amp;lt;span&amp;gt; 600&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;&amp;lt;span&amp;gt;orientation&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;&amp;lt;span&amp;gt; 1&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;&amp;lt;span&amp;gt;camerasoftware&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;&amp;lt;span&amp;gt; Picasa&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;&amp;lt;span&amp;gt;Senior Hannah Nguyen reads a poem that she says has “Something that everyone should take away from.” Photo by Ana Caklovic.&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;&amp;lt;span&amp;gt;originaldate&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;&amp;lt;span&amp;gt; 1/1/0001 6:00:00 AM&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;&amp;lt;span&amp;gt;height&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;&amp;lt;span&amp;gt; 397&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;&amp;lt;span&amp;gt;width&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;&amp;lt;span&amp;gt; 600&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;&amp;lt;span&amp;gt;orientation&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;&amp;lt;span&amp;gt; 1&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;&amp;lt;span&amp;gt;camerasoftware&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;&amp;lt;span&amp;gt; Picasa&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;&amp;lt;span&amp;gt;Paly junior Laura Maystead read Maya Angelou’s poem “Phenomenal Woman” after telling the audience that Angelou is one of her family’s heroes. Photo by Ana Caklovic.&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;&amp;lt;span&amp;gt;originaldate&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;&amp;lt;span&amp;gt; 1/1/0001 6:00:00 AM&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;&amp;lt;span&amp;gt;height&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;&amp;lt;span&amp;gt; 397&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;&amp;lt;span&amp;gt;width&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;&amp;lt;span&amp;gt; 600&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;&amp;lt;span&amp;gt;orientation&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;&amp;lt;span&amp;gt; 1&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;&amp;lt;span&amp;gt;camerasoftware&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;&amp;lt;span&amp;gt; Picasa&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;&amp;lt;span&amp;gt;Junior Clara Baker performs an original poem she says was inspired by the fact that “In middle school and elementary school they like you to do projects about your heritage and my heritage was kind of boring…So over and over and over again, they had us do projects…I got very annoyed, and I wrote this.” Photo by Ana Caklovic.&amp;lt;br /&amp;gt;
&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;&amp;lt;span&amp;gt;originaldate&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;&amp;lt;span&amp;gt; 1/1/0001 6:00:00 AM&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;&amp;lt;span&amp;gt;height&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;&amp;lt;span&amp;gt; 397&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;&amp;lt;span&amp;gt;width&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;&amp;lt;span&amp;gt; 600&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;&amp;lt;span&amp;gt;orientation&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;&amp;lt;span&amp;gt; 1&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;&amp;lt;span&amp;gt;camerasoftware&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;&amp;lt;span&amp;gt; Picasa&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;