The Word Around Town was originally put together as a poetry tour by three noteworthy Houston area poets: Zelene Pineda, Joe B and Stephen Gros, as a way to celebrate and exhibit Houston’s varied and talented spoken word artists and the venues that support them. This ambitious endeavor is presented as a week-long poetry marathon. The purpose is two-fold:
1) to publicize poets of great artistic worth in the greater Houston area by exposing them to new venues and audiences
2) to present audiences and venues with an array of local talent they may not have found on their own
The original tour began in the summer of 2006 with 10 poets. This year’s line-up includes fourteen diverse poets and six beautiful venues, from coffee shops to cultural centers, and presents a consummate sampling of talent from numerous backgrounds and poetic styles.
Teresa Juarez
Stephen Gros
