(Same as African American Studies M113D.) Lecture, three hours. Enrollment by consent of instructor. Shaped by, and consistently inspiring, broader movements for social and political change, practice of spoken word today provides creative outlets for writers and performing artists worldwide by resisting and remixing elements of traditional verse, participatory theater, and popular culture. To develop writing and performance skills, and to deeply understand selection of poets and performing artists who have shaped spoken word as known today, investigation of aesthetics and political movements of their time through critical essays and poetry from range of influential movements. P/NP or letter grading.