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I entered the world of performance poetry in December 2006 after touring for a few years with the poetry/music/improv show I created called "The Hook." Looking for new directions I could take "The Hook," I stumbled upon an advertised poetry slam at Cup of Joe's in Salt Lake City, UT that said they would be doing an improvised poetry slam. Although I was the only one who improvised, I saw a lot of talent at that show and surrendered to one of my biggest fears: writing down my work. Since then I have tried out for and made every Salt City Slam team since 2007. In 2007, I took over the task of SlamMaster, the organizer of the poetry slam that keeps each local slam in compliance with our national body, Poetry Slam, Inc. I helped to implement and keep track of a point system that allowed poets to accumulate points based on how they did in our poetry slams in order to earn the right to compete for a spot on the Salt City Slam team. In addition to earning a spot on Salt City Slam's teams, I also have won our team selection finals in 2008, 2010, 2011, and 2013. I served as the coach of the 2007, 2008, and 2010 Salt City Slam teams. In 2012, I won the honor to represent the newly certified Coffeehouse Slam in Riverton, UT as their representative at the 2012 Individual World Poetry Slam. In both 2010 and 2011, I attended the Individual World Poetry Slam and took second place in each of those events. At the 2009 National Poetry Slam in West Palm Beach, FL, I was part of the Salt City Slam team that made it into group piece finals, a feat we repeated in 2013. In 2011, Salt City Slam made its first ever semifinal appearance at the National Poetry Slam and finished tied for 8th place out of 76 competing teams. We repeated this feat in 2012, finishing 8th out 72 competing teams. In 2018, Salt Lake Slam made our first ever finals appearance at the National Poetry Slam and took 4th out of 72 teams, performing our signature theme/concept bout format around the Wizard of Oz. I also competed at the National Underground Poetry Individual Competition (NUPIC), held at the National Poetry Slam, in 2011, 2012, and 2013 and finished in the final four (semifinal round) each time. I have featured in at the Green Mill in Chicago, Bowery Poetry Club in New York City, Cantab Lounge in Cambridge, MA, Mesa Poetry Slam in Mesa, AZ, Northampton Poetry Slam in Northampton, MA, Las Vegas Poetry Slam in Las Vegas, NV, Boise Poetry Slam in Boise, ID, and Portland Poetry Slam in Portland, OR. I was also a featured poet on season 5 of Lexus Verses and Flow. Videos of my work have generated millions of views and have been featured on the Huffington Post, Glenn Beck's TheBlaze.com, UpWorthy.com, Button Poetry, WorldStarHipHop.com, and several other media outlets. I have published 4 poetry chapbooks, all of them self-published: Ink on Paper (2007), Flattened Braille (2008), To the Baby in My Belly (You Were Delicious) (2010), and Hit After Hit (2012). In 2012, Sargent Press approached me about publishing a full length book of my poetry. That book, The Noise That Is Not You, was released in August of 2012. Also in 2012, Lawn Gnome Publishing approached me about publishing a chapbook of persona poems called Like a Thin Veil. I have also been published in Borderline Online Poetry Journal (November 2010 & February 2012), New Graffiti (February 2011), in the running anthology and Boston Marathon bombing benefit, The 27th Mile, in the dark poetry journal, Veil: Journal of Darker Musings (October 2014), in the Write Bloody zombie poetry anthology, Aim for the Head, in the Write Bloody superhero poetry anthology, MultiVerse, in the Write Bloody anthology of poems for survival, We Will Be Shelter, and in the Write Bloody anthology of poems for the classroom, Learn Then Burn 2. In 2018, I was nominated for a Rhsyling Award by the Science Fiction Poetry Association and appear in their anthology of nominees. I have also served on the Executive Council, or non-profit board, for Poetry Slam, Inc., the non-profit entity responsible for organizing the National Poetry Slam, Individual World Poetry Slam, and Women of the World Poetry Slam events. I served as trustee in 2009, treasurer in 2010, and after being re-elected in 2012, I have since served as secretary and vice-president. I continue to help organize the poetry slams held on the last Monday of every month at Even Stevens in Salt Lake City, UT. I am currently treasurer for Wasatch Wordsmiths, a non-profit that seeks to provide opportunities for spoken word artists to share their art. Press "Utah’s slam-poetry team doesn’t care if you boo or clap — just come get vocal", The Salt Lake Tribune - Link "Slam This!", Gephardt Daily 12/13/2014 - Link "Vets vs. Newbies at Poetry's Grand Slam in Modesto", The Modesto Bee 12/10/2014 - Link "If This is True, What Else is True? Jesse Parent Interview", The Spur 10/1/2014 - Link "This Is What It Really Means To Love Someone Unconditionally", Huffington Post 9/5/2014 - Link "If You Don't Let Your Partner Do This In The Bedroom, You Might As Well Break Up With Them Now", UpWorthy 9/3/2014 - Link "Slam poetry: a celebration in diversity", The Guardian 8/22/2014 - Link "To the boys who want to date my daughter", eNews Channel Africa 8/20/2014 - Link "Dad Sends Epic Message To The Boys Who May One Day Date His Daughter", Huffington Post 4/16/2014 - Link "Hilarious Utah poet lays down law to boys who may one day date his daughter", New York Daily News 4/16/2014 - Link "A Dad Gets A Standing Ovation For What He Says To Boys Who Want To Date His Daughter. Well Played.", UpWorthy 4/15/2014 - Link "Poet dad recites hilarious warning to anyone who might break his daughter's heart", The Daily Mail 4/15/2014 - Link "Poets compete at SLC Slam for Nationals spot", The Daily Utah Chronicle 4/3/2014 - Link | Archive "Slammed! Poets of the spoken word share craft techniques that work for all genres", The Writer Magazine November 2013 - Archive "Nerd Alert: Literary Death Match Makes Its Rounds at The State Room", SLUG Magazine 10/31//2013 - Link "Poetry slam finalists advance to national competition", Fox 13 News 3/31/2013 - Link "Found Friday: Jesse Parent - 'Hooked Cross'", I, Mosaic 3/29/2013 - link "Poetry Slam Fest", Fox 13 Good Day Utah 3/25/2013 - Link "365 Poetry @ Salt Lake City Photo Collective 01.05", SLUG Magazine 1/9/2013 - Link | Archive "SpokenHeard with Jesse Parent and Susan Dobbe Chase", SpokenHeard 11/25/2012 - Audio "Life Rhymes", WPI Transformations Spring 2012 - Link | Archive "Best Of Utah 2012: Best Poetic Injustice", Salt Lake City Weekly 3/28/2012 - Link | Archive "Local slam poet Parent takes second place overall in World Poetry Slam", Salt Lake Tribune 10/17/2011 - Link | Archive "Soundwaves from the Underground", SLUG Magazine 10/17/2011 - Audio "Artys 2011: Best Beasts in Beantown", Salt Lake City Weekly 9/14/2011 - Link | Archive "Slam poet Jesse Parent makes it up", Salt Lake Tribune 3/15/2011 - Link | Archive "Utah poet wins 2nd in international poetry slam", Salt Lake Tribune 1/3/2011 - Link | Archive "Zionized 43: Salt City Slam", Salt Lake City Weekly 6/2/2010 - Video "Gavin's Underground - Salt City Slam", Salt Lake City Weekly 3/19/2010 - Link | Archive "NPS 2009 Day 2: Jesse Parent Poetry Feature", When She Speaks I Hear the Revolution 8/5/2009 - Link "SLAM TUESDAY: Spittin’ Poetry with the SLC Slam Team", When She Speaks I Hear the Revolution 8/4/2009 - Link "Scene in SLC", In This Week 3/19/2009 - Archive |
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© 2012 Jesse Parent