He is the Slammaster/Executive Director of the Austin Poetry Slam, and a five-time member/three-time coach of teams representing Austin at Nationals. The author of 10 full-length books of poetry, Danny’s performance-oriented work is frequently used by students in forensics competitions.
Why is poetry important?
I’d prefer to answer the question of why spoken word poetry is important, rather than poetry as a whole. Spoken word poetry / slam-style poetry is important because it’s a continuation of our most ancient tradition of storytelling. An impassioned speaker sharing their personal truth live is more powerful than any other force in the world.
What makes a good poem?
In my opinion, a good poem is one that uses concise and interesting words to surprise me and teach me about something new.
What inspires you?
I’m inspired by things that happen in my life every day, including conversations I have and things I hear or read in the news.
Who are some of your favorite poets?
My favorite poets are Korim, Good Ghost Bill, Christopher Lee Daniels, Matthew Conley, Andrea Gibson,
What made you want to become a poet?
I didn’t really want to be a poet, but I kept writing poetry. This is still the case to this day. I just really like writing in all forms. I also like the community and the poetry slam family.
Where is your favorite place to write and why?
I prefer to write on my computer because it’s fast and easy to edit.
What are you reading right now?
Neal Stephens SevenEves, a sci-fi anthology, Robert Silverberg.
What advice do you have for aspiring poets?
Read a lot. Write a lot. Edit a lot. Perform at every opportunity. If opportunities don’t exist, create them.
