Kenn Rodriguez
An award-winning journalist, educator and writer, Kenn Rodríguez has been called"one of the most honest, down-to-earth performance poets in the region, if not the nation” by The Austin Chronicle. In 2003, he was named one of the "Top 40 under 40" for the arts by New Mexico Business Weekly. In 2005 he coached and performed with the National Poetry Slam championship team from Albuquerque, N.M. As an educator, he has conducted workshops in numerous schools and teen writing conferences and was recognized by the New Mexico State Senate for his work coaching the Albuquerque High School slam team to consecutive State High School Poetry Slam championships.
Born & raised in Las Vegas, New Mexico, he re-discovered poetry through the poetry slam after dropping out of Sunday school and spending a wasted youth playing in a rock 'n roll band. Kenn has also been published in numerous journals and anthologies, including"Poetry Slam: The Competitive Art of Poetry” (Manic D Press) and has been a featured performer at numerous festivals and venues across the country, including the Taos Poetry Circus, the Seattle Poetry Festival, the SXSW Music Conference, the National Poetry Slam and the SlamAmerica tour. He was also featured in several local television and radio shows including"Lo Maduro de la Cultura” and the New Mexico public television documentary"Summon the Fire,” as well the top-rated Jim Villanucci Show (77O KKOB-AM). He currently lives in Albuquerque, N.M.
For more on Kenn, go to his website: http://geocities.com/spokenn